Darius Moves Taraba Television From Analogue To Digital, To Beat 2017 Digitlization Deadline

Digitalization of Taraba state Television (TTV) according to the state governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku, will be completed before June 2017 to beat the deadline for the switch-over from analogue to digital.

The governor who made this known through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Sylvanus Y. Giwa during an interactive session with Naija247 News in Jalingo the state capital,said the state government has signed the contract for the full digitization of the state television with Pinnacle Communication Limited in December 2015 to ensure that the deadline of June 2017 was met.

He added that because of the government’s commitment to the project, the governor immediately mobilized the contractor to site, adding that the project has attained 90 per cent completion.

The governor lauded the efforts of Pinnacle Communications Limited for delivering a quality job within a shortest period.

He explained that a digitalized television and radio for the state would go a long way in not only improving quality programming but also create employment for the teeming youths that went through many forms of computer training.

According to him, government would employ at least 100 new staff after the exercise to man the new facility, while a comprehensive staff quarters would be constructed at the permanent site to ease staff accommodation problem. A staff bus is also to be provided to address staff transportation issues.

While giving update on the projects, the Executive Director, Pinnacle Communications, Mr. Dipo Onifade who conducted Journalists round the project at the Taraba Television permanent site in Mallum said Pinnacle Communications, a leading communication firm in Nigeria, was committed to providing quality services to the state television.

He disclosed that already the virtual/digital studios have been completed to meet international standards while cameras have already been mounted, adding that all other accompanying equipment have been fully supplied and installed and now ready for the full take-off of the station.

According to the Executive Director, Pinnacle Communications was handling similar digitalization of broadcast media houses in several states across country.

Naija27 News, observed that residents of Jalingo and environs were already enjoying quality signals from Taraba Television ahead of the full take-off, while the office complex was wearing a new look.

The work on the digitalization of Taraba Television, according to a cross section of residents of Jalingo, the state capital, was one of the major achievements of Governor Ishaku’s administration.

Mr. Joel Shawulu, a media expert, commended the Governor for embarking on the digitalization exercise on time with a view of meeting the June, 2017 National Broadcasting Communication’s deadline for full switchover from analogue to digital of all broadcast media organizations in Nigeria.

He said he had no doubt that Pinnacle Communications would deliver a good job to the state government considering her track record in the communication industry in Nigeria.

Similarly, Alhaji Suleiman Yusuf, a political analyst described the timely completion of the digitization exercise of the state television by the company as a display of competence and commitment to hard work.

Pinnacle Communications Ltd, was recently endorsed as the sole signal distributors by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) after withdrawing its N1.2 trillion suit against the federal government for alleged breach of contractual agreement.

The Director General, NBC, Mr. Modibbo Kawu, it would be recall that immediately after a meeting with the Directors of Pinnacle Communications led by the chairman, Chief Lucky Omoluwa in Abuja last week announced that Pinnacle Communications Limited remains the sole signal distributors for the June 2017 switch-over project of Nigeria from analogue to digital viewing.

According to the NBC boss, “I am happy to report that we have reached substantial agreement in the interest of Nigeria’s DSO Pinnacle Communications Limited is fully back into the process.

Similarly, we have also taken a decision that Pinnacle Communications would serve as the signal distributors for the next phase for which we have tentatively chosen the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Lucky Omoluwa, chairman, Pinnacle Communications told journalists in Abuja last week that the company’s foreign partners, Jampro Antennas and Gates Air, manufactures of broadcast equipment were ready to commence operation.

According to him “We have held meeting with the NBC and we met the minister of Information with our foreign partners who are familiar with the terrain and we equally have infrastructures in the 36 states of the federation and will commence operations soon.”

WATCH VIDEO: Fulanis Offered Me N350m To Destabilize Taraba and Benue - Gana

Wanted Benue militant, Terwase Agwaza AKA Gana made shocking disclosures in an interview aired on Channels TV. 

Amongst other revelations, Gana who is presently in hiding after being declared wanted by security agents, claimed that he was supplied arms by the special adviser to the Benue State governor on security, Col. Edwin Jando (rtd) to carry out nefarious activities.

Gana also claimed that he was approached by some Fulani elders in a bid to destabilize Taraba State being part of a grand plan to cause instability in Plateau, Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa States.

Ghana claims he was offered 50m naira to invade Taraba, but he instead asked for 1bn naira. His offer was upped to 350m naira which he turned down saying 750m naira will be ideal since he had to settle security agents for a smooth operation.

Ghana is presently on the run with a bounty of 5m naira on his head.

Below are videos of the interview aired on Channels;

Culled from linknaija

Taraba To Become Highest Producer Of Fresh Tomatoes, Tea In 2017 - Gov. Ishaku

In view of the economic recession, Darius Ishaku, the Governor of Taraba state has said that his state will begin to produce tomatoes, rice and tea production come January, 2017.

This is in view of President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration’s course to diversify the economy.

The Governor noted that Taraba state is known for agriculture, mining and tourism.

Ishaku said: “Our problem is finance but we are doing our best in spite of the financial crunch and very soon we will start to get one or two of the plants or industries that were otherwise closed down, vandalized and looted completely.

“Already, we have started the green house project which Israel is are building for us and we are going to be bringing in tomatoes here.

“By January, you will see fresh tomatoes made in Taraba. Taraba rice is working but we are working on a bigger one, We are working on other fields as the corn and we are working and making sure that we have a lot of plantation. Of course, the Highland tea.

“I have just come from India, Dazley, where they are planting tea. We should be able to work on the tea so that the whole Island will be filled with tea. Our tea is registered as the second best in the world after Sri Lanka,” he added.

Meanwhile, the governor said the 3050 WM Mambilla power project would soon come on stream. 40 Chinese engineers visited the site located at Gembu accompanied by officials from the Federal Ministry Power, Works. He said:

“By the grace of God it will soon start. We are working hard toward its commencement and that will add 3050 megawatts to the grid and help the country in power requirements. It is one of the things that we will have to work seriously to make sure that the power shortage is stopped in the country,” he added.

Culled from the whistleng

Gate Man Who Killed His Boss In Lagos, Arrested In Taraba

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested one Tanko Abdulateef, a 22-year old House guard who allegedly killed his employer, Mabel Mba Okafor in Ajah area of the State on August 17, 2016, Vanguard reports.

According to the Lagos Police Command Spokesperson, SP Dolapo Badmos, the suspect was tracked down and arrested from his hiding in Bali, Taraba state

Badmos said that the suspect would be charged to court after conclusion of investigation.

“On August 17, 2016, there was a murder of one Mabel Mba Okafor aged 50 of No J68B, Close 9, Victoria Garden City (VGC), Ajah. She was killed and the policemen went there and discovered that the house had been ransacked and a lot of properties carted away.

The woman had a House guard but the guard was nowhere to be found. The body of the victim was examined and it was noticed that she was stabbed in the stomach and her stomach ripped open. “She was moved over to the mortuary and the policemen from the division did necessary scene of crime investigations they were supposed to do, while the matter was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The Commissioner of Police also called on the Decoy Team of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in charge of Tracking and tasked them to deal with the matter as well, while the Team swung into operation and after about one week of serious work on the matter, they were able to identify the suspect to be the House guard of the victim and they tracked him to Bali in Taraba State.

After about three days in Bali, they were able to recover some of the phones stolen from the victim before eventually arresting the suspect where he was hiding.

There is no escape route for criminals in Lagos State. Any crime committed in Lagos will be unraveled. If you commit a crime in Lagos and run to anywhere in Nigeria, the Police in Lagos will come after you,” she said..

Badmos said that three phones, trinket, and a lot of the victim’s clothes were recovered from the suspect.

Why Taraba Executive Council Lifted Ban On Employment

The Taraba State Executive Council under Gov Darius Ishaku finally lifted the embargo placed on employment many years ago by the first Executive Governor of the state, Rev. Jolly Nyame.

The decision to lift the ban last week was based on the draft of the white paper on a committee report on the verification of transfers and employment into the state civil service from November 2012, to May 2015.

At the council meeting, the entire members accepted the white paper committee recommendations, and collectively agreed that in the process of engaging staff into the service, due process should be followed through advertisement of vacancies.

Stressing the need to take into consideration geographical spread, they also agreed that all employment into the state civil service should be made on the strength of presentation of genius education and professional certificates against the statements of results or testimonials.

In the light of the above, the need for all the state owned institutions of higher learning to always endeavour to make available to graduates their certificates within one year of graduation, the council believed has become vital.

The Chief of Staff, Rebo Usman, made this known while briefing journalists on the outcome of the council meeting, which took place in the Executive chamber of the Government House.

He said the entire council unanimously agreed that critical area of needs should always be taking into consideration in employment as well as transfer so as to sustain the system.

He informed journalists that the council also resolved that employees currently in the state government payroll without certificates should, as a matter of urgency, be advised to present their genuine education or professional certificates or be thrown into the unemployed market.

Biometric data capturing and analysis of the staff will be carried out to determine the strength of the state workforce and personnel bill, and quickly noted that “this exercise is already ongoing in both the state and local government services.”

The office of the Head of Service, in conjunction with the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Usman said, have been directed to set in motion machinery to carry out the decision of the council on the aforementioned subject.

For the past 10 years, graduates from the state have roamed the streets with their certificates due to government’s refusal to fill in the numerous vacant positions in the state civil services.

Mambilla 3,050-MW Hydro Project In Taraba Threatened By Landslide

A landslide has damaged the road leading to the 3,050-MW Mambilla hydro project site and may hinder progress on the facility, news agencies are reporting.

Other access roads are reported to be accessible only using bicycles, and it is reported that the rivers have no functional bridges.

Investigations into this project, in Kashimbila, Taraba State, began in 1982. A $3.2 billion contract was awarded in May 2007 to China Gezhouba Group Company Limited and Sinohydro.

Reports indicate 70% of the total project cost – now estimated at $6 billion – will be paid by Chinese firms and 30% by the government of Nigeria.

Mambilla is one of four projects the country’s Minister of Power, Works and Housing said the country will work to expedite because “hydroelectricity would help replace the country’s diesel generating fleet, which has proven vulnerable as fuel supply lines have fallen victim to theft.” The other three projects were 700-MW Zungeru, 250-MW Gurara and 35-MW Dadin Kowa.

The Mambilla Plateau is the highest plateau in Nigeria, at an average elevation of 5,249 feet above sea level. More than 50,000 people live on this plateau.