I personally have no problem with Clinton Garuba, who is doing his job, except that he dares to mention me by name as having lost an election and sulking from the loss. Did he need to go this personal? The press statement we issued was a group product and I was only an anchor, a position of trust bestowed on me by people united to work for Atiku as the PDP Presidential candidate.

Very true, I contested the Governorship position and lost at the primaries. I am proud to have offered myself to serve my beloved state Plateau. I had beautiful plans for my state and wanted to add value. This is my State. Whether I won or not is beside the point. Mutfwang emerged from the primaries and I am committed to working for his victory. Which one is Clinton’s stake in this matter except the obvious commercial interest he has always represented in my beloved state and his mistaken view that he understands Plateau politics better than some of us? God forbid.

Since Clinton has such a capacity to win elections, he should go ahead and contest the next Governorship elections in Plateau State and win! O, sorry, he cannot because he is not from our state. Let me, however, be gracious to him and request him to contest a ward election in Edo State and win, and then not sulk. Please go ahead.

For me, the problem is that Clinton is not from Plateau State, and he knows it. Where does he or his grandparents come from? Or is he now from Du and Jos South? Has Clinton not exploited this state enough?

I want to advise this Edo chap to stop nosing into Plateau affairs when it’s leaders and intellectuals are discussing their State. Or don’t we have the right to discuss as Plateau people again? Clinton cannot use our issues to continue to milk a certain family in the name of media advice. Having aspired to lead the state, I have a right to speak on every subject that affects Plateau State. Leadership has been bestowed on me naturally, and the likes of Clinton cannot quiten me. One mlion of his type cannot quite me.

I have been a Professor for 15 years. Where was Clinton 15 years ago? I have held a PhD from a top British University since 1996, 26 years ago. Where was Clinton in 1996, 26 years ago?

I am not an average Plateau citizen, I am among its best and brightest. Clinton should be advised to go to SPS Keffi, ABU Zaria, University of Bradford and where my feet have passes through, let him check my pedigree. I am simply not his match and he should be careful and show some respect whenever he chooses to talk about me. I dislike his going personal on me, or on any Plateau leader or son and daughter for that matter.

RE: PLATEAU PDP STAKEHOLDERS DISOWN JANG.

Our attention has been drawn to a publication purportedly issued by a certain unknown group dubbed Plateau for Atiku group and signed by its Protem Secretary Prof. Shedrack Best. The group in the said publication alleged that Plateau PDP stakeholders disowned Sen (Dr) Jonah David Jang for the asking the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to resign;
Perhaps it is important to school the said group, which has appropriated to itself the noble position of stakeholders, which it indeed is not, of the dynamics of the politics of the PDP to which they are latter-day entrants. They may have been carried away by blind followership to know that Sen. Jang and the other founding fathers of the PDP built it on the principles of justice, equity and fairness and it is these principles that held the party to where it is today. Subverting the constitution of the party long-held tradition of inclusiveness is a sure way to derail the party from getting back to its winning ways.
Senator Jang and the real stakeholders in the party are not surprised that such a publication is authored by Prof. Shedrack Best who is still aggrieved and sulking over his loss in the recently held primaries of the PDP in Plateau State. He needs to let go of the bitterness against Jang as he is not responsible for his loss, the stakeholders decided then, the delegates voted for the aspirants and only one winner was supposed to emerge.
It is true that Senator Jang and other prominent members of the party have been with Governor Nyesom Wike in the fight to entrench truth, carry everyone along and give all members a sense of belonging but they have made it clear that it is for the purpose of moving the party forward and making it meet to win elections. Several calls have been made to the party to salvage the situation and resolve the issues arising from the outcome of the presidential primaries but it seems all call fell on deaf ears. Instead of reinforcing the call on the leadership of the party to do the right thing, it is unfortunate that the so-called unknown stakeholders are seeking for relevance by using the name of Senator Jang as a launching pad. They could go ahead with supporting former Vice President Atiku Abubaker without dragging Senator Jang into their journey to infamy.
Make no mistake about the fact that, Senator Jonah Jang do not have anything personal against His Excellency , Atiku Abubakar as those in this journey of infamy will recall that in 2019 , mobilized his personal resources in support of Atiku despite the fact funds made available for the campaigns was in an attempt to ridicule Jang sent to the wrong persons .
Former Governor Jang has decided to go with the group that believes in the truth and is not surprised that this group of “stakeholders” is not in agreement with the path he has chosen. He did not envisage that everyone will agree with him but he is working based on his conviction that the truth must be told in the interest of the party.
Every loyal party man or woman is indeed wishing for a peaceful resolution of the self-inflicted and avoidable internal crisis rocking the party and it is the belief of Jang that those who have the interest of the party at heart should insist that the right thing is done in order for the PDP to take its rightful place of pride as the only truly democratic party.
Senator Jang and others have made their call loud enough for anyone who wants to listen and the call still remains that in the interest of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu should resign as the national chairman of the PDP. That is the just, fair and equitable thing to do, to pave the way for resolution of the crisis and set the party on the path to winning the 2023 presidential elections.
 
Clinton Garuba
Media Consultant to Sen. Jonah David Jang

Former Plateau State Governor, Joshua Chibi Dariye has challenged the people of his state and the rest of Nigeria to go all out to cast their votes for candidates that can provide credible leadership, victory and take them to promise land during the 2023 general elections.

Senator Dariye stated this at a reception organized by his political friends and we’ll wishers at Landfield Rayfield Resort in Jos.

According to him, “If you have PVC then you are my friend. Very soon we are going to meet and see among the candidates who can lead us to victory and promise land. Is not about sentiment, it is not about my tribe or my turn, it is about competence, capability, vision and strength.


“So, therefore, my prayers every time is that God would bring a man with a commitment for the poor, widow, downtrodden, neglected and in the area of development he will not choose between urban and rural area roads.”

Senator Dariye hinted that by the grace of God “we will fix this country and Plateau all together”

Dariye used the event to express gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for granting him and Nyame a presidential pardon.

Dariye also acknowledged the prayers of the people of the state for his freedom, saying your prayers have been answered by God and I’m now free.

The former Senator also gives God the glory for preserving his life throughout his trial moment.


He said, “We are here to rejoice because this is the day that the Lord has made. First of all, let me thank God for his mercy and President Muhammadu Buhari who was so magnanimous and gracious in granting us this presidential pardon myself and Jolly Nyame.

“It is on this note that I am here to say I acknowledge all your prayers, collective solidarity and with the will of God.

Hundreds of political associates and people of Plateau graced the event

GOVERNOR LALONG GREETS DEPUTY GOVERNOR SONNI TYODEN AT 72

Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong has congratulated his Deputy, Prof. Sonni Gwanle Tyoden on his 72nd birthday.

Governor Lalong in a congratulatory message described Prof. Tyoden as an accomplished academician, politician, administrator and person of integrity, honour and reliability.

Lalong said Prof. Tyoden has spent many years teaching and mentoring the younger generation in various areas with many of them successfully taking on roles in the academia, politics, business, public and private service among others.

He said Prof. Tyoden has proven his loyalty and faith in the Rescue Administration by his constant commitment to the actualization of its vision, projects and programmes.

The Governor acknowledged the role that Prof. Tyoden has played in advancing solutions and wise counsel towards addressing very critical issues that the administration has had to confront in the last seven years.

While wishing him the best in the years ahead, Governor Lalong prayed for good health, wisdom and protection for the erudite scholar, administrator and polician.

Dr. Makut Simon Macham
Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State.
22nd September 2022.

GOVERNOR LALONG CONGRATULATES WIFE OF APC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SEN. OLUREMI TINUBU @ 62

Plateau State Governor and Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Simon Bako Lalong has congratulated Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the APC Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Senator representing Lagos Central District on the occasion of her 62nd birthday.

Governor Lalong while felicitating with the lawmaker and former First Lady of Lagos State described her as a woman of substance who has touched the lives of many people across the country and also distinguished herself as an excellent woman that can hold her own in every duty.

He said Senator Oluremi Tinubu apart from accomplishing so much in her politcal career, also maintains a high reputation for being a worthy partner and support base of the APC Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who over the years has contributed enormously to the growth of democracy in Nigeria.

Lalong is happy that the distinguished Senator who has a track record of mobilising, mentoring and working with women from all walks of life is already galvanising Nigerian women from all parts of the country towards ensuring that the APC Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other candidates of the party emerge successful in the forthcoming general elections.

The Director General of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council is also optimistic that Senator Oluremi Tinubu will use her goodwill, experience, kind heartedness and passion for women, youth, and children to canvass for their welfare when her husband becomes President of Nigeria.

While wishing her more years of good health, wisdom and protection, Lalong urged her to sustain her godly disposition and continue to embrace people from all religious, ethnic, social and political backgrounds as she has done over the years.

Dr. Makut Simon Macham
Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State and Director General, APC Presidential Campaign Council.
21st September 2022.

A Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, has sacked the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in the state, Emmanuel Bwacha.

Bwacha’s sacking comes after a petition by one of the aspirants, David Sabo Kente.


Relying on the evidence before the court that no governorship primary was held in Taraba, Justice Simon Amobeda ordered a fresh primary within 14 days.

The judge also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to stop forthwith the recognition of Emmanuel Bwacha as the candidate of the party and that the current senator representing Taraba South in turn should desist from parading himself as the governorship candidate of the APC.

He argued that it is not possible for all the primary results to have the same handwriting while the returning officer declared that no primary was held in the state at the police headquarters due to security threats.

Justice Amobeda described as inappropriate, the alleged false declaration of results at the Danbaba Suntai Airport Jalingo before jetting out of the state via a private jet by the returning officer.


Reacting to the judgment, counsels for the APC and sacked candidate stated that they will study the judgment before either proceeding to the Appeal Court or submitting to a fresh primary.

Vows to revive Operation Rainbow , establish other agencies to tackle insecurity

By Golok Nanmwa,Jos

Governorship Candidate of the All Progressive Congress APC in the forthcoming 2023 elections Dr Yilwatda Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe ,has promised to ensure justice and fairness to all citizens of the state irrespective of religion and tribes if elected the Governor of the State.

Nentawe accompanied by his wife, running mate Hon. Pam BotMang amongst others stated this on Monday in Quaanpan, Mikang and Shendam Local Government Areas of the Southern Zone of the state when he visited various Communities for a thank you tour to appreciate the people for electing him a flag bearer of the party.

“We will give everybody equal opportunity in the state to maintain good governance in the State”

He added that he would bring development to the rural communities .

While Speaking on the challenges of insecurity in the state, the APC candidate pleged to replicate Amotekun a South West security outfit in Plateau State.

According to him, he will equip and revive Operation Rainbow to end the insecurity in the State.

The Governorship candidate also promised to take action on the roads linking various local governments of the state when elected.

The APC chairman in the State Hon. Rufus Bature on his part during the thank you tour and consultative meeting in the Southern Zone said the party will address all grievances before the campaigns kick start in a few days.

Bature expressed happiness that the response from the people of Quaanpan , Mikang and Shendam has confirmed that APC is a win-win come 2023 in Plateau State.

The ALGON chairman of Plateau State and also the Executive Chairman of Shendam Local Government Hon. Alex Naantuam while welcoming the Candidate at the APC Secretariat shendam assured all APC candidates of victory in the State come 2023.

He promised that the Southern Zone is the Centre of APC, and the people will vote massively for the APC candidates.

By Prince Sekat, Jos
The Plateau State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has awarded three contracts for the production of a Master Plan for the Nyak-Shendam Community and the construction of road at West of Mine and another leading to the Headquarters of the Immigration Service in Jos the Plateau State capital.
The three projects are expected to be completed and commissioned by Governor Simon Lalong before the expiration of his tenure 29 May 2023.
Governor Simon Lalong through the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development Hon. Idris Gambo while signing the agreemen held t at the Ministry in Jos the Plateau State capital said the projects will engulfed the sum of N319 million naira.
He said the Master Plan for the Nyak-Ajikamai area of Shendam LGA out at N100 million naira became necessary as it is meant to upgrade slums areas in the proposed Nyak-Ajikamai. The area is the site of the proposed Federal Polytechnic.
The road projects located within the Jos Metropolitan city awarded at the cost of “N94 million naira for West of Mines” is to decongest the already busy city centres as alternative routes to traffic. While the for the road leading into Immigration Headquaters in the State is put at N125,” respectively.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daniel D. Lange charged the contractors to adhere strictly to specifications as contained in the contractual agreement.
He cautioned them from engaging any third party, as correspondences must solely be directed to the Commissioner and in the event the Commissioner is not available the Permanent Secretary will always attend to any issues.
The contractors handling the projects, Town Planner Stephen Hirse of Steel Consult handling the Nyak-Ajikamai Master Plan, and Ahmed Abdulrasheed of LATOKEM Nig Ltd handling the rehabilitation of West of Mines road project as well as Iyanda Alao of Centre Field Nig Ltd handling the road construction leading into Immigration Headquarters both assured of delivering quality work within the time Frame .

“WORK HARD TO DELIVER HIGHEST VOTES TO TINUBU/SHETTIMA”, GOVERNOR LALONG CHARGES NORTH CENTRAL APC LEADERSHIP.

Plateau State Governor and Director General APC Presidential Campaign Council Simon Bako Lalong is optimistic that the North Central Zone will give the Tinubu/Shettima ticket the highest number of votes in the forthcoming elections.

Governor Lalong expressed this optimism in Jos when he received the North Central Zonal Chairman and Members of his Committee on a curtesy visit to the Government House, Rayfield Jos.

He said the party is very strong in the North Central despite loosing Benue State one out of its six States after the Governor left for the opposition party.

He challenged the Zonal Chairman and his members to reach out to all organs of the party in the zone with a view to mobilising and sensitizing the electorate at the grassroots for the success of the party.

Lalong charged the party Zonal leadership to carry everyone along and deliver all the party’s candidates including the Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate Senator Kashim Shettima.

On the level of consultations, mobilisation and engagement so far, the Governor informed the Zonal officials that the Presidential Campaign Council has continued to fine-tune the strategies that will ensure that members of the APC participate from the unit level to the national, rather than a situation where many prefer to look at the national level.

He said already, the Presidential Campaign Council and has engaged the National Working Committee and also proposed clear roles for women and youths in the forthcoming campaigns.

In his remarks, the APC North Central Zonal Chairman Alhaji Mu’azu Bawa Rijau said they were in the State to meet with party officials and stakeholders in line with the directive of the NWC for the Zonal leadership to embark on such tour to engage party faithful.

He congratulated the Governor over his appointment as Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council saying the entire zone was happy for the well deserved assignment which is a clear evidence that the zone can deliver for not only the Presidential Candidate, but the party as a whole.

He also thanked the Governor for his support during the party Primaries where the leadership of the zone emerged without any rancour.

Rijau assured the Governor that they will work hard to reconcile all aggrieved persons within the zone in order to ensure that the party enters the elections as a strong and united force.

Dr. Makut Simon Macham
Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State.
16th September 2022.

The National Security Council, on Thursday, declared the National Task Force on the Prohibition of Illegal Importation/Smuggling of Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapons, Chemical and Pipeline Vandalism illegal.

The council, therefore, ordered the body to disband itself or face the wrath of the federal government.


It also passed a vote of confidence on security agencies for their efforts to quell the violence and attacks recorded nationwide.


Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed this to State House Correspondents after Thursday’s National Security Council meeting presided over by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Reports say the upper legislative chamber had in July passed into law a Bill establishing the National Commission for the Coordination and Control of the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, with NATFORCE being one of its components.

The House of Representatives is expected to pass its version of the law upon resumption from recess later in September 2022.

However, security experts have rejected the Senate’s inclusion of NATFORCE in the new Act, urging the lawmakers to expunge NATFORCE from the Bill when harmonizing both versions.

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons currently domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser and headed by Maj-Gen. A. M Dikko (retd) is the only national coordination mechanism for the control and monitoring of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.

According to the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, who also spoke at the briefing, the Nigerian constitution protects freedom of association


However, matters of national security should be regulated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, he argued.


The Interior Minister, who said the council received reports from all service chiefs and Inspector-General of Police, said it is “very satisfied” with the performance of all security agencies and that the country is moving to the phase of consolidated security.

He said the council also commended the police for its performance in Ekiti, Osun and Anambra states where governorship elections were conducted recently.

Speaking on NATFORCE, Aregbesola said “Equally of concern is the presence of some illegal outfits that impersonate the legitimate security agencies. Of particular concern is a body called National Task Force on Illegal Importation of Goods, Small Arms and what have you, but the short name for it is NATFORCE.

“The Council declares that body an illegal organization, it should just simply disband itself, because the Council has ordered all security agencies to enforce the disbandment of that body and other such bodies that operate illegally without any force of law,” He said.

On the council’s outlook on the performance of security agencies, he said, “The Council has just concluded today’s meeting. It received briefings from all security chiefs and the Council is very satisfied with the performances of all our security chiefs; the military, the police and other security agencies. We are happy with their performance and the gains recorded so far.

“We are moving to the phase of consolidation of all those gains, such that by December, as ordered by the Chairman of the Council, the President, which he has said to all Nigerians before now, that we’ll put, essentially, most of the challenges of banditry particularly, insurgency, kidnapping for ransom, criminalities of that nature, far behind us.

“We are equally pleased with the performance of the Nigeria Police on the elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun, which elections have demonstrated our commitment to democracy and expression of the will of the people at the polls.”

Fielding questions on the remaining passengers kidnapped in the March 28 attack on a Kaduna-bound train who are still in the terrorists’ den, the Minister of Police Affairs, Dingiyadi, said no effort will be spared to rescue them alive.

He said that the arrest of the key negotiator, Tukur Mamu, will not hinder negotiations as there are other bodies negotiating to ensure their safe release.

“We are not sparing efforts to release our brothers and sisters who are in captivity,” he said