By PALANG KASMI

 IN their quest to find love, most women get so carried away that they don’t watch out for signs to know if the man they love and care about loves them too.

Many women have ended up heart broken simply because they failed to read some of the visible signs which show that he is not interested in having a serious relationship with them.

Some women just chose to ignore the signs even when they are visibly there for you to see; even when you do not need a soothsayer to tell you that he is not serious with you.

It is possible to find true love. But you must not end up with a man that does not really care about you. It is best to end the relationship than remain with a man who does not care about you.

Open your eyes and read what Stacey Laura Lloyd said on LiveAbout.com about how to decode signs that your man does not want to have a serious relationship with you.

“When you really like a guy, you may be trying to decode and interpret his every move in order to determine if he wants a relationship with you in the future. You may find yourself wondering what his intentions truly are, and you may even count how many times he texts you during the day to try and gauge if he’s interested in being your man,” says Stacy.

However, according to her, while you may want a long-term commitment, it’s important to pay attention to the following six clear signs that he doesn’t want a relationship with you:

He’s distracted when you’re together

Have you noticed that he’s always on his phone when you’re with one another? Do you find yourself having to repeat things because he isn’t paying attention to you? One of the clear signs that he’s not interested in having a relationship with you is that he’s distracted and disengaged when you’re together.

If his mind is elsewhere, he’s checking out mentally, and he doesn’t seem present, he’s actually presenting you with clear evidence that you’re not of much importance to him. But if he’s giving you his full and undivided attention and cherishes your every word, he’s showing you that you matter, and he’s far more likely to want a relationship with you.

He won’t make Long-Term Plans (LTP)

When you really like a guy, you may be eager to make long-term plans with him. For instance, you may want to invite him to your friend’s wedding a few months in advance, buy concert tickets ahead of time, and even nail down some dates for a trip together. But when a guy doesn’t want a relationship with you, he’s unlikely to commit to anything far off in the future. Rather than being excited by the prospect of being with you for these kinds of activities down the road, he’s hesitant and unable to give you a definitive “yes.” And if a guy doesn’t want to think about your future together, he should be history to you.

He doesn’t introduce you to his friends

Have you met his group of friends yet? When a guy is into you, he’ll make it a point to introduce you to the other important people in his life. Not only will he want his friends to meet you and get to know you, he’ll also want to see how you mesh with everyone, especially when he’s thinking about being with you for the long-term. However, if you haven’t yet met his friends or really anyone else who is significant in his life, he’s actually showing you that you’re not that significant to him. When a guy isn’t serious or truly interested in you, he’s not going to introduce you to his friends because it’s not worth his time and effort. And if this is the case, he certainly isn’t worth any more of your time and effort, either.

He’s unreliable

If you can’t trust him or count on him, you can count on the fact that he doesn’t actually want a relationship with you. When a man is unreliable and undependable, it’s because he hasn’t made you a real priority in his life. For instance, if he frequently breaks plans with you, is vague about his whereabouts, and isn’t forthright with you, he doesn’t want to be with you. After all, if he was serious about having a relationship with you, he’d try his hardest to keep his word and honor his commitments to you as much as humanly possible. But if he’s constantly letting you down, it’s time to let this guy go.

He’s frequently MIA

Does he disappear for days or even weeks at a time before you hear from him again? This is a classic sign of a man who isn’t truly interested in having a relationship with you. For example, when a guy goes MIA, it’s not uncommon for him to be more of a player and date other people on the side. When he suddenly goes dark, it’s typically because there are other people with whom he’d rather spend his time. And if you never really know when you’re going to hear from him again or see him again, this is a key indicator that he doesn’t want anything serious with you.

He’s emotionally unavailable

While you may have opened up to this guy and feel as though you can confide in him, it’s important to take a step back and look at his willingness to open up to you in return. Has he let you in emotionally? When a man doesn’t want a relationship, he’s going to keep conversations about his feelings and his past as superficial and light as possible. He’s not going to take the time to fully open up to you because he’s not emotionally investing in you or in a future relationship with you. Even if you’re comfortable being vulnerable around him and having personal discussions, his decision to be emotionally detached and keep you at a distance is a clear sign that you should be distancing yourself from him instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Showcasing the Gus cultural festival

By JIDAUNA DARING

CULTURE represents the customs, arts and social behaviors of a particular group of people. Recently, the Gus people of Jere District of the Pengana Chiefdom, Bassa Local Government Area, came out in large numbers to celebrate and showcase their rich culture through the annual festival tagged, ‘Gus Day 2024’. The colourful event was held at the Government Secondary School (GSS) Fuskan-Mata, along Zaria Road, Jos, Plateau State.

The epoch-making occasion, which was celebrated in grand style, has over the years remained a rallying point for the Gus people. It also served as an avenue for bringing together people who had lost touch with each other for a long time.

Interestingly, the Gus people, who are widely known for their peaceful disposition and hospitality, are also a hard working ethic group. Farming forms a significant source of their livelihood. They mainly cultivate crops such as maize, sorghum and cowpea, among others.

In his remarks at the event, chairman of the occasion and a consultant with the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Dr. Simji S. Gomerep, commended the organizers of the festival and emphasized the need for the Gus people to continue according great value to their cultural heritage to enable the younger generation appreciate it.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Gus National Development Association (GUNDA) President, Sunday E. Dakama, expressed delight and thanked God for making the event a huge success. He appreciated all the invited guests for gracing the occasion.

Dakama stated that the Gus people were friends and brothers to all tribes on the Plateau and beyond and gave kudos to Governor Caleb Mutfwang for supporting the Gus people in sustaining peace and tranquility within their domain.

He further praised the governor for finding two of their people, Elisha Bisidi and Mrs. Dorcas Gamaji Pankyes, and other illustrious sons and daughters of the larger Bassa LGA worthy to serve in his administration.

He explained that because the Gus people were mostly agrarian farmers, the festival was meant to usher the people into the new farming season.

Dakama appealed to the Plateau State Government and National Assembly legislators from the zone to assist the people with fertilizers, seedlings, agro chemicals and modern agricultural machines.

He pointed out: “We are faced with several challenges particularly the need for the rehabilitation of the Zallaki-Fuskan-Mata Banda road, which is in bad condition.”

While unveiling the Gus traditional attire, Dakama suggested the need to redesign it in order to confer on it a distinctive identity. “As we unveil the attire, we hope to emphasize the utilization of our colours to re-design it as we plan to establish a big symbol with a bold logo,” he noted.

On their part, some traditional rulers who are the custodians, of GUNDA culture advised their people to embrace peace, saying that without peace there can never be meaningful development.

In their separate remarks, Elisha Bisidi and Dorcas Gamaji Pankyes thanked Governor Mutfwang for appointing them as Liaison Officer, Pengana Constituency, and Special Assistant, Media, respectively. They assured of their unalloyed support to his administration so as to move the state to enviable heights and promised that they would not relent in serving Gus land selflessly.

THE NIGERIA STANDARD reports that the event featured cultural dances by the Isharuwa, Ajoh and Rilauri dance troupes and many other side attractions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside story of a ransom negotiator

By PRIYA SIPPY

SULAIMAN is from Kaduna state, where 280 children were recently abducted from a school in the town of Kuriga.

He has been working informally in this controversial and risky role for several years since some of his relatives were taken hostage. “We have to negotiate. You cannot use force to get hostages back. It would put the lives of our loved ones in danger,” he said.

Sulaiman first became involved in negotiations with kidnappers, referred to locally as bandits, in 2021 a year before the payment of ransoms became illegal in Nigeria. Over the last three years he said he has negotiated the release of more than 200 hostages, a fraction of the thousands of people abducted over the last decade.

The negotiations take patience and courage.

“The government believes I have been helping the bandits,” he said, speaking from an undisclosed location.

“The bandits think I have been getting money from the government, so I am also a kidnap target.”

His first negotiation took place as he was trying to raise a ransom of around $12,500 (£9,800) for two of his relatives who were abducted.

“I did not know what I was doing. I was just speaking with the bandits – and begging them,” he said.

However, his patient approach with the gang members worked and at the end his relatives were freed though he had to sell his farm in his home village to cover the ransom.

AFP

When word spread about the successful release, other families who were victims of kidnapping came to him for support. Soon his phone was constantly busy.

“Almost everyone in my village has had a family member kidnapped,” he said, adding that he helps them regain their freedom. Despite the outlawing of ransom payments, people still come to him desperate for help.

Sulaiman admitted that it is a scary position for him to be. “The government does not like negotiation with the bandits, and can send people to jail for doing that.”

He recorded his success to the root causes of Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis, which he said is fuelled mainly by poverty and youth unemployment.

Competition for land and resources between cattle herders and farmers has also contributed to the problem. The kidnappers tend to be former herders from the Fulani ethnic group, who target villages where mainly Hausa farmers reside.

“When I speak to the bandits, I understand the people,” he said, adding that the negotiations tend to take place in Hausa, the lingua franca of mainly Muslim in the north, though most kidnappers’ mother tongue is Fulfulde, spoken by the Fulani.

“I tell them that I know they are living a difficult life in the bushes, without electricity. I know that they feel they have been forgotten by the government.”

The gangs are often made up of gunmen on motorbikes, who target areas and particular families on the words of paid informants. It is a huge, sophisticated money-making operation.

Around 30,000 bandits in more than 100 gangs operate in north-western Nigeria, according to the Centre for Democracy and Development a think-tank based in Abuja.

Sulaiman said the success of his negotiations depend on the leader of the kidnappers: “Some bandits I have dealt with still keep hostages and want more money, even after you have paid the ransom.

“But some of them release the hostages as soon as the specified amount is paid.”

The process can be arduous, taking up to 50 days to release a hostage.

“You have to use soft words. They can be rude and they will insult you but you have to remain calm,” he said.

Despite shortage of bank notes in Nigeria, kidnappers demand that ransoms be paid in cash as bank transfers can be easily traced.

Payments are usually delivered by either parents or relatives of abductees, Sulaiman explained.

“The bandits will call them and give them step-by-step directives on how to find them in the bush. Once they reach there, the will count the money, note by note.”

Sometimes the bandits request motorcycles as part of the ransom payment, as well as alcohol and cigarettes.

When another close associate of Sulaiman was kidnapped from a university along with other students before ransom payments became illegal, he said the government paid about $2,370 for each student’s freedom, though there has never been any official confirmation of this.

“The government will never admit on the record they paid because that would be admitting failure. But as insiders we know what happened and we didn’t have that kind of money,” he said.

Sulaiman became involved in those negotiations and said the kidnappers had first demanded about $32,000 for each hostage and were eventually bargained and slashed.

These days as villagers are left to foot the bills, only few can afford to raise the cash for ransoms. They often turn to crowd-funding, though this is now also proving difficult given how the insecurity has devastated the economy.

Bandits have been known to either kill hostages or release them when there is no hope of payment.

Sulaiman thinks the spate of recent mass abductions from schools, and the threat to kill the students, may be a ploy to get the authorities to take notice: “They think the government will pay.”

There are reports that the authorities have continued to pay ransoms on occasion – though this is always denied.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken stringent measure to say “not a dime” will be paid for the recently abducted children of Kuriga, directing the security forces to ensure their release.

Between July 2022 and June 2023, armed gangs demanded more than $6m as ransom, according to a report by SBM Intelligence, a security risk consulting firm.

The ransom negotiator agrees with the authorities that continuing to pay up will just fuel the kidnapping business: “Ransom payments encourage kidnapping. The bandits are just looking for money.”

But he is certain that the heavy-handed approach of military force is not the answer: “If I can advise the government, they should meet these people and have dialogue with them.”

Until then, Sulaiman fears the next time his phone rings, it will be another abduction case.

Determined to keep helping his community, he is sure to answer the call.

Courtesy, BBC

On PLHA’s plenary proceedings and activities

The Plateau State House of Assembly (PLHA) has relocated its plenary sessions to the Old Government House, Rayfield. This according to the Speaker Rt. Hon. Moses Thomas Sule, is to allow it carry out renovation work at the assembly complex. Another reason for the relocation is to avoid all forms of distractions and disruptions, due to the ongoing strike by the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).

During the first plenary held at the temporary venue, a notice of motion was moved by Hon. Danjuma Azi who is the member representing Jos North West constituency, calling on the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) to as a matter of necessity resolve all issues leading to power surge and explosion of transformers.

You would recall that a couple of weeks ago, Kabong community around Gada Biu area of Jos North West witnessed a power surge and explosion which led to the loss of many lives. The explosion which happened at the early hours of the morning, caught the residents unaware as nothing could be done to stop the inferno.

The lawmaker who is also the House  Committee Chairman on Appropriation is also not resting on his oars towards ensuring that members of his constituency enjoyed uninterrupted power supply. For the past seven months, residents of Angwan Lagos, Tudun Wada have been thrown into total darkness following the theft of a part of the transformer.

In an effort to see that the problem is addressed and power supply restored to the area, Azi has been on the forefront as he has even visited the Chief Operations Officer of JED Jos, Engr. Mammanlafia Umar. In connection to the visit, the lingering issue of fixing the 500KVA transformer behind Tudun Wada Police post was also resolved, with the promise that work will commence on it immediately.

Also at plenary, the bill for a law to provide for the creation and administration of the Plateau electricity market, establish a commercial and technical regulatory framework for the Plateau electricity market; to ensure reliable and universal access to electricity for all residents of Plateau State, to establish the Plateau State Electrification Agency and the Plateau State Electrification Fund for the delivery of reliable electricity supply to the unserved and underserved areas of the state; and for connected purposes scaled through second reading.

The bill is being sponsored by Hon. Ishaku Maren who is also the House Majority Leader and member representing Bokkos constituency. Scaling through second reading is ‘A Bill for a Law to Repeal and Re-enact the Plateau State Energy Corporation Law, 2019 still under Hon. Maren.

Last but not the least for second reading was ‘A Bill for a Law to Establish the Plateau State House of Assembly Service Commission and for Related Matters, 2023. The bill is sponsored by Hon. Ishaku Maren, representing Bokkos constituency, Rt. Hon. Gwottson Fom Dalyop, Jos South constituency, Hon. Bala J. Fwangje Mangu South constituency, Hon. Adamu Aliyu Jos North North constituency, Hon. Joseph Bukar Shendam constituency, Hon. Gabriel Dewan Kudengbena Pankshin North constituency and Hon. Ibrahim A. Agbalak representing Rukuba/Irigwe constituency.

Meanwhile, the Plateau State House of Assembly has approved and passed the appropriation bill of N314. 8bn for the 2024 fiscal year. This followed the presentation of a proposed budget estimate of the sum of N295,434,568,464.00bn by the state Executive Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang before the floor of the House for consideration on Tuesday, 7th October.

The 2024 budget ragged “A Budget of New Beginning’ is aimed at laying a solid foundation for the peace and prosperity of the state, with emphasis on security, agriculture, human capital development, public health, and industrialization and aggressive revenue generation.

The state assembly also approved the sum of N27,000,000,000.00bn only as supplementary budget for the 2023 fiscal year. This according to the state Governor Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang was in consideration of the fact that the budget already adopted, was inherited by his administration upon assumption of office in May, 2023 and not a reflection of his administration’s agenda.

Four major hindrances to receiving from God (22)

WE have been talking on four things that the Lord quickened in my spirit which I believe hinder us from receiving from God. Now, like I have said a number of times, this is not an exhaustive list but I believe that for this season of our lives, knowing this list is enough to get us going and seeing victories.

By way of recap, these four hindrances are fear, doubt, unbelief and strife. We dealt first of all with the hindrance of fear, then the second, doubt, which we spoke exhaustively on. All these hindrances are things that Satan brings to our lives through our minds. Satan is primarily a deceiver. He does not have any say over a believer but his greatest weapon is his ability to deceive, plant thoughts, ideas and suggestions in the mind of believers.

Today, I want to deal with the third major hindrance to receiving from God which is the hindrance of unbelief. We have talked about fear; we have talked about doubt, now we will talk about “unbelief’. Keep dealing with fear, keep dealing with doubt, and keep dealing with unbelief. These are the things that pollute the action of God’s power and hinder it from flowing in your life.

Satan is the same old devil he has always been but thank God, God is the same old God He has always been too. So, no matter how complicated the human society becomes the principles that power human lives are still the same.

Mark 6:1&2 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

Isn’t it amazing how sometimes in life, you find people who do not want to admit what God has done in your life and how that you have moved on? Some people just want to keep you in the image of your past.

Mark 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

Mar 6:4-6 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

Jesus could not do all that He intended to do because of their “unbelief”. Some people have this idea that God is God and so He can do whatever He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it. But God is not insane, He operates according to order; after all He is the one that said let things be done decently and in order.

I have been some places where I heard the preacher say things like “the anointing is so heavy here in this church today and so whether you like it or not, you will be blessed”. That is just the preacher’s talk not God’s because that is not scriptural.

Some people say things like “I tell you, God will do whatever He is going to do. If God has purposed that you are going to become this in life, you will become it in life”. But the truth is that there are many people that God has purposed many things about, yet they have not become it.

It does not happen automatically; there is order to everything God does. 1 Cor. 14:40 says, Let all things be done decently and in order. How many of you know that when Jesus was on earth, even though He stripped Himself of the privileges of being divine, He was still God? He was God in the flesh upon the face of the earth yet the Bible said he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

Something happened that totally hindered God from moving. It hindered Jesus from moving. The Bible says He could do no mighty work. That means that in some places Jesus got more results than in other places. That means that in some places, He got more outstanding healings. In some places, the anointing upon Him functioned to a greater degree than in other places.

Why Was this? Well, at least in this case from Mark 6 we know that it had to do with unbelief borne of familiarity. Familiarity had trapped the anointing. They looked at Him and acknowledged the work but they said, is he not the boy that grew up in our midst? Is this not the carpenter we know? What they failed to realize was that after He went into the wilderness and came back, He was not just the carpenter’s son, He was the anointed one.

Familiarity which tends to lead to dishonor and devaluation hinders the anointing from operating. This is true because it is what you place value on that you draw virtue from. These things are laws of the Spirit.

So it is said here, He could do no mighty works. Save that He laid His hand upon a few folk and healed them; this is, He could only heal a few with minor ailments. Think on this, in some places He could raise the dead while in other places; He could only heal tiny headaches, not even stubborn migraines. Just tiny headaches that Panadol could solve or your grandmother’s local prescriptions could solve.

He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon few sick folk, and healed them. And the Bible said He marveled; do you know what that means? Jesus was in shock. He marveled because men just stopped the anointing. They hindered the anointing from working.

An anointed man can come into a meeting yet because of the sort of crowd in that meeting it will be as though he was not anointed. This is because there are laws that govern the anointing and one of those laws is that the anointing must be respected and of course you cannot respect the anointing without respecting the vessel that carries it.

The people in Mark 6 had low regard for Jesus and so He could do no mighty work in their midst and the scripture said He marveled because of their unbelief. He was in shock because, here He was, anointed to bless them but nothing could come out of Him and the Bible explicitly tells us that this was because of their unbelief.

They said among themselves, look at this guy who grew up in our midst, we know him, right down to his root and because of that, they could not get the full benefit of His ministry.

What I am trying to point out to us in this whole matter is the word unbelief. I want us to clearly see and realize that unbelief stops the movement of the power of God. Unbelief totally hinders the power of God from working in our lives. When the anointing of God is flowing and it meets unbelief, it cannot work.

If we know and understand this truth, then what you must do is to locate unbelief and get it out of your life,

To be continued…