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Tourism

Peace, Revenue: APGA promises to revive cultural festivals in Nasarawa

Peace, Revenue: APGA promises to revive cultural festivals in Nasarawa
By Awayi Kuje
Tourism
Akun (Nasarawa State), Jan. 2, 2019 (NAN) Mr Labaran Maku, the Governorship Candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Nasarawa State, has promised to revive cultural festivals to promote peace and boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the state, if given the mandate.
Maku, who is also the National Secretary of APGA, made the pledge on Wednesday while addressing his supporters and different groups that paid him New Year homage at Wakama, Akun Development Area of the state.
A former Minister of Information, Maku noted that giving adequate attention to culture and tourism sector would not only promote peace but would also boost the state’s IGR, thereby improving the standard of living of the people.
He explained that the annual cultural festivals of various ethnic groups or tribes would be harnessed, developed and exposed to the outside world to attract tourists to the state.
“We have traditional rulers, the state is supposed to promote traditional norms and customs by promoting cultural festivals among the various ethnic groups.
“This will in turn promote peace, unity and even boost the state’s Internal Generated Revenue. Let us promote our cultural festivals.
“Cultural festival will generate big income apart from the development of customs, considering our closeness to Abuja, people will come, watch and spend money during cultural festivals, if properly organised.
“Hotels will be filled up and this will also promote peace and boost the state IGR,” he said.
“If elected as governor, my government will ensure protection of lives and property, provide employment opportunities and development of rural and urban centres through infrastructural facilities,” Maku added.
The APGA national scribe therefore urged the electorate to come out en masse and vote him as governor, assuring that the party will change the lives of the people positively.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that APGA groups that visited Maku came from Keana, Awe, Doma, Lafia, Kokona, Karu, Akwanga Local Government Areas of the state, among others. (NAN)
AKW/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Politics

2019: APGA moves against election rigging in Nasarawa State

By Awayi  Kuje
Election
Wakama (Nasarawa State), Dec. 27, 2018 (NAN)Mr Labaran Maku, the gubernatorial candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Nasarawa State, says APGA is sensitizing the electorate across the state on how to defend their votes during the 2019 general elections.

Maku, a former Minister of Information, made this known on Thursday while speaking with journalists at Wakama, Akun Development Area of the state.

Maku, who is also the National Secretary of APGA, said that with the awareness created by the party, the electorate were ready to defend their votes in the state.

“Awareness among the electorate across the state has increased and they are ready to defend their votes, to avoid election rigging in 2019.

“In 2015, only few people defended their votes, but now, they have been lectured and sensitised on how to vote and defend their votes,” he said.

“Anybody planning to rig election, I am sorry for that person as there is no more room for election riggers in 2019.”

The former minister, who promised to prioritise workers’ welfare, education, health and infrastructure development, among others, if elected, urged his supporters to work tirelessly for the victory of the party at all levels in 2019.

The APGA governorship candidate advised his supporters, the people of the state and Nigerians to live in peace and respect constituted authorities, irrespective of affiliations.

“Let us pray for peaceful election, reduce poverty to the barest minimum, wanton killings, destruction, general insecurity, economic hardship and hunger in our land.” (NAN)
AKW/DUA
Edited by Dada Ahmed

General news

Maku urges restoration of Customary Court of Appeal

Maku urges restoration of Customary Court of Appeal
NAN-H-19
Court
By Awayi Kuje
Akun (Nasarawa State), Dec. 27, 2017 (NAN) Former Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, has called on the Nasarawa State Government to restore the Customary Court of Appeal in the state.
Maku, a 2015 gubernatorial candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Nasarawa state, made the appeal on Wednesday while speaking with newsmen in his ancestral home, Wakama, Akun Development Area of the state.
According to him, re-establishing the abolished court would fast track resolution of traditional issues.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the state government scrapped the Customary Court of Appeal during the retirement and valedictory court session in honour of Justice Jibril Idrisu, the President of the state Customary Court of Appeal, on Oct.23.
The state government said the decision to scrap the court was based on the advice of the National Judicial Council (NJC), citing continued less number of cases recorded in the court over the years in the state.
But Maku asked: “Why will Nasarawa State Government abolish Customary Court of Appeal when the state is made of up of different ethnic cultures and religions?
“We have Rindre, Afo, Alago, Migili, Agatu, among other tribes, in the state.
“In Nasarawa state, the law provides for three courts; Sharia Court is for Muslims, Christians would go to the common law court and traditionalists will go to Customary Court of Appeal to solve their disputes.
“For peace and unity in Nasarawa state, we want the court back, we want the state government to reinstate the Customary Court of Appeal and if the government refuse to return it, when APGA comes to power in 2019, it shall come back.”
Maku, the National Secretary of APGA, also lamented the continued payment of local government workers in percentages despite the release of bailouts to the state by the Federal Government.
On the 2019 general election, he urged Nigerians to vote leaders of proven integrity for good governance in order to end hardship, poverty and hunger in the country.
He urged people of the state to shun politics of religion, ethnicity as well as to avoid divide and rule principle in their bid to elect credible leaders that would transform the state.
The ex-information minister urged Nigerians to use the period of Christmas to offer special prayers for the peace of the country, adding that no nation can achieve meaningful progress without peace.
He also urged Nigerians, especially youths, to be peaceful, law abiding, respect constituted authorities and hard working for a greater Nigeria. (NAN)
AKW/MUYI/MST
Edited by Muhyideen Jimoh/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Sales of assets: Maku urges Al-Makura to conduct referendum

Sales of assets: Maku urges Al-makura to conduct referendum
NAN-H-68
Referendum
By Awayi Kuje
Jenkwe (Nasarawa State), Oct. 20, 2017 (NAN) Former Information Minister Labaran Maku has called on Gov. Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State to conduct a referendum on the planned sale of assets belonging to the state.
The assets are located in Lafia, Lagos, Kaduna and Jos, among others.
He said conducting a referendum over the proposed auction of public assets would be in the interest of peace and the socio-economic development of the state.
Maku, who is the National Secretary of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), made the call during an interaction with newsmen on Friday.
He spoke after he paid a condolence visit to the former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Elisha Agwadu, over the demised of his daughter, Na’omi Malle in Adevi, Jenkwe Development Area of the state.
He said that it is only referendum that would determine the state government position on the sales of the assets.
“I challenge him (governor) to do a referendum and find out whether the people of Nasarawa state want the assets to be disposed, if he did not agree with my position on the sales of the asset, let him do a referendum.
“After my briefing on Oct. 1, on the proposed sales of the assets in which I have condemned it in totality, they sent some people to tell lies through radio and television stations that they spent so much money in maintaining those assets.
“If state government spent much money in maintaining these assets, it means they don’t know how to manage those assets and we should lease them out to business men so that we can take rent from them but not to dispose them.
“Now, how can a state live without assets, in which part of the world does government sell out all of its assets; no, no it does not happen.
“If we did not stop Gov. Al-Makura on the sales of the assets, one day, he will sell the government house and the next governor will pay rent to occupy the government house, let Al-Makura address the state, why is he sending others to speak on his behalf,” he said.
Maku added that: “If past governors had sold these assets, will they still be there? The assets does not belong to him, more than 80 per cent of the people of the state are saying leave them, is it by force.’’
He urged the people of the state to continue to live in peace and tolerate one another irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliation.
Maku had earlier condoled with Agwadu and prayed God to grant the entire family the fortitude to bear the loss.
Responding, the former deputy speaker thanked Maku and his entourage for identifying with them at their trying moment.
Agwadu said that the visit by Maku to the community proved that the former information minister care about the people at the grassroots. (NAN)
AKW/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola