Onitsha residents are currently in fear, as a truck fully loaded with cartons of live bullets fell into a ditch and spilled its content all around the street, in the commercial city of Anambra State.
Freelance Reporters learnt that the incident occurred on Sunday morning on Awka Road in the city as early worshipers made their way to churches.
The incident attracted heavy security presence to the Awka Road area and Shoprite axis of the city.
It was gathered that the truck, a Mercedes Benz 911 model was said to be moving the goods out of Onitsha to an undisclosed location when the driver lost control and the vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gutter.
According to an eyewitness who spoke to some journalists around 6.50 am at the scene of the accident on Sunday, “the truck fell around 5 am, the driver and his conductor after sustaining minor injuries tried to evacuate and conceal the content of the truck but they could not do much before daybreak when some police operatives arrived the accident scene only to discover the truck was laden with a confinement of live bullets.”
The police subsequently called for backup and instantly arrested the truck driver while his conductor escaped.
When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ikenganya Tochukwu, said he was not aware of the incident, but promised to get back to our correspondent after confirmation.
SPORTS MINISTER, GOLF COMMUNITY HONOUR GOVERNOR LALONG @58
Activities marking the 58th birthday anniversary of Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong came to a climax as the golfing community in the State completed its triangular golf tournament at the oldest golf club in Nigeria, Rayfield Golf Club in Jos.
The golf tournament which had kicked off on Friday at the Rhino Golf Club, Maxwell Khobe Cantonment in Jos saw golfers from different parts of the country joining to celebrate the Governor who is an ardent golfer himself.
On Saturday, the events shifted to the Lamingo Golf Club in Jos where many other golfers also participated.
The climax was when the golfers including Special Guests converged on the oldest golf club in Nigeria, the Rayfield Golf club 1913 to compete.
Despite the heavy rain, the golfers defied the odds to honour Governor Lalong. Among the Special Guests were Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State Emmanuel Akabe, Minister of Sports Sunday Dare, DG ITF among others.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Governor Lalong said he was honoured by the golfing community in Plateau and Nigeria as a whole and highly overwhelmed by the show of love during his birthday.
He said this has encouraged him to do more for the State and continue to contribute to national development as the task of building Nigeria is the responsibility of all.
Minister of Sports Sunday Dare said the honour to Governor Lalong was well deserved because of his achievements in restoring peace in Plateau State, developing infrastructure and touching the lives of the people.
He said Lalong has also shown tremendous interest in sports development by not only playing golf, but ensuring other sports such as football in the State receive attention.
Captain of the Rayfield Golf Clu, Retired Air Commodore Lazarus Mshelia who spoke on behalf of all the Captains of the three clubs said they decided to specially celebrate Governor Lalong because of his passion for the game and the goodwill he has brought to the State with his all inclusive governance style.
Commissioner for Information and Communication Dan Manjang on behalf of the organising committee said the triangular golf tournament clearly showed the level of respect and goodwill that Governor Lalong has both within and outside the State.
He thanked all those who supported the tournament and also reiterated that the administration of Governor Lalong will continue to carry everyone along in fulfilling its obligations to the citizens.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 9th May 2021
Plateau state Governor Simon Lalong on Friday said his adminstration is determined to boost the economic fortunes of the State .
He made this known while speaking at the commissioning of the Nigerian Shippers Council North Central Coordinating office and visual presentation of proposed maritime resources center in Jos by the Minister of Transport, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi .
Lalong said “I am highly honoured to welcome you to this very important event which is the commissioning of the Nigerian Shippers Council North Central Coordinating Office and visual presentation of the proposed Maritime Resource Centre here in our beautiful capital city of Jos.
Let me welcome and thank specially my friend and brother the Honourable Minister of Transport, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council for doing this honour to Plateau State by citing this very important project here.
Although the State is very suitable and well-endowed for the citing of this project, we do not take it for granted that Plateau was chosen as the host out of many States in the country. On behalf of the Government and people of Plateau State, I wish to assure you that this decision will never be regretted.
There is no doubt that citing this North Central Coordinating Office in Jos will add a lot of value to the general plan for development of Inland Container Terminals across the nation and also facilitate more economic activities in the hinterland. Plateau State has been a centre for economic and socio political activities in Nigeria right from colonial times.
He further said ” Because of its serenity, centrality, easy access, good weather, mining and agricultural endowments, hospitable people and a lot of tourist attractions, Plateau State becomes the natural choice for the development of inland shipping business in the nation.”
Lalong further said that “This development is coming at the time when the Federal Government is reviving the railway line right from Port Harcourt through many cities including Jos. In addition to this, the Yakubu Gowon Airport Heipang is selected as one of the four new Cargo Airports whose work will begin soon. This is a great mix that makes today’s event very timely.”
” Earlier this morning, we were at the Inland Container Depot at Heipang to inspect the facility. Although this facility has been on ground for some time, it is very promising that the time has come for it to come into use. We have the assurances of the Federal Ministry of Transport towards achieving this objective.”
“Your Excellencies ladies and gentlemen, another very exciting part of this event is the visual presentation of the Maritime Resource Center which will be developed under a Public Private Partnership, (PPP). This is a very laudable initiative that my administration welcomes with great excitement.”
The Governor further said that he has been informed that the Resource Centre when operational will have many facilities including Research and Administrative Building, Library, Conference Centre and Multi-purpose Hall with sitting capacity of over two thousand five hundred people and other meeting rooms.
“In addition, I understand that there will be a 4-Star Hotel with 150 rooms, Mixed Shopping Malls, Gaming Arcades, Food Courts, Five Aside Football Pitch, Basketball and Tennis Courts, ATM Galleries, Swimming Pools and Water Park among others. “
” This is an investment that will not only boost the economic fortunes of the State, but also create job opportunities for many of our teeming youths. It is coming at a time when there is greater demand for hotel accommodation, entertainment centres and tourist attractions to cope with the demand of the local population and the high number of visitors to the State.”
“Our administration is happy that its efforts and sacrifices in the past six years towards investing in peace and security are now yielding positive results such as the one we are witnessing today. We shall continue to do more to consolidate on the substantial peace so as to attract more of this kind of investment for the betterment of our State.”
“To make investing in the State easier, our Administration has established a One-Stop-Investment Centre to give investors access to all services under one roof. This is in addition to continuous development and upgrade of our infrsatructure and other services to support the growing economy.”
He further said that “”We are happy that this entire boost in economic activities of our State is coming at the time when we have activated sustained efforts to improve our revenue base. We have to look inwards for other sources of funding our programmes and projects as COVID-19 has accelerated the urgency for us to think out of the box.”
He further said that the state would be hosting a Plateau Economic and Investment Summit in September this year.
“MY PASSION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY IS VERY DEEP”, GOVERNOR LALONG TELLS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY NATIONAL DISABILITY COMMISSION.
The Management of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities has paid a visit to Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong to appreciate his passion for people living with disabilities in Plateau State and the nation as a whole.
Led by its Executive Secretary Mr. James Lalu, the Commission said it was highly appreciative of the role played by the Governor towards the establishment of the Agency, having worked for its establishment in Plateau State while he was Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly.
Lalu said the Governor has also matched words with action in recruiting people living with disabilities to manage the Commission in the State unlike the situation in many States where these category of persons are marginalised.
The Executive Secretary said Governor Lalong has also appointed persons living with disabilities into his cabinet as well as ensured that others are carried along in all empowerment and entrepreneurship programmes.
Responding, Governor Lalong expressed gratitude to the Commission for recognising his modest contributions towards addressing the challenges of people living with disabilities.
He said his passion for people living with disabilities is deep as he believes that anyone can be in the situation they find themselves.
” I always put issues around people living with disabilities on the highest priority. We all know that no one became disabled by his own choice. For some, they were born like that and for others, they became disabled later in life. That is why those of us who are physically able should not discriminate against them or consider them less human beings. A lot of them have special gifts that surpass those of us who consider ourselves able” he said.
Governor Lalong therefore called on other State Governments who have not established such Commissions should go ahead and do so without further delay to be able to address the plight of these category of people.
He assured the Executive Secretary of the National Disability Commission of his support for ensuring he succeeds in this assignment.
They presented a cake to the Governor to mark his 58th birthday.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 7th May 2021.
The College of Administration of Plateau Our Heritage, POH, group is excited over the window of opportunity intended to its members to enjoy a training workshop through a collaborative effort between POH AND Nde Ezekiel Gomos, OFR.
Nde Gomos, a member of the highly respected POH had challenged the POH on the need for its members to be abreast of the latest available business skills in order to improve on their incomes in these trying periods.
The proprietor of the prestigious Jos Business School, JBS, offered to collaborate with the POH, to organise the entrepreneurship and Business training workshop free of charge to at least 50 persons based on available space due to COVID-19 protocols which he advised must be observed during the training.
As a result, the COA rose from a virtual meeting last evening anchored by its Chairman, Hon. Alex Kwapnoe encouraged members to avail themselves for this all important training; which promises to open them up for business skills that would not only benefit them and their families, but Plateau state as a whole.
It is noted that Nde Gomos; a former Managing Director of the Northern Nigeria Development Company, NNDC; was also at a time, the Secretary to the Plateau State Government, SSG.
The one time Managing Director of the Plateau state owned Plateau Investment and Property Company, PIPC, has similarly extended such gestures to individuals and groups within and outside the state and has promised he won’t be tired.
The training workshop is slated for this weekend and members of the POH are scrambling for the limited spaces available.
GOVERNOR LALONG COMMENDS IMMIGRATION SERVICE FOR PARTNERSHIP IN SECURITY
Governor Simon Bako Lalong has expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Immigration Service, Plateau State Command for their support and collaboration towards addressing security matters of the State.
The Governor expressed this position when the State Immigration Comptroller K.N. Nandap led members of her management team on a courtesy visit to the him at the Government House, Rayfield Jos.
Lalong said the Plateau State Command of the Immigration service for their active commitment in security operations that have assisted in returning peace to the State.
He assured the State Comptroller that his administration will continue to perform its role of supporting security agencies to succeed by assisting them with equipment and other logistics to carry out their functions.
Earlier, the State Comptroller K.N. Nandap told the Governor that the Immigration service personnel have enjoyed their tour of duty in Plateau State because of the support of the State Government under his leadership.
She said the service has continued to carry out its duties of securing Nigerian borders and tracking immigrants as well as carrying out other duties. She asked for the support of the government in other areas such as provision of more patrol vehicles and logistics and other equipment.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 6th May 2021.
“PLATEAU UNDER-REPRESENTED AT FEDERAL LEVEL”, FED. CHARACTER COMMISSIONER TELLS GOVERNOR LALONG.
The Federal Commissioner representing Plateau State at the Federal Character Commission Mr. Steve Jings has decried the low representation of Plateau State at the Federal civil service, urging that this needs to be immediately addressed.
Mr. Jings stated this when he led officials of the Commission from the State office on a courtesy visit to Governor Simon Bako Lalong at the Government House Rayfield Jos.
He said there is poor representation of Plateau State in many Federal Government MDAs as some either have no Plateau indegenes or very few who are far and between. This he said is not fair to the State as it does not have a voice in such system and will eventually not share in the experiences that accrues from such service.
Jings said many factors are responsible including recruitment done without advertisements, inability of the recruiting MDAs to pass timely and relevant messages through relevant channels, and sometimes deliberate efforts to scheme the State out.
He also identified the lack of curiosity and struggle by applicants from the State to prospect, apply and follow the guidelines for such recruitments which makes it difficult to have them employed.
Mr. Jings also said the Commission is looking at the distribution of projects and programmes across the country in order to ensure that Federal Character is observed.
Governor Lalong said he was impressed by the efforts of the Federal Commissioner who has demonstrated capacity and has been very proactive since his appointment in trying to address such issues that leave the State shortchanged.
The Governor said though the State was grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Plateau sons and daughters into some Federal positions, the State still needs more because of its support for the Government and its performance during elections
On employment into Federal Government MDAs, Lalong said the State will no longer sit and watch its citizens being left out from Federal job opportunities as this is a right that accrues to every State.
He asked the Federal Commissioner to liaise with the Plateau representative at the Federal Civil Service Commission for the possibility of having some State civil servants moving to the Federal civil service for more experience and contributions to the nation.
The Governor however advised the citizens of the State to be ambitious and also put their efforts in applying for vacancies when they arise and also see moving out of Jos when they are given the opportunity as a step forward which will not only benefit the State, but the nation at the long run.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 6th May 2021.
A hospital owner in Plateau State identified as Bitrus Musa has been kidnapped by gunmen.
It was learnt that Musa who is the proprietor of G-Medicals at Tina Junction, Jos North Local Government Area of the state was kidnapped on Tuesday night in the neighbouring Furaka community in the same council area.
A resident of Furaka community, John Maxwell, who confirmed the incident told our correspondent in Jos on Wednesday that after the gunmen kidnapped the hospital owner, they moved to Eto Baba, another nearby community, and abducted a nursing mother identified simply as Pauline, leaving her baby behind.
He said the incident caused confusion in the affected communities, adding that the whereabouts of the two victims have remained unknown since they were abducted.
Maxwell said, “It was yesterday(Tuesday) around 8pm that the gunmen abducted the owner of the hospital and one woman at Eto Baba.
“Musa is the proprietor of G-medicals in Tina Junction but he shuttles between the hospital and Furaka community where he lives.
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“The gunmen trailed him to his house and abducted him. Thereafter, a nursing mother, who recently moved to a nearby Eto Baba community from Yan Trailer was also taken away by the gunmen who abandoned her little child.
“Her name is Paulina. Her husband was not in the house when the gunmen took her away. None of them has been seen since they were abducted. It’s very unfortunate.”
When contacted, the spokesman of the state Police Command, Ubah Ogaba, confirmed the abduction in Furaka community.
According to him, “Police operatives of the Command had an encounter with hoodlums at Maijuju Town in Fursum district of Jos East, where there was a shoot out and one of the hoodlums was shot dead while others escaped with bullet wounds.
“Intelligence report at our disposal revealed that a nurse was abducted at Furaka to treat the wounded hoodlums.
“Concerted efforts are on by the Police tactical and intelligent teams to rescue the victim and arrest the perpetrators.”
On behalf of my family and the good people of Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, I join the retinue of well-wishers and associates of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, (KSGG), the Executive Governor of Plateau State & Chairman, Northern Governors Forum to felicitate with him on his 58th birthday anniversary.
His Excellency personifies humility, courage and compassion. His track record of excellence and peace-building is legendary. It is on this premise that Plateau State has regained its place as the Home of Peace and Tourism.
Your experience as a lawyer, two term head of the legislative arm in Plateau State, and now the Governor, has fused to give you a broad outlook to national issues and create harmonious interactions between the three arms of Government.
Plateau is rapidly developing under your Rescue Mission and we are proud of your achievements. I wish you God’s divine guidance, protection and good health as you devote yourself to the service of Plateau State, Nigeria and humanity at large.
Once again, happy birthday and more prosperous years ahead my dear BOSS and LEADER!
SIGNED: Rt Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, (Dan Malikin Kanam), Member Representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency and Chairman House Committee on Navy.
PLATEAU EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CELEBRATES GOVERNOR LALONG @ 58
Members of the Plateau State Executive Council have showered praises on Governor Simon Bako Lalong, describing him as a leader who has demonstrated exceptional capacity to consider the interest of others above himself.
Led by the Deputy Governor of Plateau State Prof. Sonni Gwanle Tyoden, the members of EXCO were at the residence of the Governor in Rayfield to congratulate him over his 58th birthday.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Tyoden said the special occasion is another opportunity for Plateau and Nigeria to celebrate the Governor for his humility and service to humanity.
He said Governor Lalong is a gift to Plateau State and Nigeria as he has used every opportunity in public office to serve the people particularly the vulnerable and marginalised.
Tyoden said the Rescue Administration has achieved a lot especially in the areas of peace, infrastructural development, human capital development, tourism and agriculture.
The Governor while responding expressed appreciation to members of the State Executive Council and the entire people of Plateau State who have not only supported his administration, but also prayed for him to succeed.
He said he would not have been able to achieve anything in life or even as a Governor without the support and cooperation of the people.
Chaplain of the Government House Chapel and Bishop-elect of Lafiya Diocese Rev. Fr. David Ajang prayed for the Governor and his family.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 5th May 2021.
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