​We never plotted with Pantami to kill ex-Kaduna gov, Yakowa – JNI

 ….says ‘allegation disheartening, disgusting’

Umbrella Islamic organisation, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, on Friday, refuted allegations linking it and Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, to the death of the former governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa.

The JNI declared such a report as “disheartening” and “disgusting”, adding that it never held a meeting about Yakowa when the ex-Kaduna governor was alive.

An unverified document, which recently went viral, claimed embattled Pantami allegedly plotted Yakowa’s death at a JNI meeting he presided over some years back.

A statement by JNI, on Friday, read, “The JNI under the leadership of His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the JNI, was taken aback by the desperation of some disgruntled elements who in their desperate attempt to smear the image of the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy drag the name of the JNI as being part of an alleged plot to assassinate the late Governor Yakowa of Kaduna state.

“To start with, how could Sheikh Pantami chair a JNI meeting while he was not one of its leaders either at the National or state levels? What could have necessitated the combination of Bauchi, Plateau, Niger and Kaduna states from different geo political zones in the meeting? If Yakowa was vehemently hated by the Muslims and were desperately trying to ‘get rid’ of him. How did he win the 2011 elections in a Muslim dominated state of Kaduna where a Muslim-Muslim ticket recently sailed through? Who voted him in?

“The so-called pieces of minutes shared by the media to further confuse and manipulate an average Nigerian’s mind into believing this orchestrated lie has further confirmed the desperation of the perpetrators. It is very perplexing and heart-rending that minutes of an assassination plot could be written and kept. How disheartening and disgusting!”

TG News

 
 
 

3 Abducted Greenfield Varsity Students killed

By Victor Habila, Kaduna

Kaduna State Government has on Friday confirmed that bandits have shot dead three of the abducted students of Greenfield University.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan confirmed the death of the students in a statement on Friday in Kaduna.

Several students were abducted on Tuesday night from the university campus at Kasarami village off Kaduna-Abuja highway, and one person was killed in the process.

“The remains of three students were found today (Friday), in Kwanan Bature village, a location close to the university and have been evacuated to a mortuary by the Commissioner, Internal Security and Home Affairs, and the Force Commander, Operation Thunder Strike, Lt. Col. MH Abdullahi.”

The statement said that Gov. Nasir El-Rufai had condemned the killing, describing it as sheer wickedness, inhuman and outright desecration of human lives by vile entities.

He said that the bandits represented the worst of humankind and must be fought at all cost.

The governor appealed to citizens to come together against forces of darkness challenging national security and the very existence of the Nigerian State.

El-Rufai condoled with the families of those killed and prayed for the repose of their souls.
NAN
 
 
 
 
 

Despite FG’s ₦15bn Offer, ASUP Vows To Continue Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has vowed to continue with its nationwide industrial action despite a ₦15bn offered by the Federal Government.

ASUP had commenced strike on April 6 declared a strike, demanding the implementation of a new salary scheme for polytechnic lecturers.

ASUP had explained that its decision to the down tool was to draw the attention of the government to the nine basic needs of the union, adding that the need to release the 10 months in arrears of the new minimum wage owed its members in Federal Polytechnics and the implementation of same in the several States yet to implement the new minimum wage.

But briefing journalists on Friday in Abuja, ASUP’s President, Anderson Ezeibe, said the strike will still continue.

“Our union received offers from the government during the meetings for the release of an infrastructural revitalisation fund of ₦15billion for the sector and this is in lieu of the NEEDS Assessment report of 2014,” he said.

“Following the considerations of the offers as presented, the National Executive Council of our union yesterday resolved to sustain the strike action until the unresolved details in the offer as presented are sorted out in the meetings expected in the coming days.”

Speaking further, Ezeibe said two out of three scheduled meetings with the Federal Government have held and some of the demands met, including the release of ten months’ salaries arrears for members among others.

The demands met include the reconstitution and inauguration of the governing council of all federal polytechnics which were dissolved in 2020.

ASUP’s president explained that the strike will only be suspended after seeing the actual implementation of some of those offers by the FG.

​CAN responds to alleged involvement of Pantami, Muslims in murder of Yakowa

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed shock at allegations that the Communications Minister, Isa Ali Pantami and Muslim leaders planned the death of former Kaduna Governor, Patrick Yakowa.

Rev. John Joseph Hayab, CAN Chairman in Kaduna said the church and Yakowa’s family consider the allegation very serious with a possible adverse impact on peace and national security.

Hayab said the society’s discomfort and disagreements should not be enough reasons to approve the circulation of phoney and injurious statements against any perceived foe.

The cleric said sensitive documents like the ones purported to be from the JNI meeting in Bauchi should be subjected to thorough security investigation and trials.

“The danger of making this a media issue, instead of a legal and security issue that it ought to be, is that we stand to lose the most important point; that of bringing to justice persons accused to have wronged the law.”

CAN said there is a need for circumspection and care so that we do not throw our communities into further chaos in the rush to hang one man.
The former Special Adviser on Religious Affairs to Yakowa recalled that when his principal died in an air crash, there was no inquiry to determine the cause of his death, aside from the immediate and likely technical fault leading to the helicopter crash.

“We, the Christian community and indeed his immediate family acknowledged the tragedy, submitting to the will of God Almighty. For that purpose, there is no point, now or later, to open up what will not bring back our leader and father but rather open up old wounds in a very controversial manner”, he noted.