Taraba Governor, Kefas Agbu says he regrets inheriting the state without a development master plan, noting that his administration is working in collaboration with the Bureau for Land and Survey to address the situation.
The governor said this on Tuesday in Jalingo, during the presentation of the various progress of the ministries by his commissioners.
He said his administration has dished out directives to the bureau to work round the clock to come up with a comprehensive master plan for the state.
Assuring the people of the state that efforts are underway to rectify the situation, he said his administration to develop a comprehensive master plan which he said, is geared towards guiding the state’s future growth and development.
Taking his time to listen keenly to the ministry’s presentations, he disclosed that he had engaged the services of consultants even before he was sworn in as the number one citizen of the state to address areas where the state is lacking.
He described the presentations as an eye opener, saying it would enable his administration to improve on areas that are wanting.
Earlier, the Consultant on Ministries, Ejiro Jakpa, who reviewed the ministry’s reports, said no fewer than 40 partners and organizations have signified their interest in partnering with the state.
Areas the organization have signified interest to partner with the state, include improvement in the state’s internally generated revenue and the areas of women and youth empowerment.
Taraba did not have a master plan when I took over – Gov Agbu
Taraba did not have a master plan when I took over – Gov Agbu
Tinubu, Biden, other world leaders who have slipped on occasions
President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, slipped while boarding the parade vehicle at the venue of the 2024 Democracy Day celebration.
The President had approached the vehicle shortly after he arrived at the Eagle Square, Abuja venue of the programme.
It was observed that the President lost his footing momentarily as he was about to step into the vehicle and slipped while he was quickly attended to by his security personnel.
In this report, According Online highlights other world leaders aside from Tinubu, who had had clumsy moments and were caught on camera while boarding vehicles or disembarking official aircraft.
1. June 1975 – US President Ford slid down the Air Force One stairs
The then United States President Gerald Ford slid Air Force One in 1975 while visiting Vienna in Austria for talks with Egyptian President Anwar Sada.
2. October 2004- Cuba leader, Fidel Castro falls from stage
Cuban leader Fidel Castro, in 2004, fell off of the stage in Santa Clara, Cuba. Castro broke his knee and arm in the fall, sources say. The fall brought back memories of when he collapsed two years before the 2004 fall.
3. February 2015 – Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe, slid the Airport staircase
Zimbabwe’s 90-year-old President Robert Mugabe fell down a staircase as he walked off a podium after addressing supporters at Harare International Airport, an AFP correspondent said.
He had just returned from Ethiopia, where he took over the rotating chairmanship of the African Union.
4. March 2015 – Barack Obama recovers after near fall down steps of Air Force One
US President Barack Obama came close to falling down the steps of Air Force One. Obama was returning to Washington DC from a golfing trip in Florida when he bounded from the door of the plane only to lose his footing. He recovered and continued across the tarmac with the same spring in his step.
5. June 2020 – V.P. Mike Pence Falls Up The Steps Of Air Force Two
Vice President Mike Pence had a moment remarkably similar to President Biden’s upward slip. Pence was filmed running, then tripping, up the staircase of Air Force Two.
6. March 2021 – President Joe Biden trips three times on Air Force One stairs
President Joe Biden trips three times on Air Force One stairs while scaling the steps to Air Force One to Atlanta to meet with Asian-American community leaders on a massacre.
7. October 2023 – Senator Tommy Tuberville
Senator Tommy Tuberville, who has previously criticised President Joe Biden for falling in public view, was mocked online after a video showing him falling down a flight of plane stairs himself went viral.
Alabama Republican, who at the time was coaching the University of Cincinnati football team, appeared to lose his footing after three steps and slid the rest of the way down.
8. Yemen 2011 – Hillary Clinton
The then-Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was boarding a plane to Yemen when she slipped to her knees at the doorway and was only saved from further embarrassment when an aide gave her a helping hand.
Kwara State varsity gets new VC
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has appointed Professor Shaykh-Lukman Jimoh, as the new Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University.
According to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, the appointment is coming after Professor Shaykh-Lukman Jimoh served in an acting capacity as the Vice Chancellor for 19 months.
The appointment follows the outcome of the screening exercise of the university’s governing council where Shaykh-Lukman placed first among the candidates.
Recall that Shaykh-Lukman served as the Acting Vice Chancellor of KWASU following the death of Professor Mohammed Mustapha-Akanbi in November 2022.
He was before then a Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University between 2020 and 2022.
Ajakaye said, ‘Shaykh-Lukman comes highly recommended to the job with decades of experience as an administrator and university scholar.
‘Shaykh-Lukman, 60, is a recipient of several academic honours, including Best Graduating Student of the Department of Religions (University of Ilorin) 1988; University Undergraduate Scholarship Award (1987/1988); University Scholar 1987/1988). He is a Fellow/member of many professional bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Public Advocacy and Management and the Council of Experts for International Centre on Contemporary Research in Islamic Sciences (United Kingdom.)
Shaykh-Lukman hails from Igbaja in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.’
Meanwhile, the governor has also approved for the Kwara State College of Education Ilorin to transmute into the University of Education for ease of take off and other logistic advantages.
‘The government will continue ongoing efforts to transform the two other colleges of education and make them more viable in line with current realities in the sector,” according to a statement from the Government House.
‘The decision on the location of the university comes a few days after the Governor assented to the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (Establishment) and Kwara State University of Education (Establishment) Bills, effectively birthing a teaching hospital and the university of education.
‘The signing took place in Government House in Ilorin in the presence of House of Assembly Speaker Rt Hon. Yakubu Danladi Salihu; Majority Leader Hon. Oba AbdulKadir Magaji; and the Clerk of the House AbdulKareem Ahmed; and a member of the Committee on the Establishment of Kwara State University of Education/Special Adviser (Special Duties) Abdulrazaq Jiddah,’ the statement said.
Ex-NWC member, Lukman resigns from APC
A former National Vice Chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman, has resigned from the ruling party.
The former APC National Working Committee member made this known in a statement he issued in Abuja on Wednesday titled: “APC and The Future of Nigerian Democracy: Letter to Selected APC Leaders.”
He said the reason for his resignation was based on the lack of internal democracy and the inability of the party leadership to allow the much-needed reforms within the party.
Lukman said he had gone back to the trenches to work with committed Nigerians who are interested in the survival and development of democracy in the nation.
He said, “Given all this, it is possible to remain in APC if at all President Tinubu will allow internal reform in the party to return it to its founding vision, which as it is, is very remote. But my reality now in the party is that my membership has been rendered useless, and there is no need for me to continue to impose myself.
“I have therefore gone back to the trenches and will try to work with all committed Nigerians who agree and subscribe to the goal of actively campaigning for the survival and development of democracy in Nigeria.”
Lukman, who failed to disclose the party he will be joining ahead of the 20207 elections, stated that a strong democracy with functional political parties is possible in the country.
He added, “We must grow our democracy to the point whereby elected representatives at all levels are accountable to the party and it is possible for Nigerians represented by various interests to develop strong relationships with political parties and elected governments based on which policies of governments can be made to reflect wider interests of Nigerians.
“I am confident that a strong democracy with functional political parties is possible in Nigeria. I am also confident that in our lifetime, we can produce governments that are truly capable of making the lives of Nigerians better. I don’t expect party leaders will agree with my decision. I believe that eventually, we will be united will all party leaders and other Nigerians who are committed to developing Nigerian democracy.”
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Tinubu congratulates Sam Amuka-Pemu on birthday
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu, the Chairman and Publisher of Vanguard Media Ltd, on the occasion of his birthday.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, made this announcement in a statement on Wednesday.
“President Tinubu joins family, friends, and the Nigerian media community to celebrate a pacesetter, an inimitable man of letters, and a bastion of journalism.
“The President salutes Pa Amuka-Pemu for his service to the nation through the artistry of his pen and intellect, and for his contributions to the media and beyond,” Ngelale said.
Ngelale said the President also commended the elder statesman for his courage and unbending disposition to the pristine values of truth and justice.
He acknowledged Amuka-Pemu’s role and efforts in the pursuit of a greater Nigeria.
“The President prays for many more years in good health for the esteemed journalist and his family,” he said.
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It’s official! Davido and Chioma Rowland set to wed in Lagos on June 25
The pair of David Adeleke popularly known in music circles as Davido and his better-half Chioma Rowland will both tie the nuptial knot officially on June 25, 2024.
This much was made known in a video shared by UK-based Nigerian Pastor, Tobi Adeboyega, which captured Davido inviting people to the wedding which will be staged in Lagos.
“Guys, you have to come to Nigeria on the 25th [of June] for my wedding,” David said in the video.
READ ALSO:Singer Davido launches own meme coin, $Davido, cashes out $474,400 in one day
It was recently reported that Davido and Chioma are set to hold their traditional wedding in Lagos and the singer has now confirmed the reports in the video which went viral on Tuesday.
This comes after the couple whose journey has been closely followed by fans who have witnessed their highs and lows welcomed a set of twins last year to the delight of many.
They lost their first child together, Ifeanyi in a swimming pool accident at the singer’s Lagos mansion back in 2022 and the pair got engaged shortly after the tragic incident.
The post It’s official! Davido and Chioma Rowland set to wed in Lagos on June 25 appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
I was almost killed under military rule
A Nigerian based in the United States, Yomi Faparusi, has narrated how he was almost abducted and killed during the dark days of military rule in Nigeria by agents of the State Security Service, now known as the Department of State Service.
He also enjoined young Nigerians to take their voting rights seriously, adding, “Many died for the right so they should please make sure they vote in every election.”
Faparusi, who spoke to reporters in a virtual press conference on Tuesday, said he was targeted for elimination because he was one of the student union leaders mobilising students to demonstrate over the detention of the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, late MKO Abiola.
The Nigerian American, who is running for a seat in Congress in November’s general election to represent one of the districts in the state of Tennessee, said he escaped from Nigeria in 1997 to seek political asylum in the United States when he realised that he would be detained by the Abacha regime and killed.
He said at the time, the late General Sani Abacha, who usurped power after the June 12 election annulment, had become increasingly “oppressive and was sending assassins to kill many pro-democracy activists.”
Narrating how he almost lost his life, he said he was at the Aleshinloye market in Ibadan when he noticed that three men dressed like SSS agents were following him.
His said, “In one of those expeditions, Abacha sent his killers to Ibadan in Oyo State to get me and other student union leaders abducted. We were preparing for a nationwide strike and demonstration then; I mean the various groups involved, including students, market women and labour unions.
“But, the plan leaked and the Abacha junta started picking up people. Without cell phones back then I could not get wind of my impending arrest by security agents. At the Aleshinloye market in Ibadan, I saw three men dressed like SSS agents following me. I moved fast and hid in a shop and when I was trying to leave, I saw these men waiting for me.
“Fortunately, one of the store owners allowed me to stay in his shop. He left me at his store after the market closed. After I escaped from the market, I stayed underground. But when I heard that some of my comrades had started disappearing, I decided to flee Nigeria.”
Despite being a medical student at the University of Ibadan, Faparusi further explained how he became an activist,.
He said, “I was active in the students’ union and several demonstrations. Off-campus, I worked with chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress in strategy. Back then, the NLC would have a nationwide strike which was not sustainable for a long time.
“I was one of the proponents of scattered and sequential strikes — different chapters strike at different times so the strikes could be continuous like a relay race. When I got to the US, I attended events organised by NADECO chieftains, including President Bola Tinubu who was a key figure in the struggle for restoration of democracy then.”
Faparusi hailed Nigerians for their resilience, saying many of them rose against the illegitimate military junta led by the Late Gen. Abacha.
He said the sacrifice made by those who fought against the annulment of the June 12 election was what gave rise to the current civilian rule in Nigeria.
He noted that he got involved in the June 12 struggle because of his disdain for military regimes.
He said, “My formative years were under military rule and I believe that the men in uniform ruined the life of a lot of people in my age group. Abacha was a tyrant on a different level. I was determined to end his government.”
Nigeria’s democracy still has a long way to go – Shehu Sani
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, on Wednesday, said Nigeria’s democracy still has a long way to go.
Reacting to Tinubu’s Democracy Day promise that his reforms would be fruitful, he lamented that there is so much hunger and hardship in the country amid the Democracy Day celebration.
In his Democracy Day speech, Tinubu claimed that the reforms his government has initiated are intended to create a stronger, better foundation for future growth, assuring that there is no doubt the reforms have occasioned hardship.
Tinunu noted that the reforms are necessary repairs required to fix the economy over the long run so that everyone has access to economic opportunity, fair pay and compensation for his endeavour and labour.
“We shall soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine what has been agreed upon as part of our law for the next five years or less,” Tinubu explained.
However, Shehu Sani on his X handle wrote, ”there is so much hardship and hunger in the land, the earlier the reforms bear fruit and end the aggravating poverty in the land the better, safer and more peaceful our country will become.
“We have come a long way, but we also have a long way to go. Democracy should not be a Government installed by the majority for the benefit of a minority. We should not despair to continue to work for a better country.”
Nigeria’s democracy still has a long way to go – Shehu Sani
Ondo approves judicial village, N980m stadium projects
The Ondo State Government has approved the building of a new judicial village and renovation of the state’s Sports Complex.
It has also approved the construction of a 28-kilometre road in the Irele Local Government Area that leads to the state’s free trade zone and Edo State.
The Commissioners for Justice, Kayode Ajulo, Commissioner for Sports, Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, and Special Adviser on Infrastructure Ayo Babalola, disclosed this at a news briefing after the State Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday in Akure.
Ajulo announced that the SEC approved the building of a new judicial village that would be a legacy project of the current administration.
The commissioner said the building project would be different from previous ones and would be more befitting and conducive for judicial workers in the state.
“This project has been conceptualised earlier, this is what is important to our governor and a laudable project.
“And I believe this is the first time we are having such a project in Ondo State to have a befitting place for our justices and where people get justice,” he said.
Also, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development said that the executive council had approved N980 million for the renovation of the Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure.
Yusuf-Ogunleye said the renovation would cover the main pitch, indoor sports hall and other necessary facilities to make the stadium a better place.
He commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for his unwavering support for the development of sports and support for youths in the state.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser on Infrastructure, Mr Ayo Babalola, said that the executive council had approved the construction of the 28-kilometre Akotobo- Iju-Osun road in Irele Local Government Area of the state.
Babalola said that the road when completed would add economic value to the lives of the people of the state, provide access to the free trade zone, Edo and the ongoing Federal Government’s coastal road.
NAN
Passenger train derails with scores onboard
A passenger train derailed in the early hours of Wednesday between Kaduna and Abuja, leaving numerous passengers stranded and sparking widespread concern
The train, which was carrying an unknown number of passengers, derailed at an unspecified location along the route.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, has sparked confusion and panic among relatives of passengers, who are seeking information on the whereabouts and safety of their loved ones.
A relative of one of the passengers who identified herself as Aishat Ado told According Online that her sister called to inform her of the derailment but could not ascertain their current destination.
“My sister just called me and said their train had derailed but she could not mention her location before her phone went off. I tried calling her back several times but the phone seems off.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Yakub Mahmood, refused to comment insisting that a press statement would be released later in the day.
When asked if the passengers were fine, Mahmood said, “Please wait for the statement my brother.”
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