PLATEAU STATE YOUTH COUNCIL ELECTORAL COMMITTEE 2020.
Sequel to the inauguration of the Plateau State Youth Council Electoral Committee . The committee wishes to call on all Plateau Youths that are interested in contesting for various positions for the State Executive, Local Government Executives , Central Working Committee (CWC) and Districts . That the sales of nomination forms commences on the 9th November 2020. The Electoral Guidelines and Time Table can be gotten at the Azi Nyako Youth Center Dadin Kowa from 8:00am to 4:00pm , the office will be open from Monday to Friday daily.
The Northern Governors Forum has commiserated with the people of Bauchi State and family of the legendary hunter and crime fighter, Ali Kwara who died recently.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Plateau State Simon Bako Lalong in a message described the late Ali kwara as an outstanding hunter who devoted his gifts and energy in the fight against crime in various parts of the country.
He recalled his exploits against bandits, armed robbers and terrorists in most parts of the country particularly the 19 Northern states, saying his efforts assisted greatly in addressing some of the security challenges of the country.
Governor Lalong said the services of the late Ali Kwara will be seriously missed particularly because of the assistance he rendered to law enforcement officials in the apprehension of criminals, many of whom were successfully prosecuted.
While praying God to grant the late Ali Kwara eternal rest, the Governor said his legacies will continue to be remembered in the history of crime fighting in Nigeria.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press &Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 9th November 2020.
GOPRI/Plateau Intelligentsia to Convene Youth Dialogue in Jos
As Youths continue agitations for good governance and other critical national issues, the Global Peace and Life Rescue Initiative (GOPRI) in conjunction with the Plateau Intelligentsia Development Initiative have made a timely decision to bring the youths together to discuss and make sound recommendations to policy makers.
The Chairman Plateau Intelligentsia, Dr. Daniel Meshak said the dialogue became necessary considering the nationwide agitations. Dr. Meshak emphasized the need for youths to be carried along in the governance process and in critical decision making.
He said in line with the theme of the event, “towards a peaceful and prosperous Plateau” the idea is to bring the youths together for peaceful coexistence, unity of purpose and to enhance development. He hinted that a communique is expected at the end of the event which will be forwarded to policy makers accordingly.
The Executive Director of GOPRI, Amb. Melvin Ejeh commended Nigerians for conducting themselves peacefully all through the protest. He said the agitations are genuine and there is need to address them for a better, peaceful and prosperous Nation. Amb. Melvin said the event is to create a platform to engage the youths constructively to achieve a more united, peaceful, safe and secured Plateau State as well as help them build capacity for leadership roles in the future.
He condemned the invasion, vandalization and looting of Public and private property by agents of retrogression. He urged Nigerian Youths to ignore those who don’t mean well for the Country and remain patriotic and agents of peace. He said there is need to engage the youths and see better ways to articulate the numerous challenges confronting them.
Amb. Melvin said youths possess great potentials that must be harnessed for national development. He said their immense contributions to nation building cannot be overstressed, hence the need to accord them greater attention and mentor them accordingly.
The event is to hold on Wednesday 11th November, 2020 by 9am-2pm at Eliel Centre Jos, Plateau State. There shall be live streaming of the event on Zoom and Facebook.
Participants are advised to come with facemasks as COVID-19 Health protocols will be strictly adhered to.
Below are Details of the event;
Plateau Youth Dialogue
Main theme: “Towards a peaceful and prosperous Plateau State”
Speaker 1: The role of good governance in promoting peace. – Dr Chris Kwaja
Speaker 2: Understanding the Rudiments of Peace and Social Prosperity – Dr Kingsley Maduekwe
Speaker 3: The role of state and non-state actors in a peaceful society. – Mr Sani Suleiman
GOVERNOR SIMON BAKO LALONG EULOGISES NASARAWA OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION (NOSA) AS THEY REVIVE ALMA MATER.
Governor Simon Bako Lalong has congratulated the Nasarawa Old Students Association (NOSA), his Alma Mater, over the weekend for revisiting the school and intervening in construction of new structures as well as rehabilitating old ones.
He was speaking at a commissioning and handing over of intervention projects to the authorities of Government Science School, Nasarawa in Nasarawa State.
Governor Lalong who was represented at the occasion by the Honourable Commissioner of Information and Communication, Dan Manjang reiterated that it was time that old students of various schools in the country reflected on where they are coming from, and strive to give back to society rather than always thinking what they will get from it.
Among the intervention projects commissioned are a 30,000 litre solar powered borehole with an overhead tank reticulated to all hostels, science block and kitchen; renovated, furnished and equipped Science Laboratory block to reflect the status of a science school; as well as renovated male and female hostels.
Also speaking, Special Guest of Honour at the occasion, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, disclosed that his administration will establish befitting Science and Technical Colleges, one in each of the three Senatorial Districts of the state. He promised to upgrade the standard of Government Science School, Nasarawa in line with the focus of his administration boost science, technology and innovation.
Principal of the school, Mallam Osapura Haruna, enumerated the myriad of other intervention projects executed by the old students of the school which he said have given the school a new impetus and greatly transformed the learning environment.
His Royal Highness, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibril, Emir of Nasarawa himself an old student and Grand Patron was Royal Father of the Day. The Guest Speaker at the occasion was Professor Suleiman Bala Mohammed, Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
The event was witnessed by other traditional rulers and many dignitaries comprising of prominent personalities who are old students from all over the country. There was also a contingent from Plateau State as well as some indegines of Plateau State resident in Nasarawa State.
Dan Manjang, Honourable Commissioner, Information and Communication, Plateau State. 8th November, 2020.
PLATEAU COVID-19 MEDICAL RESEARCH TEAM SUBMITS INTERIM REPORT
The Plateau State COVID-19 medical research team which was established by Governor Simon Bako Lalong to find a cure for the corona virus pandemic has briefed the Governor on the progress of its assignment.
While presenting an interim report to the Governor at the Government House Rayfield Jos, lead researcher Prof. Noel Wannang said the team had concluded the first phase of the work which is the pre-clinical stage with tremendous success.
He said the next stage is the clinical stage where the samples will be tested on human beings for further processing. He explained that already the research papers for the remedies have been published in national and international medical journals.
He stated that the team has patented the products under the name COPLA I, II & III and has equally submitted them to regulatory agencies for further scrutiny and evaluation.
He said in the cause of its work, the team followed all global standards and protocols for the research which he believes is going well and if followed to conclusion, will not only generate value to the State, but also create economic opportunities.
Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong while responding said he was proud of the team for the level of achievements so far, promising to also reach out to relevant government and private sector organisations for further funding of the research.
He reiterated that the Plateau State Government continues to pay attention to research and innovation as there are many people citizens with gifts and telents that could provide solutions to humanity in various ways.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 7th November 2020.
The ways of God are definitely not the ways of men. Servants of God must be brave enough to instill into their members, the mysterious ways of the Lord.
COCIN CHURCH SHERE HILLS,LAMINGO, JOS. Today in a concious sermon by its leading Rev. Rev. David G. Ajang, condemned what he called stealing during the circumstances birthed by the #endsars protest which was intended to project the disappointment of the youths of Nigeria about the incesant brutality of innocent Nigerians and the unprofessionality of its members in handling cases amidst many other dissatisfactions resulting from bad governance.
The Reverend in a strong call, admonishes his members today to immediately submit all the goods they got from the house of the former speaker of the house of Representatives. Hon. Yakubu dogara so that the church will in all commitments, return it to the house member saying, it is not the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ to exhibit such condemnable habits.
The kidnap of an American citizen in neighbouring Niger Republic on Tuesday went awry on Saturday.
American commandos, with security assistance from Nigeria, stormed the kidnappers’ den at an undisclosed locality in the north, killing all but one of the seven-member gang.
The kidnap victim, Philip Walton, 27, was rescued alive in the early morning high-risk raid and returned to Niger immediately.
Moments after the operation, President Donald Trump tweeted out his praise of the rescue mission.
“Big win for our very elite U.S. Special Forces today. Details to follow!” he wrote.
“U.S. forces conducted a hostage rescue operation during the early hours of 31 October in Northern Nigeria to recover an American citizen held hostage by a group of armed men,” said Pentagon chief spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman.
”This American citizen is safe and is now in the care of the U.S. Department of State. No U.S. military personnel were injured during the operation.
“We appreciate the support of our international partners in conducting this operation.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking separately, said: “Thanks to the extraordinary courage and capabilities of our military, the support of our intelligence professionals, and our diplomatic efforts, the hostage will be reunited with his family. We will never abandon any American taken hostage.”
ABC News consultant Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defence and retired CIA officer, said preparations for Walton’s rescue likely started immediately he was abducted.
“These types of operations are some of the most difficult to execute,” he said.
”Any mistake could easily lead to the death of the hostage. The men and women of JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command) and the CIA should be proud of what they did here. And all Americans should be proud of them.”
An official in Washington said: “We had to get him before any potential trade or sale.”
Sources in Washington said the operation involved the governments of the U.S., Niger and Nigeria working together to rescue Walton quickly with the CIA providing the intelligence leading to Walton’s whereabouts and Marine Special Operations elements in Abuja and Niamey helping to locate him.
Walton was seized from his farm in Massalata in southern Niger at about 1 am on Tuesday by AK-47 assault rifle wielding kidnappers.
He has lived in Massalata for two years, raising camels.
The six gunmen reportedly rode to Walton’s residence on three motorcycles. They found him in his backyard and asked him for money.
He dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out $40 which he offered the men but the sum appeared too small to them.
In a jiffy, they overpowered him and pounced on the rest of the household –his wife, young daughter and brother- all of whom they tied to prevent them from informing the police immediately.
They then left with Walton, moving him to their den in Nigeria, just across the border with Niger Republic.
But about four hours after Walton’s abduction, his family members managed to break free from the ropes that had been used to tie them and they alerted the authorities in Niamey.
Meanwhile, the kidnappers called the victim’s father who lives a half mile away to demand a ransom, according to the London Mail.
The U.S. government was also alerted and quickly set machinery in motion to rescue him immediately before the kidnapping could become a prolonged hostage-taking or the victim could be taken by or sold to a group of terrorists aligned with either al Qaeda or ISIS.
The elite SEAL Team Six executed the “precision” hostage rescue mission, according to officials with direct knowledge about the operation.
“They were all dead before they knew what happened,” a counterterrorism source said of the abductors.
Walton’s kidnap occurred two months after IS-linked militants killed six French aid workers and their Niger guide while they were visiting a wildlife park east of the capital.
At least six foreign hostages are being held by Islamist insurgents in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Two of these were taken in Niger, including U.S. aid worker Jeffery Woodke, who has been missing since October 2016, and Joerg Lange, a German aid worker who was taken in April 2018 from a town near the Malian border.
The president of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, said in September last year that he had information that Woodke was alive and in good health.
Three Europeans, including 75-year-old French NGO worker Sophie Petronin, were released by their captors in Mali earlier this month under a prisoner swap arranged by the Malian government. Terror groups have collected millions of dollars in ransom payments as a result of kidnappings in recent years. The U.S. government has frequently criticised other countries for paying.
How Nigerian troops aided the rescue operation
A military source told journalist last night that the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) was instrumental to the rescue of the American.
The MNJTF comprises troops from Republic of Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria and are currently fighting the terror sect Boko Haram around the Lake Chad.
A senior military officer who does not want his name in print because he is not authorised to speak on the issue, said the rescue operation was carried out in collaboration with MNJTF which has its headquarters in N’Djamena, from where it coordinates the war against Boko Haram.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche could not be reached on Saturday for his reaction on the development
Alleged deaths of 4 youths: 50 rights, peace advocate groups flay allegations against OPSH
*Says allegation desperate falsehood to instigate public against security agencies
*Appeals to public to disregard it
A coalition of 50 human rights and peace advocate groups have decried media reports credited to some people of Gwafan Community in Plateau State accusing soldiers from Operation Safe Haven,(OPSH) of killing four youths during recent uprising in the state.
The youths were said to have died during the raid on the house of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara,located at Lamingo area of the state.
The mischievous persons had in a media statement, accused the soldiers of being responsible for the death of the victims, one of whom was identified as Daniel Simon,a 300 level student of Biochemistry, at the University of Jos.
But the human rights and peace advocate groups in a swift reaction, said the allegation against the military taskforce was false just as it alleged that it was deliberately falsehood carried out to instigate the general public against the security agencies in the state.
To this end, the coalition, in a statement,appealed to the public to discountenance the allegation, saying its findings following interviews and meetings with some eye witnesses in the community exonerated the soldiers.
The statement was signed by Dr Andrew Azi for Initiative For Justice and Equity Africa (INJUEA); Mr Yakubu Bot,for Center for Humanitarian Advocacy (CEHUA); Barr. Rebecca Pam,for Forum of Plateau Mothers (FOPLMO) and Comrade Isaiah Agwon for Conscience Youths Network (COYON).
The coalition which condoled with the families, people and the Government of Plateau State,said it was compelled to speak on the issue to set the records straight, given their active roles in ensuring peace on the Plateau.
The statement read in full:” We wish to express our heartfelt condolence to the families of Daniel Simon, a 300 level biochemistry student of University of Jos and three others, who died some days at the Lamingo Dam during the confusion that occasioned the burning and looting of private and infrastructures in Plateau State.
“Our hearts go to the families,the Government and people of Plateau State over this ugly development.
“However,we received with rude shock the blatant and concocted lies alleging full complicit of men of Operation Safe Haven by some mischievous people in Gwafan Village in Jos North Local Government of the state as published in the media prominent among which Vanguard Newspaper.
“As human rights and peace building organisations traversing the nook and cranny of the state with a view to ensuring a better society,we are shocked that this people emphatically accused Operation Safe Haven,OPSH, the special military taskforce set up to maintain internal security in Plateau,some parts of Bauchi State and Southern Kaduna area that its personnel killed four youths during the raid on former House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara’s house at Lamingo area of Jos.
“Ordinarily, we would not have joined issues with allegation by the community neither should we have done same with the reporter that displayed her high-level incompetence and professional deficiency because we are not spokespersons to the Nigeria Military or Operation Safe Haven.
“But as responsible civil society organizations whose thematic area is on peace and security and also serve as watchdogs to the society, it will be unfair to allow this daylight lies and unprofessionalism stand.
“It will not only be morally wrong but also spiritually unacceptable to watch people lie against the security forces who performed excellently during the youths restiveness without any human rights violations.
” Even though the report in itself is contradictory and inconsistent, we wish to clearly state that it was bias, malicious and a deliberate attempt to rubbish the good work of the special taskforce which carried out its constitutional mandate for securing lives and properties in the country professionally during the uprising to the delight of most of the law abiding citizens of the state.
“We are compelled to issue this statement because we feel we must stand and speak the truth for the sake of the country.
“For the records , every eye witness we interviewed regarding the role of the security forces during the youth uprising in the state,particularly in Lamingo area,confirmed that the military did not fire one shot either in the air or direct to hoodlums.
“As a matter of fact, our sources confirmed that contrary to the allegation against Operation Safe Haven, they were very friendly and professional during the raid of the former speaker’s residence.
“While it was confirmed that some persons who scampered to different directions for safety on sighting other security personnel even before the arrival of operation safe haven to the scene regrettably fell into a constructed dam at the area, the eyes witnesses also confirmed that there was no sign of bullet wounds or any mark of violent on any of corpse found in the dam.
“From our observation, even as we are not pathologists, one cannot but see that the possible cause of the deaths in the dam could be drowning. Our firm belief in this considering that the bodies of the victims were found without trace of bullet wounds or trace of violence.
“The authorities had planned autopsies on the bodies but the families rejected this professional way of unraveling causes of deaths. We wonder why the families of the deceased refused autopsy. At least, autopsies would have revealed the actual causes of these deaths.
“It is curious that the allegation was only planted in Vanguard, a reputable national daily. The rush by the author, a resident correspondent on this story leaves much to be desired. We wonder what interest the reporter was serving to have jumped into such a hasty conclusion without proper investigation.
“We advise the public not to always find it convenient to attempt to criminalize our security agencies just because we don’t like their faces. For most of us, we can attest to the fact that several lives and property were saved as a result of the prompt and professional intervention of the military task force during the crises. We are aware that over 300 looters and hoodlums were arrested in the state and large quantities of looted items recovered. The troops also prevented the hoodlums from gaining access into several other government and private property and facilities. If we can’t commend them we should be fair enough to desist from falsely accusing them.
“While we strongly sympathize with the families of the deceased, we call on the general public to disregard this outright falsehoods aimed and instigating people against the security agencies.”
SPEECH BY H.E. RT. HON. (DR) SIMON BAKO LALONG, KSGG, EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF PLATEAU STATE AT AN INTERACTIVE SESSION WITH YOUTHS IN PLATEAU STATE HELD ON 30TH OCTOBER 2020 AT THE NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSE, LITTLE RAYFIELD – JOS. PROTOCOLS 1. My dear Youth of Plateau State, we have gathered here in continuation of our consultations with stakeholders towards our journey to progress and development. You will recall that I have had engagements with traditional rulers, elders and community leaders in recent weeks. 2. Sadly the engagement with the youths was obstructed because of the uncertainties that arose as a result of the #ENDSARS protests and subsequent disturbances that followed. It is therefore with a deep heart that I welcome you to this interaction as we review the events of the recent past and look at the way forward. 3. Indeed, these are very challenging times for the nation and our State because of recent events which have left us counting our losses. Lives have been lost, properties destroyed and the voices of the youths clearly and loudly heard across the nation and beyond. 4. Let me first express my deep commiseration to the families of those who have lost their lives and others who have suffered injuries or lost their properties during the unfortunate recent happenings in our State. 5. You will recall that the #ENDSARS protests across the country started with the demand for an end to the scrapped Special Anti-Robbery Squad which was accused of carrying out horrific acts against the citizens particularly the youths. 6. This demand was supported by many Nigerians and accepted by the government which led to the directives by President Muhammadu Buhari to the IGP to immediately disband SARS. This order was carried out without delay. 7. In addition, Government agreed to implement other demands of the protesters such as the setting up of Judicial Panel of Inquiry to investigate complaints of police brutality and related extra-judicial killings which will lead to the punishment of culprits and compensation for victims. 8. Here in Plateau State, I immediately inaugurated the Judicial Panel of Inquiry to investigate complaints of police brutality and related extra-judicial killings headed by Justice Philomena Lot, a retired judge of the Plateau State High Court on 19th October 2020. 9. Despite various efforts to meet with the leadership of the #ENDSARS protests here in Plateau State, no one agreed to engage the government as the protesters claimed they had no leaders. This continued despite our appeal for the protests to end and the path of dialogue adopted. 10. We also warned about the likelihood of hijack of the protests by hoodlums and criminals who will want to hide under the situation to cause havoc. Sadly this was exactly what happened on Tuesday 20th October 2020 when violence erupted which led to the destruction of lives and properties in Jos and Bukuru metropolis. 11. Government was left with no option than to take the painful decision of imposing a curfew in Jos South and Jos North Local Government Areas in order to stop further loss of lives and properties. 12. Shortly after relaxing the curfew on 23rd October 2020, some hoodlums broke into the warehouses that housed palliatives delivered to the State on 16th October 2020 by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development which were awaiting distribution and carted them away. 13. Despite restoring the curfew, the looters took their destruction to higher levels by attacking other public and private facilities and leaving a trail of arson, vandalism and total destruction behind them. Indeed, this is a sad development for our State. 14. On Tuesday, I went round some of the affected areas together with Members of the National Assembly Caucus from Plateau State and the Minister of Women Affairs to assess the level of destruction. What we saw was horrific and despicable. 15. The level of destruction and carnage is unbelievable and unacceptable. We are still trying to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the total cost of the damage. However, the preliminary report by a team of experts I constituted has estimated the losses to be put at about 75 billion naira for now. 16. This clearly takes us many years backwards as we do not have the resources to replace the structures vandalised and the items damaged or stolen. We are yet to recover from the devastating economic consequences of COVID-19 which has greatly affected our capacity to provide services. 17. Indeed, this act of destruction has nothing to do with the initial #ENDSARS protests, but a clear act of criminality and unpatriotic behaviour. As at the last count, we have more than 32 public and private properties that were affected in the looting spree. 18. My dear youth, as a father and your Governor, I feel your pain. My heart goes out to all our youths for the many challenges they face daily due to lack of opportunities for jobs and better conditions to achieve their dreams. 19. This is a burden that has accumulated over time which our administration is working hard to address. However, it is always confusing when people demand justice by either violating laws or trampling on the rights of others. That can only breed chaos and anarchy leading to worse consequences than what they sought to address in the first place. 20. You would agree with me that the enormity of the challenges we face cannot be resolved overnight or with a wave of the hand. It is a process which all of us must collectively work together to achieve. 21. However, the question that begs for answer is, “can these problems be solved by the kind of destruction and carnage we witnessed recently?” When we destroy the few infrastructures we have, we can never build the better Plateau that we all yearn for. 22. Since coming into power, my administration has remained committed to pursuing the economic development of the State through youth empowerment and job creation. That is why we continue to prioritize peace and security which encourages private investors to create jobs and boost the economy. 23. We established PLASMIDA to be the driving force for empowering our youths with skills and knowledge that will enable them create jobs and be self-reliant. As at today, the agency has trained about 40,000 youths in different areas and supported over 15,000 Micro, Small and Medium business start-ups. Today, Plateau State is the face of MSMEs in Nigeria as we have consistently won awards since 2018. 24. We have also taken advantage of our strategic partnership with the ITF, GIZ and other development partners to create opportunities for our youths in agriculture, entrepreneurship and skills development. This is in addition to providing incentives for young people to go into farming which our state is known for. 25. We have also done our best to ensure that our youths benefit from all social investment programmes of the Federal Government. Since the N-Power started, 11,364 youths have benefited from Plateau State. Over 2,000 beneficiaries are under the skill acquisition component of N-Power. 26. Under the conditional cash transfer, out of the over 26,000 households receiving the bimonthly stipend of 10 thousand naira, 24,070 have youths as caregivers and alternate who receive the stipend on behalf of the households. In 90% of the households, there are youths who are beneficiaries. 27. I have brought the heads of these agencies here for you to also hear from them and ask them questions to get further clarifications during the interactive session. 28. Let me use this opportunity to correct a number of misconceptions that have been erroneously purveyed particularly through fake news in the social media with the aim of discrediting the government for political and other selfish gains. 29. First is about the scrapping of SARS. Those spreading fake and malicious news try to create the impression that I am not in support of the disbandment of SARS. That is far from the truth. My support goes even beyond ending SARS, to a deeper reform of the policing architecture in the country. 30. Those who want to be objective can testify that I am the Governor at the forefront of the advocacy for police reforms that will lead towards the rapid implementation of community policing which I believe will better address our peculiar security challenges as a State and nation. 31. What I have cautioned against is the blanket condemnation of the entire police due to the atrocities of few bad eggs. There are many among them that perform their duties diligently who must be encouraged. You can see the kind of lawlessness that we witnessed in the last few days because of demoralization of the police. 32. Secondly, I want to again reiterate that the Plateau State Government did not hoard any palliatives as some political interests are desperately trying to deceive the public. We shall continue to explain that we received the items from the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs just shortly before the #ENDSARS protests began. This delayed the process for distribution. 33. Before then, every palliative we acquired or had received was distributed transparently by the Committee led by the Deputy Governor to vulnerable individuals and groups within the 17 Local Government Areas. Do not be deceived by those who are consumed by desperation for power and can condescend so low to exploit people’s misfortune for political gains. We are a people-centred government that can never inflict pain on our citizens. 34. Let me appeal to our youths to always put the interest of our State at heart and learn to build, not to destroy. Be very careful of the negative use of the social media which has the capacity for inciting gullible people towards violence, hatred and destruction. 35. Let us take advantage of the Peace Building Agency which has contributed significantly to arresting the vicious cycle of violence through a wide range of conflict prevention and peace building mechanisms including, systematic dialogue, advocacy, peace education and preventive diplomacy. 36. I give you our commitment to addressing your challenges in an inclusive, deliberate and rapid manner subject to the resources available to us. We shall continue to engage you in a more robust and proactive manner to close all communication gaps for better results. 37. In this regard, I have directed the Commissioner of Youths and Sports Development to ensure that the process of electing a new leadership for the Plateau Youth Council commences immediately now that COVID-19 has subsided. I urge you all to cooperate and ensure that you elect credible leaders that will represent your interests. 38. Above all, take advantage and philosophy of the “not too young to rule” by striving to be mentored, which is the hallmark for patience and leadership by example. We have many role models to learn from. 39. Shortly before the commencement of this programme, I inaugurated the new Government House Auditorium which we inherited and completed in honour of Her Excellency, Mrs. Victoria Hansatu Gowon, former First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 40. She remains a shining example for the younger generation because of the support she gave her husband Gen, Yakubu Gowon who at a very young age took the mantle of leadership of Nigeria. If they could carry this responsibility with dignity, passion and sincerity, then today’s youths also have the capacity to do even more than them. 41. Therefore, my appeal to all our youths is to always avoid any action that can threaten our unity and peace. Plateau belongs to all of us and we must build it together. I look forward to hearing from you as you freely and honestly make your submissions during this interaction. 42. God bless Plateau State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 43. Thank you.
Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Simon Bako Lalong, KSGG. Chairman, Northern G overnors Forum & Executive Governor, Plateau State 30th October 2020.
INUGURAL SITTING OF THE JUDICIAL PANEL ON POLICE BRUTALITY AND EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS IN PLATEAU STATE.
The Judicial Panel Investigating Complaints of Police Brutality and Extra-judicial killings in Plateau State is inviting the general public to its inaugural sitting scheduled as follows:
Members of the public who have complaints of police brutality and other extra-judicial killings are encouraged to make their submissions to the panel as it commences its assignment.
Kindly note that Covid 19 protocol will be strictly observed, please.
Cornelius D. Shiobial Permanent secretary (CSS) Secretary to the Panel.
Freelance Reporters 