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Plateau Indigenes In Diaspora Warn Lalong Over Jos Main Market Reconstruction

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Plateau State Diaspora Development Association (PSDDA) in the United States of America (USA) have warned the Plateau State Government headed by Simon Bako Lalong to ensure their concerns are addressed before signing a contract for the reconstruction of the Jos Main Market (JMM).

According to the group, they have not endorse any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning the reconstruction of the market adding that the way the government is pushing the project is supecious.

A statement issued by the Secretary, PSDDA, USA, Moses Dachen on 10 August 10, 2022 said: “We want to warn that any attempt by the handlers of this state government to ignore our concerns, would be at its own peril.

“We also want to warn any contractor that would deliberately accept to work on a contentious project such as this to have a rethink. There will be consequences if the concerns of our people are thrown to the wind.

“We want to warn any government official or individuals against pushing this project as is with no modification to accommodate the concerns of our people. Any attempt to ignore our concerns and the general outcry of our people would be met with stiff resistance. It would be in the interest of those in government to continue to explore dialogue on this subject, ” the group said.

While calling on their people to continue to support meaningful and people oriented projects and government policies, the diaspora group said they will never be cowed into submission to agendas clearly designed to continue to subjugate their collective interest.

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“We the members of Plateau State Diaspora Development Association in the United States wish to express our position on the ongoing decision by the Plateau State Government (PLSG) to initiate the rebuilding of the damaged Jos Main Market (JMM).

“First, we commend any effort towards such a venture and we appreciate every step taken to actualize this goal. We also recognize that a public venture such as this requires the buy-in of the public.

“We believe it is with this desire that the PLSG initiated stakeholders consultations to gather opinion and suggestions from the good people of Plateau.

“It is our common knowledge that the majority of our people disagrees with the terms of reference as contained in the MoU for the reconstruction of the JMM.

“As major stakeholders in the Plateau project, we also had the opportunity of voicing our strong opposition during a virtual town hall meeting we had with PLSG as to the terms of contract contained in the MoU.

“We flatly rejected several aspects of the contract and offered an alternative solution to our state government, ” the group said.

The group said they proposed to PLSG to work with its sons and daughters in Diaspora to generate the funds needed for this project.

“We assured our government that we are willing to crowd fund the needed resources amongst ourselves and we hoped this gesture would be allowed to be tested.

“We ended our meeting with assurances from the officials of PLSG that they would look into all the concerns we raised and our position as well as the position of many well meaning Plateau citizens. We were assured that consultations are ongoing and concerns raised would be considered before any decision would be taken.

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“However, it is with great dismay that we are reading in print media a position put forward by the PLSG claiming that“Stakeholders endorse the rebuilding of JMM.”

“We wonder, if all the concerns raised were already addressed? Who are the stakeholders that endorsed the project? And if our position as stakeholders doesn’t matter, why did the officials of PLSG consult our opinion in the first place? Why would the PLSG refuse the offer from those of us in Diaspora without any cogent reason? Is there any hidden motive why the state government is ramming through our throats a project we clearly are not in support of?

“Is the PLSG indebted to an unknown benefactor and are using the JMM project as a ploy to pay back its debts? What is the State government hiding from the good people of Plateau state? These and many more questions deserve answers and it will behoove our state government to honestly address these concerns first before pushing through with an unpopular project, ” the group added.

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Illegal Detention: IPOB Lawyer Writes Police Chiefs, Says Officers Ruined Young Marriage

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A legal practitioner, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor is demanding that the police hierarchy should investigate the arrest, brutalisation, torture, and detention of a business woman, Joy-Smart Chinenye by the monitoring unit personnel of the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, based on a petition filed by her husband, George Obinna Smart Unaegbu, over alleged debt to him.

The incident which took place on Sunday (Mothers Day) was said to have elicited a serious drama, wild condemnation and is already causing ripples among the police hierarchy.

Ejiofor, also a lawyer to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in her petition to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Retired DIG Hashimu Argungu and Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on behalf of his client, said the action of the officers have succeeded in destroying a young, promising marriage and exposing private marital issues to the public.

The petition reads, “We are Solicitors to Mrs. Joy-Smart Chinenye (hereinafter referred to as “Our client”) and we write under her explicit instruction and mandate, to petition for a thorough investigation into the unprofessional conduct of the officers mentioned above.

FACTS
“Our client is an industrious, hardworking, and responsible mother and wife to Mr. Obinna George Smart Unegbu, residing in Lagos.

“Our client has been married to Mr. Obinna George Smart for over a decade, and their union has been blessed with three intelligent children. The couple faced struggles at the beginning of their marriage but worked hard to establish one of the best private schools in the South-East, achieving excellence and financial success.

“Despite occasional domestic disagreements, our client never imagined that her husband would engage police officers to subject her to inhumane treatment, abuse, bullying, and torture, for no justifiable cause.

“Our client’s ordeal began on March 27, 2025, over a dispute regarding the late remittance of business funds by her husband, for which she had set a deadline, to the knowledge and approval of her husband. On this March 27, 2025, the trio of CSP…, 2/C … and ASP …stormed their matrimonial home in Lagos, demanding to see our client in the presence of her husband and children. Her attention was immediately called to the presence of the strange visitors in their home, and for which she quickly came downstairs to ascertain their mission.

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“To our client’s greatest shock, the officers claimed they were from Area H Command Headquarters, Ikeja, and were acting on a petition filed by her husband, for which they will require her explanation regarding issues raised in the petition, which content they equally refused to disclose to our client at the material time in question. Right before our client’s children, her husband instructed the officers to immediately handcuff her and take her away. However, on our client’s insistence, a female member of this team escorted her to her room to change to a casual wear.

“Our client never resisted arrest but was denied the opportunity to contact her lawyer. The officers confiscated her mobile devices immediately and whisked her away in handcuffs, treating her with the greatest disdain as if she was a common criminal.

“Upon arrival at Area H Command Headquarters, Ikeja, our client was shown a petition from her husband regarding a financial transaction. She provided a detailed response, stating that her husband also owed her money. Despite her detailed explanation, the officers subjected our client to slapping, torture, and bullying to force her to pay the alleged debt, which she was told was the only condition that would guarantee her freedom.

“Our client’s husband witnessed all the abuse without intervening, as he was signalling approval for the apparent dehumanizing treatment. Overwhelmed and eager to return to her children, our client agreed to pay N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira Only) out of the alleged debt of N15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira Only). The officers provided an account number, to which she transferred the funds. An indication that what the officers actually set out to achieve primarily, was to recover the alleged debt our client allegedly owed the husband. A copy of the transaction receipt is attached herewith for your ease of reference, Sir.

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“Even after the payment, the officers insisted that our client must commit to settling the balance or remain detained, for which she refused and challenged them to either release or kill her if that was the penalty she would pay for allegedly owing her husband. It was at this juncture that the officers revealed to our client that they were from the IGP Monitoring Unit, Abuja, and would transfer her to Abuja since she refused to make further payment.

“Our client was detained in FCID Unit, Panti, Lagos overnight and on March 28, 2025, was handcuffed, dragged through the Lagos Airport, and flown to Abuja against her will. In Abuja, our client was taken to the IGP Monitoring Unit, for an interface with the officer in charge of the team, where she endured further abuse, threats, bullying and intimidation, as the officer in charge also insisted that our client must settle the alleged indebtedness before she would regain her freedom.

“When our client refused to make additional payments, in settlement of the alleged outstanding sum, she was ordered to be transferred to the Abattoir-SARS detention facility- a centre known for housing criminals, kidnappers, and terrorists. In this facility, our client was made to share a cell with notorious criminals who also attacked and molested her, but for divine intervention, she could have been permanently disabled.

“Throughout our client’s illegal detention in Abuja, she was repeatedly taken to unknown locations at wee hours of the night for further coercion, bullying, threats and intimidation to pay this money. It will be pertinent that an investigation is conducted for further revelation on other malfeasance that was meted to her during this period she was taken outside the detention facility.

“On one occasion, our client was taken outside the facility in the night, her phone was given back to her, and she was forced to call her cousin, to demand help with the payment, an indication that she was principally held on account of her inability to settle this alleged outstanding indebtedness.

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“This torment continued until our intervention secured her release in the late night of March 30, 2025, with the obvious assistance of the Police High Command. However, the physical and emotional scars remain.

Findings
“It is crystal clear that from the trajectory of the foregoing accounts, the officers are under no illusion that they were procured by our client’s husband to engage in debt recovery. It is a matter of common knowledge that your good offices had on several occasions issued clear directives, prohibiting police personnel from engaging in debt recovery.

“Our client was arrested in Lagos, subsequently transferred to Abuja, and subjected to torture, bullying, threats and intimidation, despite knowing that the subject matter was a civil matter, particularly between a husband and his wife.

“The officers coerced our client into paying N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira Only) into a strange bank account, not her husband’s account, and insisted she settle the alleged balance before her release, and her failure to settle the balance led to subsequent grave inhuman treatment meted to her.

“The actions of these officers have succeeded in destroying a young, promising marriage and exposing private marital issues to the public, which would have been totally avoidable and unnecessary if the officers had acted with circumspect and utmost professionalism.

Prayers
“Given these serious violations, we respectfully urge the Chairman to:
Launch a comprehensive investigation into these disturbing allegations that bothers on unethical conduct of the trio of CSP …, 2/C …, and ASP ….

“Take appropriate disciplinary action against these officers for their gross abuse of power.

“Recover and return the N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira Only) extorted from our client.

“Restore public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force by ensuring that officers adhere to ethical standards. We trust in your swift intervention, Sir, to deliver justice and uphold the integrity of the Force. Please, accept the assurances of our highest regards, Sir.”

 

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Sokoto Governor Bags ANCOPS’s Excellence Award In Education

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BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto

In view of his numerous contributions to human capital development especially in the  education sector, the Sokoto state chapter of All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS) has conferred the award of Best Performing Governor on the state governor Ahmed Aliyu.

Making this known when ANCOPPS delegation paid  Salah homage on the governor, the State chairman of the association, Comrade Muhammed Ikililu, said the governor’s outstanding performance in the education sector especially the approval of 200,000 naira monthly maintenance stipend to principal’s of all the schools in the state stood him out amongst his peers hence the resolve to so honour him.

According to Ikililu, some of the tangible achievements which qualified the governor for the award include the renovation of many primary and Secondary and Primary schools across the state in less than two years.

“Prior to the coming of the Ahmed Aliyu-led administration, all Secondary schools in the state were in a state of disrepair, lacking conducive classrooms, staff rooms, toilet facilities for both teachers and students as well as general conducive learning environment.

“This lack of toilet facilities in schools had contributed significantly to the low attendance of female students in schools. This is also in addition to the  introduction and sustainance of N200,000 naira monthly cash allocation to all the Principals to enable them undertake minor repairs in their schools”.

The Chairman further thanked the governor for upward the upward review of students’ feeding allowance from N150  to N450  per student, a gesture which according to him has greatly helped in retaining students in schools.

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“”These efforts made by governor Ahmed Aliyu had no doubt significantly improved the students’ turn out and retention in schools”, the ANCOPs chairman enthused.

In the same vein, the management management of the State Universal Basic Education Board under its Chairman, Alhaji Ummaru Na Gwari Tambuwal while on a Salah homage also lauded governor Aliyu’s recent renovation of some primary schools in the state, and the payment of N70,000  minimum wage to primary teachers across the state.

“Before you came, many of our teachers were denied their promotions, but that has now become history as all the teachers that are due for promotion have been promoted. And the support of all the teachers is assured at all times” Nagwari Tambuwal noted.

Responding, governor Ahmed Aliyu called on ANCOPSS and SUBEB to reciprocate the gestures done to them by the present administration by being punctual, dedicated and committed to their duty.

“I expect extra hard work, commitment and dedication from  all of you so that our students can get the best of education,” Ahmed Aliyu charged

The governor further reassured his administration’s determination to create a more conducive atmosphere that would guarantee effective teaching and learning at both basic and secondary levels.

He also appealed to parents and guardians in the state to cooperate with the state government in its quest to change the old narrative of Sokoto being one of the educationally  backward states in the federation.

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Tinubu approves N20bn take-off fund for NASRDA’s project

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The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) is set to commence the implementation of its space regulation and licensing mandate with N20 billion take-off fund approved by President Bola Tinubu.

The Director-General of NASRDA, Dr Matthew Adepoju, said this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Adepoju said the regulatory function of the agency as encapsulated in NASDRA Act (2010) had remained unfulfilled since its establishment in 1999.

He spoke against the background of NASRDA stakeholders’ workshop on space regulation scheduled for April 8.

He said on assumption of office he raised a memo to President Bola Tinubu on the need to enforce the regulatory functions of NASDRA.

According to him, this is in line with the provisions of Section 6 and 9 of the laws establishing it, adding that Tinubu eventually approved the take-off fund.

“When I raised that memo stating that our space can no longer be unregulated, Mr President graciously approved the take-off fund of N20 billion few months ago.

“This is to enable us to commence the space regulation and spectrum management in Nigeria.

“Although times and lots of activities happen that have security implications but if we don’t take charge of our space sector, it will continue to be misused,’’ Adepoju said.

Adepoju said the agency was yet to access the N20 billion, adding that release of funds was always subject to its availability.

“Within the framework of what is possible for us to do now, we’ve set up the platform and we are commencing our regulatory and licensing functions,” he told NAN.

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He explained that the space sector had three segments, the upstream, midstream and downstream.

“We have the upstream, which is deep space, the midstream, which is in between the space objects, such as satellites and the planet Earth.

“We have the downstream, which has to do with ground stations, activities and people who are utilising space products and services.
“In between these three sectors, there are activities that must be regulated otherwise Nigerians will be short-changed.

“People have to be licensed and issued guidelines, the spectrum within Nigeria has to be monitored and the agency has been granted this power since 2010 and this has lots of benefits,’’ he said.

Adepoju said the platform for the licensing was ready and open to both public and private sector operators in the space arena.

The licensing, he said, was available for people using and providing space products and services.

He emphasised the need for strict oversight of satellite image providers, geographic information system operators, satellite-based telecommunication and broadcasting services, among others.

He also said that if unregulated, geographical data intelligence could be exploited by non-state actors for illicit activities.

The Director-General further told NAN that the initiative would enhance national security, economic diversification and local content development.

He said it would also generate revenue from sub-sectors such as oil and gas, shipping and telecommunications relied on space products for their operations. (NAN)

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