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Wednesday, 31 March 2010

JOS CRISES; DO NOT CONFRONT THE SOLDIERS……………DEPUTY GOVERNOR

JOS CRISES; DO NOT CONFRONT THE SOLDIERS……………DEPUTY GOVERNOR

Against the backdrop of increasing cases of clashes between the Military and the Youths in Plateau state, the state Deputy Governor Mrs. Pauline Tallen has warned on the open confrontation with the Soldiers on Peace keeping mission in order not to escalate the situation in the state.

Tallen who spoke at the presentation of building materials to those affected by the last crises in Anglo Jos and Congo Russia parts of Jos, donated by the Bridge Builders association yesterday.

The deputy governor therefore commended the association for donating building materials to victims of the crisis in the state, saying what took place in Plateau state in the last few years is a shame to the political class in the state which was known as the ‘Home of peace and tourism’ before the recent incidents that changed its name home of violence.

Mrs. Pauline Tallen described the last outbreak of violence in Plateau state as madness saying all those that partook in the crises cannot be said to be in their right senses even though they claimed they were killing in the name of God.

She described all those that responsible in the violence that rocked the state as “mad” adding that people in their right senses would not do such a thing.

Tallen encouraged the people of the state to try and live with one another irrespective of religious and ethnic differences saying if religious and political leaders would be sincere in what they do peace would return to the state.

National chairman of the bridge builders association, Rev. Josiah Fearon, prayed that the last violence would be the last in the state and encouraged individuals as well as organizations to come to the aid of those affected by the crises.

The secretary (political) of the British High Commission in Nigeria, Jonathan Evans who was at the occasion said the British government would encourage every effort to see that those who are behind the crises are brought to book and lamented over what he described as leadership failure.

The organization donated about 30 pieces of woods, two bundles of zincs and nails to about 60 individuals in both Anglo Jos and Congo Russia, which were the areas worst hit during the last violence where Muslims and their Christian counterparts engaged themselves serious squabble.

Also speaking, the National Secretary, Ustaz Mahdi Shehu, called on both the Muslims and Christians residents in Jos to learn to tolerate one another as the two religious do not preach violence.

He said the two teaches their adherents on how to stay and relate peacefully with one another without showing differences on ethnic and cultural background .

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

'We want plateau state to reconsider membership of Northern Governors Forum'...........Berom Youth

From Jos.

The Berom Youth Movement (BYM), has called on the Plateau state government to reconsider its membership of the Northern Governors Forum, in view of what it’s called antagonistic tendencies of the Northern Region towards the state.

Addressing a world press conference in Jos yesterday, the National President of the Movement, Mr, Francis Dalyop Jamang stressed that, ‘’ We believe that belonging to any organisation with the northern connotation is of no benefit to our state’’.

''This explains why the Niger State governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu took time to make derogatory statements on the person of our dear governor Da Jonah David Jang while addressing the gathering of northern traditional rulers recently. We unequivocally state that the Plateau people who elected Da Jonah David Jang are indeed pleased with his developmental programme which is second to none and so are not deceived by these agents of destabilization’’.

The BYM has accused Bauchi state government as one of the chief sponsors of the terror that is being unleashed on the people of the state, in which they are calling on the federal government to investigate the Bauchi state with respect to the current Jos crisis in the state.

‘’The Berom Youth Movement therefore, finds it hypocritical and offensive for the University of Jos management to deem it fit to confer on the Bauchi state Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, Matawallen Bauchi a honorary Doctorate Degree of what ever kind at this time when he and his government cannot be exonerated from being part of sponsorship of the recent Jos crisis’’.

The Organisation also expressed reservation on the current Presidential Committee on Jos crisis under the leadership of Chief Solomon Lar, which they described as being compromised, therefore, cannot achieve the purpose for which it was set up to achieve.

‘’This is buttressed by the fact that some members of the committee including Alhaji Sale Hassan, Alhaji Salisu Nakande, Alhjaji Ibrahim Mantu have all been indicted as masterminds of the Jos crises by past Judicial Commission of Inquiries, the committee therefore, should be dissolved or reconstituted in order to enjoy the confidence of the people’’.

The BYM further expressed it’s concerned on what they call isolated attacks targeted on the Berom alone, they said in view of this, they are calling on other Plateau state indigenes to join them in the fight against the Hausa Fulani other wise, when they are done with, other ethnic groups may not be spared by the Hausa Fulani expansionists.

According to the President that, Berom is targeted because they occupied the larger part of the land in Jos the state capital more than the other ethnic groups and they spearheaded the refusal of the sale of land to the Hausa Fulani.
Jamang also reiterated that, the Berom will continue with the fight against any invasion that anybody may think of carrying out now or in the future, because all the elders from Plateau state are with them, even those that are not talking are working with them.

To protect the Berom nation from any further attack, BYM is therefore rekindling the tradition of ‘Beren Kanang ‘ , which was last activated more than a century ago in view of the 1873 Jihadist invasion attempt on the Plateau..

‘’All Berom youths, men and women of good virtue should stay home on Friday, 25 march, 2010 in observance of this tradition, for those who have cause to leave their homes, they should be appropriately dressed in Berom attire and adorn with ‘tee’. Jesus our Saviour!

Army hands over fake soldier to police

From our correspondent in Jos

The Special Task Force (STF) set up by the Federal Government to restore peace in Jos following last January civil unrest has handed over a fake soldier to plateau state police Command for prosecution just as incidents of fake soldiers is now rampant in the state

The fake soldier who was identified as Sambo Tomchangyel was at the weekend handed over by the Coordinator Media Centre, STF, Brigadier General Donald Oji who later handed him to the Plateau state Command on behalf of STF Commander.

While handing over the suspect to the police, General Oji said, “Tomchangyel was arrested at Kuru area on Monday 11th March 2010 about 2:30 in the afternoon while impersonating as a Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army, he was fully dressed, but for the watchful eye of the members of the STF, he would have gone away free”.

A preliminary investigation according to Oji reveals that “the gentleman has been going about parading himself as a medical officer in the Nigerian Army, in some areas as an Army Corps of Engineers”.

He added that reports reveals that the suspects hailed from Kanke local government area of Plateau state “and that his primary assignment is to source for the new camouflage uniform that the members of the STF are wearing with the identification tag, the purpose for which we don’t know yet”.
“That was why he was arrested and we now want to formally hand him over to the police for further investigation through which other things will be unraveled about his mission to procure the uniform”.

The Assistant Commissioner C.I.D of the Plateau state Command Mr. Femi Adeleye who received the suspects on behalf of the command thanked the Nigerian army for their arrest as well as the handing over of the suspect and further assured that a thorough investigation will be conducted on the matter.

The Inspector General of Police Mr Ogbonnoya Onovo has appealed to the warring faction on the Plateau

By our correspondent in Jos.

The Inspector General of Police Mr Ogbonnoya Onovo has appealed to the warring faction on the Plateau to Shiite their swords and embrace peace for the socio economic development of the state.

Mr Onovo made the call recently while addressing Police officers at the Plateau Police Command headquarters where he said policemen must preach peace on the plateau to their ethnic communities when we preach peace to our people all will embrace peace and peace will return to plateau
He said we are worried with what is happening on the Plateau “and we are working with other security operatives to restore peace in the state”.

IGP commended the Police and other security forces for the professional role they are playing in the restoration of peace on the Plateau and urged them to do more in other to return the name of the Plateau as home of peace and tourism.
He said “no amount of black mail or accusation will detract you from your work no matter the black mail you remain calm and compose continue with your work till you achieve peace and protect lives and property which is the cardinal objective of your work”

Mr Onovo said Police will deploy their officers in to all the nooks and crannies of the state including the remote areas with bad and difficult terrain in other to prevent further insurgencies in the state and pledged to provide the command with vehicles and communication facilities in other to ease their difficulties.
He said security operatives all over the World are faced with challenges due to the new techniques developed by criminals to perform their criminality and as police officers we must improve our intelligence gathering so that we can be ahead of them as Police officers.

Onovo said duties of Policeman must be 24 hours and Division Police Officers will hence forth be held responsible for any insurgency discovered in their area for that all of them must be up and doing in other to protect lives and properties of the citizens.

The General Officer Commanding 3rd armored Division Major General Saleh Maina commended the cordial relationship existing between Police and the Army adding that Police are doing their work efficiently, boldly and professionally under the task force for the restoration of peace on the Plateau.

MUSLIM UMMAH WANT FG TO INVESTIGATE SILENCE KILLING

JOS CRISES: MUSLIM UMMAH WANT FG TO INVESTIGATE SILENCE KILLING.

FROM: BUHARI B. BELLO, JOS

The Muslim Ummah in Plateau State has passionately called on the federal government and security agencies to intensify effort at arresting the wave of secret killings aftermaths of the crises in the state.

A Press statement signed by Mallam Sani Muhammed Mudi, Head of Information desk made available to NNN said there is need to investigate what he described as the silent killing and guarantee freedom of movement to allow for the restoration of peace in the trouble prone Plateau State.

“We call on the government and security agencies to move further and prevent all Muslims residing and carrying out legitimate business in the state especially Muslim journalists and protect them from harassment as well as all forms of intimidation.

“We are equally appealing to the authorities to guarantee the safety of travelers on the high way and protect them from wanton destruction which has being the case in all the series of crises that has been taking place.

Besides, the Muslim also urged the special task force troops recently on peace keeping in Jos to intensify surveillance to locate missing persons and identify all the flashpoints in the metropolis.

The Ummah also noted with dismay the outburst of certain officials of the Plateau State government and their reactions on the attack at Dogo Nahauwa village where some government functionaries alleged to have provided conflicting figures of casualties and say to have tailoring propaganda on the crises