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Tag: Nasarawa State

  • Ex-Information Minister, Labaran Maku dumps APGA, returns to PDP

    Ex-Information Minister, Labaran Maku dumps APGA, returns to PDP

    Mr Labaran Maku, former Minister of Information has declared his intention to contest the governorship seat of Nasarawa State in 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Maku, a one-time deputy governor and ex-Commissioner in Nasarawa State, made the declaration on Saturday in Lafia when he led his supporters to inform the State Working Committee (SWC) of the PDP of his return to the party.

    Maku, who until his recent return to PDP, was the National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), apologised to party members for leaving them since 2015.

    He said that he had been a committed member and had served in various capacities at the state and federal levels before he left following dissatisfaction with outcome of the 2015 governorship primary of the party.

    The former minister said though he could not justify his departure from the party, he asked for forgiveness from party members, adding that he had forgiven all that betrayed him in the past.

    Maku said he would contest the governorship seat and promised to accept the outcome of the party’s primary, adding that he would work with whoever picked the ticket to deliver the state to the party in 2023.

    He said the state had suffered a lot from bad governance, poor performance by government officials and total neglect of the people in the last 12 years.

    “We are on a rescue mission under PDP,’’ he said and appealed to the people to vote out APC in 2023.

    Responding, Francis Orogu, PDP Chairman in the state expressed joy at Maku’s return, adding that the leadership of the party had been working since 2019 to reabsorb him.

    He described Maku’s return as home-coming and said that the development would add value to the PDP ahead of forthcoming primary.

    Orogu assured Maku that the leadership of the party would provide a level playing ground for all aspirants to realise their ambitions.

    The chairman also commended Maku for regularly speaking truth to power and called on other stakeholders in the party to always speak for the suffering masses.

  • FG ready to create platform for Diaspora investment – Gov. Sule

    FG ready to create platform for Diaspora investment – Gov. Sule

    The Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, has stated that the Federal Government is always ready to create an enabling environment for Diaspora’s contributions and investments to Nigeria’s development.

    Sule said this at the 2nd Phase of the Zumunta Association of USA Inc. Benevolent Palliative project Awards in Abuja.

    Newsmen reports that, Zumunta Association Inc. United States of America is a not-for-profit Cultural Community Organisation, based in the Diaspora.

    Newsmen also report that the association presented to 18 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), from 11 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory some palliative awards.

    The State Focal Point Officers from the states that benefited from the palliative included Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe, Kwara, Niger, Taraba, Kaduna, Plateau, Lagos, and Nasarawa

    The governor lauded the association’s humanism and patriotism to Nigerians, saying that they had not forgotten their home country and dedicated their time, resources and global exposure to its development.

    “Your act of humanity will go a long way in facilitating the change we hope to see in Nigeria.

    “Let me seize this opportunity to assure you that the Federal Government on its part will spare no effort to create an enabling environment that will protect and support its Diaspora.

    “To excel in their various calling and in turn encourage them to contribute and invest their quota to the development of their father’s land,” he said.

    The Minister of State Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada lauded the Zumunta Association for its benevolent nature towards elevating the suffering of the less privileged in Nigeria.

    Dada also added that the Federal Government would spare no effort to create the necessary platform for the Diaspora to develop their father’s land.

    He urged the association to work with the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in actualising its goal.

    He commended and encouraged members of the association to continue being good ambassadors of Nigeria in their host communities.

    Speaking earlier, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa the Chairman of NIDCOM, commended the association’s efforts at giving back to their home country and also for organising the programme.

    Dabiri-Erewa quoted President Muhammad Buhari as saying that the Nigerian communities in the Diaspora were the number one ambassadors of Nigeria.

    The chairman added that the Diasporas were an integral part of national development.

    She gave assurance that NiDCOM was now a partner with the Zumunta Association and would give them the platform to make giving back to their country a smooth ride.

    Dabiri-Erewa added that the Diaspora were important to any country’s development, adding that Nigerians’ Diaspora donated 50 million Naira during the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

    Mr Philip Moses, the President Zumunta Association, said that since its inception both national and respective state chapters had acquitted themselves creditably in promoting a positive image of Nigeria in the USA.

    “We have encouraged trade and investment opportunities by facilitating face-to-face meetings between Nigerian entrepreneurs and their American counterparts.

    “We have done this through our Zumunta Annual International Convention which this year will take place in Houston, Taxes, USA.

    ” Zumunta has also boosted national unity by working with the National Cultural Community organisations, such as; Egbe Omo Oduduwa, and the Ndigbo both cultural organisations in the USA.

    “So as to enhance and promote cultural heritage through music, songs and dances, We have collaborated with each other to issue joint communities about the situation in Nigeria from time to time,” he said.

  • Why I slept with my son — Mother confesses

    Why I slept with my son — Mother confesses

    Matina Agawua, a native of Yelwata in Nasarawa State has narrated why she slept with her biological son, confessing she engaged in the act to check if she was still fertile.

    Agawua said when she lost her first husband, she decided to remain a widow for 13 years. She revealed she lost her first husband to a herdsmen attack in Northern Nigeria. Her first marriage produced a son.

    She remarried years after the death of her husband but had difficulties having a child with her second husband, Mr James after six years of marriage.

    The woman said her in-laws threatened to show her the way out on the ground of not being able to have a child for their son.

    “We had been married for more than six years but were still childless due to my husband’s fault, according to doctor’s report, and I was hearing from the grapevine that he was planning to take a second wife on the grounds that I could not give him a child,” Agawua said in a recent interview with The Nation.

    She further said while she took a fertility test, her husband did not deem it necessary to go for a medical check-up to ascertain the source of the problem.

    She said she suspected that her husband was suffering from low sperm count which made him unable to father a child as the test she took showed that there was nothing wrong with her. The woman said it was amid this crisis that she slept with her only son from her first marriage.

    “Since he is not comfortable with us going for medical checkups on the assumption that nothing was wrong with him, I decided to convince my little son, who is just about 16 years old and schooling in Akwanga. I visit him regularly. He stays in a private apartment with my relatives, so I was going there to spend some time with them, especially on weekends when my market is off. It was actually difficult making love with my own son, but circumstances forced me to go into it. I needed to be sure of my fertility.

    “I know my husband very well. If he discovered I had an affair with a man outside, he would kill me. I love him so much and I’m afraid of him, so this evil plan kept ringing in my mind to know how fertile I am. I tried to visit my son in Akwanga mostly when I was on my ovulation period. I decided to develop a crush on him and draw him very close to me. We got intimate and ended up having s3x.

    “One faithful day while I was on my ovulation period, I visited him. It was at about 11 pm. I held his hand and made him sit beside me.

    “I asked him if he had ever had s3x and he said no. I held him in my arms. This time, I felt warm and I think he too did. After that night, I felt extremely embarrassed, and guilty that I committed such an abomination with my own son. It was actually a taboo, but I warned him to keep it secret,” Agawua narrated.

  • Police arrest man for allegedly killing wife in Nasarawa

    Police arrest man for allegedly killing wife in Nasarawa

    The Police in Nasarawa State has arrested one, Ovye Yakubu, over alleged murder of his wife, Esther Aya, in their residence at Sabonpegi-Shabu community of Lafia.

    Ramhan Nansel, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, confirmed the arrest on Saturday in Lafia.

    According to him, the suspect was arrested on Friday Jan. 7, after the Police received report of the incident that happened on the same date as a result of querrel.

    Nansel said that investigation was ongoing at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Lafia, to unravel the mystery behind the incident.

    He said that the corpse of the woman has been deposited at the morgue for post-mortem examination.

    Meanwhile, it was garthered that the accused allegedly beat his wife to death following an argument that led to quarrel.

    A family member of the deceased who preferred anonymity alledged that heated argument ensued between the couple when the suspect tried to stop a carpenter engaged by the wife to fix net to their window.

    He alledged that the suspect had beaten up the wife when she insisted that the carpenter should continued with the work.

    “The deceased engaged the service of a carpenter to fix net in their windows to prevent mosquitoes, but the husband stopped the carpenter, which the wife resisted, eventually the husband started beating her in the process,” he alleged.

    On his part, the carpenter who also pleaded anonymity, alledged that the suspect chased him away when he was engaged by the deceased to fix net.

  • Nasarawa bans use, sale of charcoal

    Nasarawa bans use, sale of charcoal

    The Nasarawa State Government has banned the use and sales of charcoal in the state to protect the environment.

    Mr Aliyu Agwai, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, announced this while addressing newsmen on Saturday in Lafia.

    He said that the process of producing charcoal is harmful to the environment by destroying the climate and increasing global warming.

    Agwai noted that the burning of charcoal, especially, would produce harmful emissions.

    “Cutting trees can result in the loss of habitat for animal species, which can harm the ecosystems.

    “Almost all the land animals and plants live in forests and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes,” he observed.

    e selling and using charcoal to desist to avoid prosecution in case of violation.

    He lauded the residents of the state for the level of compliance with the sensitisation programme on environmental sanitation.

    “Usually every last Saturday of the month is set aside for sanitation exercise, but we brought it back to today because of the Christmas celebration,” he added.

    Agwai said that all roads to the state were blocked to prevent motorists from other states from passing but they had been opened after the sanitary exercise.

    “We only allowed those with permission from the relevant ministry, or on essential services to pass and move around during the exercise,” he said.

    Meanwhile, a mobile court, handling environmental-related cases, has prosecuted 32 persons suspected to have violated environmental sanitation laws in Lafia.

    The Prosecutor, Mr Abubakar Mohammed, who is also a Chief Environment Officer, told the court that the suspects were transacting their private businesses while the sanitation exercise was in progress.

    Mohammed said that the offences violated Section 9(2), of the state Environmental Sanitation Law.

    He urged the court to sanction them accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others.

    The Judge, Mr Abdullahi Lande, convicted and sentenced them to six months imprisonment respectively with the option of a fine of between N5, 000 and N50, 000 respectively.

  • Sad! How two top gynaecologists died due to complications of Lassa fever in Nasarawa

    Sad! How two top gynaecologists died due to complications of Lassa fever in Nasarawa

    …contracted disease during emergency caesarean operation

    It has been revealed how two top medical doctors at the popular Arafat Dalhatu Specialist hospital in Nasarawa died after an emergency operation on a Lassa fever infected patient.

    The two consultants contracted the disease during an emergency caesarian operation conducted on a woman who was admitted into the hospital bleeding but unknown to the doctors she had lassa fever.

    It was gathered that the pregnant woman was rushed to the hospital over complications arising from lassa fever but unknown to the medical experts they attended to her believing it was pregnancy related complications.

    The woman died some hours after the surgery while the baby also died not quite long after the death of the mother.

    Meanwhile the test result later showed she had lassa fever which actually led to complications that resulted in premature labor necessitating her being rushed to the hospital on emergency.

    It was further revealed that one of the doctors who performed the operation died last week and the test result confirmed that he was killed by lassa fever.

    Sadly on Wednesday, the second Doctor who took part in the operation also died of lassa fever.

    The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Mrs. Ruth Namo confirmed that the two gynaecologists died of lassa fever.

    It would be recalled that the ministry of health last week declared that lassa fever outbreak was imminent in the state with two reported cases.

  • ‘How Nassarawa, Zamfara, Borno are tackling insecurity’

    ‘How Nassarawa, Zamfara, Borno are tackling insecurity’

    The all-inclusive approach of Gov. Bello Matawalle in addressing insecurity was yielding tremendous result in Zamfara, the state Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, retired DIG Mamman Tsafe, has said.

    Speaking with newsmen at the Annual Lecture and Fourth Investiture of the Institute of Security and Strategic Studies (ISSS) on Saturday in Abuja, Tsafe said that Matawalle “inherited a very turbulent state”.

    “That is why he started with negotiations and inclusiveness to ensure that the level of insecurity was reduced.

    “He has succeeded tremendously because, hitherto, the area was increasingly becoming inhabitable, but with the deployment of an all-inclusive approach, he has been able to ameliorate the situation,“ the commissioner said.

    Tsafe represented Matawalle at the event where the governor received “Best Governor of collective Security Advocate 2020” award.

    Also speaking, Deputy Speaker, Borno House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdullahi Askira, who represented Gov. Babagana Zulum, said that courage and confidence had been the governor’s secrets in confronting insecurity in Borno.

    Askira said the governor’s approach to security had endeared him to the electorate and citizens of Borno, adding that Zulum had continued to ensure that all internally displaced persons(IDPs) were returned to their ancestral homes.

    He urged all Nigerians to support the fight against insecurity in parts of the country, adding that security required collaborative approach.

    “One of the governor‘s secret is that he is courageous and when there is courage and confidence you can do almost everything.

    “With the people’s support and the governor’s courage and attitude towards the people, he has been able to achieve a lot in security, and the electorates and Borno citizens have been with him.

    “The security situation in Nigeria is not an individual, sectional, religious or ethnic problem, it is a collective security problem, and all hands must be on deck for us to succeed.

    “I believe that if we come together and fight insecurity collectively, we will succeed,” he said.

    Askira further disclosed that the humanitarian crisis in Borno had different dimensions.

    He explained that while some people benefit from it, the majority were losing, adding that it had produced thousands of orphans, widows and homeless people.

    He said the governor had tried his best to ensure that the IDPs went back to their ancestral homes.

    “As of now, I think maybe it is one local government that the IDPs have not returned to their ancestral homes.

    “Even up till now, there are pockets of wars in some parts that there are no inhabitants but the governor has assured us that by the end of this month, IDP camps will be closed in Borno.

    “With all the necessary arrangements, IDP camps are closing in Maiduguri by end of this month,” he said.

    Also, Yakubu Lamai, Director General, Strategic Communications to Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, said that the state used a corporate approach to handle its security challenges.

    Lamai said the governor started with a blueprint called Economic Development Strategy to secure investment, using security, peace building, fence mending and human capacity development.

    “That is why in Nasarawa State today, there is a clear success in security because his approach had been one that is well informed and built on intelligence gathering.

    “Even in his first month as governor, he went over to Benue State on peace mission where he met with the governor to see if we can strengthen the enabling relationship and he has done same across states in the North Central zone.

    “That is why Nasarawa held the mediation meeting between Tiv and Jukun people at a point.

    “Also, there has been very robust synergy with the Federal Government,” he said.

    ISSS inducted the three governors into the fellowship of the institute and honoured them for their outstanding contributions to national security.

    While Zulum was awarded the best governor on Security and Humanitarian Sservices for 2020, Sule was awarded the Security Pro-active, and Matawalle, the Best Governor of collective Security Advocate.

  • Police foil attempt to abduct Nasarawa PDP chieftain

    Police foil attempt to abduct Nasarawa PDP chieftain

    Nasarawa Police Command has foiled an attempt to abduct Mr Umar Nasiru-Black, Nasarawa-South Zonal Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    The attempt is contained in a statement signed by Ramhan Nansel, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state and made available to newsmen on Sunday in Lafia.

    According to the statement, the police received a distress call on Nov. 20 at about 8: 30 p.m. that six unidentified gunmen had invaded NasiruBlack’s residence, located at Bukan kwato area of Lafia, and were attempting to kidnap him.

    “Upon the receipt of the information, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Adesina Soyemi, immediately mobilised police patrol teams to the scene.

    “The abduction was foiled due to the prompt intervention of the team mobilised by the commissioner and members of the community,” the PPRO said in the statement.

    Nansel said in the bid to escape, the hoodlums hit Nasiru-Black with a stick on his forehead.

    He said that they also shot one of the victim’s neighbours on the right leg before they narrowly escaped into the nearby bush.

    The PPRO added that the PDP chieftain, along with his neighbour who was shot, was rushed to an undisclosed hospital for treatment, noting that they were in stable condition.

    He, however, said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing kidnap suspects.

    The PPRO called on the public to always inform security agencies of suspicious activities in their areas, for prompt response.

  • Delayed payments: Nasarawa Assembly invites Access Bank MD

    Delayed payments: Nasarawa Assembly invites Access Bank MD

    The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has invited the Managing Director, Access Bank PLC, to explain in details why the payment of contractors handling various State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) projects in the state were not paid or delayed.

    Mr Daniel Ogazi, the Chairman House Committee on Education, stated this when the management of Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board appeared for its 2021 Budget Assessment in Lafia on Thursday.

    Ogazi, who is the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, lamented that the legislature was worried with the myriad of petitions it was receiving from contractors handling SUBEB projects in the state over the non-payment.

    Ogazi said: “After many of them had completed their works, with others having theirs reaching various stages of completion.

    “Many of the contractors collected loans, some collected personal loans from individuals where they are to pay back 20 per cent interest monthly, aside the increase in the costs of construction materials in the market on daily basis.

    “Many of these constructions have reached different stages of completion and the works have stopped and with the rainy season now affecting the structures.”

    He lamented that, the bank’s action has also put the state in bad image before the world, that it did not honour its commitments to contractors.

    “They do not know that the fault is from the bank who have decided on the reasons best known to them to keep our money.

    “And be making high profits from it to the detriment of the government and the people of the state.

    “It is on this note that we are inviting the MD/CEO of Access Bank to appear before the House on Wednesday, 8th September, 2021, to explain to us in detail what is happening with the state’s money in their custody.

    “We have paid our counterpart funds as a state, the money has been lodged in the bank, why are they keeping it?

    “They are unnecessarily subjecting the state and contractors to hardship, leaving our school structures in bad shape and now rain is destroying them.

    “I want to call on the contractors to be patient, the House will protect their interests and their money is guaranteed,” he said.

    Earlier, the state SUBEB Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Dan’Azumi, while explaining the budget performance of the board, appreciated the committee for supporting its activities.

  • Police confirm attack on Nasarawa lawmaker

    Police confirm attack on Nasarawa lawmaker

    The Police Command in Nasarawa State has confirmed an attack on a member of the state House of Assembly on Wednesday, Mr Samuel Tsebe.

    Tsebe is representing Akwanga South state constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) of the command, Mr Ramhan Nansel, told NAN that the lawmaker reported the incident to the new Commissioner of Police, Mr Adesina Soyemi.

    According to the PPRO, Tsebe had reported that he was attacked along Akwanga-Lafia road at about 10 a.m on Wednesday.

    Nansel said that the commissioner of police deployed the anti-kidnapping unit to immediately comb the area and one suspect was arrested.

    Tsebe had earlier told newsmen in Akwanga shortly after the attack that three of them (all state legislators) narrowly escaped assassination during the attack.

    He explained that he was shot at while driving to Lafia from Akwanga in a row with his two other colleagues; Mr David Maiyaki (APC-Karu/Gitata) and Mr Peter Akwe (PDP- Obi 1).

    “When we are approaching Wowyen village along Akwanga-Lafia road; that is between the Police Mobile Training College at Ende Hills, and the village towards the bridge.

    “I heard gun shoot at the driver’s side of my car in which I was the one driving. The bullet broke down the glasses of my car.

    “The shoot was targeted at the driver in which I was the one driving, so this gave me suspicion that someone was monitoring my movement and knew that I was the one driving.

    “It is more of assassination attempt. I have informed the police on the assassination attempt,” he said.

    Tsebe expressed gratitude to God for saving their lives and appealed to security agencies to fish out the criminals.

    It was gathered that Akwe was leading ahead in his car followed by Maiyaki, while Tsebe was trailing behind in his own car too when the assasins fired the bullet.