The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Plateau State

  • Farmer/herder: Stakeholders advocate for multifaceted approach

    Stakeholders have called for multifaceted approach to the farmer-herder crisis in the country.

    The stakeholders also urged the Government to set up a Federal Peace and Conflict Resolution Commission.

    In a communique issued at the end of the two day National summit on conflict resolution Organised by The Nation Newspaper and TV Continental in Abuja, it was also generally agreed that  government need to apply comprehensive approach in addressing the environmental factors that drive herders southwards.

    The stakeholders also recommended for the need to embrace the proposal for grazing reserves, beginning with consenting states while the old bonds that encouraged cooperation need to be built upon.

    Besides, they also tasked the government on the need to draw up implementation timelines for whatever suggestions put forward so as to ensure a more harmonious farmers-herders relationship.

    The Summit was conceived to provide workable solutions to the perennial herder-farmer clashes across the country.

    Dr. Kayode Samuel read the communique at the end of event, which was highly attended by stakeholders including herders and farmers from Plateau and Benue states.

    Other recommendations put forward by the stakeholders include the need to strengthen security arrangements to make both farmers and herders feel safe and to isolate the criminal elements.

    They also recommended for the resuscitation and massive funding of the various river basin authorities especially in the north to enable growth of grass for animal grazing to minimize nomadic mobility across the country.

    Also, the stakeholders recommended for existing conflict mediation and peace building mechanisms and avenues for constant dialogue between farmers and herders.

    The need to embrace Climate Smart Agriculture that sustains both crop farming and animal breeding was recommended by the stakeholders.

    Read Also: Firm mobilises stakeholders for school safety week

    In his welcome remarks, the Chairman of TV Continental, Mr Dele Alake said that Nigerians needed to dwell on the imperatives of peace and unity and to appreciate the country’s strengths and endowments.

    He noted that farmer-herders crises have implications for the cohesion of the nation as an entity and that Nigerians should keep working together peace, unity and progress of the country through dialogue.

    The convening of the Summit, he disclosed, was one of such desirable moves being undertaken by the two media organizations.

    Alake disclosed that the ultimate aim of the Summit is to afford the country a roadmap with which to address the multiple challenges now confronting her, particularly given the context of the forthcoming 2019 elections. He added that the groups in conflictare being encouraged through the Summit to freely express themselves in the hope that at the end of the event, significant levels of understanding would have been recorded.

    In his short remark, the Emir of Kano Mallam Lamido Sanusi advocated for more budgetary provision by the three tiers of government to maintain the grazing reserves across the country.

    The Emir who was represented by Professor Isa Hashim, the Jarman Kano said, ” The three levels of government should provide enough funds through our budgets for the maintenance of grazing reserves and stock routes, because this is what will help us to have an enduring peace in our country. The entire nation needs peace.”

    The CEO of TV Continental, Mr. Andrew Hallon who drew on the experiences of his home country, Ireland spoke on the need to set out a pathway to resolving the farmers-herders conflicts.

    He pointed out the importance of communication, respect for the points of view of others, a common desire for peace, a business-oriented approach to seeking solutions and the unlearning of harmful stereotypes.

    Also, Col. Ahmed Zubair (retd) former Director of Research of the Nigeria Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) pointed to the under-resourcing of the security agencies as a major drawback to the discharge of their role in conflict resolution.

    Mr. Kola Koko of DfID highlighted the fact that while population growth and climate change are affecting production, the country still has a static production system and called for improvements to the system.

    In his presentation, Dr. Saleh Umale of the Kaduna State Peace Commission described the farmers-herders crisis as a crisis long foretold. He identified the improvement of the livelihoods of Nigeria’s rural communities as key to the search for peace.

     

     

  • Stop these killings now, NASU tells Buhari

    The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions ( NASU ), has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately ensure the stoppage of this blood-lettings and carnage in parts of the country, especially the recent killings in Jos, Plateau state.

    Rising from its National Executive Council meeting, the Union said while the achievement recorded by the government in tackling the Boko Haram issue is commendable, the high incidence of the killer Herdsmen menace, kidnapping, armed robbery and resurgence of Boko Haram activities in recent times is worrisome.

    In a communique signed by the National President of the Union, Comrade Chris Ani and General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, the Union also expressed concern over the growing tension in the land regarding the forthcoming 2019 general elections in Nigeria and the recent movement by politicians from one political party to the other to fulfill their political ambitions.

    The union said this was as a result of the lack of political ideology by Nigeria political parties as being responsible for this ugly development which is purely for the selfish interest of politicians and called on politicians to have the interest of the masses at heart and conduct themselves in a manner that will ensure the success of the year 2019 general elections and desist from doing anything that will truncate the electoral process.

    They appealed to all eligible voters to remain peaceful, law abiding and ensure that they come out in mass during the elections to vote for the candidates of their choice.

    They lamented high tax deductions being made as Pay As You Earn (P.A.Y.E) by the Federal and State Governments via their Boards of Internal Revenue (B.I.R) from Nigeria workers and asked the government to immediately put an end to such deductions.

    The union condemned the 7% budgetary allocation to education in year 2018 Federal budget, which is a far cry from the 26% UNESCO recommended budgetary allocation to education.

    It observed that in admittance of under funding of education, the Federal Government in year 2013, approved the sum of N800 Billion for the Universities as intervention funds and released the sum of N200 Billion the same year as first tranche after which no further release has been made.

    The Union said further that in the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education sectors where Needs Assessments were carried out in 2013, Government is yet to release the White Paper thereby negatively affecting the release of intervention funds in the sectors.

    They called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, improve on the budgetary allocation to the Education Sector and also release the outstanding tranches of intervention funds for 2014, 2015 and 2016 for the Universities. In the same vein, NEC call on the Federal Government to release the White Paper for the Needs Assessments in the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education sectors.

    They also expressed concern over the under funding of the health sector in the country, pointing out that it was sad that the leaders and privileged individuals in the country often embark on medical tourism for simple ailment which is a demonstration of lack of confidence on the nation’s health sector.

    It called on the Federal and State Governments to improve on the funding of their Primary and Tertiary Health Institutions as well as ensure the provision of adequate facilities and equipment for them to meet international standards to avert brain-drain syndrome and capital flight which results from the money expended annually on foreign treatment by top Government functionaries and other privileged Nigerians.

    The union commended the Federal Government for the funds released so far for payment of Earned Allowances to the Non-Teaching staff in the Universities and Inter-University Centres, but called on the Government to clear the outstanding arrears of the Earned Allowances and ensure that the 2019 budget takes care of the allowance on a month-to-month basis.

    While commending the federal government for setting up a committee to renegotiate 2009 and 2010 FGN/NASU Agreements for Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, it expressed dismay, the slow pace of work being done by the FGN Re-negotiation Teams which have not met for several months now.

    The union urged the Re-negotiation Teams to expedite action on the re-negotiating process in the three sectors mentioned above to ensure that the re-negotiations are concluded in good time.

    While expressing concern over the rising spate of unemployment in the country which remained unabated, the union said the situation has “needlessly resulted in some graduates taking to crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, internet fraud as well as being ready tools in the hands of insurgents, politicians and sponsors of communal crisis.”

    The union said the unemployment situation was a by-product of gross disparity inherent in the nation’s planning and haphazard execution of projects aimed at generating employment opportunities that should absorb the numerous graduates being turned out annually by tertiary institutions.

  • Jang laments incessant killings on the Plateau

    Ex-governor of Plateau state and Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial zone Jonah Jang has expressed sadness over continuous killings in his zone, saying the situation is becoming worrisome.

    Senator Jang who was responding to Thursday night killings of 15 people in Jos in a statement signed by his media consultant Garba Clinton said, “The Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District Dr. Jonah David Jang with a heavy heart and deep sense of grief wishes to hereby condemn in the strongest possible terms, the invasion of Rukuba Road, Jos North Plateau State, a few kilometers from the 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army in the early hours of Friday 28th September, 2018.

    “The unprovoked attack which targeted innocent unarmed natives in their homes once again reveals the very short life expectation of our people who are no longer safe wherever they are in our towns, villages, and city.

    “This recent surge of mindless killings in Plateau State is a damning appraisal to the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governor of Plateau State. Under the present administration, hardly a day passes by without news of people getting killed by herdsmen or unknown gunmen with ancestral lands forcefully occupied and people rendered homeless and internally displaced on their own land.

    Read Also: EFCC fails to present witnesses in Sen Jang’s case

    “Before we are all wiped out from the face of the earth by gunmen whose farmiliarization with murder and violence seem to confound our Armed Forces and the overall structure of government, the Senator without equivocation hereby calls on President Muhammdu Buhari and Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State to resign with immediate effect having displayed unfathomable insensitivity and cluelessness in the aspects of security and value for human life.

    “In addition, it is the determination of Senator Jonah David Jang, that Nigerians no longer feel safe with General Muhammdu Buhari as President. Therefore, he wishes to call on the United Nations to intervene in Nigeria and act on behalf of the poor, innocent, and abandoned people of Plateau State and their endangered kinds in the Middle-belt, to protect and guarantee them a future of longevity, pride, and prosperity. A situation where security officials are mobilized to militarize the conduct elections in a ratio of one policeman to one citizen at the expense of communities prone to attacks is unacceptable.

    “While calling on the youths and people of Plateau State to be law abiding, the Senator finds it instructive to admonish them to rise up to defend themselves within the perimeters of the law, as it is now dangerous to trust the Commander-in-chief with our security.

    “Importantly, the Senator representing Plateau North is using this medium to call on the Armed Forces to live up to their sworn duty to protect  Nigerians before the public completely loses faith in them”

  • Plateau PDP assures of credible convention

    As the Plateau state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stage its state party convention on Sunday the state party officials have assured its followers of a transparent, peaceful and credible processes.

    The party gave the assurance in a statement signed by its state publicity secretary John Akans on Saturday in Jos said, “This is to inform all aspirants and members of our party that the PDP in Plateau is set and absolutely determined to conduct free, fair, credible and satisfactory primaries for flag bearers into various elective state and national offices beginning Sunday, September 30, 2018.

    “We reiterate our resolve and commitment to providing a level-playing field for all our distinguished and charitable aspirants.

    “The party’s leadership in the state under Hon. D.T Sango is indeed very ready and determined to conduct all activities in tandem with the party’s constitution, and to ensure a transparent process across the state.

    “We congratulate all the party’s aspirants for their positive and inspiring journey so far in moving from one level to another in their quests to serve humanity. We call on all of them and members of our great party to disregard the rumours that certain aspirants have already been formally endorsed either by some persons or by the party itself.

    Read Also: Convention venue: PDP bows to Wike

    “We assure our members, supporters and indeed Nigerians that the PDP in Plateau has no preferred, anointed or favourite person amongst all our lovely aspirants. There will be no imposition whatsoever.

    “We therefore appeal to the entire PDP membership and leadership to display the highest level of sportsmanship at the end of the exercise to show party discipline,  decency and  tolerance as members of one family working together to achieve common goals.

    “Let us work as a team to support the state executive of our party to collectively deliver memorable, credible and satisfactory primaries. This will also  indicate our preparedness for a sound, convincing and comprehensive victory in the very much expected 2019 general election”

     

     

  • Plateau to organize maiden tourism conference

    As part of efforts to re-position Plateau State as a tourism hub, the state government is set to organize its maiden tourism conference.

    The Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Hospitality, Mrs Tamwakat Weli, said this in her goodwill message to mark the 2018 World Tourism Day on Thursday in Jos.

    The commissioner represented by the Director of Tourism in the ministry, Paul Danbaba, said that the conference would chart a roadmap for the socio-economic development of the state.

    She said that the conference, schedule to hold in November, would help draw up a tourism policy for the state which would facilitate the production of a tourism master plan.

    Weli said that the 2018 theme, ‘ Tourism and Digital Transformation ‘ would highlight the need for investment in digital technologies.

    “The digital technology will help improve inclusiveness, local community empowerment and efficient resource management,” she said.

    Earlier in her remarks, Mrs Nanna Yakubu, the Zonal Coordinator, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), said that the theme was apt with the current global technological trend.

    She said that digital technology would enable tourists globally access information on tourist sites, products, investment opportunities and ease travel preparations.

    The coordinator said that social media platforms facilitated by technology would further promote the tourism sector and boost economic activities in the country.

    Read Also: Plateau State University suspends SSANU Chairman, Secretary

    In his goodwill message, Dr John Makwal, the District Head of Batura, in Bokkos Local Government Area, commended the NTDC for the tremendous progress it had recorded in the tourism sector.

    He said that the NTDC had assisted his district to exploit its tourism potential, especially, its annual cultural festival ‘Nahwai’ which is getting national recognition.

    The world tourism day celebrated annually on Sept. 27 is to raise awareness about the contribution of tourism to sustainable development.

    Part of the event was the launch of camp tents by the NTDC, and cultural dances by the various indigenous ethnic groups in Plateau.

    There was also a drama presentation by the tourism group of the National Youth Service Corps members serving in the state.

    NAN

  • Rustlers kill two headers, injure one in Plateau

    Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the killing of herdsmen by unknown gunmen who attacked the victims while grazing their cattle in the bush around Turu village of Jos South Local government.

    The incidence according to the police took place Friday at about 1915 hours.

    According to a statement by the police public relation, deputy superintendent of police DSP Terna Tyopev, “On the 14/09/2018 at about 1915hrs, Ezekiel Dalyop of Turu village in Kuru District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State reported at the Kaduna Vom Police Division that three (3) herders entrusted with Seventy (70) of his cattle were missing.

    “The Police swang into action immediately the complaint was incidental and was able to rescue one of the herders by name Bitrus Joseph 16 yrs unhurt. The Police team of detectives also recovered the seventy (70) missing cattle.

    Read Also: I will end killings in Plateau if elected – Useni

    “Unfortunately, in the process of rustling the cattle, two of the herders; Meshack Dalyop 14yrs old and Pam Danjuma 10yrs old were killed and dumped in the bush at Dahool Bob in Kuru District. The corpses have been recovered and deposited at the Vom Christian Hospital.

    “While we commiserate with the families that lost loved ones, we are urging owners of cattle to employ more matured herders who can take care of the herds and sense danger far ahead of them.

    “The Command is intensifying efforts aimed at arresting the perpetrators of this dastardly act to face Justice”

  • Jang vows to tackle Boko Haram, herdsmen killings

    One of the presidential aspirants of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Jonah Jang, has vowed to effectively tackle the bloody attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents and herdsmen in the country.

    Jang, who was on Monday at the Abuja secretariat of the PDP where he submitted his nomination forms, said with the killings, Nigeria was gradually becoming a Banana Republic.

    He lamented a situation where stories of killings of innocent citizens in different parts of the country dominate media reports almost on a daily basis.

    Said he, “Our people have been suffering ‎in the Northeast unabatedly. We have been told that Book Haram have been defeated at one stage, the moment they make such announcement, you will get to know that Boko Haram has either even taken over a military unit or have ambushed our soldiers”.

    The former Plateau State governor was of the view that restructuring the country would go a long way in addressing the various social, economic and security challenges.

    “There is total imbalance in the federation and the federal system must be such that all the units of the federation must  be established in such a way that there will be proper power sharing.

    “The administrative machinery of the various local governments, states and the federal government work in such synergy that can ensure development of this country.

    Read Also: The continuous Boko Haram attack

    “I intend to get the former President, Goodluck Jonathan’s conference’s report and get the stakeholders again to look at it, so that whatever areas that need to be negotiated will be negotiated.

    “For that, we can now send a bill to the National Assembly for the amendment of the Constitution so that we can now bring in restructuring

    “And in this restructuring, the security will be looked at because  I believe that the military has to go back to its traditional role and be re-organised properly”, Jang added

    The aspirant decried the federal government’s borrowing spree, particularly from foreign countries, saying some of the loans obtained by the government were not necessary.

    Jang said, “We have both human and material resources to run this country so enough of this borrowing. We are just borrowing without seeing ‎what is being done with the money and we are going to leave our generations with a lot of problems.

    “I want to believe that some of these borrowings that we are doing like building the railways, even building the roads can be done by Public Private Partnership (PPP).

    “There are people who want to come and participate in the economy of Nigeria not that we have to borrow money to do it”.

    Senator Jang also harped on the need to practically fight corruption in the system, saying however that if elected President, he would adopt a different approach.

    “Fighting corruption will be our priority but not the way this administration is fighting it. The EFCC and the ICPC are not established to just follow a political opponent.

    “These organization’s must be properly organised so that they can work according to international standards”, he said.

  • Dalung seeks state of emergency in Plateau, other states 

    …Says Buhari has no serious challenger in 2019

     

     

    The Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, on Friday called for State of Emergency in his home state, Plateau State and other troubled states in the country.

    This move, according to him, will check the persistent killing of innocent people in the affected states.

    He spoke with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The Minister also condemned the renewed killing of people in some local government areas of Plateau in the past few days.

    Read Also:Gunmen kill 5 at Plateau mining site

    He maintained that it has become a matter of necessity for President Muhammadu Buhari to impose state of emergency in Plateau, Benue, Zamfara and Taraba to stop the killings.

    He faulted those blaming the federal government over the persistent crisis in Plateau State.

    According to him, Plateau state and the local government authorities should be held responsible for the problem.

    The `collapse’ of local government administration, he noted, had contributed immensely to the inability of the security personnel to arrest the problems.

    He said “The Plateau crisis can be traced to many years of inaction by previous and current administrations in Plateau state despite the Federal Government’s efforts to address the problem.

    “It is disheartening that Plateau state has been witnessing killings of innocent citizens in the last four to five days and this is very annoying and disturbing to the government and inhabitants of the state.

    “I alerted the Federal Executive Council on Sept. 5 on the need to take drastic and emergency measures to tackle the crisis because the local and state governments have failed in their responsibility of offering useful information to security agents despite the huge resources being spent on security.

    “It has therefore become imperative for the federal government to declare state of emergency in Plateau and other troubled states across the country so as to put a stop to the killings,’’ he said.

    Warning that nobody should politicize the killing of innocent Nigerians, he said that the federal government was doing all it could to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to book.

    The government, according to him, had already put in place measures to check cases of insecurity, stressing that Nigeria needed peace and stability for the country to progress and achieve meaningful development.

    “But security personnel alone cannot achieve much in addressing the problem without the support and cooperation of the state and local governments as well as the local communities

    “There is the need for collaboration between all the three tiers of government, the local communities and Youth Councils in order to find a lasting solution to the crisis.” he said

    He identified lack of strong and dedicated leadership at both local and state levels as main factor responsible for the inability of the combined efforts of the security personnel to check the killings in Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Zamfara and other troubled states.

    He also sought for the re-reintroduction of Crises Resolution Committee at the local government level.

    The committee’s membership, he said, should be drawn from religious bodies, traditional institution, Cattle Breeders’ Association, farmers’ organisations, women and youth organisations.

    On the chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winning the 2019 presidential election, Dalung said the party’s presidential candidate, Buhari, had no serious challenger from the opposition parties.

    According to the minister, no Nigerian politician in recent history is as popular and admirable as President Buhari, saying that the president has millions of votes already guaranteed him by his `traditional and die-hard’ supporters come Feb. 2019.

    He dismissed the insinuation that President Buhari was desperate for power, saying that the president was only interested in addressing the nation’s socio-economic challenges for the general good of the country.

  • ANAN, UNIZIK sign MOU on accounting management

    The Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka on the management of the Tony Nzom Accountancy Research Center.

    The Centre built at the institution by the association and commissioned on March 17, 2017, was targeted at encouraging accountancy education and research in the country.

    Speaking during the signing ceremony in Awka on Tuesday, the President of the Association, Alhaji Shehu Ladan, said the center was one of the contributions of the Associations in ensuring that the best practices in accounting profession is promoted.

    “The Center is among the seven similar ones built by the association in seven universities in Nigeria including the Centre for Financial Accounting Research, Nigerian College of Accountancy in Plateau State,” he said.

    Read Also: UNIZIK expels 14

    He said the MOU provides the guidelines for the management of the center, including the obligations of the association and the University as well as the modes of evaluating the periodic performance of the centre.

    Ladan further revealed that the body has continued to donate accounting laboratory materials, books and equipment to universities and polytechnics.

    Responding, the Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku, restated the institution’s dedication to providing the best opportunity for students and staff to practice and excel in their various careers.

    Ahaneku, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics, Prof. Charles Esimone, pledged the institution’s continuous partnership with the group to become the best in the training of accountants.

  • Family of four killed in fresh Plateau attack

    Unknown gunmen struck again in Barkin Ladi local government of Plateau State killing four members of the same family in a pre-dawn attack.

    The four persons include a Pastor of Church of Christ in Nation (COCIN) LCC Abonong, Foron in Barkin Ladi LGC of the state, Rev Adamu Gyang Wurim, alongside his wife and three children.

    The victims were said to have been burnt alive by the unknown gunmen.

    One Church was also razed by the attackers.

    Eye witness, Mr. Isaac Choji said the gunmen surrounded the house, set it ablaze and waited to ensure no one came out of the burning house.

    Read Also: Another 180 Nigerians return from Libya

    A female neighbour  was also shot by the attackers when she mistakenly ran them

    The Nation learnt that the pastor and members of his family have been buried in a grave by the church.

    The attack has caused panic in the village as the villagers now live in fear while appealing to security agencies to come to their aid and defend them against the gunmen.

    Media Officer of OPSH, Major Umar Adam said the command is working to get the details of the attack.

    He however appealed to residents to remain calm and cooperate with the security agencies to unveil the truth of the attack.