NEWS
Mutfwang Constitutes Steering Committee for Plateau Sustainable Economic Devt

From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang has inaugurated a state-level steering committee under the Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development for Decent Employment in Nigeria (SEDIN) programme to drive sustainable economic development in Plateau state.
Mutfwang represented by his Deputy, Mrs Josephine Piyo, said the initiative was aimed at improving the competitiveness of the Nigerian micro, small, and medium enterprises, as well as create growth and jobs in the State.
He noted that the Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development for Decent Employment in Nigeria (SEDI), being implemented by the GIZ has an objective that is clear, which is to enhance the ability of Nigerian MSMEs to contribute to sustainable economic development.
Mutfwang said he is optimistic that the program would be achieved through a collaborative effort between private and public institutions, by improving the institutional, regulatory and procedural framework conditions for entrepreneurial activities, as well as facilitating access to new markets and innovative financing solutions, to create an environment that fosters job creation and economic growth.
The Governor added that to ensure the successful implementation of SEDIN in Plateau State, a high-level, state-level steering committee is key to serve as a bridge between the program and state partners, particularly, government partners.
He reiterated that the main role of the committee will be to provide support and guidance to the overall implementation of the program, review and monitor its strategic direction and participate in discussions on program planning and implementation.
The Governor maintained that the committee will support the development of the program’s scope, goals, outcomes, outputs, and activities in the state, as well as align the program’s objectives and strategies with the administration’s development priorities and bring together key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to create an enabling environment for MSMEs to thrive, innovate, and contribute to economic growth and create jobs.
Mutfwang urged all members of the committee to actively participate, collaborate and provide their valuable insights and expertise with the aim of building a bigger and a better Plateau.
Earlier, The Head of Programme, SEDIN, Mr Marcus Vasco, in his remark stated that SEDIN and the GIZ had a 50-year relationship with Plateau state, providing interventions, investment promotion and others which has yielded great economic benefits for the state.
Vasco said that the aim of the cluster SEDIN Cluster Programmes in the state is to promote sustainable and decent employment to the populace.
Members of the committee include the Secretary to the Government of the State, Arc. Samuel Jatau, as the Chairperson, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Commissioner of Water Resources and Energy, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General
Commissioner of Women Affairs,
Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Others are Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning (Special Adviser to the Governor on Development Partners), Commissioner of Higher Education, Commissioner of Agriculture, Director General, Plateau State Microfinance and Development Agency, Centre Manager, Plateau State One-Stop Shop Centre/IPA, among others.
NEWS
NASC: Senate Confirms Nnanna Uzor Kalu as Commissioner For S/east

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Dr Nnanna Uzor Kalu as a commissioner in the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) to represent the South-East geopolitical zone.
The confirmation followed the presentation and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, chaired by Sen.
Cyril Fasuyi, during plenary.Kalu’s confirmation was previously stepped down in March due to a petition filed against him.
At the time, the senate had confirmed 12 out of 13 nominees for the NASC, withholding only the nomination from the South-East pending resolution of the matter.
Presenting the report, Fasuyi explained that the petition had been thoroughly investigated and dismissed by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions.
The committee found no grounds to disqualify the nominee.
“In line with the findings and recommendations of the relevant committees, the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service recommends the confirmation of Dr Nnanna Uzor Kalu,” Fasuyi said.
In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio thanked both committees for handling the issue with diligence and fairness.
He congratulated Kalu on his confirmation and urged him to serve with integrity.
“I urge the newly confirmed commissioner to uphold equity, fairness, and constitutional values while representing the South-East in the commission,” Akpabio said.(NAN)
NEWS
APC Seeks Arrest of Zamfara PDP Women Leader

The Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the calls for violence by the State Women Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hajiya Rabi Madawaki.
In a statement issued in Gusau on Tuesday by the State APC Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris, the party called on security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter.
Idris said, “We call on the security agencies to immediately arrest the women leader, Hajiya Rabi Madawaki, over her uncultured utterances.
.“APC as a strong opposition party in the state will not be intimidated by any threats from the Zamfara PDP government and they should know that the will of the people must prevail.
“The state PDP Women Leader, Hajiya Rabi Madawaki, made the statement in the presence of the Governor’s wife, Hajiya Huriyya Dauda.
“The threat and intimidation by the PDP women leader came out with a completely different but savage way of forcing out support and subsequently, votes for the governor, Mr Dauda Lawal in the 2027 governorship election.
“Madawaki said in the presence of governor’s wife in Hausa language, at a gathering held in Gusau on Friday that translated as ‘anyone who does not vote for Dauda, we will maim, beat, kill him, (zamu ci ubanshi zamu yi mashi duka)’.
According to him, in a civilised scoiety, elections are always supposed to be free, fair and non violent.
Idris said, “President Bola Tinubu’s administration is trying to remove such threats to lives and property as well as any form of intimidation from politics.
“The Zamfara chapter of the APC will not be scared by any form of intimidation and harassment or any act of violence.” (NAN)
Foreign News
Thousands Protest in Pakistan After Drone Strike Kills 4 Children

Thousands of people in north-west Pakistan on Tuesday blocked a highway by placing the coffins of four children who were killed by a suspected drone strike.
The protests in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan region began earlier on Monday after a family home was hit, local resident Mohamed Jamal Dawar said.
It is not clear who was behind the incident.
Local activist Zahid Wazir said the drone was operated by the Pakistani military.
He said the home was likely mistaken as a hideout used by Islamist militants.
Pakistani intelligence officials said the explosives were fired by a quadcopter that was being operated by the Taliban militants to target a nearby military post, but that it missed the target.
An independent verification was not possible as the region is inaccessible to outsiders.
Activists of a local rights group, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, which is against the militarisation of the region by both the military and the Pakistani Taliban, vowed to continue the protest.
“We will continue to demand justice for our kids,” Wazir said.
The Pakistani military and Islamist militants have been fighting each other in the region for more than two decades.
More than 80,000 Pakistanis, an overwhelming majority of civilians, have lost their lives in years of violence. (dpa/NAN)