SUSWAM SNEAKED OUT OF THE COUNTRY?

Though out of office, the embattled former Governor, Gabriel Suswam was going about his 'official duties' ,attending burials, thanksgiving and participating in State and National party activities. But suddenly he has gone underground.
Tion's blog check discovered the Suswam might have sneaked out of  the country.
Efforts to get him to comment on the recent arrest of his officials proved abortive as none of his lines went  through.
As police intensifies efforts to arrest more looters ,time will tell whether he is in or out of Nigeria.

ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT!!

The Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Tersoo Kpelai, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the State is inviting the following to a crucial meeting on unified standard weights and measures for Benue State. They are:
All Local Government Heads of Revenue
President, Tiv Beranda Co-Operatives Federation, Benue Chapter
Heads of Trader Farmers Association, Benue Chapter
All Heads, Traders Welfare Association, Zone C
President, all farmers association of Nigeria (AFAN), Benue Chapter
President, Kwande Beranda Association
President, Sankera Beranda Association
      ,, Jechira  ,, ,,
      ,, Jemgbagh     ,,        ,,
      ,, Minda ,, ,,
President, Nigeria Fruits Dealers Association, Benue State
Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Benue (RIFAN)
Chairman, Maize Association of Nigeria, Benue chapter
Chairman, Groundnut Farmers Association, Benue chapter
Chairman, Tomato/pepper Association,  ,, ,,
Chairman, Nigeria Soya Beans Association, Benue Chapter
Chairman, Beneseed Farmers Association, Benue Chapter
President, TIV orange  dealers association (TODA)
Chairman, Oracle Business Limited, Makurdi.
Chairman, Public Opinion Awareness Foundation

Date:  Thursday, 8th September, 2016
Venue: Conference Hall of Ultra Modern International Market, Makurdi.
Time: 11 am prompt

According to the statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Industry, Mr. Anemba Iorver Vajime, all the invitees are to attend the meeting along with their secretaries without fail as important issues will be discussed.

Signed
ANEMBA  IORVER VAJIME
Chairman, Committee on Unified weight & measure

BUHARI LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TODAY.

President Mohammad Buhari will this morning launch the National re orientation campaign today. Tagged"  Change begins with me".
The event takes place at the Aso rock villa by 10 am.radionigeria.com.

WOMBO, GBANDE IN HOT SOUP AS THEIR ACCOUNTS ARE FROZEN

News reaching Tion's blog has it that
an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court yesterday ordered the immediate freezing of the bank accounts of former Benue State Finance Commissioner, Mr. Omadachi Oklobia, and 12 others recently arrested and detained in connection with their indictment by the Elizabeth Kpojime Commission of Inquiry.

The court gave the order while ruling on an exparte motion brought before it by lawyers of police detectives handling the investigation into the matter.

Impeccable judicial sources confirmed that 13 of the 52 persons indicted for looting N107 billion from the coffers of the Benue State Government under Governor Gabriel Suswam have been affected by the court order.

These, according to the sources, include former Special Adviser, Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Solomon Wombo, former Permanent Secretary at the Bureau, Mr. Asen Sambe, former Accountant, Mr. Isaiah Ipevnor as well as former chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Comrade Richard Gbande.

It has also been confirmed that the order has been served on all the affected banks.

The Benue State Government had forwarded the white paper on the report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and the police for further necessary action.

The police, believed to be acting on behalf of the anti-graft bodies and the state government, arrested 13 persons last week including those mentioned and took them to the Force Headquarters in Abuja for interrogation.

They have however, being granted police bail after giving statements pending their arraignment in court.

Reacting to the development, State Attorney General and Justice Commissioner, Mr. Michael Gusa, expressed the determination of the state government to follow due process in the recovery of the looted funds.

He stated that when recovered the funds would be used to meet government obligations including payment of salary arrears and retirement benefits owed pensioners as well provision of critical infrastructure.

RICHARD GBANDE ,SOLOMON WOMBO ETC, CELEBRATING SHAME?

The immediate past PDP government entrenched the concept on " business as usual". This implies  continuity not minding what went on in the past.
 This started with Governor George Akume who took over the regns of power from the military but refused to probe them.
The former Governor Gabriel Suswam followed suit be taking over fro George Akume but also refusing to probe him.
The unexpected happened in Benue when the opposition defeated the party in power. Dr Ortom won under the auspices of the APC and decided to probe Governor  Suswam.
The Kpojime Commission of inquiry was constuted but Suswam and his team refused o appear.
There were found guilty and ordered to refund about 107 billion naira. None of the complied and the police two days ago swung into action by arresting some of them including Richard Gande, Solomon Wombo etc.
They have been released on bail and since them have been celebrating in hotels as they have been released on bail.
What a shame!.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY ARE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.

The Federal Government has declared Monday,12th September, and Tuesday 13th September, 2016 as public holidays.
According to a stament by the internal affairs ministry, the holiday is to mark Sallah.
The statement urged Nigerians to celebrate Sallah peacefully.
In a related development, the scheduled Gubernatorial elections in Edo state this Saturday may be cancelled. This followed appeal by security operatives to INEC that  an attack may be planned around this sallah period.
In a press conference in Abuja the police public Relations officer, Don Awunah who spoke on behalf of other security outfits expressed fear of a possible attack during sallah and called on INEC to postponed the elections.radionnigeria.com

INCONCLUSIVE ELECTIONS VS LANDSLIDE VICTORIES.

Since the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) days to People's Democratic Party,we had been hearing of Landslide victories. Elections were conducted by the ruling party and won by the ruling party. No matter how unpopular a candidate was , once you win nomination on the tickek of the ruling party,you are bound to have a landslide victory. For the most part of our Democratic experience, elections were highly manipulated.
I know of many logicians and Traditional rulers in Konshisha who converted their houses into polling units during elections.
With military Personel at their services, landslide victories were assured.
Professor Attahiru Mega, then INEC chairman introduced the card reader technology. The card reader technology seek to abolish multiple voting, ballot stuffing, etc.
This bring about inconclusive elections. Because, where there is violence and the card reader is tempered with ,such results are cancelled. In the last presidential and gubernatorial elections, Iwarnyam council ward in Konshisha had is result cancelled because the stake holder there refused to use the card reader.
The introduction of the card reader is a welcome development. Efforts must be made to sustain and even improve on it. If the card reader was used from 1999, PDP wouldn't have won any election and we wouldn't have been in this current mes.