TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE BY KWANDE PEOPLE PRESENTED BY PROFFERSOR JA SAMBE ON BEHALF OF THE KWANDE PEOPLE OF BENUE STATE ON SOME ISSUES AFFECTING THE GOOD PEOPLE OF KWANDE HELD AT THE NUJ PRESS CENTRE, MAKURDI, BENUE STATE, 26TH MAY, 2011-06-16

Distinguished members of the press.

Shortly after the recently concluded April, 2011 general elections, adjudged by both local and international observers to be most credible and fair, some politicians of Benue State origin including Wantaregh Paul Unongo and the defeated ACN governorship candidate Prof. Steve Ugbah embarked on a sustained dissemination of information aimed at causing confusion, disaffection, insecurity and casting aspersions on the person and office of the elected Governor of Benue State, Dr. Gabriel Suswam.

This campaign of calumny was also intended to ridicule and desecrate the sanctity of the stool of the paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, High Royal Majesty, Dr. Alfred Akawe Torkula as well as create doubt in the minds of unsuspecting members of the public regarding the integrity and credibility of the April, 2011 polls.

Ladies and Gentlemen, due to the political and security implications of the utterance as to its effect on the people of Kwande and indeed the entirety of Benue State and its negative impact on our core values as a people, we proceed under the aegis of the Kwande People, (KP), a strong and growing coalition of illustrious sons and daughters of Kwande origin cutting the academia, politics, civil service, commerce, opinion leaders and other credible personalities from all works of life to review, comment and indeed to address the press on the following issues:

 Tragic Killing of Mr. Charles Ayede and matter arising.

Members of the press, you will recall the tragic and unfortunate killing of the late Charles Ayede, a former staff of National Orientation Agency, NOA, Abuja, and members of the ACN gubernatorial campaign team. This sad event reportedly occurred along Lafia-Makurdi road on the 13^th of May, 2011. The late Ayede was until his untimely death, a well respected indigene of Kwande Local Government Area from Ishangev-ya district. He was a distinguished gentleman of amiable personality, known for his generosity and philanthropic disposition.

Mr. Ayede’s tragic death was therefore, shocking, sad and a big loss to the people of Kwande Local Government Area and the entire Benue State.

Regrettably while the people of Kwande were grief stricken over the death of our illustrious son, we were alarmed by the unfortunate and embarrassing reaction of Wantaregh Paul Unongo, also a son of the soil, before now, chairman, PDP caucus, Kwande Local Government Area, and that of his nephew, the defeated ACN candidate, Prof. Steve Ugbah, regarding the killing of Mr. Ayede as a calculated plan.

In two separate press statements, Wantaregh Paul Unongo and Prof. Ugbah made unequivocal statements to the effect that His Excellency, Dr. Gabriel Suswam was responsible for the killing of Mr. Charles Ayede. First, Professor Ugbah in his press statement of 14^th April, averred that:

“We know the sponsors of this attack. We also know their objective. The Governor of Benue State, Dr. Gabriel Suswam, will have a difficult task extricating himself from direct blame for the murder of Mr. Charles Ayede. The objective of this murder and the threat the attack directly posed to me as the main contender in the Benue State Governorship Election of April 26^th, 2011 which we are disputing, is clear. Governor Gabriel Suswam and his henchmen believe that by eliminating key authentic custodians of the stolen mandate, he will get away with the fraud. They are dead wrong... The whole country knows that the ACN won the just concluded elections in Benue State. Governor Suswam, the PDP and the INEC conspired and continue to manipulate the figures to declare Suswam as the winner. We have consistently appealed for calm by our supporters. Dr. Suswam the Chief Security Officer should be held responsible for any reaction to the murders he has carried out or is planning to carry out. As responsible leaders, we shall continue to appeal to our followers to remain calm. But there is a limit for everything. Enough is enough. I cannot guarantee that I can restrain our teeming supporters any further”.

What is most glaring from the above quoted statement of Professor Steve Ugbah is its recriminatory stance and hostile tone adopted. Such a statement apart from being inimical and prejudicial to police investigation into this killing was couched in a language unexpected of a person aspiring for the office of the governor of Benue State.

Furthermore, in all the issues raised by Professor Ugbah ranging from the question of who was behind the killing of the late Charles Ayede or who won the April 26^th Governorship Election in the state, Professor Ugbah alone constitutes the accuser, the prosecutor and judge returning a guilty verdict against HE Governor Suswam over the death of Mr. Ayede and guilty/complacency verdict against INEC and HE Dr. Suswam regarding his loss at the election.

What is even more worrisome is the likelihood of these statements to trigger violence, mayhem, hatred, and animosity in our land. It is on record that a day after the press conference was hold a group of irate ACN supporters in Ishangev-ya, apparently incited by the statement of Professor Ugbah, burnt down houses  of PDP members in Ishangev-ya district of Kwande Local Government including the houses of one Torkwase Malu. This incident is already receiving police attention and will not be addressed here.

We however, wish to use this medium to call on the defeated ACN governorship candidate, Professor Steve Ugbah, and his entire supporters and leaders of ACN to allow peace to reign in Kwande and indeed the state. The Kwande people love peace and wish to stress that it is only in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity that the police can unravel those behind killing of the late Ayede. Professor Ugbah is also enjoined by the Kwande people to take his grievances regarding the conduct of the April 26^th 2011 elections to the election tribunal and desist from acts capable of a breach of the peace or act that would portray him as a man in pursuit of self-interest instead of the interest of the people of Benue State he desires to govern.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a biblical injunction that we all should submit to constituted authority irrespective of how they emerge. Romans chapter 13:1-6 says in part:

            “Everyone must submit himself to governing authority, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.

            Professor Ugbah and his supporters should read this scripture and ponder on it so that the will of God will prevail in their lives.

Finally, as a man determined to be Governor of Benue State, common sense demands that he treats such office and its present occupant with some modicum of respect.

Wantaregh Paul Unongo’s Remarks on the April 26^th Governorship Election, death of Mr. Charles Ayede and other issues.

Gentlemen of the press.

You will again recall the recent utterances of Wantaregh Paul Unongo regarding the credibility of the April polls, the death of Mr. Charles Ayede, and his verbal attacks on constituted authorities including the person of HE Dr. Gabriel Suswam and His Royal Majesty, Dr. Alfred Akawe Torkula, the paramount ruler of the Tiv nation.

In a press statement dated May 16, 2011, and published in The Alternative newspaper of May 25^th, 2011, Wantaregh Paul Unongo, before now a self-confessed chieftain of the PDP stated amongst others that:

“We must not allow young men who have enjoyed life and who are put in power by us. Instead of developing us they have perfected on the goriest, the most barbaric way of killing their own younger people like them who want to seek to also be given a chance to rule. ACN won the fucking election, they won it. They won the election. I’m PDP, we lost. And it’s not a matter of life and death. Those who are killing people they don’t represent all of us that are in PDP... I told ACN members they were making noise rushing around my house telling me that they have won election before they started. I said well, you don’t know what we in PDP will do. I said you go ahead and win the election we shall seize the thing and we’ll go and announce ourselves... I am alive; they have a monkey, a thief, a rogue... is that the action of a Tor Tiv to go and lock yourself up and be thumb printing and dumping papers somewhere? Alfred Torkula is not fit to remain as Tor Tiv at all. Alfred Torkula should hide himself in shame and resign rather than pretending that he is the Tor Tiv. The Tiv people don’t have Tor Tiv now. Alfred Torkula is an active accomplice in all the murderous activities that are going on in Tiv land and I am ashamed of him”

At the risk of sounding repetitive, we make haste to say that the language and tone of Mr. Unongo’s press statement left much to be desired of an elder statement.

Ladies and gentlemen, the prevarifications and indiscretions of Wantaregh Paul Unongo as a Benue politician is well known to all of us. It is on record that during the 1993 general elections Wantaregh was in the fore front of the late M K O Abiola’s Presidential Campaign only to take a detour on the eve of the elections to support Alhaji Bashir Tofa who stood against M K O Abiola.

Indeed Paul Unongo, our son, has applied more than his 30 years of his sojourn in politics to fight every rising star in Tiv land. He fought the late J S Tarka, fought the late Aper Aku, fought the late Rev. Moses Adasu, fought George Akume, fought the late Akperan Orshi, Tor Tiv the third, and he is characteristically fighting Rt. Hon. Gabriel Suswam as well as the fourth Tor Tiv Orchivirgh Dr. Alfred Akawa Torkula. His anti-establishment stance in politics has translated into nothing other than underdevelopment of Kwande Local Government Area.

Without boring further with the many sides and nature of Wantaregh Paul Unongo, it suffices to say that since his entry into partisan politics in the early sixties, Mr. Unongo has distinguished himself as one politician whose word amounts to naught. He is one politician who romances with party A up to midnight only to wake up and marry party B in the early hours of the next morning to the chagrin of every decent person. Indeed when he joined the PDP in 2007 after decades of ignoble reign as an undisputed opposition leader of Benue politics, he was considered as an anti-establishment person camouflaging as a PDP loyalist. Let us recall that Wantaregh Paul Unongo has also in various newspaper interviews including the World Link newspaper of May, 2011, attested to the neutrality and impeccable qualities of the present INEC. His eleventh hour detour to cast aspersion on INEC and the credibility of its polls reflects his inconsistency on critical issues.

We also consider his remarks on the persons of the  Tor Tiv, Dr. Alfred Akawa Torkula and HE Dr. Gabriel Suswam most unfortunate.

The Kwande people disagree with the positions because they are absolutely at variance with our respect for the ultimate traditional institution of the Tiv people and ardently respect the success of His Excellency Dr. Gabriel Suswam at the 2011 polls.

He should allow peace to reign in our land and desist from acts capable of fanning the embers of discord and animosity between the PDP and ACN. We recall that election in Kwande LG were peaceful as such Wantaregh should encourage peaceful co-existence rather than utterance capable of generating tension among our people.

It is also  our appeal to Wantaregh Unongo to imbibe decorum in his future interactions with the media. We consider expressions such as ‘fucking election, thief, rogue, monkey,’ etc, emanating from Unongo’s press statement unbecoming of an elder statesman.

Finally, Ladies and gentlemen, the Kwande people cannot afford to make Kwande the theatre of rancor and skirmishes. We fervently desire peace, stability and concord among ourselves and the entire people of Benue State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We do not hesitate to without doubts to restate our commitment and support to the government of Benue State because we have seen and know the good works of His Excellency the Governor.

If we can without delay mention but a few, the first road completed in the state by Suswam administration is the Adikpo-Ikyogen-Jato-Aka road which leads into Wantaregh’s house.

The comprehensive renovation of General Hospital Adikpo as well as grants given to the local government council to put up a two-storey secretariat also readily comes to mind.

Many of our muddy streets in towns across the state are now tarred while many other projects are being executed.

We wish His Excellency, Dr. Gabriel Suswam, greater success in steering the ship of Benue State in his second governance. In addition the Kwande people wish to call on all leaders of opposition parties and others who lost in the April 2011 general elections to take advantage of the hand of fellowship extended to them by HE Dr. Gabriel Suswam, so that together we can move Benue State to greater height.

Long live Kwande Local Government Area!

Long live Benue State!!       

Long live Nigeria!!!

God bless you all!!!!

OMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF A TWO DAY TRAINING WORKSHOP ON PEACE NETWORK FORMATION UNDER THE PROJECT, “CONNECTING THE DISCONNECT FOR PEACE BUILDING AND ALTERNATIVE DISPUTES RESOLUTION (ADR) IN NIGERIA’S MIDDLE BELT REGION HELD AT THE GREENBELT HOTEL MAKURDI, BENUE STATE ON THE 8TH AND 9TH JUNE 2011.

Preamble

The training workshop organised by Women Environmental Programme (WEP), Abuja; drew participants from conflict prone communities of Adamawa, Benue, Niger, Plateau and Taraba States.

Participants applauded European Union and WEP for packaging such an elaborate workshop and finding them worthy for the high level integration into the peace building and conflict resolution process of their programmes.

The workshop further examined the issues related to formation, sustenance and maintenance of a network for peace building in the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria and also addressed the roles of youth and women in leadership. The workshop reviewed the concept of Advocacy, Lobbying for peace networks and a follow up action plan was formulated with recommended leaders. The underlisted were chosen across the five (5) states to form a Steering Committee for the activities of the peace network in the Middle Belt Region.

1.      Abigail Markus

2.      Ocheme Douglas

3.      Dehida Denis

4.      Haruna Salisu

5.      Juliana K Katso

6.      Laban Yiteso

7.      Kachi Douglas

8.      Abdullahi M Isah

9.      Chuwang N Sombot

10.  Alexander Ada Oya

11.  Kuti M G

12.  Akpoo Hannah  M

13.  Chundung M Pam

After exhaustive deliberations, the two day workshop came up with the following resolutions;

1.      The workshop in session resolved to form peace networks in the Middle Belt Region as a measure of intervening in conflicts within the region.

2.      The workshop called on participants from the various states to build and sustain Networks and coalition within their respective communities and organisation for effective intervention.

3.      Participants having identified the essence of Networking in peace building, agreed to maintain contacts that were established during the training across the participating states.

4.      The participants resolved to henceforth use Advocacy and Lobbying skills as a decision making process for addressing issues that affect their communities.

5.      The workshop in session encouraged gender mainstreaming in peace building processes.

6.      The workshop noted the overriding important roles of leadership in conflict transformation and resolution. Consequently, participants encouraged leaders to exhibit leadership qualities that would promote and protect the human dignity.

Communiqué Drafting Committee

Jemima A. Lazarus     -           Chairman

Nick Ahor                   -           Member

Chris Ochepa              -           Member

Chief Michael Agbese            -           Member

Dahida Dennis                        -Member

Umar Samda Abdullahi         -Member

Iorliam Shija               -           Member/Secretary

KWANDER SOURCE NEWS IS AN EXCELLENT NEWSPAPER- GOCHIN

Prince A B , Gochin an English Teacher at ACC Adikpo has commended the publishers of KSN, calling it an “excellent newspaper”. Prince Gochin made this declaration in the letter he addressed to the Publishers of Kwande Source News.

“I wish to sincerely appreciate and thank the publishers, Editor –in-Chief of KSN and their esteemed team”, he wrote

“The Newspaper(KSN) actually meets the requirements and standards of the print journalism of informing ,educating and entertaining the public. Your honesty, bravery and reportage style is unequalled.”

“I have been a keen reader of your excellent newspaper- The KSN. This is a very humble but gigantic beginning.”  

He congratulated KSN for organising Spelling Competition for Nursery and Primary Schools on the last Children’s Day.

He observed it was unbiased, claiming KSN lived above board.

“I shall give you some points I have observed in your activities for improvement in subsequent years. I shall do that in writing, and submit it to you in two weeks time. Accept my warm congratulations for a worthwhile job. Keep it up. Thank you.”Gochin wrote.

“Iam tired of this world”,

A 26 year old boy in Mbarumun, Nanev, Kwande Local Government who hanged himself on a mango tree left in a note that he was tired of this world.

The boy identified as Kwaghkule Kelvin Iorpinen killed himself, according to his friends because of the general lack that surrounded him. “He complained of farmland, his education and bad luck among other things”, one of his friend told KSN

In two suicide notes he left he left behind, one on his table and another in his pocket, Kwaghkule wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, Iam tired of this world”

Family sources revealed to KSN that, Kwaghkule was an introvert and rarely discloced his challenges.

His closest friend, Celestine Terfa Apine told KSN that the suicide victim had told him on several occasions that he would one day commit suicide but he never took him serious.

Others believe that, the boy carried the suicide under demonic influence.

KUDA, Kwande Branch Gets New Exco

Kunav  youth Development Association, Kwande Branch has elected new officials for a four year term.

The elections which were held 4^th   July, 2011 were under the supervision of Mr Saawuan Asobo and Micheal Aya.

At the end of the the election, the following officials who were in the outgoing exco retained their positions.Abojor Francis, President, Chian Kwaghgba, Vice President, Ule Augustine, Secretary,Aule Francis, Ass. Sec. And Chiahemba Jenkwe, PRO.

New entrants were, Aveuya Augustine, Financial Sec, Ludia Adeti,  Treasurer, Mwuese Chula, Director of Socials 1 and Mgule Erdoo, Director of Socials 2. The new exco has since assumed office

“Iam tired of this world”,

A 26 year old boy in Mbarumun, Nanev, Kwande Local Government who hanged himself on a mango tree left in a note that he was tired of this world.

The boy identified as Kwaghkule Kelvin Iorpinen killed himself, according to his friends because of the general lack that surrounded him. “He complained of farmland, his education and bad luck among other things”, one of his friend told KSN

In two suicide notes he left he left behind, one on his table and another in his pocket, Kwaghkule wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, Iam tired of this world”

Family sources revealed to KSN that, Kwaghkule was an introvert and rarely discloced his challenges.

His closest friend, Celestine Terfa Apine told KSN that the suicide victim had told him on several occasions that he would one day commit suicide but he never took him serious.

Others believe that, the boy carried the suicide under demonic influence.

As Prof. Tamen goes Home

A seasoned intellectual, an  academic don, a Psychologists and former Head of Department of Psychology at Benue State University, Prof. Iornongo Fred Tamen goes home 9^th July, 2011 at Tse Tamen Igbur, Adagi, Ikyurav, Kwande Local Govt. Benue State.

Prof. Tamen who was born on 20^th April, 1956, died June, 2011.

The most unfortunate thing about Prof Tamen’s death is the fact that his elevation to the Proffersorship: what as an academic, was a  lifelong dream, was caught short by death. He virtually did not live to ripe the benefits of the position he toiled and merited.

In an era when it appears there is general lack of sound academics, due to laxity and indolence at the Ivory Towers, the demise of a hard working personified, research oriented and confident lecturer like Prof Tamen is a big loss, not only to Tivland, but Nigeria and the world at large.

Prof Tamens death is a very big loss of unquantifiable magnitude yet, it is observed that as one who had studied the science of the mind, the professor knew to what extent it would be logical and appropriate to mourn over any loss.

It is stemmed from such psychological disposition that we call on the university community and all Benue People; especially from Ikyurav-ya, Kwande to take solace in the Lord.

REVELATIONS OF THE SHANGEV-YA POLITICAL IMBROGLIO

 

Recent political happenings in Shangev-ya, Kwande Local Government came to international status, when Prof. Steve Ugbah, ACN gubernatorial candidate in the April polls was linked to it, arrested and charged to court. KSN did an investigation on the crisis.

            The political imbroglio which has its roots in the mass movement of many Shangev-ya people from PDP to ACN in January 2011 reached its climax when Mr. Charles Ayede, a prominent Shangev-ya son was brutally murdered. Prior to Ayede’s death, the main issue on ground was the allegation of Hon. B B Nungwa who is a member of Benue State House of Assembly (ACN Kwande West) that Hon. D.I Akpagher, PDP contestant for the Kwande West seat was planning to kill him.

He started petitioning Akpagher and other PDP members as early as March 2011, this was before the elections were conducted. In the first letter which was dated March 3, 2011, addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Hon. B B identified those who were after him and others to include, “Chief Terlumun Akputu, Pastor Ayambo, Pastor Daniel Iorbee Akpagher, Pastor Moses Akem, Hon, Shina Baver, Philip Akume, Hon, Geoffrey Akula, Hon. Julius Jev”.

            He also petitioned the above to the Shangev-ya elders as it is reflected in petition addressed to the commissioner of police signed by Hon. B B Nungwa dated May 02, 2011, “it will interest you to hear that an attempt was made on Monday May 2^nd 2011, by four unknown person riding in an unregistered black jeep who wanted to trace my house and possibly do away with my life.”

            He stated further that, “four persons came to my office situated at No. 35A new Bridge Road near the new office of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria in Makurdi at about 12:30 AM and insisted that my security guard on duty must show my Makurdi Residence. They hid under the pretext that they had entered into a business deal with me which they wanted to conclude by making the final payment to me in person”.

            Hon. Nungwa averred that, “my suspicion is still directed at those mentioned in my letter of March 3^rd 2011, as these are people that are after me with pastor Daniel Iorbee Akpegher as my principal suspect .”

             In yet another petition, dated 17^th May, 2011, Nungwa wrote to the commissioner of police that, “while awaiting your action on the reports, we further want to bring to your attention other clandestine activities being fueled by our political opponents to make sure that they implicate and nail us by all means as they continue with their murderous plans on  us.”

            “Following the incessant threats to our lives, we lodged a compliant to the elders (ityo) and traditional rulers of our community, Shangev-ya in Kwande Local Government Area in Benue State”. He stated in this petition which he jointly  signed with  Hon. Adzua Ashongo.

            The elders fixed the meeting on Saturday, 14^th May, 2011 at Koti, Shangev-ya, to work at the allegations, KSN learnt. Our investigation further revealed that it was the desire of Mr. Adaa Maagbe and late Charles Ayede to be at the meeting after the burial of Late Mrs. Mimi Alu, wife of Katsina-Alu, who was to be buried on the same day. But Ayede was killed far away in kardorko a day to the meeting.  Ayede’s death apart, the meeting was billed to hold. But a source at the meeting revealed that passions were very high at the meeting due to Ayede’s death and since the attendance was also poor, the meeting was rescheduled for the next day, 15^th May, 2011.

            On this fixed day, which was on Sunday, unknown to the chiefs and some of the PDP members, Governor Suswam was attending a mass in the country home of the Security Adviser, in Mbawer, Kwande Local Government. Divided between attending the rescheduled meeting at Koti and thanksgiving mass ;in the end, all the three District Heads of Tondov I, Tondov II and Mbakatsa shunned the meeting for the mass; also with the prominent sons and daughters of PDP extraction.

            The elders and mostly ACN members who turned up for the 15^th May meeting at Koti considered this a deliberate attempt to down play their plight. So with the elders, KSN learnt, they ostracised their chiefs and prominent sons from PDP who were invited but refused to come.

            The following morning as at 1:00 am, the round hut of the PDP woman leader (Mbaketsa), Mrs. Torkwase Malu was burnt down. In an interview with KSN in Ajio recently, Torkwase said, “since most of our people moved to ACN; some of us who opted to continue in PDP were virtually ostracised from the community life”- she told us that she could not walk freely without receiving insults from angry youths. So she had identified some of the youths who were found of insulting her, “some even said it was because of my business place, that is, my hut which was burnt, where I used to sell drinks, that I was feeling important and that, shortly I will have nothing to rely on.”

            Mrs Malu, who is reported to have injured a youngman and broke his head during the gubernatorial election, told KSN further that, “as the elders moved about to announce their resolution  at the koti meeting, I overhead Hon. Adzua Ashongo asking the youths why they hae not started burning down structures”

            So when she woke up and saw her hut in flames that morning, she had her suspicion. Later that morning she lodged her complain and four that  of those  ACN youths were arrested. These were Terwase Ashiekaa, Atime  Tersoo, Ortse  Cyprian and a 12 years old boy, Mteseer Akaachir. They were detained in Adikpo for some days. What looked like a reprisal from the PDP was carried out and the shops and chemist shops of Tersoo Atime and Cyprian Hono respectively, were affected. This incident was reported and 3 people PDP were linked to the  arson. These were Terkura Ahendaan (Dey There), Anweh Ajiva and Shanger. Veregh; only Ahendan was arrested; the others ran away.

            In a twist of issues, one of the suspects for arson against ACN store owner, Mr. Ajiva returned with police men and arrested more people indiscriminately.

            The villagers who spoke to KSN at Ajio said they were confused to see some one who shortly was on the run to come back with the police who where after him to arrest others. those arrested were Cyprian Hono, Godwin Agee, Hon. Iorfa Tsehe, Terlumun Sachia, Tertese Songo, Bem Gunji, Terhemen Yuazwa and Myima Wuese.

            Those were the people who were together with the ACN gubernatorial candidate for April 26^th 2011, Prof. Steve Ugbah, Adaa Maagba, Abua Yajir, on 24^th May, 2011 were charged to a magistrate court in Makurdi for, “criminal conspiracy, intimidation, rioting and mischief by fire.

            Unfortunately for Terkura Ahendan, a PDP youth, who is known as Dey There a card carrying member of PDP, his party has summarily joined a case against him with Ugbah.

            Speaking to us in Ajio, Dey There told us that, “my party elders in Makurdi has called me and promised me a lawyer who will fight my case”. When we asked what could be his case, he was at loss. He has not realized that in a rush, his party has instituted a case against him.

            Meanwhile, accusation and counter accusations are going on. The ACN members have accused Torkwase Malu for burning down her hut to get compensation. This position is supported by a petition signed by Hon. B B Nungwa and Adzua Ashongo.

These actions taken by the elders of Shangev-ya infuriated some of District Heads, daughters and sons ostracised at the meeting which occasioned these sons and daughters holding an emergency meeting at Adikpo in the house of one Mrs. Margaret Upev.     

            At the meeting, they argued it was resolved that “the women (sic) leader for Mbaketsa, Torkwase Malu should go and burn down her thatched round hut (Ate) where she sells food and drinks go ahead and implicate selected ACN members including Hon
BB Nungwa, Hon. Adzua Ashongo so that they would invite the police to get them arrested and prosecuted for arson, inciting disturbance and mischief. She would threafter be compensated”.

            They also alleged that  Hon.Wokaven Bver was also to do same. That while the later declined , “Mrs Torkwase Malu, True to their design at the meeting, went  aheard , burnt the hut and has now framed us by reporting to the police”

            Reacting to their allegation, Mrs. Malu said , “ how can I burn down my hut? Am I mad. It was the  ACN members who came and did it.

            In the suit against them  at Magistrate court holden in   Makurdi, Governor Suswam is arguing that all those activities were sparked up by Ugbah’s press conference on 14^th May, 2011, in Makurdi where Ugbah linked him  to the death of Mr. Charles Ayede.

  

WELCOME ADDRESS BY EDITOR IN CHIEF OF KSN, MR. IORLIAM’ AMO SHIJA ON THE OCCASSION OF THE 2011 CHILDREN’S DAY FIESTA. VENUE: ADIKPO COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGE ADIKPO. DATE: 27TH MAY 2011.

Salutation,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the grand finale of the 2011 Children’s Day Fiesta. I appreciate the fact that  you at this event. As we are all aware, Children’s Day is a day designed  for the society to look at the general issues affecting the child. When we grew up in the late 80s and early 90s around this environment, Children’s Days were coordinated by the government and glamorously celebrated.

In those days, students of various schools were brought together and engaged in activities that would expose them to new education challenges and friends; also, their potentials were shown to the public glare, but government’s insensitive to these celebrations in recent times have affected  the joy and beauty that used to accompany the event. It is on this basis that Kwande Source News decided to reactivate the celebrations, expecting to re ignite the feelings that went with Children’s Day in the past.

We started this venture in 2009. In the Maiden edition, we engaged secondary schools in Debate, Quiz and Essay competitions. In last year’s edition, in addition to the above, we added Football and Spelling Competitions; the latter for the Nursery and Primary schools specifically. In line with our desire to explore every possible angles, 2011 edition was designed for only Nursery and primary schools and the three  events of the year are Football, Drama and Spelling Competitions.

We can’t claim organising an event of this magnitude has been easy because Kwande Source News is just 3 years in practice. But we feel it our collective responsibility to the children that should not be ignored. That is why we have been daring against all odds. Basically, I want to express that this is one of the reasons upon which Kwande Source News was established.

I will like to use this opportunity to say a word briefly on our genre of journalism, community media practice because so many people want us to expand and become what they call a BIGGER PAPER. Community journalism encourages journalists to address the basic values and principles of traditional journalism in light of democratisation, social change, and community empowerment initiatives. As such, community journalism is an extension, a maturing, of development communication efforts that began many decades ago to help nations grow and to assist in the rapid increase in the productivity of their IMMEDIATE society

Daniel Lerner (1958) found evidence that societies can change through the apparent influence of mass communication. Schramm (1964) further advocated the use of media because they had the ability to enhance development and social change. Citing three great communication tasks–as watchmen, as participants in the decision process, and as teachers–he said the media were able to: broaden horizons, focus attention and raise aspirations, create a climate for development, help change attitudes or valued practices, feed interpersonal channels, confer status, enforce social norms, and help form tastes .

The belief that radio, television, and newspapers could be used by the central government of a country to help build a nation is not only very important but also a misunderstood concept. Governments in developing countries interprete this to mean that they could take control of the media and that they would use their authority to tell the media what is important to tell the people. This top-down approach disenfranchises the people and the media. As a result, growth or change is temporary or non-existent in a centrally controlled media.

Nation building, through development communication, occurs as the result of people, not of government. No matter how much the government tells the media to develop people, if people don't want to develop, they don't–and nations don't develop. This is where the theory and the practice of development communication collide. The  Media are often used to support a government agenda instead of being used to create cooperative ventures, to support the people's agenda, or to integrate efforts into developing a community identity.

Improvements in literacy, health, poverty, education, religious thoughts and political awareness are all elements of nation building, of people building. While governments of developing countries acknowledge that these issues are important, it is probably the government’s heavy-handed control that  has caused the lack of media support of initiatives in developmental communication .

 But UNESCO, in their report on the New World Information and Communications Order (NWICO) about democratisation of the media indicate, that it is a matter of human rights, the right to communicate is an extension of the advances toward liberty and democracy. "Extension of these communication freedoms to a broader individual and collective right to communicate is an evolving principle in the democratization process" (UNESCO 215). Democratizing the media cannot be simply additional facilities. It means broader access to the media by the general public, "the free interchange of ideas, information and experience among equals, without dominance or discrimination" (UNESCO 216).

When the media is democratised, it serves the people and people then use the media to obtain the information they are interested in so that they can improve their daily lives and their community. In order for that to happen, the people must participate in determining the focus of the media. There is not necessarily a hierarchy in this process. Journalists are not above the people in this regard. They are servants to, or partners with, the people of the community. All people are considered equal and central to the purpose of the media. Community journalism is a process. It emphasises the important connection between the people of communities and their media. Community journalism encourages journalists to address the basic values and principles of traditional journalism in light of new democratisation, social change, and community empowerment initiatives.

 From research, Community journalism can be described using a simple three-phase process. These phases include: consciousness raising, working through the issue with the community, and issue resolution. While the resolution phase may sound like a final stage, it is just the beginning of actually solving problems and getting the community involved in solving their own challenges.

In the consciousness-raising phase, the journalist finds out what issues are of concern in the community. To do that, the journalist must become part of the community. The journalist connects to the citizenry, not just opinion leaders in the community. They need to learn: what the people think is going on in their community; what the people would like to know more about; and, how the citizens think they can make a difference and improve their lives.

In the second phase of working through issues, people have now identified–for the journalist–the issues. This can be thought of as a ‘community agenda’. The citizens have given their input to the media and enlightened them on what is important in their community. From these issues, the journalist can begin to construct news stories that highlight the peoples' point of view of what is happening, or perhaps hold meetings to find out what the community would like to know more about, how they would like to see issues addressed, collect ideas, discuss ideas, bring government into the discussions, and see how they fit into the picture. This activity leads to the third phase of civic/community journalism: resolution.

Because community journalism is a process, the resolution phase leads back to the beginning of the process. In the resolution phase, news stories and projects may be completed. This may result in a resolution to the issue originally identified by the community. But other issues may have come to the surface during the reporter's work with the community. It is at this time that these new issues are taken back to the first phase and again worked through the process. The media provide a forum–where the public knows they are the centre–for the citizens to solve their community’s challenges.

So we want to state here that Kwande Source News is your paper. We need your support to continue and actualize these lofty ideas. It is on this basis that we thank our supporters, those who have been helping our paper and especially those who gave us the financial assistance to hold this event. To share in this appreciation is TYOOR USAR, Tivlumun Ako Dzungwe who has assisted us and provided generously for this occasion. We welcome the pupils, parents and teachers; we wish YOU all a happy Children’s Day.

Thank you.

UNONGO SPEAKS

Not afraid of being sanctioned by his party, Second Republic Minister of Steel, Wantaregh Paul Unongo, told newsmen in Makurdi, Benue State capital, that although he was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) won the recent governorship election in the state. The elder statesman also blamed his party for the killing of some youths in the state. He speaks on these and other national issues. Excerpts…

You have been quiet for some time. Why are you breaking your silence?
Today, you have come. I hope I won’t disappoint you. What I will do is to tell you why I am relevant in Nigeria and will remain relevant till you people put me in the ground. So, I make comments that allow discussions in the process and also I allow people to ask me my views about what I think. I am only 75 years young. I think that is a good age. I think I have participated in every single thing in Nigeria and I think I have contributed very creditably in the evolution of Nigeria and the Nigerian political system.

I am competent, eminently competent to make statements on its growth and problems and what is happening in it. Many things have happened in this country of late and I always refused to give press conferences because, when people come to me for abrupt press conferences as if I want publicity, I think I have had enough publicity when I was out there with you. But I just want those who are interested in knowing about me and how I am feeling. In fact, I was very happy when I heard you were coming to the village.

I thought you would see what I am doing. I am not one of those retired. I will retire the day I die. So, I am strongly active, enjoying what I am doing in my village. I make relevant questions available to friends and they make relevant questions available to me and I answer them. I thank you very much for giving me the honour of coming to my house for this interactive session.

What is your take on the current development in the political landscape of PDP, the party you belong?
Considering things that have happened in Nigeria, I want to let my views known because I have refused to be in the background by attaching myself to a political party. By wanting to be in the background, I shouldn’t have attached myself to a political party. Those of you who know my history, you knew why I came to attach myself to a political party, the ‘dominant’ party or the party in power, PDP. At the creation of PDP, I believe my brain created it and I registered it also with the then INEC. I was the first to bring that thing about.

Then my younger brothers made some games and tricks that affected the ideological orientation of the very PDP I formed; contradictory to the behaviour of my kids, who came and took the PDP and made it a different thing, so I withdrew from it and didn’t go to court. I went and collected my money from INEC and they took their PDP and made it something that had nothing to do today with liberal democracy. I think based on social democracy since we have been crying for a long time that Nigerian political system did not have an ideological orientation. So, I wanted to make that contribution by starting a political party that would have an ideological orientation that can accommodate liberal and social democrats.

Why didn’t you correct the ills in the PDP rather than leaving the house you built?
I was quite prepared to entertain modalities of moving the people along the line of manifestos we gave. What is the thing you choose, are you going to be leftist? Are you going to the left or to the right, or centre? Some people would be in the centre or the left, some would be left and some would be absolute left.

So, I discovered that after this thing was split up and the PDP came, it was nothing that we wanted to bring dispute into the Nigerian political practice. So, I went away and remained in approximation of what was, what we had for the people, the NPP metamorphosed through a lot of things to become ANPP. And back home, which is where you are, the schisms and the practice polarized politics to such an extent that a lot of killing could take place. We insisted we would be different and we became like the official and opposition party, and the big parties that were in power didn’t like it.

Every time we did an election from the point of view of people watching and seeing the behaviour of the electorate, who are the repository of power, I notices there was resentment with people that came into power both in Nigeria and in the states, they actually assumed sovereignty over the people.

So, I feel I am rejected in that at every election we ended up short-changed. We won, they announced somebody else, and then they started the practice of killing and they killed a lot of people. I was at the centre because I took the simplest way I could handle, but my people love me so much. When I won elections and they were taken from me, the people got so angry that they didn’t want to let them go. And, of course, the big people that were running government started getting frightened about my ideas and they were very worried that if I came into power, they believed I was going to pack everybody and send them to jail, especially those who were stealing money, and that I would not allow them to steal. So, they fought and killed people in my local government, Kwande.

In that election, the government in power wanted every thing from every local government and so on, and then they wanted to humiliate everybody, they went there and humiliated them. But they were not satisfied because they couldn’t win even a councillorship seat in Kwande. So, they held Kwande people and me responsible and there was a lot of massacre as they raided Kwande. Of course, the Federal Government and the federal troops assisted them and they murdered 1,500 people in my local government just for me.

With all these atrocities committed against your people by the PDP government, why did you still choose not to decamp?
I felt the time had arrived to stop the killings, if indeed the philosophy and assumption is that I love my people and I wanted to serve them. Persistently, in 1983, I won elections, but was not allowed, in 2003 I won election landslide. I am so happy the current governor confirmed that to me and actually volunteered the information. He was the one that actually successfully did the mago mago business for them to be able to tell the people that they won the election, but told me I won. Of course, the boys that did the election also told me.

So, after the 2004 massacre, I turned back and told people in public that I was sick and don’t want to be governor of dead people. I didn’t want to rule dead people. So, I said I would stop. People told me I shouldn’t stop, that what would benefit our people in Benue would be to forget my pride and join PDP. So, I made it public, it took me sometime, about four years, I made a public declaration at a public square after a lot of consultations with my people and they gave me conditions. To leave, our party would literally be killed because ANPP was killing it by going into the PDP fellowship. I had very serious discussions with the then Obasanjo government, who assured me that there would be no more killing, so I joined the PDP.

The principal reason I gave at the public arena was that I wanted peace, I wanted the Tiv people to know that politics in Nigeria is not played the way they play politics, and that I had studied the politics of Nigeria and what we were doing was going to pull us back. And the likes of Obasanjo and then Yar’Adua were so happy that their problem in Benue was over now that the only opposition man had made up his mind to work for peace.

Would you say Obasanjo and his group fooled you?
I didn’t understand them, but I laughed and came back hoping there would be no more killings of our people. I want to repeat, I didn’t leave ANPP because somebody gave me money. Please, it has been for a long time, do all the investigations you want, I left ANPP because my people said the reasons I gave them, the primitive politics we were playing, were killing my people whom I wanted to serve. That is why they said wherever I went they would go with me. So, we all moved into PDP, which we did not recognise again. It was not the original PDP that I formed. It had no form; no ideology. Perhaps, the only ideology it had, something that bound the big men in it together, was the possibility of sharing money, and they were always doing that.

Any regrets joining the Governor Suswam-led PDP in Benue?
Yes, when everybody assured me that if I went into PDP they would stop killing my people, they would stop killing young men and cutting their lives short, they would have dialogue, and do good elections. I participated in writing all the constitutions being used in this country today. And I know I presented papers, I presented two major papers on electoral reforms in which I advocated strongly for the introduction of electronic voting system, which I said was the only thing that would stop the killing of my people. I don’t know what happened everywhere, but in my place, the only thing that would stop killing my people, which is the basis for which I continue in politics with the “biggest party” in Africa, as they always say, was free and fair election. I thought God would help us to have an electoral reform that would produce an election that is within the limits of man’s capacity and almost fair, devoid of mass thumb-printing, snatching of ballot boxes and stuffing.

Now, I had the shock of my life, I told myself that I had withdrawn from all elections and I remember how they talked to me and the things they promised me, they said be there as our father. If we do something you think is wrong, you should let us know. And, of course, that ought to be my role at 75. And I have done so and I noticed that young men don’t like old men that would look them in the face and tell them this thing you are doing is wrong. So, people try to relegate me to the background.

I want you to remember that I am still in PDP, I am not an ACN member, but I will tell my party, in this and that cases you are wrong. This funny empty-headed people that hang around those in authority would say, you cannot insult “tuhwa” governor like that. Is that “tuhwa”, you Tiv people? If you are talking to a younger person you are infinitely better qualified than him, and you’ve done this all your life for over 40 years, and the young man is 40, are they crazy?

They expect me to be afraid of saying something because somebody will not give me food?
All these funny things I see in papers that they are removing you as chairman of this, chairman of that, how do you remove me from being 75, if you are not mad? How do you remove me from being the father of politics in Benue, if you are not mad? How do you stop me from being the leader in my village called Kwande? Then you say you want to disgrace and humiliate me, you go and bring nonentities and say here is money, go and give people let them not vote for him. We will show people that he doesn’t have control in his village.

I didn’t go out. You don’t do it with me in Kwande. You can’t do it because I have been there with them for over 50 years and they have not been taken money from anybody, yet they are living. Small kids come here with their big loud speakers and make noise. They say this one is the killer of people, that one is a beater of people, this one is this and that and they ride big cars and go and say, don’t worry Suswam, we are going to deliver this place to you. So, to deliver, you have to kill?

How do you react to the recent killing of former Benue State council Chairman of the NUJ and Media Assistant to ACN governorship candidate, Charles Ayede?
We have entered a very dangerous era, the media should please, help us. If they give you money, take it and spend it, but please, print the truth about Benue. Our people have suffered to a level that some of us will not allow small children God had entrusted us with the responsibility of being leaders in government to them weapons to kill our people. They invited me to join PDP saying that killing would stop. I want you to tell me why you brought me to this part of the world again and lie to me that you are going to stop killing. What is this? I want to know, since you came to my house, I am not looking for publicity; I am not looking for anything. Tell me young man, this is the country we fought for and went to jail for you to come and look after me in my old age, this is barbaric destruction of human life, this horrible murder perpetrated in the name of politics.

We are the people who died, we are the people who went to jail, and we said we have children; we will take everything so that our children will be safe. What is this? What is this murderous thing that people want? Jesus! Is this what I went to jail for? So that you small boys would come and kill yourselves and other decent people, for what? Kill my son, Steve Davis Ugbah, for what? What is this? You wanted to be governor, the people allowed you, you asked to be a member of the Federal House, I allowed you, and they allowed you. I was with my political party, but I assisted you. You were there for eight years, God lifted and brought you to be governor for four years.

For God’s sake, if the electorate of Benue freely, and they are the sovereign people of Benue in whose laps God’s power is deposited, they are the repository of God’s own power on earth, and they say they want to change the government, what is the killing? What are these murders? Young men just going about town being seized and given thorough beating, this one, it was in front of my house in Gboko, he calls himself Crucial, these are your modern names; if you don’t like him calling himself Crucial, call him Abua. Do you have to kill him because he is not in your political party? And I say this kind of behaviour is not good. Could this society survive with the type of pictures you people are seeing, can we bless you?

Talking about political crisis or violence, whichever you choose, what’s your comment on the role of the traditional institution in Benue State?
That stupid boy called Alfred Torkula, Tor Tiv says he is the one who curses people. Is this the type of curse he has been bringing upon us? Can he curse? I can curse. Can he talk and refuse this type of carnage? Even the Hausa people that pretend, those of them that pretend to be radical Muslims, when their stupid man loses an election, they kill only Christians and burn churches. Benue people, what are you that you kill your own? They kill you up there. The ones that escape and come here, you kill them, for what? Who likes you?

That boy has a wife, that boy has children. How can you kill a human being like that and then get around and threaten old men like me, my God! As long as the Lord lives, I will not do that, this is a cry, crying out for help and I am praying not to have vengeance, but for justice; may the people who won the election, God Almighty, may He return your mandate ACN. We can’t continue like this. This is not what I fought for. This is not what I went to jail for and nobody has the power to stop you from eating. Stop abusing yourself, stop abusing your God, stand up for your right for God’s sake.

As a statesman, what efforts have you made to address this rather worrisome situation beyond the political boundaries of Benue?
If Nigeria is watching what is happening in Benue as a joke, I called Obasanjo and I want to be quoted. I called Obasanjo three days to the election and I said arrange for you, Jonathan Goodluck and me to talk; there is a change in Benue, and if we try to suppress that change we shall have a security problem. I teach intelligence at the university.
I had the opportunity under Babangida to create what was called the security apparatus of this country. So, I know what I am talking about. And I said we need this meeting before this election. I want to expose to you what we PDP are going to do that would destabilize Nigeria, because if there is destabilization, serious ones from among the Tiv of Benue, Nigeria will shake, and we kept giving ourselves appointments three times, we didn’t make the appointments.
And when this thing started. I said please, we must meet. Two days ago, I called Obasanjo, I said you are PDP’s Chairman of Board of Trustees, I told you that something is wrong in Benue.

Let us discuss and stop this thing about your daughter who stood elections for Senate, it’s not war, ACN beat her. You told me you were going to let them have it; you were president four times for God’s sake. Why would such small young men in my state, because they have tasted power and money, the sovereign people of Benue State have decided they are going to change their own leaders, why should you stop them? And when they were stopped, they called him a winner; they call them winners, why are they killing people in this bogus way? Why? I am a card-carrying member of PDP. Is Tor Tiv, Alfred Torkula, a card-carrying member of the PDP? It is because of his encouragements that these boys have gone mad.

But he is your paramount ruler, isn’t it?
I will never call him Tor Tiv again, he was made Tor Tiv in my village, the Unongo village, and I know what happened, which is why I am not going to call him Tor Tiv again. Where was he when they were butchering this boy, and why must it be Kwande always? This thing cannot be tolerated. This thing will not be accepted. This thing will not be allowed to repeat itself except the powers that be in Nigeria don’t care what we Benue people do to ourselves. If that is the case, I will be one of the people and you better quote me, I will be one of the people that would go round and tell my people to defend ourselves.

What is your reaction to the results of the general election declared by INEC?
ACN won the election; they won it. I am in PDP, we lost it, and it’s not a matter of life and death. Those who are killing people don’t represent all of us in PDP. They don’t represent the President and I know they don’t represent even the soldier.

What is the way forward?
I think the case has been made for ACN. I told ACN members that were making noise, rushing around my house and telling me they have won the election and so on. Before they started, I said well, you don’t know what we in PDP will do. I said you go ahead and win your election, we shall seize what we shall, go and announce ourselves, and they were laughing at me.