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Tag: Makurdi

  • Man loses teeth as APC, PDP youths clash in Makurdi

    Several supporters of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were yesterday left injured  in the aftermath of a clash between both sides at Gyado Villa,Makurdi,the  Benue state capital .

    There was an exchange of words which resulted in a fight with one of the APC boys losing two teeth.

    But for the timely intervention of personnel of the  Nigeria  Security and Civil Defence Corps

    ( NSCDC) , the incident would have probably claimed lives.

    APC Youth leader in the state, Tersoo Baki ,accused PDP supporters of provoking  the fight by mounting a bill board of Governor Samuel Ortom on the same spot APC youths had erected one for their party.

    Tersoo Baki urged youths in the area to eschew violence and bitterness in politics.

  • APC distributes electoral materials for presidential primaries to LGs

    The Benue chapter of the All Progressive Congress ( APC ) said it has completed the distribution of electoral materials to 23 local government areas for its presidential primaries.

    The state Acting Publicity secretary of the party, Mr James Ornguga, told newsmen on Friday in Makurdi that the direct primaries would commence across the 276 council wards at exactly 10 a.m.

    Ornguga disclosed that the APC leader in the state, Sen. George Akume, was the returning officer for the presidential primaries.

    Read Also: Osun Guber election: Buhari congratulates APC, Oyetola

    He explained that the primaries would be conducted at the headquarters of each of the 276 council wards in the state.

    He added that the exercise would be done using the 2014 APC party register.

    He further explained that the party would commence registration of new members after the presidential primaries.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that electorates were beginning to gather at the headquarters of some of the council wards in Makurdi Local Government.

  • Benue to spend N46m to rehabilitate 21 township roads – Official

    The Benue State Government says it will spend N46 million to rehabilitate 21 township roads to enhance movements of persons and goods in the state.

    Mr Hyosange Akaagerger, Permanent Secretary and Acting Commissioner, Ministry of Works, Transport and Energy, made the disclosure in an interview with News men on Tuesday in Makurdi.

    Akaagerger said that work had started on 21 critical roads, although 25 roads had been earmarked for rehabilitation.

    He listed the roads to include Ishaya Bakut, Old Otukpo, Kashim Ibrahim and Iyorchia Ayu Roads.

    Others are Achumugu Peter, Ogiri Oko, Gondo Aluor, JoeAkaahan Roads, David Mark Bypass and Jonah Jang Crescent.

    Also undergoing rehabilitation, he said, are Old Lafia Road, Atom Kpera, J.S. Tarka to Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Roads.

    The acting commissioner said FMC to Government House Roundabout, Bill Anakaa and Father Hunter’s Roads were under rehabilitation.

    “Benue Crescent to Bush Bar-Naka road, Ankpa quarters to Rainoil Junction, NKST lane-low level, Konshisha Street to Katsina-Ala Street were all undergoing renovations,’’ he said.

    Akaagerger added that all the roads at the three major rail crossings had been fixed.

    He disclosed that the state government would now focus on roads in Gboko, Katsina-Ala and Otukpo, headquarters of the three senatorial zones.

    Read Also: Benue monarch consoles Dickson over mum’s death

    ‘‘Our rural roads need to be fixed too. Apart from the township roads, other critical roads to be considered are the rural areas.

    ‘‘They are major towns and the volume of vehicular movement is high; major socio economic businesses are carried out on these routes, there are also major inter states links,” he noted.

    The commissioner also said that the construction of new major roads would commence soon.

    “We have new layouts springing up without access roads and it is a thing of concern to the government to construct new roads,” he said.

    Akaagerger said the new roads would include the Customary Court of Appeal road leading to George Akume Way as well as the VIO training ground linking Old Customs Quarters in North bank.

    Also, the Mobile Junction to Industrial Layout and Adaka village mop out to connect the main access road.

    ‘‘When constructed, most of the roads will act as bypasses, the town will be decongested of traffic and lesser time will be spent on the roads,’’ he said.

    The acting commissioner said the state government had called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, rehabilitate the River Katsina – Ala Bridge.

    He recalled that the 40 year-old bridge constructed in 1978 had suffered much neglect adding that it needed routine maintenance.

    He said an on the spot assessment by the Federal Controller of Works and a team of civil engineers showed that the surface of the bridge had deteriorated.

    “There are failed portion at the pedestrian ways and have cracks at the embodiments.

    ‘‘The state of the bridge is worrisome and presently the pillars are cracked and shaking,” he said.

    Akaagerger appealed to the Federal Government to quickly intervene to prevent its imminent collapse.

  • Troops killed herdsmen in Benue operation

    The Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke, Major General Adeyemi Yekini (OPWS) said that troops have killed over 10 armed herdsmen along Gbajimba-Akor-Tomata axis of Guma Local Government area of Benue

    The commander also confirmed that one soldier was killed and two others injured when herdsmen engaged the troops along Gbajimba-Akor-Tomata last Saturday.

    Briefing news in Makurdi, Gen. Yekini  said that the number of casualties among the herdsmen during the initial encounter could not be ascertained, noted that while the fighting was going on a Mi35 helicopter that was scrambled to provide air support for the troops sighted the armed herdsmen on motorcycles.

    “During the firefight, the Mi35 spotted a group of about 20 armed herdsmen riding on motorcycles moving along the axis towards Nasarawa State.

    15 of the armed herdsmen on five motorcycles were neutralized with rocket fire from the Mi35 while others escaped with various degrees of injury.

    “Our troops chased remaining herdsmen until contact was broken close to the boundary between Nasarawa and Benue State.

    Plans are in progress to conduct further clearance operations of the border areas between the two states,” Yekini said.

    General Yekini who said that another operation was carried out last Saturday in Katsina Ala area which suggested that Benue most wanted terrorist, Terwase Akwasa must have been killed.

    Read Also: NSE proffers solution to herdsmen killings

    “The raid operation which took place at Tse Akwaza camp belonging to Gana in Kastina-Ala commenced at about 0500hours on 18th August, 2018 through JatoAka-Kashimbila-Tyotsar axis but was suspended due to bad terrain and damaged bridge at Tyotsar which troops could not cross due to flooding.

    “It was not clear if Gana was killed during the assault, but trail of blood seen in the building suspected to be where he slept suggests he might have been hit.

    “A motor cycle usually used by Gana was also badly damaged during the air strike, many sacks of substance suspected to be Indian hemp were recovered and burnt”, General Yekini said.

  • Benue House of Assembly under lock and key

    A detachment of Mobile Police men have put Benue State House of Assembly under lock and key on Friday.

    The menacing look heavy armed mobile policemen took over the Benue State House of Assembly complex as early as 9am and positioned themselves in every corner of the Assembly.

    At about 10 the new speaker Hon Titus Uba led some Lawmakers to resume sitting but were barred from gaining entrance by policemen.

    Read Also: Benue PDP welcomes Ortom

    The speaker and Lawmakers attempted to gain entrance into the chamber through the back gate again as they jumped over the fence which shares fence with Government House Makurdi but met a brick wall as the chamber was blocked by heavy policemen.

    The Nation gathered that the Lawmakers later sat in an undisclosed location in Makurdi and suspended the impeached speaker Teekimbir Ikyange for six months for alleged gross misconduct.

     

  • Photo: Ortom displays resignation letter

    Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has been pictured displaying his resignation letter on Wednesday at the Government house Makurdi.

    The governor formally announced his decision to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Read Also: Ortom finally dumps APC for PDP

    He said he had forwarded his letter of resignation from APC to the ward chairman in Benue State.

    He also said the ward chairman was “ready to join” him in PDP.

  • ANN opens Benue State secretariat in Makurdi

    THE Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) has opened its party secretariat in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

    The inauguration was performed by presidential aspirant of the party Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, who urged party members to go back to their wards to intimate  eligible voters to get their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    According to him, the next election would be decided by young people.

    He said: “There are many people who have registered but never voted before and 65 percent of them are young people, knowing fully well that an incumbent president won the election by 11 million against Jonathan’s 9 million and now we have new 9 million that have never voted before and 65 percent of them are young people.

    “Any party that recognises the youths as ANN does, already the party will be victorious in 2019 election.”

    Olawepo-Hashim informed the party faithful that in the past few months, he had visited the state three times, promising to visit the state more three before the general elections.

    “I will come three times more because Benue is the heartbeat of Nigeria, it is the heartbeat of Middle Belt. Benue people fought for national unity and the defence of the unity of this country when it was under threat.

    “The new Nigeria we want to build is a new Nigeria that will give job to the youths not to be giving them miserable money of N1,000 and use them as thugs. But the Nigeria that will create sustainable employment through agriculture that is linked to manufacturing, where manufacturing will become 40 percent of our GDP as it is case in China and 30 percent India, not civil service job but job that is attached to industry and manufacturing.

    ”We want to build a new Nigeria that will support innovative young people so that they can make money from innovation. We will create a very strong patents law that will protect the product of your innovation, that is the country we want to build, a knowledge-based economy.

    The National Chairman of the party, Dr Jay Samuel, whose message was delivered by the Vice National Chairman, North-Central Zone, Alhaji Kanti Uthman, told the party members that if more than one million gather at the party secretariat without PVCs, the gathering was of no meaning.

    The Director-General, Campaign organisation, who was erstwhile speaker of the state House of Assembly, Terseer Tsumba, promised them that their resilience since morning would not go in vain.

    “He cannot make himself a president, he will become the president by the power you people must exercise in 2019.”

    Other dignitaries at the  ceremony include former deputy Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, who doubles as State chairman of the party, Dr Stephen Onmeje; and former Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the governor, now State party secretary, Desmond Atov.

  • We didn’t stop plane from landing in Makurdi for political reasons, says Air Force

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) yesterday denied that it prevented a chartered flight from landing at its Base in Makurdi for political reasons.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Southern and Middle Belt Forum on Monday alleged that NAF denied them landing rights in Makurdi to attend a Middle Belt summit on restructuring.

    NAF Director of Public Relations and Information AVM Olatokunbo Adesanya said in a statement yesterday that there was a clearly established procedure for non-NAF aircraft to operate into and out of Makurdi.

    “The attention of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has sadly been drawn to allegations that it prevented a chartered flight from landing at its Base in Makurdi on July 16, 2018, for political reasons.

    “There is absolutely no iota of truth in the allegations that NAF’s decision was politically motivated.

    “To start with, the runway at NAF Base Makurdi is not a dual user facility but one constructed strictly for military purpose.

    “Accordingly, in line with global best practices, there is a clearly established procedure for non-NAF aircraft to operate into and out of the runway in Makurdi, and that procedure is well-known to all qualified pilots in Nigeria.

    “Indeed, many airlines had in the past adhered to the stipulated procedure and therefore successfully landed and taken off from the NAF runway in Makurdi.

    “The procedure includes a written request to NAF Headquarters, Abuja for permission for a specific aircraft to operate into its airfield on a specific date and time, including the names of passengers and other necessary details.”

    “In this case, there was indeed a request for permit by the Benue State Government, dated July 16, 2018, for aircraft with Registration Number 5N-FCT to land at NAF Base Makurdi on July 16, 2018.”

    He said requests for landing permits were expected to reach NAF Headquarters not later than two days before the desired landing date.

    According to Adesanya, the NAF, however, went out of its way to expedite the process and accordingly granted the permit for aircraft with Registration Number 5N-FCT to land at NAF Base Makurdi on July 16.

    He added: “However, at about 5 p.m. on 16 July 2018, the NAF was verbally informed that there was a need to change the aircraft for which permission had already been issued, reportedly because the aircraft had developed snags.

    “The NAF, therefore, asked for another written request, in line with the established procedure.

    He said “as at date”, the NAF Headquarters was yet to receive a written request for the replacement aircraft with Registration Number 5N-IZY to land at its Base in Makurdi.

    “For the avoidance of doubts, the NAF does not concern itself with political or religious affiliations of individuals/organisations in granting landing rights at its airfields.

    “The issue of security and safety remains uppermost, particularly while noting that the ongoing Operation WHIRL STROKE is largely being coordinated from NAF Base Makurdi, with fighter aircraft flying in and out of the Base.”

     

     

  • We were barred from flying to Makurdi, say Southern leaders

    Some leaders of the south said yesterday they were prevented from flying to Makurdi, the Benus State capital, to attend a meeting of the Southern and Middle Belt regions on restructuring.

    They told reporters in Abuja that they were told they could not fly to Makurdi on a charetred aircraft for security reasons.

    President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Chief John Nwodo, who spoke on their behalf, said they spent about five hours at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja trying to obtain clearance for the journey but were refused, by the Commandant of the Makurdi Airport.

    Nwodo said: “We arrived on time for our flight today (yesterday) at 12 noon. The airport commandant disallowed us from flying and said we needed to get permission to land in Makurdi.

    “We consider this a fundamental infringement on our democratic rights of freedom of movement and freedom of association. There is nothing in our law precluding us from moving to wherever we like, from holding an opinion in so far as we do not breach any law in Nigeria.

    “What has happened to us today expresses a lot of doom for fundamental human rights in our country, for the free exchange of ideas as unavoidable instruments of achieving growth and development of our polity.

    “We deprecate the treatment that we were given today, which treatment prevented us from physical joining our brethren in the Middle Belt in a common view which we all hold, a very patriotic view, which we think will be the only way to guarantee the future of our country.” he said

    Mr. Yinka Odumakin added: “As we were about to make payments, they said there was landing permit issues. They called the commandant in Makurdi, who said they should send an application.

    “The Chief of Staff to the Benue State governor said we should fax the application to him and to the commandant. We waited at the airport for hours. Eventually, the Chief of Staff had to contact the commandant in Makurdi and was told that the landing permit requested by the first airline was still on their table.”

    Some of the leaders later watched the live transmission of the conference in Chief Edwin Clark’s residence.

    The group also faulted the Executive Order 6, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Nwodo said: “Secondly, to deprecate this new tendency. Not too long ago, the President signed into law an Executive order, which gives him the right to seize people’s assets. This is almost like a military government. And we think that this is an intrusion into the principles of separation of powers in our country.

    “It is the responsibility of the legislature to make law, of the executive to implement the law and the judiciary to interpret the law. I do not think that Section 5 of the Constitution gives the President such Executive authority to make laws.

    “The right to property is a fundamental right in a democracy. It cannot be expropriated here without decision of the court. What has happened to us today shows a continuing tendency to slide into a dictatorship in a democratic government. That is condemnable.”

  • APC has given me red card, says Ortom

    Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has said that he has been given a red card by the All Progressive Congress ( APC)

    The governor spoke at Government House Makurdi on Monday while swearing -in the new Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Jerome Tor Shine.

    The former Adviser was sacked last week in a new political realignment move.

    Governor Ortom who was elected on the platform of APC is now believed to be heading to the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP), which is in alliance with Social Democratic Party( SDP)

    ” APC has given me red card, they shut me outside ,I’m now party less ,but may soon decide my next journey ” Ortom said.

    Read Also: I’m still a member of APC – Ortom

    But speaking with The Nation on phone, a member of APC who pleaded anonymity said the governor is already a member of PDP.

    He advised the governor to tell his followers the truth about his new political party.

    Curiously, Governor Ortom’s posters bearing APC flooded Wurkukum roundabout in Makurdi .

    Many residents who saw the posters pasted round the busy roundabout gathered to discuss the issue of the party the governor now belongs.