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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • ‘Forex ban on food import’ll lead to 3.5m job loss’

    MIXED reactions from stakeholders continued to trail President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to stop providing fund for food importation.

    The National President, Rice Farmers Association (RIFAN), Mallam Aminu Goronyo described the directive as a welcome development and a good deal to achieve food self-sufficiency in the country.

    He recalled that in 2015, similar ban was placed on importation of rice but was criticised, adding that today, it has made the rice sector strong and viable.

    According to him, the current ban will make the country great as it will empower Nigerians economically in terms of employment.

    “At least 90 per cent of Nigerians will be gainfully engage, through agriculture.

    “We have over 54 commodities in the country and the moment we can provide employment through these 54 commodities, Nigeria will be economically variable.

    “It is 100 per cent a welcome idea; we had experienced this in 2015 in the rice sector and for now that it cuts across all commodities, Nigerians will be happy at the end.’’

    The Onitsha  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Industry,  Mines  and  Agriculture (ONICCIMA) expressed concern that about  3.5 million jobs will be  negatively  affected  by  the  policy  if  implemented.

    Its Director-General,  Stanley Anyadufu,  said  about  $1.5 billion worth  of ongoing food related transactions, would be put at risk based on  the new  policy.

    He said: “We  wholly  align  with  the  current  government’s  pursuit  towards  achieving  self  sufficiency  on food security in the country but issuance of certain policies especially on such sectors as food sector,  considering  its  importance  to  human  existence  and  the  country’s  current  production should be well thought out.

    Read Also: CBN injects $210m in forex market

    “We  note  that  35 per cent  of  business  ventures  in  Nigeria  are  into  food  and  food  value  chain.  It  is estimated that about 541,000 food related businesses, accounting for over 3.5 million jobs will be  negatively  affected  by  this  policy  if  implemented.  What  is  more,  about  $1.5billion  worth  of ongoing food related transactions that are already at risk due to the policy with consequence of losses and possible shutdown.

    “Thus, any policy that will impact this sector must be measured and implemented methodologically.”

    The policy, the chamber said, is capable of causing  interference on the independence of the CBN as contained in the CBN ACT, 2007, as amended; lead to spontaneous high cost of food items with consequence on inflation rate; lead to increase on smuggling of food items due to porous borders in the country; lead. proliferation of poor quality food items especially those that the country lacks adequate production capacity on at the moment

    The Senior Special Adviser on Publicity and Strategy to the National President of Commodities Brokers Association of Nigeria (CBAN), Mr  Is’haq Yahaya, however, described the proposed ban as a “mistake’’.

    Yahaya said although the idea behind the ban was good, it would cause hardship for the people.

    “It will cause what we call imported inflation; it will bring hardship to the masses before things could get better.

    “Some economists may say it will force Nigerians to start producing internally and make the nation look inward; the truth is that there is need to review the outcome of this action.

    “I think it is a mistake for such policy to take effect immediately; it should have been like a step by step thing.

    “It is a good thing to make people produce internally but it has to do with individual or societal discipline with regard to economic.

    “As far as I am concerned it is not a good one to have it too quickly even if it is a strategy to turn around the economy,’’ he said.

    On his part, the National President of Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN), Mr Daniel Okafor commended the president for the directive, urging farmers to key into the opportunity.

     

     

  • Fed Govt will redouble efforts to boost healthcare, says Buhari

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said the Federal Government will redouble efforts to improve the provision of health facilities, equipment and services in the country.

    He said the people living in rural areas would be given priority to access improved health services.

    The President spoke on Thursday in his home town of Daura, Katsina State, at the inauguration of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Reference Hospital in the town.

    A statement by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, quoted the President as saying the Federal Government had, in the last four years, invested huge resources in the health sector.

    The statement said it had increased budgetary allocation from N259 billion in 2015 to over N340 billion in 2018.

    “Accordingly, significant strides have been made to life expectancy and reduced some of the killer diseases associated with child and maternal mortality to less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030, as planned in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

    “Despite this, more efforts are needed to fully eradicate a wide range of diseases and many persistent and emerging health issues in our society,” President Buhari said.

    Read Also: Buhari mourns Daura’s District Head

    The President said dependence on foreign countries for medical treatment could be reduced by turning around the nation’s Health sector.

    He stressed that health services in the rural areas deserve more attention.

    “To achieve this, we must now redouble efforts to focus on providing more efficient funding of the Health sector, improve sanitation and hygiene, and increase access to medical care in the rural areas in order to save lives of millions of Nigerians.

    “There is, therefore, no more auspicious time to commission this Reference Hospital than now,” the President added.

    President Buhari hailed the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for siting the hospital, which has state-of-art medical equipment for radio diagnosis, cancer screening, dialysis, laboratory diagnosis and research, in Daura, to serve the aligning states and communities.

    “This hospital will minimise the need for people in these areas to travel to Kano, Kaduna, Abuja, or even overseas, to receive medical treatment.

    “I urge you to maintain the highest standard and quality services the military is known for in attending to patients and the host community. Maintenance is central to efficiency and satisfactory service delivery,” the President said.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Mrs Nuratu Batagarawa, said the project was conceived and implemented with personnel of the military and the community in mind to provide quality health services.

    Abubakar said the 60-bed hospital has nine medical consultants, as well as 61 general medical practitioners and dentists.

    “These developments have significantly enhanced the capacity of the medical services branch to provide quality healthcare to our personnel,” he said.

    The Chief of Air Staff added that the hospital has ultra-modern operating theatres, an intensive care unit, medical laboratory, eye and dental clinics and a physiotherapy department.

     

  • Buhari to tribunal: Atiku’s petition most worthless

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has described the petition by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the last presidential election, Atikiu Abubabar, as the most worthless in election litigation history.

    The President urged the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) to dismiss the petition for lack of merit.

    But the PDP candidate insists that the President is unqualified to contest the election. He urged the tribunal to quash his victory.

    These are contained in the final written addresses submitted to the court, which they are expected to adopt on August 21 when the court will hear final submissions from parties to the petition by Atiku and the PDP, challenging the outcome of the last presidential election.

    Buhari and the APC argued that not only are the reliefs sought by the petitioners “ungrantable and meaningless”, they (Atiku and the PDP) failed woefully to prove the allegations as contained in their petition.

    Buhari and the APC, after analysing the evidence by witnesses called by the petitioners, argued that in their attempt to establish their allegations, they dumped documents on the court in the name of tendering documentary evidence.

    They said: “It is submitted with every force that in the annals of election petition proceedings in Nigeria, this particular petition has been the most starved in terms of evidence, whether oral or documentary.

    The petitioners also woefully failed to appreciate that this court does not wrought miracles, but decides cases according to law, and not based on sentiments.

    “Whereas, the petitioners are challenging results of election in all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and have pleaded in paragraph 107 of their petition that there were 119,973 polling units in the country, they called only five polling unit agents to give evidence, i.e PW5 of Mai Angwa Yclwa 008 Polling Unit of Jigawa State; PW6 of Farin Dutse 001 Polling Unit of Jigawa State; PW12 of Polling Unit 009 of Nasarawa “B” Ward of Niger State; PW46 of Unit 009, Karu Ward of Nasarawa State, and PW49 of Unit 1, Morowa of Nasarawa State.

    Read Also: Tribunal listens to audio tape of INEC staff confession

    “Apart from the fact that these witnesses made no impression on the petitioners’ case, a pertinent question arises, to wit, what happens to the remaining witnesses in respect of the outstanding 119, 968 polling units in the country?

    On this note again, respondent submits that the petitioners are not in the least bit, serious at ventilating any grievance against the presidential election of 23rd February, 2019 before this honourable court. From the presentation of the petition, through to the calling of witnesses, the petitioners would appear to be very unsure and unsteady as to what they want precisely.

    “This is not surprising as the entity of the petition is based on assumptions, speculations and conjectures. The petition itself is based on live conflicting and irreconcilable grounds, the last two of which glibly suggest that the 2nd respondent (Buhari) was not qualified to contest the election under reference.

    “As against the grounds, the evidence given, both oral and the dumped documentary, suggests something different; the five reliefs sought are not any shade better than the grounds, but they vividly bring to the fore the confusion enveloping the entire petition.

    “Reliefs (b) and (c) wishfully pray this honourable court to, not only to declare the 1st petitioner (Atiku) as the winner of the election, but also to issue him a certificate of return. Yet, throughout the gamut of the terse evidence presented, it has not been demonstrated by any strand of evidence at all, how the 1st petitioner secured the highest number of lawful votes cast at the election, to warrant a certificate of return being issued to him.

    “Reliefs (d) and (e) trivially pray the court to determine that the respondent, who was a military Head of State between 1983 and 1985; a former Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces; a former Military Governor of the old North-Eastern State; a former Federal Commissioner of Petroleum, a democratically elected President of Nigeria, between 2015 and 2019, etc., was not qualified to contest the said election. ‘I’here is an alternative relief, which is neither here nor there.

    “In purporting to present a case before this court, the petitioners called 62 witnesses, While the respondent called seven witnesses. The seven witnesses called by the respondent were called out of abundance of caution,  more particularly so, that at the close of the petitioners‘ case, the respondent has extracted every bit of evidence needed to not only deflate the entirety of the petitioners’ case, but also to establish the facts pleaded in his reply.

    “As for the much propagated non-qualification of the respondent, not a single one of the witnesses called by the petitioners gave any scintilla of evidence to support this presumptuous claim. Out of abundance of caution, the respondent called four witnesses in respect of his qualification? who not only gave evidence as to their class and course relationships with the respondent, but also tendered photographs. results, transcripts, among others.”

    “The 1st petitioner, who has made and continues to make a mountain out of the molehill of an otherwise irrelevant issue, has failed, refused and neglected to tender or produce any educational certificate of his. The Form CF001 which he claims in paragraphs 18 and 19 of his reply to the respondent’s reply has not been tendered before this honorable court. “

  • Nigeria to save $20b from food import ban

    THE implementation of the ‘no forex for food import’ directive could save $20 billion for the economy, a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) data has shown.

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday ordered the CBN to exclude importers of food items from accessing forex from official windows.

    According to a CBN source, Nigeria saved around $21 billion in 2018 following the restriction of forex on 41 items. “With the addition of cotton, textile and garments, poultry, palm oil and their derivatives and other food/agricultural items imported into the country, it is expected that Nigeria will save more forex from the directive.

    The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its report said “the value of total imports rose 3.39 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the fourth quarter of 2018, and by 25.84 per cent over the corresponding quarter of 2018. From this figure, Imported Agricultural products were 7.98 per cent higher in value than in the fourth quarter of 2018, and 28.1 per cent higher than in the first quarter of 2018.

    If these imports that consume forex is checked as directed by the President, an immediate benefit of the directive will be an accretion to the foreign reserve which now stands at over $44 billion. This increase in foreign reserve will help keep the Naira at an appreciable rate to the dollar and the CBN will be better equipped to defend the naira against forex volatilities.

    Read Also: I’ll fight insecurity to standstill, Buhari vows

    Another positive implication of  the directive is that there will be increased agricultural activities across all food segments to produce the basic needs and also all the value chains associated with every food item will be motivated to expand. In other words, jobs and processes that were exported will now be domiciled in Nigeria. A fall out is more jobs and more food for Nigerians.

    While it has been reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will implement the directive in phases in order to manage the impact on prices and inflation, this decision by apex bank will give respite to nursing mothers who rely heavily on imported milk to feed their babies and for Nigerian companies to develop more acceptable infant formula than what currently obtains.

    CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, while delivering the keynote address at the 53rd Annual Bankers’ Dinner of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) in Lagos last year, noted that there was 97.3 per cent cumulative reduction in monthly rice import bills, 99.6 per cent in fish, 81.3 per cent in milk, 63.7 per cent in sugar, and 60.5 per cent in wheat.

    Emefiele insisted that “If we continue to support the growth of smallholder farmers, as well as help to revive palm oil refineries, rice mills, cassava and tomato processing factories, you can only imagine the amount of wealth and jobs that will be created in the country.

    “These could include new set of smallholders farmers that will be engaged in productive activities; new logistics companies that will transport raw materials to factories, and finished goods to the market; new storage centres that will be built to store locally produced goods; additional growth for our banks and financial institutions as they will be able to provide financial services to support these new businesses; and finally, the millions of Nigerians that will be employed in factories to support processing of goods.

    Ex AGF hails Buhari

    Former   Attorney  General of the  Federation ( AGF) and Minister of Justice Chief Mike Aondoakaa commended Buhari for the ban on food importation into the country. Aondoakaa stated that the directive was coming at the right time when the country had achieved food security.

    He urged the people to eat made-in-Nigeria food so that farmers would have value for their products.

    The former AGF, who is a rice farmer with one of the biggest rice milling plant in Makurdi, stated that agriculture is a huge employer of Labour and the ban on food importation will increase participation in Agriculture and many will now see it as a Big business.

    He urged the youths who are looking for white-collar jobs to embrace farming now.

  • Atiku, PDP insist Buhari not qualified to contest 2019 election

    The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last presidential election and his party have insisted that they proved their claim the President Muhammadu Buhari was not qualified to contest the election.

    They also insisted that the results of the election were transmitted electronically to a central server allegedly owned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Atiku and the PDP, who are petitioners before Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) said they were able to establish allegation of malpractices and non-compliance with Electoral Act in the 11 focal states in which they contest the outcome of the last presidential election.

    They argued that INEC’s failure to call witnesses amounted to its admission of all the allegations raised in the petition and those contained in the evidence provided by their witnesses.

    Their position is contained in a 43-page final written address which they submitted before the court as their final argument in the case.

    The petitioners, in the written address, raised five issues for determinations and urged the court to uphold their petition.  The issues raised include: Whether the 2nd respondent  (Buhari) was at the time of the election not qualified to contest the election; whether the 2nd respondent submitted to the 1st respondent (INEC) affidavit containing false information of a fundamental nature in aid of his qualification for the said election and whether from the pleadings and evidence led it was established that the 2nd respondent was duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election.

    Others are: Whether the presidential election conducted by the 1st respondent on 23rd February 2019 was invalid by reason of corrupt practices and whether the presidential election conducted by the 1st respondent on 23″ February 2019 was invalid by reason of non-compliance with the Electoral Act. 2010 (as amended) and the Electoral Guidelines 2019 and manuals issued for the conduct of elections.

    Read Also: PDP BOT Chairman supports RUGA

    As it relates to Buhari’s qualification, the petitioners argued that they have proved their case and claimed that the President’s non-attachment of his certificate to the Form CF001 he submitted to INEC implied that he did not possess it.

    “The summary of the Petitioners’ case on the pleadings in respect of the non-qualification of the 2nd respondent is in paragraphs 388 to 405 of the Petition. The case is that the 2nd respondent did not possess the certificates relating to the qualifications, which he claimed in his Form CF001.

    “The 2nd respondent had listed his educational credentials in proof of his qualification to contest the election in the said form, which he then submitted to the 1st respondent. The qualifications claimed by the 2nd respondent were (a) First School Leaving Certificate; (b) West African School Certificate (WASC); and (c) Officer Cadet (whatever that means). None of the alleged certificates was attached to Exhibit P1.

    “The Petitioners submit that the 2nd respondent was not qualified to contest the presidential election because the 2nd respondent failed to satisfy the mandatory requirements of Section 131 (d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999

    On INEC’s failure to call witnesses, the petitioners argued that while the electoral body pleaded, in kits reply to the petition, that it found the 2ndrespondent‘s educational qualification acceptable, at trial, “the 1st respondent abandoned its pleadings and did not call any of the witnesses it had listed, or any other.

    “Nobody testified to the alleged acceptability of the 2nd respondent’s qualification. Where no evidence is led in support of a party‘s pleadings, the pleadings are deemed abandoned.

    “The burden therefore remained squarely on the 2nd respondent to prove his qualification under Sections 318(1) (a) and (b) since limbs (c) and (d), which are anchored on evidence of acceptability to the 1st respondent, were abandoned at the trial.”

    As it relates to their claim of the existence of a server, the petitioners said: “In an undoubted failed effort to deny the fact of e-collation and e-transmission of results, the respondents made contradictory and inconsistent claims in their unconvincing efforts to deny the existence of INEC Server[s] or Central Server.

    “If they had appreciated what a sever is, they should not have wasted valuable time denying what is obvious or making inconsistent claims.”

  • National Assembly ready to work, says Lawan

    President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has said that with the recent constitution of the relevant parliamentary committees, the 9th National Assembly is now more than prepared to work for Nigerians.

    Lawan spoke to journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly on arrival from his pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in the early hours of Thursday.

    He was received on arrival by Senators Jibrin Barau, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele and his Deputy Chief of Staff, Mohammed Karage, according to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media to President of the Senate, Ola Awoniyi, in Abuja.

    “The ninth National Assembly has been properly constituted, especially with our committees in place,” said Lawan, cladded in black caftan with a purple cap to match.

    “We are ready, we are willing, we are capable, we are enhanced to work as an institution, to ensure that we provide those ingredients and inputs that the executive would want for it to implement laudable projects to develop the country,” Lawan said.

    Lawan departed Abuja on Monday, 5th August, 2019 to participate in the Hajj, the first since his emergence as the President of the Senate. In his company were Senators Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u (Deputy Minority Whip), Teslim Folarin, Bello Mandiya, Ajibola Bashiru and Sani Musa.

    Lawan was full of gratitude to God for the opportunity to be part of the over 60,000 Nigerians that participated in this year’s Hajj.

    “We prayed for our country to achieve optimal security, to have stability, peace and progress.

    “We prayed for the National Assembly too. It is our prayer that the ninth National Assembly will be one to work for Nigerians and for the benefit of those who voted for us.

    “Nigerians in Saudi Arabia, came together with other Muslims worldwide to pray for global peace. I’m sure that with the message that we heard as part of this year’s pilgrimage and Eid generally, is a message of sacrifice, brotherhood and unity.

    “Nigerians should thank God that we are still together, as such we should work to ensure that the unity of this country is not compromised,” Lawan said.

    The Senate President urged Nigerians to continue to pray for their leaders pointing out that “leaders are meant to serve the people, and no leader would like to deliberately fail to perform.

    Read Also: Lawan releases official portrait, title

    “Also, in times of challenges like we are going through presently, Nigerians should continue to be behind their leaders with prayers and support, backed by understanding, and by the grace of God, Nigeria will reach those great heights that for long we have prayed for.”

    Lawan reiterated his appeal to the executive arm of government on the need to be on the same page with the National Assembly to reverse “the undesirable trend of the current budget cycle in Nigeria.”

    “We need to work for a budget that will be passed by the National Assembly by December. That requires that we work assiduously with the executive arm of government, to have the budget laid before the National Assembly by the end of September, and for the National Assembly to lock up the whole of October this year for budget defence, so that it can be processed and passed before we go on Christmas break. It is doable, it is achievable and attainable.

    “I’m sure, if we are able to achieve that, Nigeria’s economy will witness a boost. Businesses in Nigeria will have something predictable to work with. I believe that together with the executive arm of government, we should be able to do this, as this is fundamental to us in the National Assembly, and I’m sure the executive arm is also looking forward to that,” Lawan said.

  • BREAKING: 4.6m have participated in NYSC scheme – DG

    Director -General, National Youth Service Corps, Brig Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim has said about 4.6 million Nigerians have so far participated in the scheme.

    He said this at an ongoing media parley with editors and reporters covering the organisation in Abuja.

    The DG said the scheme, since its inception, has continued to contribute to national development.

    The scheme was established in May 1973 by former Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon (retd).

    Details shortly…

  • Bandits are not Muslims, Buhari tells Katsina IDPs

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has sympathised and commiserated with internally displaced persons (IDP’s) in eight local governments of Katsina State, who were displaced by armed banditry.

    The President said the bandits that have been killing people should not claim to be true Muslims.

    Buhari, who visited the victims on Wednesday in Batsari Local Government Area, said they deserved sympathy from the government and other well-meaning Nigerians.

    Buhari was at the camp to sympathise with the victims from Batsari, Safana, Danmusa, Kankara, Jibiya, Sabuwa, Faskari and Dandume local government areas.

    “I am here to sympathise with the entire people of the state over the unfortunate incidents that have been claiming lives of innocent people,” he said.

    Read Also: Reshuffle security architecture, CAN urges Buhari

    “Islam did not give individuals the right to kill others without following due process in the court of law.

    “The Federal and states government will do everything possible to eradicate all forms of insecurity in the nation as soldiers and police have been given all the necessary support by the government.

    “We are doing our best to checkmate the activities of armed bandits and insurgents in the country.”

    Governor Aminu Masari said: “We have assembled some of the victims, and their representative comprising their traditional, religious and community leader before the President.

    “The communities living along the fringes of Rugu Forest across these eight LGAs had to contend with series of recurring incidents of armed bandits,” he said.

    The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir, called on the rural people not to hoard information’s about the bandits.

    Kabir advised the rural people to always pass information about the armed bandits to their traditional rulers or the security agencies for action.

    Also on Wednesday, Buhari inaugurated a 32-kilometre Shinkafi-Yandaki-Gafia-Abdallawa-Dankaba road project constructed by the Katsina State Government to boost transportation and alleviate the sufferings of farmers in the state.

    The road project, which was awarded in October 2017 and completed in April this year, is expected to cater to 15 communities in Katsina and Kaita local government areas.

    Buhari described road networks as the major means of transportation in Katsina State.

    He said: “We all know that the economy of Katsina State is agrarian; our wealth is farming and livestock rearing, hence the need to open it up through and across all communities.”

     

  • Police arrest inspector in Yobe for criticising leaders

    POLICE in Yobe State have confirmed the arrest of one Sunday Japhet, who has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Inspector General of Police (IGP) as evil men, who are leading the country.

    Inspector Japhet, a Mobile Policeman had on August 9, taken to his Facebook page to attack Buhari’s government as he bemoans the level of corruption in the country and the disconnect in the President’s fight against corruption.

    “…a president who wants to fight corruption and tackle insecurities with the vice who claimed to be a man of God without truth”.

    Read Also: Police read riot act to criminals in Ekiti

    Mr. Japhet, also took a jibe on his boss in his attack, describing Nigeria as a “great country led by evil men”.

    Commissioner of Police Sunmonu Adeyemi Abdulmaliki, through his spokesman, confirmed to The Nation that Inspector Japhet has been invited to the command zonal office by the IG to answer some questions concerning his reckless and unprofessional comments.

  • Tiv youths, activists plead with Buhari to end Tiv/Jukun crises

    THE Tiv Youth Council and a civil society organisation, Guardians of Democracy and Development have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to help end  the communal clashes between the  Tiv and Jukun tribes in Taraba State.

    The groups said the recent upsurge in violence and communal wars between the two tribes called for a deep concern and investigation of the financiers, promoters and perpetrators alike.

    President, Tiv Youth Council, Mike Msuaan and Convener, Guardians of Democracy and Development, Solomon Adodo, stated these in a joint statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Adodo, who addressed reporters in Abuja, described the recent killings allegedly carried out by Jukun militia at the Federal University, Wukari as “one too many that demands decisive action.”

    Read Also: Jukun-Tiv crisis: Workers, students relocate to Benue from Wukari

    He said: “The recent upsurge in violence and communal wars in Taraba State calls for deep concern and investigation of the financiers, promoters and perpetrators alike. The case of the cold hearted killings carried out by Jukuns militia at the Federal University Wukari is one too many and that demands decisive action.

    “The masses of the Jukun and Tiv communities in Taraba State are very willing to embrace peace and live in harmony for growth and development to thrive.”

    He accused politicians of fueling insecurity across the nation in a bid to destabilise government.