The publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Plateau state Slyvanus Namang, has said the former Speaker of the Plateau state House of Assembly, Mr Abok Ayuba is under investigation.
Mr Namang exclusively told Freelance Reporters correspondent in Jos via a telephone interview on Wednesday, when we sought to know development on the impeachment saga surrounding the state legislature.
According to the APC spokesperson, the new speaker of the Plateau state House of Assembly, Mr Sanda Yakubu resumed office and has set-up two committees to investigate Mr Abok Ayuba on financial embezzlement and illegal possession of the legislature’s mace, which represents authority of the parliament.
Mr Namang refuted claims that Plateau state House of Assembly has two Speakers. “There are no two speakers at the state Assembly, we only recognize Rt Hon Sanda Yakubu as the Speaker of the Plateau state House of Assembly. All we know is that the former Speaker, Hon Nuhu Abok Ayuba has been impeached, and he remains impeached,” he stated.
Reacting on the factional APC Secretariat in Jos, Namang revealed that the said members who claimed to have been running a parallel secretariat of the party have been shown the way out of APC.
He described the group as detractors saying, “they are only out to destabilize our party (APC) we know where they belong, They should go there.”
He insisted that there was no factional APC secretariat in Plateau state.
According to the Plateau APC spokesman, the said factional office is a fiction, it dose not exist. “They have no fixed address as an office, they exist only in the media, it’s a mobile office,” he said.
Freelance Reporters can report that the factional APC secretariat was located at Kalwa House, but security operatives were sent to shutdown the office and remove the party flags.
The APC Publicity Secretary, authoritatively noted that the six persons who claimed to have created factional APC secretariat in the state have been suspended from the party by their ward chairmen.
“As far as we are concerned, the Ishaya Itse led group have been suspended from our party right from the ward level by their ward chairmen,” he noted.
Commenting on the recent five man APC Appeal Panel visit who were in Jos to access and receive possible complaints from aggrieved members of the party, following disputes that arose from the APC State Congresses, Mr Namang said that the committee had concluded its assignment in the state and returned to the national Secretariat, though the out come of their findings haven’t been made public.
Rejoinder; Hon Abok demanded N200million bribe to allow Gov. Lalong , present budget on the floor of the House
By Abok support group.
03.01.2021
We the support group of RT. HON ABOK NUHU AYUBA on Wednesday write to debunk the allegation on the speaker demanding 200million to allow Governor Simon Lalong present the 2022 budget to the house.
The statement signed by one comrade Iliya Mark JP has no truth in it and we want to challenge the group to bring out prove or evidence to back up there allegation because we take such fictitious allegations on the Speaker Plateau State house of assembly serious.
It is on record that the Speaker Rt Hon. Abok Nuhu Ayuba reconvene the house just so that the 2022 budget will be presented. This clearly shows that the speaker puts plateau first in every decision made by him and other like mind Honourable Members.
We want to throw these to the court of public opinion
-Was the 2022 budget not presented at the floor of the house and presided over by Rt. Hon. Abok Nuhu Ayuba on 21th October 2021?
-Just because the speaker and like mind Honourable members question the means by which the budget will be founded. Which include taking a loan that will be due for repayment after two years of collection. Does that make them an enemy of the state?
Just because the speaker and like mind Honourable members question the 18billion allocated to the construction of British American flyover which was duplicated, does that make him and like mind members enemy of the state?
Just because the speaker gave the Governor Simon Lalong 2weeks ultimatum to visit yelwan Zangam and irigwe rukuba which were attacked by unknown gun men and was unanimously agreed by all the members of the state house of assembly. Does that make him/them an enemy of the state?
Just because the speaker called for compensation to those affect by the numerous attacks in the state. Does that make him an enemy of the state?
Just because the speaker call for justice for the killing of student of the Plateau State Polytechnic. Does that make him an enemy of the state?
We want to call on the good people of plateau state and the supporters of Mr Speaker Rt Hon Abok Nuhu Ayuba to disregard allegations from some desperate baby groups.
The Speaker still remain firm against any policy that will inflict pain on the good people of Plateau State.
God bless the GOOD and LOVING people of Plateau state
Thousand of commuyers plying the Abuja-Keffi Expressway were on Wednesday left stranded after military officers barricaded the highway to conduct a stop-and-search operation on vehicles entering the nation’s capital.
Witnesses says the soldiers barricaded the road at the Kugbo section of the highway which is also under construction as early as 5:00 a.m. The blockade remained as of 1:00 p.m., Peoples Gazette learnt.
Security agencies did not give any prior warning before to the blockade that has caused a gridlock extending as far as Masaka, in neighbouring Nasarawa State.
Thousands of civil servants and traders who work in the Federal Capital Territory live outside the Abuja city centre in places such as Nyanya, Karu, Maraba and Masaka. Many of them have been forced to return home after hours of standstill.
The road is also an essential gateway to northern parts of the country, especially the North-East.
There has been growing concerns about the porosity of the FCT with reports of infiltration by terrorists, bandits and other criminals fleeing their bases as the military ramps up operations to flush them out of their hideouts.
On Tuesday, The Gazette reported that kidnappers invaded the University of Abuja staff quarters where they abducted an Economics Professor, Obansa Joseph, alongside two of his children at gunpoint. Some yet-to-be named staff members were also captured by the bandits.
The school in its official statement on Tuesday said it was yet to be contacted by the kidnappers who are yet to demand a ransom.
Efforts to reach the army and police spokespersons regarding Wednesday’s blockade of Abuja-Keffi highway have proved abortive as their phone lines did not immediately connect.
After the tussle on the leadership of Plateau State House of Assembly on Monday 1st of November, 2021 The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc has ordered the immediate posting of CP Bartholomew Nnamdi Onyeka to Plateau State Command as the new Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the State. The posting follows the redeployment of CP Edward Ebuka to the Force Headquarters for other national engagements.
The new Commissioner of Police, CP Onyeka, hails from Nkume, in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State. He holds a B.A (Hons) in Public Administration and a Masters Degree in Defence Studies from Punjab University, India. He has attended several tactical and leadership courses within and outside Nigeria including Strategic Leadership and Command Course (SLCC), Police Staff College, Jos; Financial Malpractices Investigation Course; and Armed Conflict Management Course, Command Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State. He has served in various operational, investigative, and administrative capacities in Bauchi, Imo, Abia, Zamfara State Commands and Zone 1 Headquarters, Kano.
The IGP, while assuring the people of Plateau State of the unrelenting commitment of the Police leadership to containing prevailing and emerging crimes in the State, charged the new Commissioner of Police to deploy his community building experience in ensuring improved public safety and security of lives and property of the citizenry in the State. He enjoined the people of Plateau State to continuously work with the Police for effective policing of their communities.
The IGP announced that the posting should be with immediate effect.
After the tussle on the leadership of Plateau State House of Assembly on Monday 1st of November, 2021 The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc has ordered the immediate posting of CP Bartholomew Nnamdi Onyeka to Plateau State Command as the new Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the State. The posting follows the redeployment of CP Edward Ebuka to the Force Headquarters for other national engagements.
The new Commissioner of Police, CP Onyeka, hails from Nkume, in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State. He holds a B.A (Hons) in Public Administration and a Masters Degree in Defence Studies from Punjab University, India. He has attended several tactical and leadership courses within and outside Nigeria including Strategic Leadership and Command Course (SLCC), Police Staff College, Jos; Financial Malpractices Investigation Course; and Armed Conflict Management Course, Command Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State. He has served in various operational, investigative, and administrative capacities in Bauchi, Imo, Abia, Zamfara State Commands and Zone 1 Headquarters, Kano.
The IGP, while assuring the people of Plateau State of the unrelenting commitment of the Police leadership to containing prevailing and emerging crimes in the State, charged the new Commissioner of Police to deploy his community building experience in ensuring improved public safety and security of lives and property of the citizenry in the State. He enjoined the people of Plateau State to continuously work with the Police for effective policing of their communities.
The IGP announced that the posting should be with immediate effect.
IMPEACHED SPEAKER AYUBA ABOK DEMANDED FOR 200 MILLION TO ALLOW GOVERNOR LALONG PRESENT BUDGET TO HOUSE.
Those who are hailing the former impeached Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly as a hero of democracy and one who claims to be “standing” with the people of Plateau State will be shocked to hear this.
It has now been revealed that the former Speaker has been notorious in corruption and neck deep in using his position to extort money from those who approached the House with any Bill during his tenure.
One of the worst cases is the fact that in October 2021, months after Governor Simon Bako Lalong granted autonomy to the legislature, former Speaker Abok demanded for 200 million naira from the Governor before he would allow the 2022 appropriation Bill to be presented to the House.
The refusal of the Governor to yield to this act of corruption led to blatant refusal of the impeached Speaker to allow the budget to be laid on the floor of the House. This heightened the frustrations of the members especially those in the APC were shocked that Abok who is supposedly an APC member and got to the seat on account of the majority status of the APC, was toying with the future of the State he claims to be “standing” for.
This according to the majority leader of the House, Hon. Naanlong Daniel pushed them to move against the former Speaker and save democracy in Plateau State from being truncated by a selfish and corrupt youth who has damaged the chances of youths in governance through corruption, ineptitude, arrogance, pride and irresponsibility.
But the members of the opposition PDP both in the House and elsewhere who know these facts are in cahoots with the former Speaker enjoying the loot and bent on using the rejected former Speaker to distabilise the Government and fool the naive and gullible who are ignorant of the corrupt tendencies of the impeached Speaker.
In addition to this, he has embezzled millions of naira belonging to the House which came in as a result of the autonomy granted by the same Governor Lalong that he is conspiring with PDP members to castigate and abuse.
When his colleagues called him to account, he started running helter skelter claiming to be “standing with the people”. His cup is full and he is now exposed. He must account for his misdeeds and prove his innocence before the law. No amount of blackmail and media propaganda will save him. Only the truth will.
With this revelation, the bubble has bursted on the hypocrisy, lies and cheap propaganda of the former Speaker and his PDP collaborators who up till Monday 1st November 2021, were still joking that they are still interested in returning corrupt impeached Abok as a Speaker despite his rejection by majority of the House.
They were seen in a viral video on social media begging Governor Lalong and President Buhari to intervene and return the corrupt Abok to office aa Speaker despite the stench of loot on him.
All of a sudden, they seem to forget the meaning of autonomy which they fought for and secured through the Governor who was the first in the country to implement despite cold feet by other Governors.
In the coming days, it is hoped that corrupt Abok will begin to confess his sins to the law enforcement agencies when they call him to account for his stewardship and answer corruption charges that he has refused to tender before his colleagues despite several demands. No wonder he shut down the House since August and refused to reconvene for fear of accountability.
Now that he has been exposed for who he is, we hope the good citizens of Plateau State who have been hoodwinked into believing the lies of the erstwhile Speaker will disregard his antics and allow peace to reign in the State. He cannot hold down the entire State because of the skeletons in his cupboard.
We await the denial of the former Speaker to enable us tender the evidence to the public for perusal. We shall not hesitate to upload other of his dirty deals to the public if he challenges us. For now we leave it at this. Let the public know the truth before Abok leads them astray.
Plateau – Jang express desire to lead protest over impeachment of Speaker Abok
Former Governor of Plateau state Jonah Jang ,on Wednesday said that he is willing to lead a protest of Plateau people against what he termed the illegal impeachment of the former Speaker of the state House of assembly Hon Abok Ayuba.
Jang in a statement made available to newsmen in Jos reads that “Having fought for democracy, as member of NADECO and later the G38, i am willing to lead a protest of Plateau people against the illegality that has been perpetrated at the Plateau State House of Assembly.
The statement reads that ” the unfortunate happenings in the Plateau State House of Assembly in the last couple of days calls for, not only the intervention of all well-meaning Plateau elders and stakeholders but, people of goodwill who love the State and hold it dear to their hearts.”
He added that “We are indeed witnesses to the drama which has engulfed the State Assembly simply because a section of the Government wants the Speaker out at all costs. While it is unfortunate that these individuals have put their primordial sentiments above reason, and would do anything including making a mockery of the Constitution just to achieve their selfish ends, we cannot fold our arms as the efforts the Plateau people have put to sustain the fragile peace is made nonsense of.”
“The removal of a speaker or change of leadership in legislative houses might not be new, but when the process is abused and goes against the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the people must work together to ensure the stability of the House which, in any case, is made up of those they voted to represent them and work for their welfare and in their best interests.”
Jang further added that the Executive has tried, albeit unconvincingly, to wash its hands off of the disgraceful events in the House of Assembly but the more the Governor and his handlers try to spin a story around the issue, the more glaring it becomes that the six members who staged an impeachment are only acting out a script for the Governor, the hasty nature with which the Governor hurriedly received a ‘new speaker’ knowing full well, being a lawyer, that what happened was an aberration, speak volumes “Evidence has shown that the numbers required to carry the impeachment is not available to those desperate to remove the speaker, hence they have resorted to using undue force in pushing forth their agenda which is indeed, not only unconstitutional but, shameful.
He also added that Plateau is bigger than any individual, the aspirations of the people must not be trampled upon owing to the selfishness of a few .
The statement also reads that ” This transcends party affiliation, it is a matter of safeguarding the Plateau heritage and guaranteeing the security and welfare of the people which, in all honesty, the government of the day has failed to provide.”
Jang who was also former Senator representing Plateau North in the National Assembly called on Youths to resist the temptation of taking laws into their hands as two wrongs can not make a right.
He said that “The Governor must listen to the voice of reason and restore normalcy in the Plateau State House of Assembly, the crisis bedevilling the Assembly has a way of spiralling to affect the lacklustre performance of the government which has already failed in discharging its responsibility to Plateau citizens. The interests of a few must not, therefore, be allowed to shatter the hopes of millions of Plateau people who deserve better .”
” It is on this premise that I call on Plateau elders to rise up to the occasion by prevailing on the Governor, Barr. Simon Bako Lalong, to demonstrate leadership for once by allowing the Honourable Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly to decide who their leaders are and even if the speaker were to be impeached, the members of the House be allowed to so decide; arm twisting the Assembly with a few members will further derail the government of the day as it staggers toward a directionless route.”
No amount of explanation will justify wrongdoing, it is unconstitutional for 8 out of 24 members to effect a change in leadership in the House, no matter how the Government goads them on. The Governor should know better as a lawyer, he must not allow the trappings of power push him to dig deeper into infamy, the prize he has earned for himself, with Plateau people, in seeking personal ambition over the collective welfare of the citizens. Ordinarily, one would have thought that the Governor, himself, a former Speaker of the House of Assembly who was impeached, would have learned from the mistakes of the past and etched his name in gold but here we are, retrogressively marching beyond the dark days of our past.
Democracy has come of age in Nigeria and those of us who were in the trenches fighting for the return to democratic rule will not fold our arms and watch our labours washed down the drain by the egotistical pursuits of individuals who are only beneficiaries of what we were even jailed for by the military.
I want to use this medium, as I join my voice with those of other well meaning Plateau people, to call on the Governor to salvage the situation and restore normalcy to the House. We have become a laughing stock and we must put an end to the unconstitutionality playing out at the Plateau State House of Assembly.
Failing to do that, the Governor would not only have openly declared tacit support, as we are already sensing, to a breach of the constitution but would have gone ahead to brazenly show he sanctioned the comedy playing out in the House of Assembly.
GOVERNOR LALONG PRAISES GOSA @ 70; SAYS IT HAS IMPACTED SOCIETY
Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong has expressed deep appreciation to the missionaries who founded the Boys Secondary School (BSS) and Girls High School Gindiri (GHS) for their foresight in building an institution that has raised leaders who have made their mark and influenced society positively.
Governor Lalong was speaking when he recieved members of the Gindiri Old Students Association (GOSA) who were at the Government House Rayfield Jos, to pay him a courtesy visit as part of activities for the 70th Anniversary of the institutions.
Governor Lalong expressed delight that the institution has remained true to its motto of “Light and Truth” by turning out products that have made impact in various fields of endeavour. He said many of them have risen to very high offices in Plateau State, Nigeria and other parts of the world on account of the discipline, godly knowledge and academic training they obtained at Gindiri.
He urged the old students to use the 70th anniversary celebrations to reflect on what they can do to improve the fortunes of the schools and of education in the entire State using the various opportunities available to them.
He assured them of the support of the Plateau State Government in their activities pledging to intervene in the well being of the institutions particularly the School for the blind.
GOSA President Prof. Rotgak Gofwen said they were at the Government House to appreciate the Governor for his support over the years and also intimate him on the activities lined up for the 70th anniversary celebrations.
He said the old students have constructed science laboratories, remodelled the dining hall and rebuilt the Assembly Hall all in a bid to enhance the comfort of students and teachers.
He also said the body has built a befitting GOSA headquarters which will be commissioned during the festivities.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 3rd November 2021.
GOVERNOR LALONG RECIEVES ANAN PRESIDENT, PLEDGES TO SUSTAIN TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
President and Chairman of Council, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) Prof. Benjamin Chuka Osisioma, FNCA and other Principal Officers today paid a courtesy visit on Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako Lalong at the new Government House, Little Rayfield Jos.
Prof. Osisioma said they were at the Government House to intimate the Governor on the progress of the body and the new ANAN University which was approved recently by the Federal Government.
He said ANAN has continued to make progress having been given a conducive environment to flourish in Plateau State since establishment. This he said made the body to turn down overtures by other States to relocate ANAN College from Jos.
The ANAN President said the body has embarked upon many social responsibility projects which have been completed. These include school renovation and water provision within the host communities.
He appealed to the Governor to fulfil his promise of assisting the ANAN University in constructing a library as well as the road leading to the institution.
Responding, Governor Lalong said he was proud of the achievements of ANAN which has come a long way in building professionals in the accounting profession and building a solid institution that has metamorphosed into a University.
Plateau State he said will continue to support ANAN in its efforts to develop the nation through producing sound professionals that are capable of managing the resources of the nation in a transparent and open manner.
He commended ANAN members for contributing to the success of the Rescue Administration as they have added a lot of impetus to the transparency and accountability rating of the Government which has earned Plateau State awards at the national level.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State. 2nd November 2021.
Freelance Reporters 