Connect with us

News

CSO Protests Harassment of Benue Whistle-blower, Tsav To CJN, AGF

Published

on

…Seeks protection of elder-stateman

The Advocate of Social Justice For All (ASJA) has appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and the Hon. Attorney General and Minister of Justice (AGF) to put an eye on the Benue State Judiciary so as to check mate the negative tendencies and mindset of the executive Governor of Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom.
In his address on what he described as manipulation of the Benue state judiciary by  Ortom as an instrument to harass an elder statesman and anti corruption crusader Alhaji AB Tsav who is the National Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission, Benue state over his exposure of fraudulent activities of the current administration in the state, the Executive Director, ASJA, Asongo Venatius alleged that the activities of the Governor of Benue state and his penchant for the manipulation of the Benue State Judiciary to settle personal and political scores with his enemies is becoming alarming.
Venatius said the actions of the state government is becoming more worrisome because the development if left un-checked indicates a dangerous mindset towards the survival of democracy in Nigeria and also reduces our nation’s dignity among the comity of nations around the globe.
He said this appeal to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federal Government is to bring to the notice the activities of the Benue State Judiciary in harassing anti-corruption fighters in the State of Benue.
The Convener said that failure of the Government of Benue State to drop the criminal charges, against Alh. Tsav current helmsman of the Public Complaint Commission, the civil society would be tempted to believe that his prosecution is premeditated on the Governor’s widely circulated statement that he is a Muslim and indigene of Kano against the actual truth that he is a Nigerian and a true Benue son as well as an Elder State man currently serving the Federal Government as National Commissioner Public Complaint Commission.
He, however recalled that the cardinal point of President Muhammadu Buhari administration is to eliminate corruption to its barest minimum.
The Convener emphatically stressed that it would be counterproductive to allow the Governor of Benue state to continue to use the power of the state to manipulate the Benue State Judiciary to harass the state’s national commissioner, Public Complaint Commission who is the social watch dog of the common man in the state on the basis that he has made allegations against the governments fraudulent activities.
“Your lordship, on May 16, 2017 following the call of the Governor of Benue State Samuel Ortom that ‘anyone with a case of corruption against  Benue  State Government should blow the whistle’ in line with the Federal  Government Policy and President  Buhari’s Cardinal Objective, Alh. A. B Tsav in his official capacity as national commissioner Public Complaints Commission in charge of Benue State wrote a letter to the Governor highlighting some of the verifiable fraudulent activities of the Government of Benue State and pleaded for investigation on behalf of the masses whose social welfare has been neglected completely by the Governor of Benue State.
“This, the petitioner did in good faith as a social watchdog. The letter attached for your perusal, highlighted among many corruption cases the activities of Ortom led government and his cronies. Your lordship, of course the letter was well circulated to all security agencies and the presidency for scrutiny and investigation, unfortunately and to our greatest shock which of course is a major setback to the anti-corruption drive of President Buhari’s administration.
“Governor Ortom in his usual characteristic and dramatic manner instructed the Attorney General of Benue State  to institute criminal prosecution against the person of Alh. Tsav. Current National Commissioner Public Complaint Commission notwithstanding the fact that the petitioner only acted in his official capacity as the social watchdog of the society.
“Your lordship, we are to bring to your notice that indeed a criminal prosecution was initiated by the Attorney General of Benue State against the person of Alh. A.B. Tsav CP Rtd. Current National Commissioner Public Complaint Commission on the instruction of the Governor. Your lordship, take further notice that the charge against the accused is “Injurious falsehood” this has been filed in the Magistrate Court 1 in the Benue State Judicial Division,” he said.
He explained that how does allegations of fraud against public institutions and officials amount to “Injurious falsehood” without being first of all investigated? Adding that has any security agency investigated the claims and prosecuted same in the competent court of law to arrive at the fact that indeed the allegations are “Injurious falsehood” capable of inciting the public against the Government as alleged by the State Government?
Venatius said based on the common law of social justice states that those who seek equity must also come to equity with clean hands should be tested by Governor Ortom and Benue State Government, anything short of this is highly unacceptable by the civil society.
He said the civil society hope that as they re-forward the fraudulent activities of the state government to the security agencies, you would keep a peeled eye on the emerging issues so that the rule of law shall triumph over abuse of power as seen in the Benue State scenario.
“Your lordship, The Chief Justice of Nigeria, The Hon. Attorney General and Minster of Justice, Fellow Compatriots, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Civil Society uses this medium to restate that should the activities of the Benue State Judiciary go unchecked, we shall mobilize our members across the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT to further demonstrate our commitment to the international community that social justice and rule of law are fundamental basics of every Nigerian including Alh. Tsav CP and that all citizens are equal before the law,” he added.
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Defence/Security

Banditry: Rep member condemns attack on Kwara community

Published

on

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi Ajuloopin, has strongly condemned the recent attack in Idofin Odo-Ashe, Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State, describing it as a cowardly act that seeks to disrupt the peace and stability of the community.

Hon. Ajuloopin, in a statement personally signed by him, expressed deep concern over the unfortunate incident and sympathised with the victims, their families, and the entire community affected by the dastardly attack, emphasising that acts of violence have no place in a civilised society, and therefore urged security agencies to intensify efforts in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

While commending the swift response of both the federal and Kwara State governments, as well as the security agencies and local vigilante groups, the lawmaker reiterated that the fight against insecurity requires collective responsibility, calling on traditional rulers, community leaders, and residents to remain vigilant and cooperate fully with security operatives by providing timely and credible information.

“Security is everyone’s business. We cannot afford to leave the safety of our communities solely to government agencies. Every citizen must be actively involved in safeguarding our environment and ensuring that peace prevails,” Hon. Ajuloopin admonished.

He reaffirmed his commitment to continued collaboration with relevant authorities to ensure that lasting peace in all parts of Kwara South and beyond.

Hon. Ajuloopin also appealed for calm, assuring that both the federal and state governments are working tirelessly to address the root causes of insecurity and prevent future occurrences.

End

Continue Reading

News

Governor Namadi Attends High profile Ministerial Meeting On Self-Sufficiency In Cairo

Published

on

From Hassan Taiye

Governor Umar Namadi is currently in Cairo,Arab Republic of Egypt, attending the Third High-Level Ministerial Meeting on Rice Self-Sufficiency, holding from October 7th to 9th, 2025, in Cairo and Sakha.

The meeting, themed “Towards Rice-Based Agri-Food Systems Transformation and Delivering on Rice Self-Sufficiency through Peer-to-Peer Learning: The Case of the Arab Republic of Egypt,” is jointly organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, AfricaRice, the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), and other key continental partners.

This high-level gathering brings together African Ministers of Agriculture, State Governors, and agricultural leaders to share practical experiences on achieving rice self-sufficiency and agricultural transformation.

The event will showcase Egypt’s remarkable progress in achieving rice self-sufficiency despite its limited water and land resources, offering valuable lessons adaptable to other African contexts.
Namadi is participating alongside top policymakers, agricultural experts, and private sector players from across Africa to discuss innovations, policy reforms, and strategic investments aimed at strengthening food security and transforming the agricultural sector on the continent.

Over the three-day programme, delegates will engage in high-level ministerial sessions, technical discussions, and a field visit to Egypt’s renowned Rice Research and Training Centre (RRTC) in Sakha.

During the visit, participants will interact directly with Egyptian scientists and farmers to learn about the country’s advancements in high-yield rice varieties, efficient irrigation systems, and modern post-harvest technologies.

Jigawa State’s participation in this important forum underscores the state’s commitment to agricultural transformation, food self-sufficiency, and consolidating Jigawa’s position as one of Nigeria’s leading hubs for rice production and agribusiness development.

The meeting is expected to conclude with a Ministerial Declaration setting a continental roadmap for achieving rice self-sufficiency through collaborative research, policy coordination, and targeted investment across the rice value chain.

Governor Namadi is accompanied by senior officials from the Jigawa State Ministry of Agriculture and related agencies.

Continue Reading

News

There’s Political Genocide Against Christians in Northern Nigeria – Aisha Yesufu

Published

on

By: Fabian Apechihin

Sociopolitical activist Aisha Yesufu has accused Nigerian political leaders of perpetuating what she described as a “political genocide” against Christians in Northern Nigeria.

Yesufu made the remark on Tuesday in response to American comedian and TV host Bill Maher, who recently alleged that Nigerian Christians are facing coordinated attacks.

Maher, speaking on his HBO show, said, “I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed over 100,000 since 2009 and burned 18,000 churches. These are the Islamists, Boko Haram.”

Reacting via her X handle, Yesufu criticized what she called hypocrisy among Nigerian politicians who express concern over Christian persecution yet supported the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket during the 2023 elections.

“You are shouting that Northern Christians are being persecuted, but you championed a Muslim-Muslim ticket! Their Christianity was not Christian enough for you during the 2023 election,” she wrote.

She concluded by calling for greater attention to what she termed the “political genocide” against Northern Christians, urging consistency in both words and actions when addressing religious and political marginalization in Nigeria.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2017 Zox News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by WordPress.