The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nasarawa State

  • Sule woos investors to Nasarawa State

    Nasarawa State is open for business, Governor Abdullahi Sule has said. The Chief Executive of the famous State of Solid Minerals gave this assurance when he addressed a motley crowd of local investors on the sidelines of the Nigeria Bar Association conference in Lagos.

    According to him, both new and prospective investors in the state are being encouraged to come and invest in the state whether in agriculture and agro-allied industry or the solid mineral subsector.

    “My vision for the state is anchored on industrialisation. Our desire is to make Nasarawa the industrial and economic hub of the North-Central zone in Nigeria. We are convinced that this policy is capable of addressing the challenges of unemployment of youth and women, wealth creation, as well as boost economic activities in the state,” he began.

    While acknowledging that Nasarawa State is predominantly an agrarian state with about 80per cent of the population engage in agricultural activities, Governor Sule said a lot is being done within that sphere to encourage prospective investors.

    Specifically, he said, the state is giving over 50 per cent discount for fertilizers as part of incentives for those willing to invest in agribusiness in the state.

    “We have taken appropriate measures to boost agriculture through the provision of improved technology and agricultural credit financing scheme for the benefit of rural farmers through various cooperative societies. Already we have secured N1.5billion facility from the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide seed capital for farmers.”

    Governor Sule who took stock of his first 100 days in office while fielding questions from, newsmen said, it is heartening to note that things are looking up for the state.

    Upbeat, he said, the state has achieved some modest successes thus far in the area of special education, infrastructural development amongst others.

    “We have seen the completion of most of the project most especially for the skill acquisition centre, especially education technical education and then most of the primary and secondary schools that were initiated by the former administration has been completed, some are still on and we have given new ones,” he said.

    Expatiating, he recalled that his administration set up a think tank which identified key areas requiring urgent attention. “When we came on board we identified about 14 areas of interest as a major plank of pour intervention.”

    An investment advisory council peopled by professionals within and outside the state has been helping to drive policies as well as initiate programmes aimed at delivering the dividends of democracy to the electorate.

    The governor who has left no one in doubt about his desire to turnaround the fortunes of the state for good, said, his hand is on the plough, “Nasarawa state is hungry for development and we are willing to ensure this is achieved in record time.”

  • Travails of motorists on Lafia-Akwanga road

    Sir: The recent attack on the convoy of the Nassarawa State deputy governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe along the Lafia – Akwanga road in Nasarawa state is not the first on V.I.Ps (very important personalities) on that highway. What is shocking is that three policemen and two other persons were killed by the apparently rampaging bandits. Dr. Akabe himself who was visibly shaken was unharmed.

    According to accounts, at about 6p.m., the convoy was alerted of a robbery operation ahead of them and stopped for apparent consultation among the security personnel. Thereafter it was decided that the policemen should clear the road for safe passage by leading the convoy and shooting in the air to scare away the robbers. Rather, the gunmen fired at the policemen, killing aforementioned five persons.

    Some years ago, during the second tenure of former Governor Abdullahi Adamu, his then deputy, Hon. Labaran Maku’s convoy was similarly attacked on that same Lafia – Akwanga road. However, there were no casualties as security men in the erstwhile deputy governor’s entourage chased the bandits into the bush where they disappeared.

    Way back in 2004 the Benue State governor then, Chief George Akume was also targeted on that same highway and in fact lost a friend who sat beside him in his official jeep vehicle. The deceased was Andrew Agom, then managing director of the now defunct Nigeria Airways. A security detail, Sergeant John Ngam was also killed in that attack which happened around 7.15 a.m. Akume was heading to Kaduna from Makurdi to attend a meeting of northern governors when the gunmen struck, their bullet piercing the window to hit Agom who sat together with him. He was rushed to the National Hospital, Abuja where he gave up the ghost. To say that the former Benue State governor now a minister of the federal republic miraculously escaped death is no exaggeration.

    In March, the chairman of NUJ Correspondents’ chapel, Nasarawa State, Abubakar Suleiman (a reporter of Triumph newspaper) received a distress call. It was that his wife and her friends had been kidnapped on the highway while on their way to Keffi. They were later released after payment of some ransom. Many a public servant who do not enjoy privilege of police escort as well as many private citizens have fallen prey to robbers on this Lafia – Akwanga road. And  those that ply this road frequently would have experienced having to stop somewhere along the road in a long queue of private and commercial vehicles as news filter that robbers are ‘operating  in front’, continuing their journey only when signal reaches them confirming that the hoodlums have left.

    This Lafia – Akwanga highway is also notorious for motor accidents.  Indeed there was a portion of the road named ‘Many have gone’, so-called because of the fatal accidents that occur there. Before its reconstruction by the federal government (a construction that is still ongoing in certain parts as it is gathered that the plan is to dualise the road), it was a snaky, hilly, undulating highway. Heavy vehicles such as trucks and trailers that cannot climb the hilly parts often break down on the road, obstructing traffic. With the reconstruction the hilly parts have largely been levelled. The ‘many have gone’ portion has been renamed ‘many have survived’. Accidents still do occur on this road though.

    In 2015 a bizarre incident which almost resulted in the immediate past governor, Alhaji Tanko Almakura’s convoy having an accident on this Lafia-Akwanga road occurred.

    One sympathises with the deputy governor, his boss, the government and people of Nassarawa state, the police and families of the deceased over the convoy attack. However, it appears the policemen took things for granted. And one wonders why they were not wearing bullet-proof jackets.  I believe that the appropriate authorities would have learnt some lessons from this ugly incident and that they are taking needed actions to avoid/mitigate similar incidents in future. For the safety of the ordinary users of this highway though, the police should consider reintroducing checkpoints on the road. Police posts could also be erected along this road.

     

    • Victoria Ngozi Ikeano Lafia.

  • Four killed in deputy governor’s convoy

    THREE policemen and a driver were killed by gunmen in an attack on the convoy of Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Dr Emmanuel Akabe.

    The convoy ran into the assailants around Gako hill in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area at about 8pm.

    The Deputy Governor was on his way to Abuja for today’s swearing-in of ministers, it was learnt.

    Our correspondent gathered that when the escort commander learnt that there were suspected gunmen on the road, he stopped the convoy and went with two officers and the driver to clear the way.

    Read Also: Police foil jailbreak in Nasarawa prison

    A source said upon hearing gunshots from an oncoming Hilux van, the gunmen laid ambush for the police officers and the driver.

    The gunmen were said to have taken away the officers’ rifles after killing them, leaving a magazine behind.

    The remains of the slain policemen and the driver have been deposited at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia.

    State Police spokesman Othman Ismaeel said the Commissioner of Police and other senior officers were at the scene.

    He said he was yet to be fully briefed on the attack.

  • HIV and AIDS: ‘How we’re tackling stigmatisation in Nasarawa’

    Nasarawa State Coordinator of People Living with HIV and AIDS (NEPWHAN), Mr. Philip Lokoko, has stated that self acceptance and right living are ways of overcoming stigmatisation.

    Lokoko stressed that no one should allow himself to be bugged down, as testing HIV positive isn’t the end of the world neither is it a death sentence.

    Besides, he said they have embraced support groups where they mix and catch fun like every other person.

    “I really want to appreciate God because having known my status, at the initial stage it wasn’t easy. But for now with the knowledge I have received from interactions with partners and other groups involved in HIV and AIDS, I think life has become far better and I have been able to overcome stigmatisation.

    “Because, the key issue in HIV and AIDS is self acceptance of status without putting blame on others. By the time you overcome self-stigma, then I think you can live a normal life and enjoy yourself.

    Lokoko claimed that when he knew his status 15 years ago, it was like a death sentence. He said further: “Today, I am a role model to people living with the virus in the state and community.”

    Attending support group meetings has also been the game changer in the state as most of the people living with the virus in the state belong to one support group or the other, he said.

    The state coordinator explained that “joining support group helped me to overcome stigmatisation as we were equipped with knowledge that living with the virus is not a death sentence. We were told that stigma even kills faster than the virus.

    “I no longer panic when people talk about the virus now. Where there is proper pre-test counselling and orientation it is easier to overcome stigma.”

    On the impact of support groups, he said: “We started in the state with only eleven support groups, but today we have 42 support groups with 2775 members after going around the state to create awareness that people should move out of self-stigmatisation.”

    Read Also: 200 corps members seek relocation from Nasarawa

    A 42-year-old mother of four, Ruth Yakubu, noted that stigmatisation does not apply to her as she refused to be stigmatised.

    She said, “For me as a person, stigma is no longer an issue because I refuse to be stigmatised by people. You know at times people are stigmatised when they allow themselves to be stigmatised. But for me I have overcome stigmatisation long time ago.

    Only last week, the Civil Society for HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN) protested against a purported social media publication by a practicing nurse, Ejimbe Lilian, targeted at perpetuating stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria.

    “Most worrisome is the fact that the nurse is a licensed and trained health care professional who is under oath of confidentiality to protect both the identity of her patients and the sanctity of her profession. This singular act will not only encourage other people to stigmatise and discriminate against people living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria but it will also increase the already high stigma index in the country,” CiSHAN stated.

  • NYSC to corps members: don’t present fake papers

    THE Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, has warned corps members against presenting fake documents during registration in camps.

    He said corps members caught presenting fake documents would be handed over to law enforcement agents for prosecution.

    Ibrahim gave the warning while monitoring the registration of prospective corps members deployed to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nasarawa State for this year’s Batch “B” Stream I service year.

    A statement by NYSC’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, said the DG warned that the management of the scheme had measures in place to clamp down on perpetrators and prosecute them.

    Read Also: At 46, NYSC has stood the test of time, says Gowon

    Ibrahim advised corps members to be security conscious and embrace the skills acquisition programme of the scheme to become self-empowered and wealth creators.

    The NYSC chief admonished them to obey the scheme’s bye-laws and be of good conduct during and after their orientation course.

    He enjoined them to be patriotic to the ideals of NYSC scheme.

    “The DG, during the visits, monitored the distribution of kits to corps members and inspected corps members’ hostels, camp clinics, kitchen, sporting facilities, among others,” the statement said.

     

  • Workers allege sale of hospital property

    Workers of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Keffi, Nasarawa State, have accused the hospital management of high handedness and unauthorised sale of hospital property.

    The workers accused the Medical Director (MD) Dr. Yaya Adamu of taking some decisions inimical to the hospital’s interest.

    They alleged an 100 per cent hike in delivery fee from N30,000 to N60,000, saying the increase was not in the interest of patients.

    The hospital, they alleged, was witnessing a drop in patronage which may not be unconnected with the price hike.

    According to one of them, Mallam Isiak Abdullahi, patients are forced to make compulsory deposits before treatment.

    They alleged that the MD had jettisoned social services, noting that workers and the public were no longer happy.

    The board, they claimed, had raised a query over the sale of the hospital’s properties, some of which include ambulances and vehicles purportedly claimed to be scrap.

    They said: “Two trailer-loads of equipment were taken out without clearance by an aide of a top officer, who claimed they belonged to an emir, but the emir refuted ownership. An ad hoc committee asked that the items be returned.”

    Read Also: Lagos to train 825 health workers

    But the management denied the allegations, saying it “runs an all-inclusive administration”.

    Adamu said he ran an open administration.

    He said: “Thanks for your interest in our institution. As far as I am aware, there’s no such thing as high-handedness in FMC Keffi. As per sale of hospital property, I’m not aware of any hospital property that was sold, or being planned to be sold.

    “There hasn’t been an increase in delivery fees. You may take statistics of the cost of delivery in similar government hospitals around us and see if the allegation can be substantiated.”

  • ‘Nasarawa to partner Benue, Plateau to tackle farmer/herdsmen clashes’

    Nasarawa State governor-elect , Engr Abdullahi Sule , has stated that his administration will partner Benue and Plateau States to end the persistent clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in the two states.

    Sule in an interview with newsmen in Lafia at the weekend said kidnapping and banditry will also be tacked with as much determination.

    He said: “In Abuja , I had an opportunity to discuss the issue of insecurity in the two states with Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom on how to prevent and address the persistent crisis between farmers and Fulani herdsmen crisis in both states”.

    The governor-elect, who lamented the persistent security breaches in Udege Development Area, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state, said his administration would work to prevent banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state.

    He said the recent crises in Akwanga , Obi, Keana, Doma and Awe local government areas would not be tolerated by his administration .

    Sule said, “One of the issues that we have continued to preach is the fact that without security there will be what is happening in the area of development and area of industrialization .

    Read Also: Tears at mass burial for victims of Nasarawa killings

    “No investor is interested in going to any environment that lacks security. Security is actually our number one priority.

    “We are working more towards preventing insecurity rather than addressing the issue when it comes in . So, one of the biggest challenges of security is unemployment.

    “We want to approach the issue of security from the area of providing employment to the teeming youths across the state.”

    While declaring that both Fulani herdsmen and farmers had the right to stay in the state and go about their various activities, he affirmed that anybody who did not want to embrace peace had the right to leave the state.

    Sule promised to focus on agriculture and provide incentives for both local and foreign investors across the 13 local government and 18 development areas of the state.

  • May 29: Al-Makura disengages political appointees

    Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa state has disengaged all his political appointees ahead of his exit from office on May 29.

    Al-Makura announced the disengagement of the appointees during an expanded state executive council meeting on Wednesday in Lafia.

    He said the decision was to ensure a seamless transition from his administration to the incoming administration of Mr Abdullahi Sule.

    Al-Makura, however, said that some appointees handling critical position that has to do with the day-to-day running of government would maintain their positions until May 29.

    He also directed all Commissioners to tidy up their hand over notes and submit same to him on or before May 20.

    Read Also: Why Buhari won Nassarawa, by Al-Makura

    The governor said the handing over notes would be a guiding document to their successor.

    He explained that even after submitting the hand over notes, all the commissioners would remain on their desks until May 29.

    “We came together and we shall leave together.

    “We would all work relentlessly towards a seamless and exciting transition to the new administration,” Al-Makura added.

    He thanked the commissioners and his other appointees for their support in helping to make the state better than they met it in 2011.

    He attributed the success story of his administration to the commitment, doggedness and resilience of his team, saying that the achievements were results of collective efforts.

    Al-Makura urged the people to accord his successor the same support in whatever capacity they found themselves in order to take the state to the next level.

    Responding on behalf of the aides, Mr David Ayewa, a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, thanked the governor for giving them the opportunity to serve the state.

    He also pledged their unalloyed support to the incoming administration to be inaugurated on May 29.

    NAN

  • Al-Makura’s wife seeks assistance for needy

    The wife of Nasarawa State governor, Mrs Salamatu Al-Makura, has appealed to wealthy individuals to give succour to the needy and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    Al-Makura, who made the call at a Ramadan Lecture in Lafia yesterday, said such succour is necessary to alleviate suffering of the less privileged citizens.

    She urged people to appreciate the little they had and help the needy to live a meaningful life in the society .

    Mrs Al-Makura said: “The Ramadan period is not only for prayer and fasting, but a season to give alms to the needy and the less privileged in the society in order to improve on their standard of living.

    “I believe that every Muslim is aware that Ramadan is a period to pray, fast and to seek for Allah’s forgiveness if one has done wrong.

    Read Also: ‘I will build on Al-Makura’s achievements’

    “It is also a season to show love, charity and to extend hands of friendship to the less privileged in the society. I appeal to wealthy Nigerians to pray and assist the less privileged and those displaced as a result of the lingering security challenges in some parts of the country. It is time for us to show the Internally Displaced Persons that we love and care for them by assisting them with relief materials.

    “God will surely bless anyone who assists the IDPs and the less privileged.

    “People should use their God-given wealth to assist the poor and the widows; this will go a long way to alleviate their sufferings during this Holy Month of Ramadan.”

    The governor’s wife also noted that security challenges such as insurgency, banditry and kidnapping would be overcome through ceaseless and fervent prayers by the Muslim faithful in the holy month of Ramadan.

    Al-Makura said the ongoing Ramadan fast was the most auspicious period to offer prayers to Almighty God to provide lasting solutions to the problems facing the country.

    She urged Muslims in Nasarawa State and the country at large to use the holy month to pray fervently for peaceful co-existence, stability, progress of the state and nation at large.

    “Prayers during this holy month and after the fasting will help our leaders and the security agents to overcome all these devilish acts that are bedevilling our country,” she said.

    The governor’s wife also called on Nigerians to always say the truth and stay by it, saying that by so doing, they would be helping to develop the society.

    She called on people in leadership positions to always justify the confidence reposed on them by initiating people-oriented projects.

  • Gunmen kill 400 level student

    Gunmen suspected to be armed robbers in the early hours of Sunday invaded the residence of the Nasarawa State commissioner for higher education, Chief Clement Uhembe, and killed a 400 level student of the Federal University, Lafia, Terlumum Hemba.

    The incident was reported to have occurred at Kaduna Koro area, a suburb of Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, along the Lafia – Makurdi highway at about 1:00 am.

    Narrating the incident to Journalists in Lafia on Sunday, an eyewitness who simply identified himself as Daddy, said the gunmen arrived the Commissioner’s residence at about 1:00 am on Sunday with arms and terrorized the occupants leading to the shooting of the deceased 400 level micro-biology student to death.

    Daddy, who claimed that he was hiding in a vehicle parked within the Commissioner’s residence, narrated that the gunmen attacked the university student who they first came across and shot him at close range and chased him as he attempted to escape with gunshot wounds and used sticks and beat him till he bled to death in the compound.

    The eyewitness continued that the unknown gunmen also beat some of the occupants of the residence demanding the whereabout of the higher education commissioner who was said to have traveled with some members of his family to Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, for the wedding ceremony of his son.

    Read Also: Gunmen raid Adamawa villages, kill five

    Our source further revealed that the other occupants who were left behind in the compound escaped into the bushes as the unknown gunmen had a field day using diggers and other tools and dug their way into the higher education commissioner’s living house.

    When speaking to journalists over the attack, the state higher education commissioner said: “The issue arose from the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ihuman Ward which the party had never won since its existence hence it angered a lot of people. And since that APC victory, my life has been under threat from some individuals.”

    When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Agyaragu division, Mr. Biam, confirmed the attack and said the corpse of the  deceased had been removed from the scene of the incident and deposited at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia as investigation into the incident has commenced.