By Elijah Oguche, Abuja

Twelve concerned chapels of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue State Council, have again taken issue with comments allegedly made by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Mr.

The position was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting of the concerned chapels held in Makurdi on Monday, June 22, 2026.

The chapels said they were disappointed by a statement credited to the CPS in which he reportedly declared that he had no dealings with the local media.

According to them, such a position does not reflect Governor Hyacinth Alia’s appreciation of the role of indigenous media organisations in the development of Benue State.

The journalists noted that Governor Alia has maintained a cordial relationship with media practitioners in the state and acknowledged the contributions of local media to governance and development.

They commended the governor for his administration’s performance and urged him to sustain the current pace of development across the state.

While expressing reservations over the CPS’ alleged remarks, the chapels praised the working relationship between the media and key government communication aides, including the Technical Adviser on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communications, Chief Solomon Iorpev, as well as Principal Special Assistants Donald Kumun (Print), Bridget Tivkyaa (Media Publicity and Strategic Communications), and Isaac Uzaan (Media and Content Creation).

They called for the continued strengthening of the cordial rapport.
The meeting also aligned itself with the resolution of the NUJ Congress held on June 15, 2026, which cleared the Chairman of the NUJ Benue State Council, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, of allegations of financial impropriety after considering his explanations on the matter.

The concerned chapels challenged the Correspondents’ Chapel to subject its position on the current NUJ leadership to what they described as a referendum to test the acceptance and effectiveness of its campaign for the dismantling of the state council leadership.

They further called on the NUJ to immediately publish the report of its membership screening exercise aimed at identifying unqualified individuals within the union, in line with the NUJ constitution.

The chapels insisted that the Benue State Council should not be intimidated into abandoning its responsibility of ensuring that only qualified practitioners operate within the profession in accordance with established ethical and professional standards.

The communiqué was signed by the Chairman of the Drafting Committee, Comrade Mhii Sam-Selumun; Secretary, Comrade Paku Charles; and member, Comrade Ogaga Moses

Guinea has banned the export of unrefined gold in an effort to promote domestic processing of the precious metal.

The policy – effective immediately – comes after Guinea’s President Mamadi Doumbouya met industrial and artisanal gold producers and buyers, and aims to boost the economy and create more jobs.

“Guinea will now require its gold to be processed within its own borders.

Guinea is Africa’s sixth largest gold producer, according to the World Gold Council.

Other African nations have taken similar steps to increase domestic processing and value addition in the mining sector in recent years.

In Tanzania and Uganda, the export of unprocessed minerals and metals such as gold and copper is already banned, while Ghana is set to ban raw gold exports by 2030.

Africa’s top lithium producer, Zimbabwe, has banned concentrate exports of the metal used to make batteries from 2027.

Gold is one of Guinea’s main exports, shipping more than 22 tonnes of the metal in the first quarter of this year, according to the authorities.

A new refinery is near completion in the capital, Conakry, where the country’s gold will be sent before processing and export. It has a reported capacity of 250 tonnes a year so should be able to handle the country’s current production.

Foreign companies operating in the country have been warned that they risk losing their licenses and having their mining contracts terminated if they violate the directive.

Guinea is also the world’s largest producer of bauxite, used to make aluminium.

From Aliyu Askira, Kano

A 30-year old boutique and provision owner Ismail Makaye was feared dead in his girlfriend’s apartment named Fati Cele in Tishama Quarters, Hotoro Kano.

Fati Cele, 28, from Borno State came to Kano over 10 years ago and rented an apartment in Hotoro Quarters.

Neighbors claimed they heard Fati Cele recently shouting for help in the morning that her apartment was on fire.

But when they rushed into the apartment, they saw her boyfriend Ismail Makaye half burnt by fire, though he was still alive but heavily bleeding.

Accordingly, the neighbors quickly reported the incident to Dorayi Police Command which swiftly moved in and arrested Fati and others at the scene and took them to their station.

Some of the neighbors told Daily Asset that Ismail and his girlfriend Fati Cele were no longer on good terms and were separated for some time but later Ismail returned back to Fati’s apartment.

When Daily Asset correspondent visited the Dorayi Police Station, officers who volunteered information on the condition of anonymity because they were a bit authorised to talk to the press admitted Fati Cele was being held and investigation was ongoing.

Fati Cele is a popular Tiktoker at a Gala Night Club in Sabon Gari Quarters and has 32,500 followers on Tiktok from which she is making a lot of money and investing in other businesses.