PRESS RELEASE
SENATOR HEZEKIAH DIMKA COMMISERATES WITH VICTIMS OF KOMBUN ATTACK.

Distinguished Senataor Hezekiah Ayuba Dimka has come out categorically to condemn in strong terms the inhumane killing of innocent persons following an attack by gunmen at Kulben village in Kombun district of Mangu LGA on Wednesday 8th January 2020.
Senator Dimka is perturbed that at a time when all are expectant of the new year and all it’s blessings,some will turn to gruesome murder of innocent souls.

While calling for religious tolerance and respect for the constituted authories,Sen Dimka called on Government from the grassroots to the Federal strata to ensure it’s primary responsibility of securing lives and property is Paramount.
Senator Dimka applauded the security agencies for arresting 7 suspects connected to the killings and restoring normalcy to the area.
Senator Dimka prays for peace as he sends his condolences to the family of those affected.

Makut Alfred Mashat
SSA, New Media
For;
DISTINGUISHED SENATOR HEZEKIAH DIMKA

PRESS RELEASE

GOVERNOR LALONG VISITS ATTACKED COMMUNITY IN MANGU LGA, CALLS FOR CALM AS HE ADVISES AGAINST REPRISAL.

Plateau State Governor Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong on Thursday 8th January 2019 cancelled all his schedules which included a planned tour of road project sites to visit Kunben village in Kombun district of Mangu Local Government following an attack by gunmen which claimed the lives of innocent citizens.
Governor Lalong in company of the Deputy Governor Prof. Sonny Tyoden, Operation Safe Haven Commander Gen. Augustine Agundu and other service chiefs in the State visited the village where he commiserated with them and assured that the security agencies are already working on unraveling those behind this heinous crime.
According to the Governor, “we are saddened by this attack which is the work of evil criminals and has the tendency to interrupt our new year if we allow it. That is why I abandoned everything to personally come here and share your pains and to assure you that we will not allow the enemies of Plateau State to take us back to the era of violence which we have already put behind us”
He appealed for calm and understanding of the people of affected village and the entire Local Government saying “what has happened is painful, but I am appealing to you for patience and forgiveness. Those behind this will be made to face the full weight of the law as we will not rest until they are caught and made to face justice”.
District head of Kombun Audu Tetmut told the Governor that the community was still in shock and grief as they cannot understand the motive behind the attack when they have no problems with anybody. He said they have submitted everything to God and believe that the Governor’s visit and assurances will ensure that they get justice.
The representative of the fulani community in the area Ya’u Yusuf also condemned the attack and asked everyone to cooperate with the security agencies to get those behind this ugly incident.
Governor Lalong was also at the palace of the Mishkaham Mwagavul Da. Nelson Bakfur in Mangu town to commiserate with him over the incident. He appealed to him to continue to keep peace in his domain.

Dr. Makut Simon Macham ANIPR
Director of Press &Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State
9th January 2020.

PRESS RELEASE

GOVERNOR LALONG CONDEMNS ATTACK ON KOMBUN – VOWS PUNISHMENT FOR PERPETRATORS

Plateau State Governor Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong has condemned in strong terms the killing of innocent persons following an attack by gunmen at Kulben village in Kombun district of Mangu LGA on Wednesday 8th January 2020.
The Governor in a reaction described the attack as another attempt to puncture the peace that has gradually returned to the State.
Lalong while commiserating with victims and families of those killed, warned that his administration will not sit down and watch any group or individuals cause chaos in the State and retrun it to the dark days of insecurity.
He said “We have toiled to ensure that peace returns to Plateau State and we will not allow anyone to make nonsense our efforts. We are determined to deal decisively and firmly with anybody found culpable in attacking or inciting people to carry out attacks against one another”.
He commended security agencies for arresting 7 suspects connected to the killings and restoring normalcy to the area. Lalong assured that thorough investigations will be carried out to get to the bottom of the matter as anyone found wanting will face the full wrath of the law.
The Governor called for calm and advised against reprisals as Government is dealing with the situation.
Those injured have been taken to general hospital Mangu and are responding to treatment.

Dr. Makut Simon Macham ANIPR
Director of Press & Public Affairs to the Governor of Plateau State
9th January 2020.

The Honourable Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Hospitality, Mrs Tamwakat Weli On behalf of her family and all staff of the Ministry today commiserated with the Lar’s family, the COCIN family as well as the Taroh nation over the lost of of one of its elder, son, father and grandfather, Rev. Dr. Alexander Lar who went to be with the Lord on Friday 3rd January, 2020 after a brief illness
According to her, “His death is a loss to the entirety of Plateau state considering his contributions to the state in various capacity at different times. He lived a life worthy of emulation and his demise is a celebration of a life well spent. God gave and he has deemed it fit to call Baba back to Himself, we cannot question him. We condole with the family and pray that his soul and the soul of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace”

Also, she felicitated with the Catholic Church on the Plateau and congratulate Bishop Mathew Ishaya Audu on his appointment as the new Catholic Archbishop of Jos Ecclesiastical Province by Pope Francis.
She said that the Ministry identify with his appointment because of his unalloyed commitment and service in the vineyard of the Lord. His appointment came at a time when Plateau state needs another blessed hand who can consolidate on the success achieved so far by Archbishop Ignatius Ayau kaigama in the area of peace which is a necessary ingredient for growth of our Tourism industry as a state.
She prayed for grace to lead the Catholic community and ask that he intercede on behalf of the state for continuous peace and Development.

The Commissioner equally felicitated with the Minister for Women Affairs Hon. Dame Pauline Tallen on the celebration of her 61st birthday describing her as a mother, with an unprecedented love for Plateau State and Nigeria. “At 61, you are still forging on as a forerunner for women inclusion in politics which stands as an endearing factor” she said.
She prayed for long life and more blessings for her.

The national coordinator Buhari campaign organization (BCO) Dr Danladi Pasali on behalf of the organisation celebrate mama Pauline Tallen at 61 and pray good health,happy times and more success,achievement to her ,
Describing the personality of Tallen, the BCO Coordinator said she is a strong supporter and ally of BCO,
A dogged personality and a true democrat who’s passion,zeal ,commitment and dedication of transforming society ,upliftment of the common man is her watchword.
Onbelf of our organization and faithful Nigerians we wish you long life and prosperity

Hon Dr Danladi Pasali

The Plateau Information and Communication Technology Development Agency (PICTDA) has kicked off activities in 2020 with its Rural Technology Outreach. The Digital Education initiative is designed to create awareness and offer basic instructions to mass of the people at the grassroots on digital skills and benefits.
Rural Technology Outreach to change how teachers convey knowledge to students
The programme started this week with schools teachers in several rural communities under the ‘Train the Trainer’ scheme in which primary and secondary school teachers will benefit from the first point of digital instructions; and then be able to pass these on to their pupils and other strategic beneficiaries in the chain of learning.
“This is really going to change the way we think and the way we convey knowledge to students in no distant future. The government of Plateau State is poised towards positioning itself in this age of digitisation by leaving no stone unturned,” said Director General of PICTDA, Daser David.
The initial phase of the programme targets to cover thousands of beneficiaries across sectors with aim of upgrading skills and expanding digital opportunities to improve areas as diverse as farming, healthcare, and education among others, said David. the Starting with schools teachers, we have commenced the train the trainer program of teachers in the rural communities.
“The Train the Trainer program is targeted at teachers in the rural communities with the hope that the knowledge can be transferred to students in their diverse schools where they teach. Our goal is to equip Citizens of Plateau State with the right Digital Skills to position us for opportunities of the future,” said David.
The Plateau State Commissioner for Science & Technology, Gyang Dung Musa while commending the initiative reiterated “Governor Simon Bako Lalong’s commitment to taking Plateau State to the next level with programmes and initiatives that would create lasting impacts in the lives of Plateau citizens.”
PICTDA is created by an Act and part of its objectives include to regulate ICT activities in Plateau State in-line with existing laws; develop appropriate skills and resources to support the ICT infrastructure; develop policies, standards, guidelines, and frameworks to guide the development of ICT and ICT operations in Plateau State in accordance with industry best practices.
Other objectives are to build a robust ICT infrastructure and solutions that will deliver the appropriate level of data availability, confidentiality, and integrity; incorporate effective best practices and policies in the management of ICT operations, and maximize value for money from existing and future technology investments among others.

The Nigeria Army has arrested a suspected child trafficker, who specialises in moving children from Plateau State in North Central zone to River State in South-South zone.

The arrest was part of the ongoing “Exercise Atilogwu Udo 1’’.
Col. Aliyu Yusuf, the Deputy Director, Public Relations of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday.

Yusuf said that a total of nine children, including four girls and five boys aged between two and 13 years, were recovered from the suspected child trafficker.

He gave the name of the child trafficker as Mrs Rebecca Nwachi, 40.

“At about 6 a.m. on Jan. 2, 20202; troops of Sector 5 of Exercise Atilogwu Udo 1 deployed at Orba Check-point in Udenu council area of Enugu State (within Nsukka general area) intercepted above named woman with nine children.

“The trafficker was intercepted in a luxurious bus with registration number ANAMBRA NEN 429 ZD belonging to FG Onyenwe Company.

“The woman claimed she was taking the children from an orphanage in Jos, Plateau State to another orphanage in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

“The woman produced a handwritten document signed by a pastor, showing a list of the names of the children, as an official document to facilitate the transportation of the children.

“However, during the preliminary investigation, a family member of one of the children who was contacted revealed that the family was not aware of how one of the victims, named Joshua got to Nsukka.

“This was corroborated by other contacts that were thankful to Sector 5 army troops for intercepting the illegal trafficking,’’ he said.

The army spokesman said that the children, who were crying of hunger and claimed they had not eaten since yesterday, were consequently fed by troops with food.

“The suspected trafficker and the children have been handed over to Enugu State Police Command’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation before handing over to NAPTIP, for necessary action,’’ he added.

SOURCE: NAN

WASHINGTON – Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at U.S. troops and coalition forces in Iraq on Tuesday, an apparent retaliation for a U.S. drone strike days earlier that killed one of Tehran’s most powerful generals, Qasem Soleimani.
Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said Tuesday. Though the extent of the damage caused by the attack is not clear, the move appeared likely to further escalate already boiling tensions between Iran and Washington.
“It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil,” Hoffman said. “We are working on initial battle damage assessments.”
“As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the region,” Hoffman added.
Pentagon officials were reviewing reports from Iraq and weighing a response, a senior U.S. defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity told USA TODAY. The official called initial reports fragmentary but said some damage appeared likely.
President Donald Trump was briefed on the attacks, the White House said.
“The president has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said.

Source:U.S.A. Today

Iran fired missiles Wednesday at Iraqi bases used by the US military, officials in Washington and Tehran said, in the first act of the Islamic republic’s promised revenge for the US killing of a top Iranian general.
The Pentagon said it was still “working on initial battle damage assessments” after “Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against US military and coalition forces in Iraq.”
“It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil,” the Pentagon said.
There were no immediate reports on casualties but the Pentagon said it had been ready, after days of steadily mounting tension and exchanges of threats of war.
“These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region,” a spokesman said.
Iranian state television reported an attack on one base housing US personnel, saying it was in response to Friday’s killing in a US drone strike of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, one of the most important figures in the country’s government.
Also killed was a top Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was with Soleimani just outside Baghdad international airport when the US drone struck.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced that the Ain al-Assad base was hit with dozens of missiles, warning that a US counter-attack would be met with an even “more crushing response.”
In Washington, US President Donald Trump was “monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team,” according to the White House.
Oil prices immediately jumped on the news, with the benchmark WTI spiking more than 4.5 percent to $65.54 a barrel before receding slightly.
Tension and threats
The potentially lethal new development followed days of sabre rattling between Washington and Tehran, coupled with growing confusion over the future of US troops in Iraq.
At Soleimani’s funeral in Iran, top Revolutionary Guards commander Major General Hossein Salami said Iran would “take revenge.”
If further US attacks occur, “we will set fire to what they love,” he said.
Trump warned that “if Iran does anything that they shouldn’t be doing, they’re going to be suffering the consequences and very strongly.”
He called Soleimani “a monster.”
Trump, however, did walk back earlier threats to bomb Iranian cultural sites in the event of conflict — something that could be a war crime.
“If that’s what the law is, I like to obey the law,” Trump said.
In the Iranian city of Kerman, meanwhile, tragedy deepened an already highly tense situation when more than 50 people died in a crowd stampede at Soleimani’s funeral, Iranian media reported.
The influential figure, responsible for Iran’s regional network of official and unofficial military allies, was due to be buried in his home town when the crowd got out of control.
Foreign troops waver
Trump sought to end confusion over the status of the approximately US 5,200 troops in Iraq, saying they should stay despite calls by the Iraqi parliament for their expulsion.
“At some point we want to get out, but this isn’t the right point,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
But despite Washington’s assurances that the US troops will stay put, several allies started to leave, raising questions over the future of a US-led mission to help the Iraqis fight the jihadist Islamic State group.
Canada announced that some of its estimated 500 troops will withdraw to Kuwait. And NATO, which suspended its training mission in Iraq after the killing, said it also was temporarily “repositioning” some personnel to locations inside and outside Iraq.
Several other countries, including Germany and Romania, announced plans to move forces. France said it had no intention of withdrawing its troops from Iraq.
Italy also said that after a “frank and articulate” phone call between Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini and Esper that its approximately 1,000 soldiers in the country would stay.
US attempts to clarify
On Sunday the Iraqi parliament voted in favor of expelling US troops in response to Soleimani’s killing.
Then on Monday, a letter emerged from the head of Task Force-Iraq, US Brigadier General William Seely, that appeared to announce just such an exit.
Back in Washington, US officials scrambled to deny the idea, calling the letter a mistakenly released draft or, as Trump suggested, a fake.
“I don’t know anything about that letter,” Trump told reporters. “I understand it was an unsigned letter. I don’t know if that letter was a hoax, or was it unsigned or what.”
Iraq’s prime minister, however, insisted Tuesday that the letter had been taken seriously.
“It was an official letter written in such a manner,” Abdel Mahdi told a televised cabinet meeting.
“It’s not a piece of paper that fell off the printer or reached us by coincidence,” he said.
Attempting to draw a line under the issue, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that “policy has not changed. We are not leaving Iraq.”
Trump said he favored eventual withdrawal from Iraq but that under the wrong conditions it would mean a strategic gift to Iran.
“If we leave, that would mean that Iran would have a much bigger foothold, and the people of Iraq do not want to see Iran run the country. That I can tell you,” Trump told reporters.
“It’s the worst thing that could happen to Iraq.”

Source:AFP.

                   
DIRECTORATE OF PRESS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS,
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR, PLATEAU STATE
 
PRESS RELEASE
 
GOVERNOR LALONG GREETS DAME PAULINE TALLEN AT 61
Plateau State Governor Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong felicitates with the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dame Pauline Tallen at 61.
Governor Lalong in a message congratulates Dame Tallen for attaining the age of 61 and contributing immensely to humanity.
“Dame Tallen’s achievements over the years are enormous and characterized by selfless service, dedication and determination to impact positively on others while carrying out every assignment with diligence and excellence” the Governor adds.
Lalong thanks Dame Tallen for making impactful contributions to the lives of the people of Plateau in particular, and Nigeria in general throughout her political career and service in other sectors spanning many decades.
He says her present position as the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development again gives her the opportunity to make the best of her new age in addressing issues relating to the girl-child, womenfolk, and the less privileged in Nigeria.
The Governor wishes her well and prays that God will grant her more years of good health, wisdom and abundance to continue impacting positively on society.
 
Dr. Makut Simon Macham ANIPR
Director of Press & Public Affairs
7th January 2020.