News
Tourism: Won’t you join those discovering Taraba every day?
By Emmanuel Bello
Everyone is dreaming of going to Taraba state these days. Investors want to take advantage of the friendly business atmosphere encouraged by the amiable helmsman, Dr Agbu Kefas. A cosmopolitan minded persona, Kefas is an ex soldier at home with all tribes and tongues. For a man who spent most of his active combatant life in the creeks of the Niger Delta, keeping the peace and fostering unity, Dr. Kefas is open to the world. Urbane and well schooled, Kefas is a citizen of the universe with partners around the globe.
The governor has brought that star power to the somewhat backwater state. His friends are now troopiing into Jalingo, our beautiful state capital. Business men, investors, corporate bodies and men, and women of means are starting to take the state seriously.
Kefas himself is not leaving anyone in doubt. With a courtesy call to virtually every military formation in Abuja and to almost all embassies, the Colonel turned politician is re- introducing the state into national and international reckoning.
The efforts are paying off. Every day, top-level investors from around the world troop into Jalingo via the Overland airline to discover opportunities. When the Chinese are not visiting, expatriates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other global bodies are around to discuss prospects in solid minerals, education, health, and other areas.
Tourists are also waltzing into Taraba to discover the beauties of the Mambilla Plateau or the bounties of the Nwonyo Fishing festival recently resurrected by Governor Kefas Taraba is a tourist, haven. New hotels and relaxation spots are springing up every day.
Coming into Taraba itself had been made easy. Kefas started off by ensuring the Danbaba Suntai Airport is in the best shape to offer landing space to planes. Engaging key engineers in the sector, the governor ensured that the airport meets all known standards of aviation.
Today, three solid flights can bring anyone around the world to Taraba via Overland. Efficient and very professional, Overland ensures first-class services of the travel sector. Abuja to Jalingo is about an hour – a feat that has overcome time and space. And excuses! Connecting to the Mambilla Plateau – a bona-fide paradise on Earth – takes less than six hours with good roads.
A military brand ambassador, the former Army Colonel, Dr Agbu Kefas, is ensuring all-around security in the state. This has made Taraba safe for trips and all kinds of business activities. The metropolis itself bears all the signs of changes: good roads, street lights, better housing estates, modern bus stops, and a sprawling trade fair center.
Effective government policies like the free education scheme, workers’ welfare, and youth employment opportunities have changed the Taraba landscape totally. Won’t you rather visit our state?
Aides, Allies Disown Him, Say You’re a Traitor, We’re not Leaving PDP
Barely two weeks after his defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), crisis has enveloped the political camp of a member of the House of Representatives for Obokun/Oriade federal constituency in Osun State, Oluwole Oke.
Indeed, these are not the best of times for him as his defection to the APC is eliciting rejection from his close circles and constituency.
His key allies who he groomed into politics and government positions have rejected his calls on them to join him to defect to the APC.
A source said that in the last few days, key aides and allies of the lawmaker have rejected his movement to the APC, describing it as a political tragedy.
“With the way he betrayed PDP, Oluwole Oke is like the proverbial Leopard that can never change the spots on its body. He will also betray the APC. We are staying back in PDP while severing political links with him”, one of his allies, Bamidele Johnson said.
Some of his allies were said to have openly declared that the defection marks a political waterloo for the 6th term legislator.
For instance, some of Oke’s allies in his Local Government scorned his move as “a decision borne out of greed and selfishness.”
One of them described him as “an ingrate who betrayed a party on whose platform he got married in life as a lawmaker and on whose platform he gained all his material riches.”
The Northern Youths Consultative Forum for Justice (NYCJ) has urged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State, citing a complete breakdown of governance, law, and order.
In a statement issued on Monday in Kano, NYCJ President Dr Sanusi Rano described the situation in Zamfara as “organised abandonment of duty” by elected officials.
“What we are witnessing in Zamfara is not governance. It is betrayal of the people,” Rano said, pointing to the absence of a functional state House of Assembly and allegations linking officials to criminal activities.
The group highlighted the suspension of 10 lawmakers who spoke out against the deteriorating security situation, arguing that their removal has left Zamfara without a legally recognised legislative body.
“This is a dictatorship of silence,” said Rano, adding that the lack of checks and balances has deepened the state’s crisis.
“The same hands that should protect Zamfara are profiting from its destruction,” Rano stated.
Calling for decisive action, the group demanded the appointment of a non-partisan administrator to rebuild the state’s institutions.
“If this is not done now, Zamfara risks becoming a permanent state of anarchy, which threatens our democracy,” Rano warned.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, on Monday, sentenced the husband of late gospel singer, Osinachi, Peter Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
Nwachukwu was found guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased ( his wife) on April 8, 2022.
The judge held that the prosecution had proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law and subsequently found the defendant guilty.
Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022 by the Office of Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), on behalf of the Federal Government, on a 23-count charge .
The charge was on culpable homicide punishable with death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, criminal intimidation of children, spousal battery, among others.
In the course of trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including two children of the late Osinachi, who testified as fourth prosecution and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5 respectively.
The prosecution also tendered 25 documents as exhibits before the court.
The defendant testified for the defence and further called four other witnesses and tendered four exhibits in his defence.
Shortly before sentencing, the defendant, counsel , Reginald Nwali, in his allocutus pleaded with the court to be lenient in its judgment.
Similarly, the prosecution counsel, Mrs Aderonke Imala, urged the court to give force to the law as stipulated.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme subsequently sentenced Nwachukwu to death by hanging on Count 1, while he was sentenced to two years imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8,9, 12, 13, and 18.
The court sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment on Count 10, three years imprisonment in Count 11, while he was fined the sum of N500,000 and N200,000 respectively on Counts 6 and 7 respectively. (NAN)