Barely four days after the deadly attacks that left 86 people dead, Plateau State House of Assembly set up a seven-man special committee to probe the attacks in parts of the state.

He panel is headed by Mr Yusuf Gagdi to investigate the Weekends killings in 11 villages in Barikin Ladi Local Government Area and some villages in Bokkos and Riyom.

The committee is to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the attacks, identify the perpetrators, ascertain the number of communities affected and the extent of destruction and make appropriate recommendations.

The Speaker of the House Mr peter Azi directed the committee to report back its findings in four weeks.

The committee was set up followed a motion moved at plenary by Mr Peter Ibrahim, member representing Jos Barikin Ladi Constituency.

Ibrahim narrated the incident, saying that his constituents have been under siege by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen since last Saturday.

Mr Speaker, it is no longer news that my constituency has been under siege for the past few days, leading to loss of lives and property.

By my count, we have lost more than 200 lives, many severely injured and a lot of houses and farmlands destroyed.

As I speak, sir, a lot of my constituents are reported missing, and thousands displaced since the ugly incident started.

I have on several occasions brought cases of attacks and killings in my constituency before this honourable house, unfortunately, they have never stopped.

So, I wish to urge this honourable house to as a matter of urgency act fast and salvage my people, he said.

The lawmaker called for the investigation of security operatives in the area, urging the government to intensify effort at ending the incessant attacks.

Contributing, Mr Ysufu Gagdi, member representing Kantana Constituency, described the spate of attacks that have led to the loss of many lives as unfortunate

Gagdi, a former Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, also expressed displeasure at the role of government and security agents at restoring peace to the state.

No matter the level of physical infrastructure, no matter how beautiful our schools, hospitals, roads and others are, without peace and tranquillity, all is in vain.

So, our government must make it a point of duty to ensure the security of lives and property, for anything short of that, means the government has failed, he said.

In his submission, the Minority Leader of the House, Mr Daniel Dem, called for a review of the security architecture in the state.

According to him, the people have lost confidence in the security agencies deployed in the state, stressing the need for a change in strategy.

He, therefore, urged the state government to set up a Civilian Joint Task Force, to build confidence in the people in the affected areas.

Source:

Source: NAN

Mr. Sunday Akinniyi, former Chief Whip of Ekiti State House of Assembly, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the state governorship election on July 14

Akinniyi defected on Tuesday with the excuse that he joined APC due to high-handedness of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

He accused the outgoing governor of disrespect for top leaders of PDP.

He said that the alleged high-handedness was causing internal crisis and mass defection of influential members of PDP to the opposition.

The lawmaker representing Ikere Constituency II, said at the Kayode Fayemi Campaign secretariat in Ado Ekiti, said he got the blessing of critical stakeholders in my constituency before taking the step.

He explained that he decided to join the governorship campaign of Dr Fayemi because Fayose treated the Olukere of Ikere, Ganiyu Obasoyin, with disdain, and reneged on his promise to give him recognition and staff of office.

He alleged that Fayose neglected his constituents in major projects executed in Ikere Ekiti.

Governor Fayose said I should bring Olukere to him, which I did. He promised that he will ask the Council of Traditional Rulers to go to Olukeres palace and examine the place and make recommendations on how best they can recognise his stool, which they did.

The Obas turned in their report and Governor Fayose never acted on it. Rather than recognising Olukere, they set him up for murder and put him in detention and that was why I decided not to support the governorship candidate, Professor Kolapo Olusola.

All the projects he did in Ikere, including the dualisation, were concentrated in constituency I. I used to raise issues about this and that was why they removed me as the Chief Whip instead of the allegation of docility and sleeping at plenary they levelled against me.

Apart from all these, the PDP had been in constant crises and now irreversibly divided and polarised to the extent that more than half of its members have moved out of the party in recent times to join APC.

As a Democrat, I cannot continue to remain in a party that had been polarised by internal crises because my continued stay will not allow me to effectively represent my people.

He declared that after consultations with leaders and people of his constituency, he had resigned his membership of the PDP due to irreconcilable breaking into factions of the party in Ekiti following the rancorous governorship primary.

I view of this, I use this opportunity to announce my defection to APC from effect from today, June 26, 2018.

Last week, a former Deputy Majority Leader of the Assembly, Ebenezer Alagbada of Ise/Orun had also joined the Fayemi campaign.

A former PDP governorship aspirant and chieftain of PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, also defected to APC.

Source:

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived in Jos, the Plateau State capital, where he is expected to meet with representatives of communities affected by the latest violence in the State.

This was disclosed on the presidents verified Twitter handle @Mbuhari.

President Buhari, who flew into Jos from Calabar, the Cross River State capital, was received on arrival at the Yakubu Gowon, Airport, Jos, at 3: 20 p.m, by Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the President’s visit is coming on the heels of the visit by his deputy, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was in the state capital on Monday to meet with leaders and representatives of communities affected by the violence.

‘‘We must condemn killings of any kind. It doesn’t matter whether these killings are by herdsmen killing villagers, or whether it is villagers, who in one way or the other have killed others, including herdsmen,’’ Osinbajo said on Monday during his meeting with local representatives, held at the Government House, Jos.

Osinbajo, who heralded the President’s visit, pledged that the Federal government will ensure that perpetrators of the dastardly act are brought to book.

NAN reports that at the Government House in Jos, Buhari is scheduled to hold an interactive session with traditional rulers, community and religious leaders, representatives of youth and women groups and security chiefs, including the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

Britains decision to leave the European Union has now become law after months of debate, the House of Commons speaker announced Tuesday, to cheers from eurosceptic lawmakers.

Speaker John Bercow said the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, which repeals the 1972 European Communities Act through which Britain became a member of the bloc, had been given the formal royal assent by Queen Elizabeth II.

The bill transfers decades of European law onto British statute books, and also enshrines Brexit day in British law as March 29, 2019 at 11:00 pm (2300 GMT) midnight Brussels time.

Prime Minister Theresa May said the approval was a historic moment for our country, and a significant step towards delivering on the will of the British people, who had voted in a June 2016 referendum to exit the EU.

The bill has undergone more than 250 hours of acrimonious debate in the Houses of Parliament since it was introduced in July 2017.

Eurosceptics celebrated the passing of the bill through parliament last week as proof that, despite continuing uncertainty in the negotiations with Brussels, Brexit was happening.

Lest anyone is in any doubt, the chances of Britain not leaving the EU are now zero, International Trade Minister Liam Fox said.

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, a staunch Brexit supporter, said: The legal position is now so much stronger for a clean Brexit.

Crucially this makes the prime ministers negotiating hand much stronger.

Another eurosceptic, Conservative MP Dominic Raab, said May would go to an EU summit later this week with the wind in her sails.

The government had a tough time getting the bill through parliament and was forced to concede some power to lawmakers over the final Brexit deal agreed with Brussels.

The Brexit ministry said in a statement the new law would ensure a smooth and orderly exit by giving the government temporary powers to make changes to legislation.

The ministry said additional laws will deliver the more significant policy changes needed as a result of our exit.

Further battles are expected in the House of Commons in the coming weeks, when MPs debate two bills on trade with pro-Europeans seeking to force the government to keep close ties with the bloc.

May has yet to set out her plans for customs arrangements after Brexit, which have become a major stumbling block in talks with Brussels.

She will gather her top ministers after the EU summit, which starts on Thursday, to thrash out their differences with the aim of publishing a Brexit blueprint shortly after.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigeria was committed to the provision of affordable health care facilities in the drive to have healthy population.

At the commissioning of the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital in Calabar on Tuesday, Buhari said that Nigerias primary health care system needs to be innovative and quality driven.

Primary health care is the cornerstone aimed at creating the conditions that improve the general health of the people, meet the particular needs of patients, families and communities.

Similarly, our secondary and tertiary healthcare systems must meet the most complicated medical challenges for our people at affordable rates.

He explained that the significance of the commissioning could be better understood by making the connection between medical care and productivity.

Put otherwise, good health and productivity are inextricably related. This underpins this Administrations vision of what medical services should look like in Nigeria.

Good health care, he explained was important to the personnel of the armed forces because of the enormous mental and physical exertion that attends their profession.

Active-duty personnel must be at peak health for military effectiveness at all times.

The President said it was gratifying that the Naval High Command fully appreciated the importance of health and has taken the right steps to progressively expand patients access to both preventive and curative medical care services.

I have no doubt that this hospital and its state-of-the-art equipment, as stated by the Chief of the Naval Staff, would yield enormous health dividends to the naval personnel, their families and to the host community.

The development of the hospital is a great leap forward, but the envisaged benefits would fizzle out without diligent maintenance.

It is pleasing to note that the Original Equipment manufacturers Seimens Healthineers and Sirona Demtal Systems of Germany are here to witness this epoch- making event and intend to partner with the Nigerian Navy to ensure the adequate training and sustainability of the critical equipment.

He charged the stakeholders to ensure the sustenance of the high standard of the hospital and build upon it to justify its existence as an international standard medical centre.

Source: NAN

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in OyoState on Tuesday dragged Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State andfive others before an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan over the unpaid N42.3billion gratuities and pensions arrears owed primary school teachers andlocal government pensioners.

Joined in the suit were the Oyo State Attorney-General andCommissioner for Justice, Commissioner for Local Government andChieftaincy Matters, Commissioner for Finance as well as the Accountant-General and the states Head of Service.

At Tuesdays sitting before Justice Maruf Adegbola, the unions counsel,Lasun Sanusi (SAN), urged the court to directthe Oyo State Government to pay the arrears of the concerned pensioners.

Sanusi said the primary school teachers and local government pensioners were dying almost on daily basis due to difficulty in getting medications for their various health challenges.

The counsel also told the court that an agreement was reached between the state government and the pensioners that the arrears would be paid in instalments, praying that this be made a consentjudgment.

He said since the state government was not denying that it was its responsibility to pay the said money, his clients were urging the court to give its judgment.

The counsel also said that other respondents in the suit had been served except Ajimobi, urging the court to grant his ex-parte motion seeking its leave to serve the governor by substituted means.

The counsel suggested that the governor be served through the states Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, being the chief law officer of the state.

Adegbola consequently granted the ex-parte motion and ordered that the processes be served on the governor through the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

The judge said that the processes and other documents to be filed in the matter be taken to the Office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

He adjourned the case till July 11 for hearing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that none of the respondents was in court.

NAN also reports that the pensioners, who had trooped to the court, called on the state government to urgently pay their pension arrears andgratuities.

Representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state also attended the court sitting.

Source: NAN

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has expressed confidence that the Super Eagles would defeat their Argentine counterpart to move into the second round of the FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Osinbajo disclosed this while speaking with newsmen on Tuesday at the Alakia Airport in Ibadan on his arrival for the National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Clinic.

By the grace of God, victory will be ours. I hope the boys will give their very best. I am sure and confident that they are well prepared for the important encounter.

This is an important encounter to us and I trust it is going to be a great victory for us, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Eagles would take on Argentina in their last group D match at the mundial and they need at least a draw to qualify for the second round of the tournament.

Source: NAN

Two years after he performed the ground-breaking for the 274-kilometre superhighway of Cross River state, President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday commissioned the states Rice Seedling Factory in Calabar.

Buhari described the factory built by Governor Ben Ayade as another visionary and trail-blazing project.

He said that his first visit to the state two years and eight months ago was historic because it was his first official visit to any state after assuming office as President and secondly, the purpose was to the ground-breaking of the landmark project.

Today, I am here again in the state to commission yet another visionary and trail-blazing project, the Calabar Rice Seedling Factory built by the state government.

I must say that visiting the state for the second time within three years in connection with people-oriented and flagship projects of Governor Ayade is very welcome and very satisfying to me.

He said his administration launched a zero-oil economic roadmap as a way of making Nigeria less dependent on oil, while encouraging investments in other sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture.

President Buhari expressed his happiness Ayade keyed into the policy and has become one of the reference points in the countrys agricultural revolution effort.

Our gathering here today is no doubt a determination woven through to precision and a glowing testament to the fact that the policy is working.

Indeed, this factory speaks loudly about the giant strides we are making in agriculture as a country. This monumental project for which we are gathered here today is a marvel to behold.

The factory, which is said to be the first in Africa, is an automated plant with a capacity to produce high yielding vitaminized and disease resistance rice seedlings.

What we expect is that Seedlings from this factory will improve rice yield from the current national average of 3 to 4 tons per hectare to about 9 to 10 tons per hectare, thus helping to ensure rice sufficiency in the country and doing away with imports and saving foreign exchange for Nigeria.

The factory, he explained was also targeted at creating employment opportunities and would also be a veritable platform for income generation for the people of Cross River State.

He enjoined relevant federal government agencies such as the Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), through their Anchor Borrowers Programme, to partner with Cross River in the area of supply of seedlings to farmers.

President Buhari acknowledged Governor Ayades other investments in agriculture such as the ongoing construction of an Ultra-modern Rice Mill in Ogoja, the Cotton Farm in Yala, the Cocoa Processing Plant in Ikom and the Banana Plantation in Odukpani, the feed Mill and Yellow Maize Farm in Obubra as well as the Ultra-modern Poultry Farm for export of frozen chicken.

He concluded therefore that it was clear that Cross River has found a pathway to ease itself from over reliance on federal allocation.

It is evident also that by conceiving projects such as these, Ayade has a keen eye for tomorrow; focusing on projects that are building a new economic base for the state rather than projects with short term benefits for the purpose of making cheap political gains.

He said Nigeria was making steady and assured progress towards self-sufficiency in food production.

It was the expectation that other states that were yet to fully take advantage of the zero-oil economic roadmap of the Federal Government would take a cue from Cross River State.

Source: NAN

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja, on Monday admitted four members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to bail in the sum of N10 million each.

Justice Nyako, admitted Bright Chimezie, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, David Nwawuisdi and Benjamin Madubugwu to bail.

Chimezie, Onwudiwe, Madubugwu and Nwawuisi, aged between 33 and 45, are facing three-count charge of conspiracy to commit treasonable felony and illegal possession of firearms.

They were all arrested in 2016 and had been in detention since then.

They were charged along with the former leader of the IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu who has not been seen since Sept. 22, 2017

Nyako in granting them bail, said she had carefully considered the consolidated application for bail submitted by their counsel and the number of years they had spent in prison custody.

She also made reference to the defendants health status as well as the ruling she had read of a sister judge as well as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act,(ACJA)2015.

In considering their bail, Justice Nyako ordered the defendants to deposit monetary sum of N10 million each with the Chief Registrar of the court.

She added that the defendants are not allowed to travel outside the country, that they are to deposit their travelling documents at the court as well.

The judge ordered that they were not to seen in any gathering at any time or granting newsmen interviews or any type of interviews.

No welcome `oyoyo gathering.If you do that, you will be sent back to prison. Go home, be with your family, come to court. The trial has commenced, Nyako said.

At the prayer of the defence counsel, Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the judge ordered that the defendants to report to the Commissioner of Police at their locality every two weeks, instead of Abuja.

She ordered the first defendant, Chimezie to report to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers.

Nyako also ordered the second defendant, Onwudiwe and the fourth, Nwawuisdi to both report to the Commissioner of Police, Enugu state.

She said the third, Benjamin Madubugwu should report to the Commissioner of Police in Anambra.

Chimezie also pleaded the court to stop men of the State Security Operatives from invading their residence after being admitted to bail.

Justice Nyako in response, assured them that they were under the custody of the court.

She adjourned the commencement of triai until Nov. 14.

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the dissolution of the Governing Board of National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB).

A statement, made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday by Mr Sonny Echono, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, said the approval was with immediate effect.

Echono said the President had also directed the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu to take immediate measures to reposition and refocus NABTEB for greater efficiency and to render its performance more responsive to the expectations of the present administration.

He said the purported suspension of the Registrar, Prof. Ifeoma Abanihe and four other Directors of NABTEB had been nullified as it did not conform to due process, especially in the case of the registrar.

He said the board went beyond its powers and in contravention of Section 5 and Section 6 of NABTEB Act.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that aspecial investigative panel was constituted to probe activities of the registrar of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Prof. Ifeoma Isuigo-Abanihe and four others.

The panel allegedly uncovered irregularities in contract awards and abuse of office by the embattled registrar.

The registrar and four directors were suspended by the 9th Governing Board of NABTEB at its first regular board meeting held on 19th June at NABTEB headquarters, Benin City, Edo State, following allegations of N49.7 million fraud.

The four affected staff members are: Mr Nnasia Ndarake Asanga, Director, Finance & Accounts, Dr Obinna Opara, Director, Examination Administration, Alhaji Jimoh Adewola Kasali, Director, Examinations Development, and the Procurement Officer, Engr. Edwin Osamo.

(NAN)