The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Gabriel Suswam

  • Suswam to Aliyu: Come back to PDP

    Suswam to Aliyu: Come back to PDP

    Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam has urged his Niger State counterpart, Babangida Aliyu, to come back to the main Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Suswam said, “You cannot build a house and run away from it leaving your family. Where there is trouble, you stay back and tackle the trouble, so Governor Aliyu should come back and tackle the problem.”

    The governor spoke while playing host to the party’s North-central executive committee led by its chairman, Yusuf Tyongo, at the Government House in Makurdi.

    Suswam said he is is optimistic that very soon the chairman of the Northern Governors Forum would return to where “he rightly belongs” because there is nothing like a new PDP.

     

  • 2nd Plenary session of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria

    2nd Plenary session of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria

  • Suswam to clarify political future 2014

    Suswam to clarify political future 2014

    Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State on Sunday said he would clarify his future political ambition in 2014.

    The governor said this at Konshisha-Mbakpuul in Konshisa Local Government Area during a fund raising programme for two schools in the community.

    At the occasion, prominent members of the community said they had endorsed the governor as the Senatorial candidate for the Benue North East District.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Chief Barnabas Gemade is the incumbent senator representing the zone.

    NAN also reports that although Suswam, a two-term governor, has not yet declared his intention to vie for the seat, groups and associations had continued to hold consultations on his behalf.

    Suswam commended the leaders for organising the event and directed the state commissioner for Education to liaise with the community for the purpose of intervention.

    He, however, made a personal donation of N3 million for the development of the two schools and urged others donors to donate generously.

     

  • Strike: Anyim, ASUU meet Monday

    Strike: Anyim, ASUU meet Monday

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, will on Monday meet with the Academic Staff Union of Universities to address earned allowance and general university funding for infrastructure development.

    Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue disclosed this to journalists on Friday in Abuja after a meeting of ASUU with members of the committee on implementation of Needs Assessment Report to Nigerian Universities.

    Suswan is chairman of the committee, inaugurated earlier in the day by Anyim.

    He said an agreement was reached on many of the issues under negotiation except the two concerning earned allowance and general university funding for infrastructure development.

    Suswan explained that after many hours of deliberation the meeting agreed on major issues except the two.

    “These are the outstanding issues, otherwise other issues have been agreed on and we believe that by next week we should be able to agree on all the issues and, probably, ASUU will call off the strike,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the governor as saying to journalists.

    He said the committee would also meet with ASUU on August 1 to address the issue of infrastructure deficit in universities, adding that the meeting would involve all the agencies funding projects in the universities.

     

     

  • Suntai celebrates 52nd birthday in U.S hospital

    Suntai celebrates 52nd birthday in U.S hospital

    Ailing Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Danfulani Suntai, would on Sunday celebrate his 52nd birthday in the Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Centre and Home, New York, United States where he is recuperating.

    Following his tremendous recovery, Suntai had wanted to come back earlier to celebrate the milestone in his home state, but the doctors advised he should wait until he gets “complete recovery,” it was learnt.

    He has been receiving physiotherapy/treatment in the U.S upon leaving the German hospital in Hannover in March.

    Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, who visited Suntai in New York and returned at the weekend, said Suntai received him well, and spoke on phone with President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo.

    Taraba Acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, said the hand of God is sheltering his boss.

    “We have seen the hand of God at work in your life”, Suntai’s deputy, now Acting Governor Alhaji  Umar said in his goodwill message on his boss’ 52nd birthday on Sunday.

    Umar, 67, said: “on this day, we once again have the opportunity to celebrate the grace, love, blessings, mercy, and kindness of Almighty God upon our leader, mentor, friend, brother and boss, His Excellency Danbaba Danfulani Suntai, CON, as he clocks 52 years.

    “Though you are marking the event in far away United States of America, where you are recovering from the injuries you sustained in the air mishap of October 25 last year, we join you in appreciating God for what He is doing in your life.

    “We do so with an abiding faith in the Creator, that He would bless you (Suntai) with many more years of active and meritorious service to our state, the nation and humanity. We wish you a happy birthday anniversary and many returns.”

    Senator representing Taraba ,South Hon. Emmanuel Bwacha, who also visited Suntai in New York and returned at the weekend, told The Nation that the governor’s 52nd birthday celebration both at home and abroad would be more of thanks giving and praises to the Lord.

    Bwacha said: “This is his biggest testimony for the governor. His state (Taraba) and the country are joining him to thank God for his merciful wonders in his life.”

    “2007, 2012 and 2013 are seen as Suntai’s “most miraculous years.”

     

     

  • How fake EFCC officials attempted to defraud Suswam – Witness

    How fake EFCC officials attempted to defraud Suswam – Witness

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has revealed how four suspects attempted to swindle Governor Gabriel Suswan of Benue State of US$3million.

    The suspects are – Mark Gbaa (alias Nasiru Nasamu); Ezekiel Ajik Azi; Bulus Ashom Agwom; and Nuhu Bawa Atangs.

    The commission said the suspects conspired to impersonate officials of the commission in an attempt to blackmail Suswam to part with $3million.

    According to a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the revelation came about at the ongoing trial of the supects by Justice E.N. Kpojime of the Benue State High Court, Makurdi.

    The statement said the police orderly to the governor Julius Donmo and a senior officer with the Directorate of State Security Service, Aliu Dikko explained how they were contacted by the suspects in their plot to deceive Suswam to cough out $3million.

    The statement said: “At the resumed hearing of the case on June 3, 2013, Julius Donmo, a member of the Police Mobile force and orderly to Governor Suswam and Aliu Dikko, a senior DSS officer were led in evidence by counsel to EFCC Joseph Uzor. They gave detailed account of how the accused persons attempted to deceive Suswam into believing that they were Operatives of EFCC investigating a non- existent fraud perpetrated by his Commissioner for Finance.

    “Donmo, narrated how he was contacted by the first accused person, Mike Gbaa claiming to be a high level officer from EFCC wishing to see the governor to help stop investigation of fraud against his government.

    “He revealed how after series of calls and text messages, Bulus Ashom Agwom and Nuhu Bawa Atangs were arrested when they came to collect the agreed sum of $3million by operatives of the Department of State Security.”The first accused was later arrested through his phone. In his testimony, Dikko identified the accused persons as the suspects arrested and brought to him by his operatives for an alleged crime of impersonation and fraud.

    “He disclosed that they were subsequently interrogated and made statements under caution.

    ” As the statements were to be tendered, the defence counsel, J.B. Damboi, opposed the admissibility of the documents on the grounds that they were allegedly obtained under duress.

    “The development prompted the prosecution counsel to ask for a trial within trial to ascertain the veracity of the defence claim. The trial judge thereafter adjourned to July 2, 2013 for trial within trial.

    “The accused persons are facing a six-count charge of impersonation, forgery and criminal conspiracy to obtain the sum of three million US Dollars from Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State.”