By Ankeli Emmanuel ( In Sokoto State)

NEEM Foundation has organized a 5-day capacity building on mental health and psychological support services for 31 social workers in Sokoto State.

• * Laments Lack Of Development At Grassroots

By David Odama (In Lafia, Nasarawa State)

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly, on Monday, summoned the State Commissioner for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Yusuf Aliyu Turaki, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Daniel Agyeno and the State Accountant General, Mr Zakka Yakubu, to appear before it today, September 27, 2022, by 10am at the Assembly Chamber.

• * Mourns Media Guru, Chief Timawus Mathias

By Barnbas Manyam (In Yola, Adamawa State)

As condolences continue to pour in over the death of Barrister Abdullahi Nyako, a long time close aide and principal secretary of the former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, Adamawa State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has expressed his sympathy to Atiku and to the family of the deceased.

By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief) @CelestineOkaf11

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) has stressed the imperative of international support and cross-border collaboration in implementing measures to combat illicit financial flows.

• * Angry Indigenes Threaten Secession, Showdown

By Nahum Sule (Taraba State Correspondent, in Jalingo)

The natives of Pero Community in Shongom local government area of Gombe State have accused the Mai of Kaltungo Chiefdom, Saleh Muhammed, of using divide and rule tactics to disunite the Pero people who are under his Chiefdom so as to continue ruling over them.

Some of the natives of Pero Community who spoke to Voice of Nigeria (VON) Correspondent in a telephone interview, expressed their dissatisfaction with the leadership style of the Mai of Kaltungo, after he vehemently refused to approve the proposed launching of the Pero people cultural attire without any cogent reason.

Mr. Godfrey Jarama, chairman of the planning Committee for the launching of the Pero Cultural Attire, said that the pero Communities comprising of Filiya, Gwandum and Gundali have had several meetings and have unanimously adopted and printed a material to serve as a cultural attire for the Pero people but the Mai of Kaltungo, Saleh Muhammed, kicked against the whole idea on the grounds that the people of Gundali are not Pero, as such, they can't be part of the Pero cultural attire plans.

Jarama said: "We have followed due process to see that we launch this cultural attire so that we can further unite our people. We therefore sent a delegation to inform and invite the Mai of Kaltungo for the planned program as our royal Father but to our greatest dismay, the Mai vehemently kicked against the program and threatened to involve the police if we go ahead with the planned program.

"However, we decided to have a meeting with the traditional heads of Filiya, Gwandum and Gundali to register our disappointment over the action of the Mai of Kaltungo for withholding his blessings for the planned launching of the cultural attire. Also, to our dismay, the community heads also withdrew the support for the program after initially given us the go ahead to proceed with the preparation for the launching. One of the community heads whose palace was schedule for the venue of the program categorically told us that we can no longer use the venue, stating that since the Mai of Kaltungo refused to approve the program, they will no longer support the program.

"Although one of the reasons the Mai gave as to why he refused to approve the program is that the Pero people are not united, stating that Filiya and Gwandum are constantly fighting and Gundali people are not part of the Pero people, therefore how can they have a unique cultural attire together? He also said that the Yuru Association launching the cultural attire is not duly registered with the Corperpate Affairs Commission (CAC).

"Our argument has been that cultural attires will serve as a unifying factor that will unite the Pero people together just as it is obtainable in Jukun, Tiv, and Wurukun People. They all have their unique cultural attires, so why should the Pero people not have theirs?

By Nahum Sule (Taraba State Correspondent, in Jalingo)

The Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, through the Chief Rural Promotion Assistant, Mac Bernard Ishaya, says the Directorate has engaged 41 idle Taraba State youths in the Graduate Attachment Program (GAP).