WHICH SIDE MINISTER MAKU SUPPORTS IN NASARAWA CRISIS?

The recently registered All Progressives' Congress party (APC) demands to relieve the Information Minister Labaran Maku of his duties as the supervising Minister of Defence. The opposition suspect him of being an interested party in the ongoing Nasarawa State crisis.

In order to end the Nasarawa violence, which claimed several lives and wiped out hundreds of houses, troops were deployed to the state by the Federal Government. It is believed that the crisis was triggered by the infamous Ombatse cult, otherwise known as Ombatse militia group.

Voicing the party's statement on Thursday, its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, said that Maku is of the Eggon ethnic group, and the Ombatse cult is of similar origins. This fact, according to APC, makes Maku's new appointment as the Supervising Minister of Defence, untenable.

Whatever steps Maku would take in his new capacity towards solving the Nasarawa crisis, they would be judged and most probably misinterpreted, Mohammed alleged.

It was suggested in the statement that Jonathan should immediately relieve Maku from his new duties, as such practice is widely spread worldwide.

Jonathan directed Maku to take the reins of government of the Defence Ministry, as the Minister of State for Defence, Olusola Obada, was sacked last week. Until Mrs. Obada was sacked alongside eight other ministers, the ministry had no senior minister.

The APC also noted that the minister did little to help the matters with his recent interview with BBC. Maku has been "economical with the truth," the statement read, and tried to downplay the role of the Nasarawa State Government in solving the conflict and curbing the activities of the Ombatse cult.

"At the instance of the State Government, several meetings have also been held with Eggon leaders and the Eggon Cultural and Development Association (ECDA), to no avail. It is therefore blatantly wrong for the minister, or anyone for that matter, to say the State Government has not initiated dialogue as a means of resolving the crisis.

"Also, the State Governor has been briefing the President, on a regular basis, over the crisis. He has requested for the deployment to the state of a Mobile Police Squadron as well as troops. While the requests were granted, the deployments are just about being carried out, yet Minister Maku gave an erroneous impression concerning the role of the State Government in curtailing the crisis.

"Thirdly, the State Government has compiled and sent to the Federal Government the names and addresses of the suspected leaders and major players in Ombatse, the perpetrator of the violence. The State Government has also instituted a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the violence, while assisting the victims of the violence state-wide.

In conclusion, the APC stressed that Maku (as well as any prominent Eggon citizen) has not expressed his disapproval over the Ombatse attacks on ordinary citizens and security operatives. This, the party says, serves as an excellent evidence to show where their sympathy lies.

TARABA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ESCAPES DEATH

The Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly, Hon. Haruna Tsokwa, escaped being killed by unknown gunmen on September 18, 2013, Wednesday.

The assault occurred in a border town called Bade, which is located between Kaduna and Nasarawa States.

According to a source of SaharaReporters, the gunmen attacked in a commando style. They fired shots at the convoy, but their attempts to cause severe damage were unsuccessful.

Two of the Speaker's guards, police officers attached to the convoy, were wounded in a gunfight. The officers, identified as Levi Kenneth and Daniel Innocent, both 35 years old, were almost immediately taken to the hospital, after the attackers were overpowered. The gunmen were able to escape.

It would be noted that Hon. Haruna Tsokwa Tsokwa has been in the middle of the political controversy, concerning the return to Taraba of ailing Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai. The Speaker led the resistance against the efforts of Governor Suntai to resume his office in his condition.

Breaking News: Nassarawa Lawmakers Go Back To Work After Yesterday's Attack

Less than 24 hours after being shut down indefinitely, The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has been reopened for normal activities.

The indefinite shut down announcement came from the Speaker of the Assembly Musa Mohammed on Tuesday, 27 August, 2013 evening after irate youth attacked the lawmakers within the assembly complex. The lawmakers reversed their decision on indefinite postponement after a 3-hour closed door meeting with the state governor, Tanko Al-Makura on 28 August, 2013. The meeting was held inside the conference room of the speaker’s office, with 23 lawmakers in attendance.

Although the details of the meeting were not made public, a source said the governor sympathized with the lawmakers over the attack and gave assurance that the lives and property of the lawmakers would be secured. The governor attended the meeting in the company of the State Commissioner of Police and Director of the State Security Service.

During the lawmakers’ sitting after the meeting, the speaker commended the state commissioner of police for the prompt provision of security personnel to curtail the crisis and asked residents to remain calm. Earlier, the state government distanced itself from the attack by the youth, who questioned the lawmakers’ summon on the state governor.

A statement signed by the State Commissioner of Information, Hamza Elayo, condemned the attack and sympathised with the lawmakers. “We condemn in strong terms the unfortunate, unprovoked and unwarranted disturbance of Tuesday August 27th, 2013 at the premises of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly by yet to be identified hoodlums.

“The government strongly dissociates itself from such unprovoked acts and sympathize with the Speaker and Honourable members over the sad incident”. “Government calls on security agencies to investigate and bring to book all those found to have been directly involved or have supported this unwholesome and dastardly act,” the commissioner said. Mr. Elayo warned that the government would deal with anyone involved in the attack.

“Government also warns that it will not condone such acts which are capable of derailing the country’s democracy as well as causing disharmony among the people of this state,” he said.