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Plateau government denies taking $359 million loan from AfDB

Plateau State government has denied the allegation of taking $350m African Development Bank, AfDB loan saying such allegation is frivolous as the government only took $11.2 million of which, 70% of the amount is being committed to infrastructure, 20% to capacity building and 10% for project management. A former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, last Thursday at a webinar discussing why Plateau State lost its relevance at the national stage, accused the Governor, Simon Lalong of non-performance despite taking loans that have no impact on the lives of citizens. Dalung said, “$350 million (N140 billion) was approved for the Plateau State governemnt by the Federal Executive Council for the purpose of the potato value chain. I was a serving Minister at the time, so I was part of tha...

Nigeria’s virus death toll hits 1,083

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) at midnight on Monday said that the death toll for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Nigeria had jumped to 1, 083. The NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle. Newsmen report the NCDC confirmed that there were 132 new infections . It stated that one new fatality raised the death toll to 1,083. The agency said 132 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, were recorded across Nigeria on Monday, Sept. 14. The public health agency stated that the new cases now bring the number of confirmed infections in the country to 56,388. It noted that 185 people had been treated and had recovered from the virus, bringing the nation’s number of recovery to 44,337. According to the agency, Lagos State had the highest number ...

Plateau United coach seeks financial support to achieve Champions League Semi final target

Plateau United coach Abdu Maikaba has stated that they need the required support to meet the target of semi-finals of the 2020/2021 CAF Champions League. The former Akwa United coach admitted the 2017 NPFL champions will require even more backing and hard work to realize their last-four ambition in the competition – a feat which was last achieved by a Nigerian club – Sunshine Stars in 2012. “They (Plateau State Government) gave us enough support, but actually, we have to work very hard to achieve that target,” he said. “Getting to the semi-finals (of the CAF Champions League) is not an easy task, and we have to work very, very hard. We have to be given all the necessary support to get there. “In terms of personnel, like the replacement of players, I have to get the support to make the repl...

Plateau PDP congress date surprises chairmanship aspirant

File Photo Mr Bitrus Kaze, Plateau State Chairmanship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed surprise at what he called “the sudden decision of the party” to hold the state elective congress on Aug. 29. Newsmen report that the party’s acting spokesperson, Mr John Akans, had on Tuesday announced that the elective congress would hold on Saturday. But Kaze in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Jos described the decision as hasty, considering what called the numerous unresolved issues in the party, including the fact that “the state has taken a decision that the caretaker is not fit to be in office much less conduct a state congress.” He also cited the court cases and petitions by party members, “yet we saw a communication from Akan that a date for the election h...

PTF: Nigerians poor attitude towards virus testing is worrisome

The Presidential Taskforce, PTF, on COVID-19, on Thursday, decried the poor attitude of Nigerians towards COVID-19 testing and safety protocols, saying, despite the increased capacity, sample collection remains very low. Expressing displeasure during the weekly COVID-19 briefing in Abuja, the Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce, Boss Mustapha, further lamented that the numbers of local governments, LGAs, that are hot spots have increased from 16 to 20 and regrettably happened to be a hard-to-reach area. “Initially, we have 10 local government areas that are hot spots which eventually increased to 16 but now we have 20 LGAs that are hot spots. Regrettably, this recent local government is more remote. “Presently, Nigeria now has the capacity to test 15,000 people daily but sadly, what we ...

NDA reaffirms commitment to turn out best officers

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Comandant Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham, reaffirmed the academy’s commitment to turn out the best officers for the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Academy Public Relations Officer, Major Abubakar Abdullahi, said in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna. “The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna has reaffirmed its commitment towards producing the finest quality officers to be commissioned into the Nigerian Armed Forces. The NDA Commandant Gen Sarham revealed this on top of Shere Hills in Jos Plateau State on Tuesday as he inspected the progress being made by final year army cadets of 67 Regular Course and Short Service Course 46 conducting Exercise Camp Highland. According to Sarham, who ascended the peak of the Hills in company of his Deputy and other NDA manag...

Ex-convict arrested for impersonating late Abba Kyari’s widow

A 58-year old man identified as Mallam Aminu Ado, has been arrested by men of the Nigeria Police for impersonating the widow of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, in a bid to swindle unsuspecting Nigerians. Spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, DCP Frank Mba, who paraded him before newsmen on Monday, June 22, said after the death of the former chief of staff, Ado who is also known as Al Amin Yerima, went on to impersonate the widow and reached out to prominent Nigerians asking for donations to enable him organize special prayers for the soul of the departed. “In the course of doing that some of the prominent Nigerians became suspicious and reached out to us. He has been cooperative with the investigation and held back no facts. He is 58 years old. He had also had a s...

Aminu Zang: I’ll unite with Senators Jang, Useni, Mantu for PDP victory in 2023

A candidate for the Chairmanship of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State, Hon Aminu Zang, has said that he would reconcile all aggrieved factions and unite with Senator Jonah David Jang, Gen Jeremiah Useni (retd) and former Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu to bring the party back to power in 2023. Zang described himself as a neutral force who desires to lead the party to power if entrusted with its leadership. The aspirant stated this yesterday during a briefing with reporters in Jos, adding that Jang and Useni remain a strong political block that must be united to give Plateau people a purposeful leadership. ‘Primarily, I came to contest the Chairmanship of the PDP because I have all it takes to unify the party as it were; take it or not, there are feuding interests a...

Oyo governor appoints retired general as Amotekun chairman

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has appointed retired general Ajibola Kunle Togun as the Chairman of the Oyo State Security Network, code-named Amotekun. A statement signed by Moses Alao, Special Assistant to Makinde on Print Media, also indicated that a retired colonel, Olayanju Olayinka, was appointed as the commandant of the security outfit. According to the statement, the two retired military officers will oversee the state security network which was put in place to check insecurity in the state. Newsmen recall that Makinde on March 10, signed the State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) Bill, 2020 into law. The governor remarked that the initiative was purely to complement the existing security agencies in tackling security challenges and not a replacement for the existing ones. Ve...

Suspected killer of UniJos lecturer nabbed as kidnapped daughter rescued

One of the suspected killers of Dr Mandi Drenkat, a lecturer with the University of Jos has been arrested at the Babale area of Jos North local government area of Plateau State. The suspect, identified as Ali Mohammed was arrested with one AK 47 rifle and a kidnap victim in their den named Chiboze Joseph rescued unhurt. It would be recalled that the late Dr Drenkat was shot in his home at the University of Jos Senior Staff Quarters on Friday night and his six years old daughter kidnapped but subsequently rescued by the Police. Confirming the arrest and rescue, the State Police Commissioner, Edward Egbuka, who also paraded the suspect told journalists on Sunday, “On 16/5/2020 at about 0030hrs, the Command received a distress call at road 6 University Senior staff quarters, Jos where some ho...

Plateau counter NCDC on number of coronavirus cases

Plateau State government has refuted a claim by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, that the State has five additional cases of COVID-19 disease as at Friday, the 15th saying it was only new case that was recorded as the remaining four were repeated cases which were mistaken for fresh ones. The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nimkong Lar who briefed journalists alongside the Secretary to the Government of the State, Professor Danladi Atu, and State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dan Manjang said so far Plateau has only 11 active cases of the disease and all patients are responding to treatment. He noted that the attention of the NCDC has been drawn to the error with the belief that the needed correction would be effected. He urged citizens to continue to obey s...