Category: Featured

It was a day of pomp and peagentry at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Abuja as the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China honoured a galaxy of Nigerian stars at a unique ceremony marking the 70th Anniversary of the creation of the Republic.

It was a day where a few Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in cementing the ties between Nigeria and China in different fields were conferred with one of the highest Honours reserved for deserving foreigners.

One of the recipients is a man who has taken the Nigerian and Chinese business environments by storm in the past 21 years , Mr Moses Chiahemba Ayom.

Moses Ayom’s success story represents the resilience and dexterity of the Nigerian spirit. His, is an example of the never give up character and passionate commitment to excellence of the typical Nigerian . He is the chief Executive officer of many flourishing Nigerian businesses cutting across manufacturing, tourism, mining, construction, Education and the Cultural Creativity industry.

His league of companies include Cherrywood Nig Ltd, Granite &Marble Nigeria Ltd, Edgewaters Hotels, Bay Dorchester Hotel, Heritage Africa Village Square among others.

Mr Ayom’s business ventures have taken him to many countries of the world . However, his first visit to China in 1999 opened a new vista of prosperity for his numerous businesses . China seemed to have become his proverbial last bus stop because he was enamored by the people’s indefatigable spirit and their quest for excellence. His frequent visits provided him the opportunity to meet and develop rewarding friendships with some of the most influential business personalities in China.

It didn’t therefore come as a surprise to have seen Mr Ayom become one of the major players in the sprawling new business city of Shenzhen where he owns a number of Real Estate.

In 2016, Moses Ayom was a member of the Presidential Trade delegation to China where President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and President Xi Xinping of China witnessed as he signed a mining agreement with the world’s Largest manufacturer of Mining equipment SBM Ltd to develop Africa’s Largest Granite and Marble site located in Ogun State.

Mr Ayom’s award is in recognition of his role in the area of economic, educational and cultural cooperation between Nigeria and China. The Ambassador of China must have noticed that Ayom has networked a rewarding partnership between some Nigerian Universities and some leading universities in China. His Heritage Africa Village Square located at No 2 Celina Ayom Crescent is a Cultural hotbed where Chinese and Nigerian cultures cohabit, showcasing the best in visual and performing Arts.

His rise from humble backgrounds to his current heights in business and his recognition by one of the most powerful countries on earth is an inspiration to upcoming entrepreneurs who must learn from him the virtues of hardwork, honesty and perseverance .

Moses Ayom believes that the only obstacles to success are the ones you erect for yourself. For him, there are no limits for someone who is determined to succeed when one make’s God the focus of his activities.

Moses Ayom who was elegantly dressed in the Chinese national dress dedicated the award to President Muhammadu Buhari who he says has created the enabling environment for genuine businesses to thrive saying “ only those who fed as parasites on the Nigerian economy before are complaining. Those of us who set out to add value have every reason to thank the President”.

Mr Ayom wishes to place the huge experiences he has gathered in the course of his interactions over the years to the benefit of upcoming Nigerians especially in his native Benue State . According to him, his greatest goal is to nurture and mentor entrepreneurs in his state in order to realize and harness the huge potentials in that state.

By Dauda R Pam

Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division, Brigadier General Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim, has said that with the adoption of the new American concept of Super camp, Response Area (RA) and Strong Response Areas (SRS) the military,will very soon bring to an end the insurgency in the Northeast and the Country at large..

Brigadier Gen.Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim, disclosed this at Molai checkpoint, while on tour of military formations under sector 1 said “I took over the leadership of the command at the time we are changing our strategy of operation from defensive locations to Super camps RA and SRA to effectively tackle insurgency , so as to finish our job and go back to the barracks”.

” with the Super camps RA and SRAs, we are going to Carry out patrol raids and respond to any attack. We will not continue to stay in one place and Boko Haram will just come and attack our locations and kill our troops and cart away our weapons,” general Ibrahim added.

He further explained that they are going to take the fight to the Boko Haram, wherever they may be , adding the military is more determined to end the insurgency and assured members of the public,that the military is on top of athe situation.

The GOC urged them to always cooperate with the security agencies by promptly reporting any suspicious movement or objects and used the occasion to advise the Boko Haram insurgents to surrender and laydown their arms or be forced to give peace a chance.

Highlights of the tour was a visit to the 7 Division Garrison, 33 Artillery , 211 and 212 battalions where he was briefed by the commanders.
Ends.

By Danzumi Ishaku

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has approved two sites for the installation of Liquefied Petrol and Gas (LPG) plants in Jalingo the Taraba Capital.

Mr Jeremiah Mashat, Operational Controller DPR, Jalingo Field Office, disclosed this to journalists on Wednesday during a routine compliance surveillance operation.

Mashat said that the office had forwarded the approval to its North East Zonal Office in Maiduguri for the issuance of operational license to the operators.

He said that the two additional plants would complement the only existing Taraba Gas plant which, he said, was insufficient to cope with growing demand for cooking gas in the state.

The controller said that the installation of the two additional plants would further enhance competition in the market and dismantle monopoly for users of cooking gas in the state.

He also assured that the non licensed cooking gas retailers would soon quit, adding that non licensed operators would be appropriately sanctioned by the DPR.

Mashat revealed to our reporter that the department had invited all gas distribution stakeholders in the state to a meeting with a view to sensitizing them on the need to operate the business in line with global best practices.

The DPR Boss said, DPR would ensure strict adherence to rules and regulations of the petroleum downstream in order to make sure that the commodity was safe for users.

Mashat further said the department has directed all financial institutions and individuals who were having industrial storage to get their permit from DPR.

Daybreak report that the agency would inspect the position of such industrial plants to ascertain environmental safety.

Abel Leonard Nzwanke, Lafia

Nasarawa state police commissioner, Bola Longe has disclosed that the state is endangered with all manner of crime coming from neighbouring states, especially kidnapping.

He stated this while speaking with newsmen on the efforts of his command to track down criminals that attacked the state deputy governor last week killing three police officers and two drivers attached to him.

According to him “Nasarawa state to be kind is an endangered state, this state is surrounded by five states where there are problems.

“Plateau in the northeast, Taraba in the east, Benue in the southeast, Kogi in the south, Kaduna in the north and FCT which is not having a problem, these states are driving criminals to Nasarawa state.

“So constantly we are strategising and deploying our personnel to combat them as they are coming,” he said

He also stressed that his command has arrested three persons in connection with the attack on the state deputy governor, adding that the command is working tirelessly to arrest all the elements that perpetrated that act.

“We have sectorise Nasarawa eggon to Akwanga and extended to Gudi to ensure that the Lafia/Abuja express road is free of criminals, the elements that rob on that day, we are monitoring them, we sent chopper to patrol the area and immediately they saw it , they were in disarray and are trying to escape, we are monitoring them” he said

“We have mapped out our strategies in this state and the elements that are trying to trouble us now, we are going to make minesmith of them, we will have no sympathy for them, they have killed our men, we will kill them.

“We are moving, we have reduced totally to nothing robbery, banditry is not existing anymore, we have deal decisively with cultism, our only problem is kidnapping and we will soon liquidate them,” longe said.

By Abel Leonard Nzwanke

The Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly,Hon.Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, has announced 22 House standing committee chairmen and their members to pilot the affairs of the House.

Abdullahi while announcing the names of the House standing committees at the floor of the House in Lafia charged them to live above board while discharging their duties.

The House committee chairmen are:
Rules and Business Hon Tanko Tunga,Majority Leader, Hon Danladi Jatau,Minority Leader.

Others are, Works and Transport Hon Abdullazeez Danladi, Education,Science and Technology Hon Daniel Ogazi.

“Public Accounts committee, Hon.Abdullahi Angibi, Finance and Appropriation committee Hon Aliyu Dogara and the chairman,Local Government committee Hon Mohammed Alkali, Lands and Survey, Hon David Maiyaki.

Others are Hon Mohammed M, Planning, Budget and SDGs, Hon Mohammed Capital Market/Commerce and Industry and House committee on Youths and Sports Musa Iyimoga,”he said.

The speaker also announced Hon Usman Shafa as chairman,House committee on Health, Hon Ali Nana, chairman,House committee on Public Service and Pilgrims while Women Affairs committee is to be chaired by Hon Samuel Tsebe.

Also announced is Hon Abel Bala as the Chairman, House Welfare committee, Hon Mohammed Okpoku chairman,House committee on NASIEC,Multilateral Cooperative and Community Development, Hon Mohammed Omadefu Chairman, House committee on Information.

“Hon Zhekaba Iliya is to chair Housing and Environment committee Hon Ibrahim Akwe is the chairman, House committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“The Committee on Water Resources and Rural Development is to be chaired by Hon Suleiman Adamu, Hon Suleiman Yakubu is to chair Urban and Regional Planning(NUDB) committee and Hon John Osewu is the chairman, Judiciary committee,”he added

Abdullahi further announced Hon Nehemiah Dandaura, the Deputy speaker of the House as the chairman,Project monitoring.

The speaker also urged them not to compromised while performing their committee oversight function in the interest of peace and development.

According to him, we have been sworn in for three months now and hence the need for the constitution of House standing committees to pilot the affairs of the House.

By Abel Leonard Nzwanke

Mr Mohammed Fari, the Nasarawa state Commandant of the NSCDC has revealed that the corps, has so far rescued many kidnap victims

Mr. Fari said that his officers rescued the victims from the base of a mountain around Wulko village near Akwanga on Monday night.

He said the victims, comprising five men and two women, were rescued unhurt.

Daybreak Newspapers reports that the abductors said to be in military uniform may have been responsible for the recent attack on the convoy of the Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Dr Emmanuel Akabe, along Nasarawa Eggon-Akwanga Road on his way to Abuja.

Three policemen attached to the convoy and two other civilians were killed in the operation by the same suspected gang that kidnapped the seven persons.

According to Fari, the abductors abandoned their victims when they got wind of the presence of NSCDC officials in the area.

However, Mr Yakubu Gumjere, one of the victims narrated their ordeal in the hands of the kidnappers.
Gumjere said that he was on his way to Akwanga when the armed men picked him up at a popular location known as “Many have gone” along Nasarawa Eggon-Akwanga Road.

He said six other persons were also abducted by the armed men, who were in military uniforms.
“We were taken into the bush and ordered to lie down with someone guarding us with a gun while they returned to the road.

“We later heard gunshots, which lasted for a while before the armed men returned and ordered us to start trekking.
“They came back with additional riffles, which they claimed were gotten from the police.

“We trekked from about 7 p.m until about 2 a.m the next day before we got to their hideout in the mountains. It took us about three hours to climb the mountain,” he said.

He further said that “We the (victims) are fed with garri and crushed maggi seasoning during our eight days stay with them.

Gumjere said the 11 armed men had sophisticated weapons and a large cache of ammunition, adding that the abductors quickly relocated them to the inner part of the rock when they heard the sound of a chopper.

He explained that the abductors contacted their families and collected ransom from six of them and pardoned the seventh victim.
“They told us that they collected over N1 million each from two of us, and various sums from the others and had to pardon one of us whose family was not forthcoming.
“They were so familiar with the terrain to the extent that the movement at night was effortless to them.

“According to the kidnapers they have been in the state for about a month now.
“They were bringing us to the base of the mountain around Wulko village when they got information about the presence of the NSCDC and had to abandon us and fled,” Gumjere said.

By Abel Leonard Nzwanke

The Chairman of Toto Local Government, Nasarawa State, Nuhu Adamu Dauda, has said that 40 suspected kidnappers and their informants terrorising residents have been arrested by security agents.

Dauda made the disclosure at a security meeting, which had traditional rulers, village/district heads, community leaders and representatives of various security agents in attendance.

He said the council was impressed with the support of security agents, which had helped in curtailing cases of incessant kidnapping in the area, adding that the council’s declaration of curfew also helped.

He also said the council has commenced the construction of six modern security outposts along some major roads in the area to reduce hardships faced by security operatives and to also curtail criminal activities in the area.

The chairman appreciated the efforts of traditional rulers and community leaders and residents and their cooperation with security agents by giving them useful information.

He assured residents of his administration’s determination to protect lives and property. He urged traditional rulers to always live in peace with one another

The meeting had the first class traditional ruler, Ohimegye of Opanda-Umaisha, Alhaji Usman Abdullahi, and other chiefs in attendance.

By Danzumi Ishaku Jalingo.

A day after gunmen attacks on a family of five in Takum local government of Taraba state, a policeman and bus driver as well as his conductor were attacked by suspected gunmen in Takum local government council.

The victims who are now undergoing medical treatment in one of the hospital located in the council , were said to have been attacked yesterday in Kofai Amadu village, along Takum -Wukari road.

While the name of the attacked policeman was given as Sargent Mohammad Abdullahi, that of the driver and his conductor were given as mallam Sadiq Salihu and mallam lsiaku both of whom who were said to have hailed from job.

Confirming the attacks, the council chairman, Shiban Tikari, said three vehicles were attacked along kofai Amadu road to Takum close to a village of Kpakufun where he was attacked.

Perturbed by the incessant attacks, “a bus ” as stated by him “was attacked by militias” whom as made known by him ” came out from bush, shot the , and bus injured the driver badly .”

The unfortunate policeman was said to have ran into the suspected gunmen whom were in large numbers.

According to the chairman a police patrol vehicle ran into the gangs and one of the policeman was shot and badly injured.

The chairman who confirmed that the security operatives are working assiduously to track down the suspects, called on government at all levels to fashion out measures that would assist in flushing out bandits from the state.

When reached for confirmation, the state police command through the Public Relations Officer (PPRO), David Misal, said they are not yet aware of the attacks but promised to get back to Nigerian pilot as soon as the information gets to the command.