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Tag: Simon Lalong

  • APC holds ‘make or mar’ NEC meeting

    APC holds ‘make or mar’ NEC meeting

    The much talked about National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is scheduled to hold on Tuesday at the party National secretariat with President Muhammadu Buhari in attendance.

    The meeting is the third meeting of the body since the inauguration of the APC led federal government with the last meeting taking place in March 2016 against the mandatory quarterly meeting.

    The NEC meeting has been postponed on two previous occasioned after invitations had been sent out, but as at the time of this report, security details were seen putting finishing touches to security Arrangement around the APC secretariat.

    Ahead of the meeting, the National Working Committee were said to have held a meeting with state Chairmen of the party on Sunday apparently to drum up support with a view to averting the alleged plot to unseat the chairman.

    Women leaders of the party were also seen a meeting with the National Women Leander ahead of the meeting at the party secretariat probably to agree on a common position to be presented to the meeting.

    Those who are statutorily expected at the NEC meeting include President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Suleiman Yusuf Lasun, members of the National Working Committee and their deputies, Leader of the Physically challenged, Zonal Secretaries, zonal organizing secretaries, zonal women leaders and State Chairmen.

    Others include State Governors who are members of the party, Majority Leader, party Whips and their Deputies in both the Senate and House of Representatives, two serving Senators from each of her six geopolitical zone, three members of the House of Representatives from the six geopolitical zone, six ex-officio members and Serving Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Secretary of the Board of Trustees.

    However, since the inception of the party, it has not inaugurated its Board of Trustees, while the last NEC meeting mandated a review of the party constitution to change the name of the BOT to Elders Council with a view to trimming down the membership to what it termed manageable size.

    Article 25 (B) of the party constitution states that the National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the National, Chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two third of the members of the National, Executive Committee provided that not less than 14 days notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.

    The quorum for the meeting, according to the APC constitution shall be one-third of its members.

    The meeting may deliberate on the crisis in various states of the federation with a view to rectifying or upturning the suspension of some members of the party such as National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank, Senator Shehu Sani, Chairman of APC In Bayelsa state among others.

    The Nation learnt that at a recent meeting of the National Working Committee and state governors, the governors present expressed concern over the absence of south-west governors and their apathy to the party meeting, suggesting that something is done to placate them.

    The governors were said to have also expressed concern about the absence of most of the governors from the north from the meeting.

    It is also expected to consider the recommendation of the National Working Committee to merge the non-elective convention with the elective convention in view of the expiration of the tenure of the Oyegun led leadership in April 2018.

    The National Working Committee is reported to have suggested that in view of the financial situation of the party and the closeness of the two conventions, both be merged and held between February and April 2018.

    The poor state of the party’s finances, complains of marginalization especially from key members of the party and supporters as well as the direction of the party ahead of the 2019 elections is expected to top the agenda of the party.

    State governors of the party are said to be complaining that they are not being carried along in the running of the country by the President, especially when it comes to making appointments from their states.

    Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong who spoke the mind of the governors at a recent outing in Abuja said the government is making appointments from their states without seeking their input, adding that those who do not have the capacity to defend the actions of the President have been the ones benefiting from the federal government to appointments.

    The governor said the government must be made aware that things are not working the way they should, saying “If things are wrong they are wrong, if they are right they are right. But it requires very courageous people to come out and say these thongs are wrong or they are right.

    “Let the Mr. President be aware that this is the time to do it because even as governors we are also complaining in our various state, we are saying it. We complained in our states that we sit down and we hear appointment made and then people start asking you as the governor where is this man coming from?

    “But when we turn right and turn left, we don’t know where such a person is coming from. Many people have complained. I’m sure governors have complained that we should be able to know who and who will Protect Mr. President and his administration.

    “When I heard that BSO is coming back again, I said is it not too late because if you allow people to grumble too much, you will see a fight in several states and some of them are for a just course.

    “Somebody suffered for the party, the person is not rewarded and you wake up to see another man who even fought you, the man who made you to lose your job is now being appointed and the one who suffered is sitting down.
    Sometimes he will be looking for tears to cry and the tears will not be there because they are dry.

    “Like our chairman said to me, it is not too late. This is the time to start because this is the time you will hear a lot of things coming. People who have not serve will come back and say I had served this way, I had served that way but the records are there. The records can not tell lie. If it is true that they served this way, they served that way let the record.”

  • ‘Are we willing to tell Nigerians we have failed’

    ‘Are we willing to tell Nigerians we have failed’

    Comptroller General of Nigeria Custom Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali said yesterday that the Buhari government has not been able to move forward and fulfill its campaign promises to the Nigerian people because most of those calling the shuts in his government are those who never believed in his vision.

    Col. Ali’s position was supported by Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong who spoke the mind of governors saying the governors are not happy that they are left out of appointments being made by the government, saying such appointments are made without consulting with the governors.

    Speaking at the commissioning of the office complex of the Buhari Support Organisation in (BSO) in Abuja, Col Ali who is also the National Coordinator of the Organisation said that more than fifty percent of positions in the Buhari government were handled over to members of the PDP who fought against the actualisation of a Buhari Presidency.

    While lamenting the fate of members of the organizations who he said made serious sacrifices to ensure that Buhari became President, the Customs Boss said when the chips are down, those who were not part of the Buhari vision and are currently in government will abandon the ship, while members of the Organisation who sought the votes of Nigerians will be call to account for the failure of the government.

    He said: “We must agree that we cannot finish our four years without delivering and leaving something to be remembered for in this country for a long time to come. We have no problem with our President because he is on course.

    “But I must confess here that we have been infused by people who were not part of this journey and these people are the ones that calls the shut today.

    That is why we are derailing. If we had the right people who had the vision and have been there in and out, I believe that we will not be going the way we are going today.

    “It is my belief that those of us who have been in the trenches all these years to get good governance will surely be sleeping with belly ache everyday, especially in the recent past. Everyday, when you wake up, there is a story that makes you shiver.

    “We cannot, as a people who have fought and committed everything we had to bring this government to being sit back and allow things to happen the way they are happening. At the end of the day, the fingers will point at us because we were the ones who went to people and spools them to give us their votes.

    “These people that are calling the shuts today were not there and when the chips are down, they will disappear and melt within the system. We are the ones that will be asked to account for what happened.

    “Are we willing to face Nigerians and tell them that we have failed? I think this is the time for us to come together, create a system that is very robust enough to fight back and take back government in our hands and ensure that we deliver.

    “We believe that if you want to change the system, it will happen. Let me say that in the course of the jihad of the Prophet Mohammad, anytime they go out for a battle, they come back with loot, but these loot, as far as my own research told me is not distribute to everybody, but to those who took the sword and faced the enemies.

    “Today, with all sense of responsibility, I want to say that we have 50 percent of PDP in our government. How can we move forward with this load? How can we achieve our target with this load? It is a spoilt system and so. When you come in, you shake off everybody and bring in your own. That is what democracy is all about.

    “Today, we have members of PDP calling the shuts. That is what we will begin to fight for, we will fight for our right position, our vision and our mission for this government. I am sorry to deviate into politics, but it is very essential because we are a political Organisation. It is time for us to wake up from slumber and chat a course for this great nation and I believe that we can do it. May God help u and see us through.”

    “I will therefore ask my colleagues of the BSO to go back to the study room. This is a Commission, but it is also the beginning of the fight for good governance. We must get back to the trenches, draw our own battle plan and battle line. I enjoined you that the same commitment we had in 2015, I employ you to bear with us and commit yourself to a better future for Nigeria.

    “We will be calling on you from now on and we will be working day and night. We must do so because we want to save our name at the end of the day and the name of the President for what he is doing. Our President is on course and all we need is to ensure that we support him. What do we do? For those of us who believe in God, we must know that God is the first point of call.”

    While commending members of the Organisation for keeping hope alive, he said: “this is a gathering to rekindle what we started in 2015 and what we used as a vehicle to fight in the trenches, out of the torches, along the routes and in so many difficult terrains to see to the success of our vision and mission. Our vision then was to install a government that will bring about change in this country. Our motto and expression then was that we want change.

    “I want to commend Nigerians for sharing that same Vision with us. They decided to vote the government out and voted us in because of that vision of change. We are riding on that mantle of change today.

    “It is good to take us back on the memory lane. Some of us started this journey in 2011. There are those who started as far back as 2003 and are still in the tranches. I am sure that the 2007 veterans are still here, while some of us joined the train in 2011, while many others joined in 2015.

    “Why did we then sacrifice everything that we need and want? A lot of us have lost their jobs, others have lost their businesses. A lot of us sitting here today have nothing to do because they committed their time and resource working for the success of a change for a better Nigeria.

    “We did this not because of ourselves or any individual but because of our love for this great nation. Many of you can remember that we went through this because we are committed to a course and that whatever we eventually install will be something that we are committed to.

    “But let me say here without fear of being contradicted that I think half way through the journey, we are losing our core values. We are losing our vision and mission and I think that the idea of our being here today is to look critically at what we need to do to get back on track.

    “There is no doubt that we have derailed because we are not doing what we say we want to do. Why is it so? We need to find an answer to that. If we do find an answer, then what should we do to get us all back on track. We owe this great nation and the 180 million Nigerians the duty to give good governance. Good governance is what they voted for and good governance is what they expect to get and they serve that.

    “We therefore, as BSO, have a great task ahead of us. My dear comrades, the battle and the job starts now. We have won one battle by taking over power. But what we make of this power is very essential to us and to humanity.

    “Therefore, I want to take this opportunity to tell my colleagues here that we have to change the narratives. When we were our there Working and jumping on the street and reaching every corner, we were shouting change, change for a better Nigeria. Now, the key word is good governance for Nigerians.”

    Also speaking, Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong who shared the sentiments of the Custom Boss also lamented that appointments into government positions are made without recourse to the governors, adding that those who do not have the capacity to defend the actions of the President have been the ones benefiting from federal government to appointments.

    The governor said the government must be made aware that things are not working the way they should, saying “If things are wrong they are wrong, if they are right they are right. But it requires very courageous people to come out and say these thongs are wrong or they are right.

    “Let the Mr. President be aware that this is the time to do it because even as governors we are also complaining in our various state, we are saying it. We complained in our states that we sit down and we hear appointment made and then people start asking you as the governor where is this man coming from?
    “But when we turn right and turn left, we don’t know where such a person is coming from. Many people have complained. I’m sure governors have complained that we should be able to know who and who will Protect Mr. President and his administration.

    “When I heard that BSO is coming back again, I said is it not too late because if you allow people to grumble too much, you will see fight in several states and some of them are for a just course.

    Somebody suffered for the party, the person is not rewarded and you wake up to see another man who even fought you, the man who made you to lose your job is now being appointed and the one who suffered is sitting down. Sometimes he will be looking for tears to cry and the tears will not be there because they are dry.

    “Like our chairman said to me, it is not too late. This is the time to start because this is the time you will hear a lot of things coming. People who have not serve will come back and say I had serve this way, I had serve that way but the records are there. The records can not tell lie. If it is true that they served this way, they served that way let the record.”

  • Bindow offers to broker peace between Fulani and farmers

    Bindow offers to broker peace between Fulani and farmers

    Adamawa governor Mohammadu Bindow has offered to broker peace between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Plateau toward halting midnight attacks on rural communities in Miango.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that rural communities in Bassa Local Government of Plateau have come under heavy attacks that claimed several lives in the last three weeks.

    Among villages hit were Ncha, Taegbe and Ndizewron where 26, six and 29 persons were confirmed killed

    Bindow, who visited his Plateau counterpart, Simon Lalong, to commiserate with him over the attacks, described the violence as “unacceptable”, and pledged to work with the governor to end the bloodshed.

    “As a governor of a state that hosts the leader of the Fulani world wide, the Lamido of Adamawa, I am in a good position to intercede, if it is established that Fulani people are involved in the hostilities,” he said.

    Bindow said he was particularly saddened by the violence because he grew up in Plateau and was an ex-student of Government Secondary School, Miango where the attacks were being carried out.

    “I will lead my brother, the Governor of Plateau, to the Lamido, for discussions. I will plead with the Lamido to visit the area to speak with the people, if need be.

    “I don’t know where the Plateau problem came from, but we will join hands with you and do our best to ensure that the problem becomes a thing of the past,” he said.

    He condoled Lalong over the death of his younger brother, Wummen, who he described as “very hardworking”, and prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest.

    In his response, Lalong appreciated Bindow for the show of affection, saying that the visit had strengthened the relationship between the two states.

    He regretted that violence was returning to Plateau after two years of uninterrupted peace.

    “For 15 years, violence was our lot, but that was replaced by two years of stability before the recent incidences,” he said.

    He said that government was already leveraging on the prevailing peace to bring development to the people before the devil interrupted.

    Lalong, however, said that the people of Plateau were determined to sustain the peace, and urged the residents to promptly report any suspicious persons or movement to the law enforcement agencies.

    NAN

  • Plateau set for peaceful LG polls

    Plateau set for peaceful LG polls

    Gov. Mr Simon Lalong of Plateau signed the act establishing Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission on Aug. 9, indicating further empowerment of the commission to regulate local government elections.

    The signing of the act to law also gives the commission the impetus to set the ball rolling for the conduct of the next local government polls in the state on Feb. 17, 2018.

    The commission began with a familiarisation visit to the 17 local government areas of the state, meeting with the traditional rulers and other stakeholders and intimating them of its plans to conduct free, fair and peaceful polls.

    Also to ensure free, fair and credible council polls in the state, the Plateau State Coalition on Electoral Reform and Good Governance recently, engaged the commission, security agencies, political parties and some key stakeholders in a town hall meeting in Jos.

    The town hall meeting was supported by Community Action for Popular Participation Actionaid Nigeria, Ukaid and BBC Media Action.

    In a keynote address at the meeting, the Senior Adviser, Search for Common Ground in Nigeria, Mr Chom Bagu, stated reasons why the commission must conduct local government elections that would be acceptable to the majority of the people.

    According to him, credible and acceptable polls would further consolidate the peace being enjoyed in the state.

    “It is also important to ensure that the poll is not only free and fair, but it should be credible and acceptable by a majority of the citizens.

    “Democratic process must be adhered to so that the people can attest and accept the outcome of the elections.

    “We have gone through turbulent times in the state; now we are enjoying relative peace. So we will not want a situation whereby the local government elections will draw us backwards.

    “We advise that the commission to improve on its past efforts and ensure that the elections are conducted in a manner that will consolidate on the existing peace in the state,’’ he said.

    Bagu further advised the electoral umpire to be transparent and show a high degree of credibility while conducting the council polls.

    Also speaking at the event, a public affairs commentator, Mr Steve Aloko, said the onus lay on the police to ensure free, fair, credible and acceptable local government elections in Plateau.

    He noted that the police reserved the duty to ensure the forthcoming local government polls in the state were conducted in an environment devoid of electoral frauds.

    “The onus lies on the police and other security agencies to ensure peaceful atmosphere is provided for free, fair and credible local government elections in Plateau.

    “As an institution, it reserves the right and powers to prevent people from committing electoral crime before, during and after elections.

    “We rely solely on them to ensure hoodlums and desperate politicians do not hijack the electoral process, but to provide an environment where every citizen can exercise their civic rights,’’ he advised.

    Aloko further urged the police to discharge their duties devoid of fears or favours, and called on the public to support and cooperate with them.

    He also charged the police to give serious considerations to improving rural policing before, during and after elections.

    “The bulk of the issues that mars free and free elections in Nigeria emanates from the rural areas, and it is a serious challenge,’’ he observed.

    He said the police should work towards confidence-building as most populace had, over the years, lost confidence in the police.

    He also called on government to adequately mobilise the police with all that would be needed in the discharge of their duties to minimise the risk of compromise.

    In his view, the Policy and Governance Advisor, Actionaid Nigeria, Mr Kenneth Okoineme, urged political parties to entrench internal party democracy to ensure peaceful and acceptable local government polls.

    According to him, the forthcoming local government polls would only be free, fair and credible when parties adhere and ensure inclusiveness.

    “We all know that political parties play key role in deepening and shaping our polity, but the most important thing is the issue of parties adhering to the principle of internal democracy.

    “There is also the need for parties to ensure an all-inclusive system that accommodates and engages all of its members; a situation where people should be the centre of its decision.

    “So sentiment, personal interest and things that may breed conflicts and disagreements within the parties must be kept aside to ensure peaceful polls in the state,’’ he said.

    Okoineme also urged parties to desist from hate campaigns and canvass for votes, using matured and more civilised ways.

    He cautioned candidates against campaigns that could truncate the existing fragile peace being enjoyed in the state.

    “You have very important role to play in ensuring that the relative peace being enjoyed in the state is sustained, and if possible consolidated.

    “Personal sentiments within your parties must be jettisoned and the interest of the majority should always take the day.

    “That way, we will have not only free and fair, but also a peaceful and acceptable local government election in Plateau,’’ he said.

    Okoineme also charged the party leaders to create rooms for youths to contest elections on the platforms of their (leaders) parties.

    He said the council poll was coming at the time when Nigerians were yearning for the younger generation to take up leadership roles and the parties ought to support their aspirations.

    Beside this, Mr Nelson Ananza, Acting Director, Community Action for Popular Participation, said the meeting was aimed at engaging critical stakeholders with a view to improving the electoral process through active citizen participation.

    Ananza expressed optimism that the resolutions reached at the end of the meeting would further add value to the electoral process and ensure credible council polls in Plateau.

    Considering the importance of an electoral commission to credible elections, Mr Fabian Ntung, Chairman, Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, promised to conduct free, fair, transparent and credible elections.

    He, nonetheless, appealed to concerned political stakeholders to abide by the laid down rules and regulations during the electioneering to deliver a peaceful and acceptable polls.

    NAN

  • Plateau killings: Lalong vows to deal with attackers

    Plateau killings: Lalong vows to deal with attackers

    Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has vowed to identify and prosecute those behind the resurgence of terror attacks in the state.

    Lalong made the pledge on Sunday while reacting to Saturday night attack by unknown gunmen on Tagbe Village, Jebbu Miango, Bassa Local Government Area, where six persons were killed and five others severely injured.

    The governor, in a statement by the Director of Press Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Nanle, warned that government would not relent in its renewed efforts at identifying and prosecuting all those behind this heinous crimes.

    He said that the killers and their sponsors seek to take the state back to the dark days of violent conflicts and vowed not to let that happen.

    According to statement, the criminal elements perpetrating the spade of vicious attack within the Irigwe Chiefdom of Bassa, were finding refuge among the inhabitants of those areas.

    “We are shock over the night gun attack on Tagbe Village, Jebbu Miango of Saturday the 14th October 2017, after the failed attack on Nzoruvho Village, which resulted in the killing of 6 persons and 5 others who sustained various forms of gunshot injuries.

    “The attack coming at the heels of the 12 hours curfew imposed over Bassa LGA, leaves government with serious concerns,” he said.

    The governor appealed to all residents of the affected areas in Bassa and the surrounding border villages, to volunteer useful information that will lead to the arrest of all the criminals behind this sudden resurgence of terror.

    He warned that any person or group of persons in villages and neighbourhoods identified to have been providing refuge and escape for these criminals, will incur the wrath of the law.

    Lalong extended his heartfelt condolences to families of the bereaved and directed the State Emergency Management Agency and Ministry of Health to immediately coordinate medical services for the injured as well as provide all necessary humanitarian relief materials to the affected areas.

    The governor also appealed for calm from all law abiding citizens in these areas of attacks all around Bassa.

    He assured that security has been reinforced, while intelligence and security search and patrol have also been intensified to ensure the immediate arrest of the culprits.

    NAN

  • Gov. Lalong imposes dusk-to-dawn curfew on Bassa LG

    Gov. Lalong imposes dusk-to-dawn curfew on Bassa LG

    Worried by incessant attacks on communities on Bassa Local Government, Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the area.

    A statement by Mr Emmanuel Nanle, Director of Press Affairs, said that the decision became necessary “in view of recurring incidences of attack in the area”.

    The curfew will run from 6 am to 6 pm daily, it said.

    “There are recurring incidences of attacks on Irigwe chiefdom and neighbouring areas around Bassa; there are also attacks on communities on the borders of the local government, especially around Vom in Jos South and Manchok in Kaduna State.

    “To guarantee effective security operation toward protecting life and property, the governor has approved the imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew, which takes effect immediately,” the statement said.

    A security source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Jos that the governor’s decision followed reports of the burning of houses by unknown men that invaded some villages in Irigwe chiefdom on Friday.

    Mr Terna Tyopev, spokesman of the Plateau Police Command, who confirmed the burning of the houses, however, declined further details.

    NAN reports that the Friday attack on Bassa Local Government is the third in three weeks, after two other violent invasions claimed 28 lives in Ncha and Jebu-Miango semi-urban settlements. (NAN)

  • ‘Increasing NYSC members responsible for dwindling resources’

    ‘Increasing NYSC members responsible for dwindling resources’

    Brig. Gen Suleiman Kazaure, the Director General, of the National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC ), has blamed the dwindling resources in the scheme to rising population of corps members.

    Kazaure disclosed this at the opening of the scheme’s Annual Management Conference in Jos on Tuesday.

    The theme of the conference was: ‘Enhancing the Operations of NYSC through Strategic Planning’.

    The director-general expressed regret that the existing orientation camp facilities had been over stretched due to increased population of corps members.

    He decried the failure of some state and local governments to meet up with their statutory obligations to the scheme.

    Kazaure, therefore, urged them to be alive to their responsibilities to the scheme.

    He lauded the state and local governments that have shown commitment to the success of the scheme through the upgrade of orientation camp facilities and other forms of support.

    According to him, the scheme recently resuscitated the once moribund NYSC farm settlements in Bauchi, Kebbi, and Oyo states as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

    He disclosed that the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development centres in Gombe and Ekiti states were nearing completion, while the one in the South-South state of Delta was already functional.

    Kazaure stated that the scheme is now fully computerized and has already begun biometric registration and clearance of corps members toward enhancing its operational efficiency.

    He said that the conference provided an venue for stakeholders to meet and review the implementation  of the scheme with a view to evolving new policy direction, if necessary, for improved service delivery.

    “As we gather here today, participants are poised to evolve more cohesive and clearer strategies for administration and management of resources, especially against the backdrop of the country’s current economic realities.

    “The focus of the conference is for brainstorming and coming up with practicable solutions and strategies that will reposition and promote the ideals of the scheme in both the present and future,” he said.

    In a message to the conference, the Plateau State Governor, Mr Simon Lalong, represented by his deputy, Sonni Tyoden, praised the director-general for the ongoing reforms in the scheme.

    Lalong expressed satisfaction with the contribution of the scheme, especially in rural areas, in terms of education, health, agriculture through the corps members Community Development Programmes.

    NAN reports that the three-day conference organized for top managers of the scheme, state coordinators and deputy directors will end on Sept. 29th.

  • Lalong swears in Plateau acting CJ

    Lalong swears in Plateau acting CJ

    Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, on Saturday sworn in Justice Yakubu Dakwak as the Acting Chief Judge of the state following the retirement of the former chief judge, Justice Pius Damulak.

    Speaking at the ceremony in Jos, Lalong said Dakwak’s inauguration was in line with the provisions of the law.

    The governor said: “Today’s swearing in of my Lord, Justice Yakubu Dakwak, as Acting Chief Judge of Plateau, is in keeping with judicial precedence and the time-tested tradition of succession on the bench by seniority.

    “Nature abhors a vacuum and so does the Judiciary. I have therefore considered it imperative to exercise without delay the duty of swearing in an Acting Chief Judge for the state.

    “Through the administration of the oath of allegiance in keeping with the provision of section 271(2) (3) and particularly sub section (4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the process for the confirmation or appointment of the substantive Chief Judge shall follow constitutionally laid down procedure and this shall commence immediately.”

    Lalong expressed the hope that the new chief judge would work closely with all stakeholders in the judiciary to fight corruption, maladministration and misappropriation of finds in the country.

    He added that a clean judiciary was the altar for sanitisation of any country, punishment for crime, remedy for injuries and the enthronement of respect for the rule of law.

    NAN

     

     

  • Lalong urges FG to complete electricity laboratory in Bassa

    Lalong urges FG to complete electricity laboratory in Bassa

    Plateau Governor Simon Lalong has charged the Federal Government to complete the National Electrical Equipment Testing Laboratory, Bassa in view of its relevance to effective power supply.

    Lalong gave the charge on Thursday in Jos, in a keynote address at the third edition of the National Council on Power ( NACOP ) tagged “Completing Power Sector Reforms”, currently holding in Jos.

    “The laboratory will ensure effective testing and certification of electrical assets and equipment before use, which will guide against the use of substandard components,” he said.

    He said that the project, which was abandoned in 1990, should be completed and put to use to minimise incidences of disasters caused by electricity sparks.

    The governor also appealed to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babaunde Fashola, to use his office to quickly replace the 150MVA transformer, which was razed down by fire at the Jos transmission sub-station, last week.

    He said that the transformer needed to be replaced to avoid the consequences which included total darkness to the four states – Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe and Benue – covered by the Jos Electricity Distribution Company ( JEDC ).

    Mr Wuyep Jaafaru, Commissioner, Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, who presented a paper on Plateau State Policy and Strategy on Renewable Energy, said that the policy represented government’s commitment to improving the lives of citizens.

    Ja’afaru said that decentralised electrification technologies like embedded generation, extension of distribution grids, mini grids and stand alone systems, powered by renewable energies, would be used to supply electricity in the state.

    He added that other sources like solar, wind, bio mass and small hydro, generally backed up by conventional generational sources that are already used, like the chemical storage, shall be used as transitory solutions to supply electricity reliably.

  • IPOB crisis ‘bigger than Boko Haram’

    IPOB crisis ‘bigger than Boko Haram’

    •Shettima warns of grave danger

    The Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB separatist crisis being spearheaded by Nnamdi Kanu  is bigger than the activities of the deadly terrorist group Boko Haram, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima has said.

    No fewer than 20, 000 people are believed to have been killed by Boko Haram since the Islamist sect started its attacks in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, especially and partly in Abuja and some other parts of the country about eight years ago.

    Thousands of others have been maimed by the sect that was also responsible for the infamous abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls in April, 2014. More than 100 of the girls are still in the sect’s custody.

    Thousands of others abducted by the sect remain unaccounted for.

    Speaking in Owerri on Monday night during a meeting with Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, when he led a truce team of North’s governors to the state, Shettima said the threats posed by the Nnamdi Kanu-led secessionist IPOB to the nation’s survival are far bigger than those posed by Boko Haram.

    He said it was for this reason that he had to leave the killings going on in his state behind to join Governor Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) Simon Lalong (Platueau) Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina) and Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), on visits to Abia, Rivers and Imo, seeking peace.

    “Only this morning, 25 people were killed in my state via explosions carried out by three suicide bombers, but I have to be on this mission because of what it means to the nation,” he said.

    He noted that the huge population of Nigeria makes it imperative to avoid anything that could lead to war among its tribal groups, wondering which country would have the capacity to accommodate Nigerian refugees in the event of another civil war.

    He said: “What we wanted to forestall actually was a mass movement of Nigerians from one part of the country to another. It was a very dangerous signal.

    “We equally invite our brothers from the South East to visit some of the northern flash points like Kaduna, Kano and Jos, and together we can talk to our Igbo brothers and sisters there to assure them of the safety of their lives and properties.

    “Make or break, this country belongs to all of us. The population of Syria is a paltry 22 million. Only 2 million Syrian refugees are knocking on the doors of Europe and it is causing reverberation. How then do you perceive a situation where 35 million English-speaking Nigerians are knocking on the doors of Europe?

    “That is why we have a moral obligation as stakeholders to make things work in this country. We are all part of the leadership challenges we are facing in this country, and none of us can exonerate him or herself from blame.

    “Like I said earlier in Aba, the hope of the black man rests not with the hard-thinking South Africans or the obsequious Kenyans who are struggling to be more white than the white men, but with the people of this country.

    “If you see an African walking on the streets of London and would not leave the way obsequiously for the white man to pass, you don’t need a soothsayer to tell you that that black man is a Nigerian.

    “If we allow this country to implode, up is the Sahara Desert, Niger is already a failed state. The population of Niger is only 11 million while Kano has a population of about 30 million. We can eat up the entire food reserve of Niger Republic within a week.

    “Down is the Atlantic Ocean and the tiny countries of Benin Republic, Togo and Senegal. Maybe some of us will migrate to Gambia. The entire food reserves of those tiny West African countries can be exhausted within two weeks.”

    Shettima thanked Governor Okorocha for the warm reception he accorded the delegation, saying that they were in the state principally as a delegation of Northern Nigeria governors’ forum to identify with the uncommon leadership exhibited by the governors of the South East sub-region in these trying moments of the nation’s contemporary political history.

    He said: “In politics, perception counts and symbolism matters. So we are here largely to identify with our governor colleagues; to visit the northern communities in their states and to reassure them that our governor colleagues are equal to the task.

    “In fact, I had to pay a visit to the governor of Rivers State where we were earlier on, and Chief Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and, of course, the merchant of peace in Imo State (Okorocha) for rapidly responding to the emergency situations in their respective states by declaring dusk to dawn curfews. They equally stopped the nation from reaching the boiling point.

    “While we were in Rivers, we were not opportune to address the northern community. But in Aba and Umuahia, we were able to do so and thank the governor, because the reports we got directly from the northerners residents in Umuahia, Governor Ikpeazu had solved 70 per cent of their problems; that they had never had it so good of a governor that responded rapidly to the challenges they were facing in their communities.”

    Okorocha thanked the delegation on behalf of the people of Imo State for leaving their busy schedules to travel more than 1,000 km just to speak the language of peace.

    “Even between husband and wife, without communication, a break-up is inevitable. And we should not only communicate between ourselves as governors, we should also communicate with the ordinary citizens on the streets,” he said.

    He said there was a feeling of abandonment among the people of the South East, especially with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari because they feared from day one that since they did not vote him, his government would forget them.

    “As untrue as that may be, it remains the general feeling of the people in this part of the world. So, you coming to bridge the gap is a right step in the right direction,” he said.