ACADEMIC and non-academic staff of higher education institutions in Nasarawa State, under the aegis of Joint Unions of Nasarawa State Tertiary Institutions (JUNSTI), is set to embark on an indefinite strike. The union resolved to commence a strike over the non-implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage consequential adjustment, promotions and N70,500 minimum wage. The institutions include Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia, College of Agriculture, Science & Technology, Lafia, and the College of Education, Akwanga. A statement signed by the Chairman of JUNTSI, Comrade Samson Kale Gbande, and his Secretary, Comrade Paul Olotu and made available to journalists in Lafia indicated…
Author: Gloria Lamar Johnson
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SEVEN years after the alleged displacement of over 200,000 Bassa indigenes by the Egbura ethnic group in the Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, the natives are set to return to their ancestral homes on February 10. The development followed several peace meetings organised by the state government and heads of security agencies in the state. The acting chairman of Bassa Youth for Peace Coalition Forum, Joshua Gomina, disclosed this on Monday while speaking with journalists. He said his kinsmen had been displaced since April 22, 2018, when a communal clash ensued with the Egburas. Gomina commended the state…
A HIGH Court in Lokoja, Kogi State has sacked the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Ahmed Anaje from office. The presiding judge, High Court 6, Lokoja, Justice Salisu Umar, in his ruling on Monday made an order directing the monarch to stop presenting himself as the paramount traditional ruler of Ebiraland. Though the court is yet to make available details of the judgement, our correspondent learnt that the matter pertains to case number HCO/05C/2024, filed by Dr Barnabas Adeku Ojiah and two others against the Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo. Efforts by our correspondent to get the Certified True Copy of the…
THE Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced that the Federal Government raked in approximately N2.4 billion from marriage contracts via its marriage registry in 2024. He also said the Federal Government planned to further strengthen the security around the nation’s borders to curtail the influx of irregular migrants. He spoke in Abuja at a media parley with heads of agencies under the ministry on Tuesday. The minister also revealed that over three point two billion naira was generated from expatriate quota applications, marking a one hundred and fifty percent increase in overall revenue. He added that marriage registry has…
TIMILEYIN Ajayi, the suspected killer of Salome Adaidu, has been arraigned at the High Court of Justice, Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital. He was charged with one count of culpable homicide punishable by death, contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code of Northern Nigeria He was arraigned on Monday before Justice Simon Aboki. Upon arraignment, the suspect pleaded not guilty to the allegation. The 32-year-old was apprehended for the murder of his alleged girlfriend, Adaidu, a 24-year-old member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who served at Nicon Insurance in the Nation’s capital, Abuja, before her death. Salome…
A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), retired Lt Gen. Jeremiah Useni, is dead. The late elder statesman, who was popularly called ‘Jerry Boy’ by his friends and former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under Sani Abacha, passed away on Thursday at the age of 82, following a protracted illness. His death was announced in a statement issued in Jos by Gyang Bere, the Director of Press and Public Affairs to Plateau State governor, Caleb Mutfwang. He described the of the former Minister and Quarter Master General of the Nigerian Army as a tremendous loss not…
THE National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says the average retail price of a litre of petrol increased from N648.93 in November 2023 to N1,214.17 in November 2024. It made the declaration in its Petrol Price Watch for November 2024 released in Abuja on Thursday. It stated that the November 2024 price of N1,214.17 represented an 87.10 per cent increase over the price of N648.93 recorded in November 2023. “Comparing the average price value with the previous month of October, the average retail price increased by 2.48 per cent from N1,184.83.” On state profiles analysis, the report said Benue paid the…
A MEMBER of Federal House of Representatives, representing Yagba East, West and Mopamuro federal constituency in Kogi state, Elder Leke Abejide, has asked supporters across the state to leave his colleague in the Green Chamber, Hon. James Faleke out of unhealthy politics. The lawmaker was reacting to political comments made by some people regarding politics of his constituency ahead of 2027 election where the name of Hon. Faleke was mentioned as the source. In a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja, personally signed by him, Hon. Abejide said he wouldn’t himself to be distracted from governance and how to better…
THE Federal Government on Sunday said it would activate surveillance measures for inbound passengers from China following the current surge of a respiratory virus. Reports indicate that the virus has led to overcrowded hospitals, emergency measures and public concerns in China. The virus, attributed to the Human Metapneumovirus, has seen cases spiking across northern Chinese provinces this winter, particularly among children. Neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are closely monitoring the HMPV situation, having reported a few cases but no widespread outbreaks, according to reports. According to Chinese authorities, there has been a noticeable increase in HMPV…
SUSPENDED chairmen of Owan West and Ovia South West Local Government Areas, Dickson Ahonsi and Edosa Enowoghomenma, on Friday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress in Edo State. Ahonsi defected with five councillors while Enowoghomenma moved with eight of his councillors. Ahonsi was received by members of the state executive of the party in Benin, the state capital. He said his decision to join the APC was influenced by the steps taken so far by Governor Monday Okpebholo to develop the state. The chairman and the five councilors were presented with brooms, the party’s…
THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said the poor working conditions among public varsities’ lecturers fuel the reluctance of qualified young academics to take up jobs in the university system. The chairman of the University of Ibadan (UI) chapter of the union, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, said this in his New Year message. The union leader said the situation also affected primary and secondary schools where “the teachers are not well-paid, leading to the reluctance of qualified teachers to take up employment in public primary and secondary schools, paving the way for the untrained and unqualified teachers hold sway”.…
ONE person has reportedly been killed in a crash involving Governor Hyacinth Alia’s convoy at Ihugh town in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State. Locals told our correspondent over the phone that two separate accidents occurred on Sunday near Ihugh market in Vandeikya, the hometown of Governor Alia. The locals said that the first incident happened as the governor traveled to his community for the Christmas holidays, with a vehicle in his convoy allegedly striking and killing a man. They added that on the return trip to Makurdi, another accident involving a vehicle on the governor’s convoy occurred in…
A FIRE incident at the Masaka market in the Karu local government of Nasarawa state has left many traders counting their losses. According to eyewitnesses, the fire, which started at about 10 PM Friday night, has left many of the traders devastated. At the time of filing this report, there was no presence of fire service officials to contain the fire as a portion of the market was still burning. The last time a fire incident affected the market was in 2019. Videos of the incident obtained by News Point Nigeria saw traders lamenting their losses while scavengers ransacked the…
FIFTEEN persons including a one-year-old boy were reportedly murdered in cold blood by assailants on Sunday night at Ri Do, also known as Gidan Ado a hamlet of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. The leadership of the Irigwe Development Association in a press statement issued in Jos, and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Sam Jugo stated that the community predominantly inhabited by Irigwe Natives from Bassa was attacked in the night without any provocation by yet-to-be-identified gunmen, who invaded the hamlet and killed 15 persons. Several other persons were also seriously injured in the attack. Expressing concerns…
THE Federal Government has declared Wednesday 25th, Thursday 26th of December 2024, and Wednesday 1st January, 2025 as public holidays to celebrate Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year respectively. The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Magdalene Ajani, extended warm greetings to all Nigerians, urging them to use the festive period to reflect on the values of love, peace, and unity that the season signifies. Dr. Tunji-Ojo emphasised the importance of the season as a time to foster harmony and strengthen…
A 35-YEAR-OLD man identified as Jimoh Abdulquadri, has died in police custody the Kwara State Police Command has revealed. Abdulquadri who died in the early hours of Friday was said to have been arrested by police operatives on December 19th 2024. It was also gathered that the deceased allegedly owed the sum of N220,000 to a Peter which led to his detention. The family of the deceased accused police operatives in the headquarters of the state police command of brutalising Abdulquadri while he was in their custody However, in reaction on Sunday, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun,…
FORMER minister of youth and sports development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Abdullahi, in a letter dated December 16, 2024, addressed to the Ubandawaki Ward chairman of the party in Ilorin, described the decision as a “difficult conclusion’ but the only ‘tenable option.” “I write to formally resign my membership of the PDP. I have had ample time to reflect, and I have come to the difficult conclusion that this is the only tenable option for me at this time’, he said. He thanked the leadership of the party for the opportunities…
DOZENS of persons, mostly women and children, are feared dead in a boat accident on River Benue near Ocholonya, in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State. The victims were reportedly returning to Doma in Nasarawa State after attending a market in Ocholonya village on Saturday when their wooden boat capsized. A resident of Ocholonya, identified simply as Adanyi, spoke to journalists in Makurdi about the incident. “Yesterday (Saturday) was Ocholonya market day. The boat was carrying women and children back to Odenyi in Nasarawa State when it capsized,” he said. The Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area, Melvin James,…
A WAVE of jubilation swept through Gboko, Benue State, on Wednesday as Dangote Cement Plc and six host communities signed an historic Community Development Agreement (CDA). The landmark accord, which commits Dangote Cement to multimillion-naira development initiatives, was celebrated as a transformative milestone, with the communities pledging to uphold a peaceful coexistence. His Royal Highness, Ter Gboko, Gabriel Shosum, hailed the pact as the dawn of a new era, affirming that the communities’ longstanding aspirations had been realized. The monarch extended gratitude to Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, for his commitment to addressing the needs of the…
NINE persons, including a councillor, were abducted by gunmen at the Odo-Ape community in the Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Our correspondent gathered that the abduction took place on Wednesday morning. This is coming barely a week after three persons, including an eight-year-old boy, were abducted from the same community. Among those kidnapped include the newly elected councillor representing the Odo-Ape Ward in the Kabba-Bunu Legislative Council. The councilor and the other eight were picked from their respective houses. A source from the community who did not want his name mentioned for security reasons confirmed that the gunmen…