Author: Gloria Lamar Johnson

THE coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Professor Ali Pate has dismissed the rumoured resurgence of COVID-19 in the country, stating that there is no scientific research record to back the claims. Professor Pate disclosed this at the maiden public lecture series of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo in Benue State where he was represented by his Senior Special Adviser Emmanuel Oduh. “The diagnosis of COVID is a scientific process. It is not something that is subjective and you speculate about. There could be speculations but once investigations are conducted and it is confirmed that it is…

WORLD Health Organisation, WHO, has announced 25 cases of fresh Coronavirus disease, COVID-19 infections, in Benue State, advising people to take advantage of the availability of vaccines to protect themselves because the virus has returned and is prevalent. The World Health Organisation, WHO, Surveillance Officer, for Benue state, Ogechukwu Chigbo made this known at a one-day Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, and Media Engagement/Orientation meeting on COVID-19 Ramp up in Makurdi. The Surveillance Officer cautioned that COVID-19 has returned big advising that people take advantage of the availability of vaccines to protect themselves from the virus. She stated that “the problem…

FOUR persons have been killed by assailants in Gudum Village of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. The attack according to accounts from residents of the village occurred on sunday night. The target of the attackers was the ward head of the village whose residence was set ablaze, with his wife and children held hostage while he escaped from the scene. However, the intervention of the personnel of Operation Safe Haven following a distress call forced the assailants to flee from the scene after killing four persons, all of them males. Governor Caleb Mutfwang in a statement by the…

MINISTER of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, says he is confused on whether he should move to the senate or retain his position in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu. Lalong, a two-term governor of Plateau State, had contested but lost the February 25, 2023 election. The Independent of National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Napoleon Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the election. Dissatisfied with the outcome of the elections, Lalong had headed for the tribunal, which ruled in his favour. Bali had rejected the result of the tribunal and filed an appeal. In a…

GUNMEN believed to be bandits have stormed Gandu community and kidnapped some students at the Federal University of Lafia. A resident, who lives within the university community but pleaded for anonymity, informed our correspondent that the gunmen came at first in their numbers at about 7:30pm on Wednesday and started shooting into the air to scare the residents of the area, but when they noticed that security operatives were coming after them, they ran into the bush to hide for several hours. An eyewitness, who also didn’t want his name in print, told our correspondent that the gunmen stormed a…

JUSTICE Monica Dongban-Mensem, the President of the Court of Appeal, has relocated the Kogi Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal from Lokoja to Abuja. A statement by David Umar Mike, Secretary of the Tribunal, said that its sittings would now be at the National Judicial Institute on Umar Yar’Adua Way. It urged litigants to take note of the movement of the Tribunal to Abuja. The movement may not be unconnected with the alleged attack by unknown gunmen on the Secretary of the Kogi State Governorship Election Tribunal in Lokoja. News Point Nigeria had earlier reported that the Kogi State Police Command said…

KOGI State Police Command said its investigating an alleged attack on the secretary of the state governorship election Tribunal, Mr David Umar Mike on Monday in Lokoja. Mr Umar claimed some unknown assailants attacked him and made away with sensitive petition documents on the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state. The state police command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP William Aya, disclosed the probe in Lokoja on Wednesday. According to the claim submitted by Mr Umaru to the police, the documents carted away include, petitions filed by four (4) Parties: Action Alliance (AA), Action People’s Party (APP), Peoples…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says gunmen have attacked the residence of its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lokoja, Kogi State. The commission in a communique made available to Channels Television, said the attack happened around 3:30 am today, Friday, December 1, 2023. It noted that the armed men engaged security personnel in a gun battle for over 30 minutes until reinforcement arrived. “While no lives were lost, property was destroyed in the ensuing gun battle. A team of combined security personnel have been deployed to protect the residence. This incident occurred a day after a mob besieged our…

THE Kogi state Governorship Tribunal sitting in Lokoja has adjourned its sitting indefinitely pending the inspection of the election materials is complete. In its last Saturday sitting, the governorship Tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue certified copies of electoral materials to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) within 48 hours. At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the SDP said the INEC was cooperating with the inspection of materials, but sought for more time in the exercise. The materials being inspected include, Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and result sheets for Adavi, Okene, Okehi, Ogori-Magongo, Ajaokuta, Lokoja, Kogi…

SECURITY agencies have dispersed protesters, who stormed the State Secretariat of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Lokoja, to protest against what they termed “INEC’s dubious tampering with election materials”. The security agencies moved in on Wednesday morning, to prevent an attack on the INEC Office, dispersing the protesters with tear gas while barricading the road leading to the office. The protest started peacefully, until some of the SDP supporters started throwing harmful objects and harassing passers-by. The SDP protesters were demanding that the election materials be moved to Abuja. One of the protesters who identified himself as Danjuma…

THE Court of Appeal, Abuja has dismissed the appeal of Mister Sani Yahaya of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) who is challenging the election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Kefas Agbu, as Governor of Taraba state. News Point Nigeria reports that Yahaya and his party had challenged the result of the March 18 governorship election on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, stating that Agbu didn’t score the majority of lawful votes cast. But delivering Judgement on Tuesday, the appellate court held that the reliefs sought by the NNPP candidate were inconsistent having faulted the…

THE Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday sacked the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Mr. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi and declared Mr Sa’ad Abdullahi Ibrahim (Turakin-Opanda) of the People Democratic Party (PDP), as the authentic winner of the March 18, 2013 speakership election in the state. The petitioner had told the tribunal that there was overvoting and that the election was not in compliance with the Electoral Act. But the three-member tribunal panel led by Justice Francisca Isong Nnang upheld the victory of the speaker, saying the petitioners failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the allegations of overvote as…

THE Kogi State Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, has queried the paramount ruler and Ohimeghe-Igu of Koton-Karfe, Alh. Abdulrazak Isa-Koto, over his alleged involvement in partisan politics. The query was contained in a letter dated November 22, 2023, signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bar. Salami Momodu Ozigi Deedeat, and addressed to the first-class traditional ruler. “It has come to the notice of the State Government that you deliberately engaged yourself in a partisan role in the just-conducted Gubernatorial Election in Kogi State,” the letter read. “This is viewed very seriously,…

THE Kogi State Government has issued a directive to freeze all state and local government accounts, effective immediately. A Thursday statement signed by the Commissioner for Finance, Asiwaju Asiru Idris, said no form of payment should be made to anyone from the government account henceforth. According to the statement, all “standing orders and investment instructions are hereby cancelled forthwith”. However, our correspondent gathered that the decision may be connected with the governor’s concerns on safeguarding state funds. The governor also issued a questionnaire to all 21 local government chairmen, which they were asked to submit last Tuesday.

THE Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon Moses Thomas Sule, has resigned his position as speaker. The deputy speaker, Hon Gwottaon Fom, has also resigned his position. The member representing Pankshin North Gabriel Dawang, has been elected as the new speaker. Hon Timothy Dantong representing Riyom constituency is now the new deputy speaker of Assembly. Our correspondent reports that the development could be connected to the sacking governor Caleb Mutfwang and some PDP lawmakers in the state assembly. More details shortly…

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal brought before it by the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Titus Uba challenging the election of Hyacinth Alia as the elected governor of Benue State. In a unanimous judgment, the court resolved all three issues formulated for determination against Uba and PDP for various reasons. Justice Onyekachi Otisi who delivered the lead judgment dismissed the allegations of non-qualification made by Uba against the deputy governor Samuel Ode. He held that the PDP candidate failed to establish forgery of INEC form EC9 by Ode beyond a reasonable doubt.…

THE Appeal Court in Abuja has sacked the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang. In her ruling on Sunday, the lead Justice, Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Nentawe Goshwe. Justice Williams-Dawodu set aside the judgment of the Tribunal which affirmed the election of Governor Mutfwang, describing it as highly incompetent. According to the court, the decision of the tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by the APC and its candidate on the ground that the duo had no business meddling in the affairs…

THE District Head of Kujama in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mr Steven Ibrahim has been abducted by suspected gunmen. He was abducted alongside two others while walking out of a reservation centre located behind Bethel Baptist School along Kaduna- Kujama highway. The incident happened on Sunday evening around 7pm according to a local JTF senior member who pleaded for anonymity. According to him, the district head was in company of two others when the gunmen came on motorcycle and picked him at gunpoint. “The place where the incident happened was behind the Bethel Baptist School and the…

SINCE the full implementations of the minimum wage policy of the Gov Agbu Kefas administration, the state has been thrown into a frenzy of excitement. Many beneficiaries, who can not hide their joy, have been expressing their happiness and gratitude. This cuts across the entire state irrespective of tribe or religion. The citizens have continue to hail the governor for his compassion and proactive moves. A lady who introduced herself as Ladi said God will continue to bless Governor Kefas. She noted that the increase have revolutionized her purchasing power and has given her a new lease of life. She…

THE keenly-contested November 11, 2023 Kogi State Governorship Election has finally produced a winner with the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Usman Ododo, clinching the much-coveted seat. The State Returning Officer, Prof Johnson Urama, who is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, announced Ododo as the winner at 10:23pm on Sunday. Ododo won with 446,237 votes, defeating his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who scored 259,052, while Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 46,362 votes. Ododo, an ex-Auditor General of Local Government in Kogi under Governor Yahaya…