Four Ghanaian churchgoers were killed today during Pastor TB Joshua's church service on Sphintex Road in Accra during a stampede as worshippers scrambled for "Holy Water ". Police sources in Accra stated that the four dead persons comprised of three females and young boy. Thirteen others were injured in the stampede. The Nigerian born controversial priest is the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), church with a large following in Lagos suburb and also a televangelismarm that parades miracles and prophesies ranging from claims of AIDS /HIV cure, plane crashes and outcomes of soccer matches. A Greater Accra Police Public Relations Officer DSP Freeman Tetteh confirmed the death to journalists claiming that the dead have all been taken to the morgue w.....

Nigeria's army has vowed to continue its offensive against militants in the north-east "as long as it takes" to achieve its main objectives. Brig Gen Chris Olukolade told the BBC the aim was to assert Nigeria's "territorial integrity as a nation". Earlier, a 24-hour curfew was imposed in parts of the city of Maiduguri, where the military said it had arrested 65 "terrorists". Maiduguri has been an important base for Boko Haram Islamist militants. Earlier this week, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three north-eastern states - Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe - after a series of deadly attacks by militant groups. 'Well-planned' operation Nigerian military spokesman Brig Gen Olukolade said the army would con.....

sustained various injuries during the incident, which was caused by rainstorm on Thursday night. A resident of the community, Nnaemeka Emenyonu, said that the tree fell on the affected persons around 8:00 p.m. He said the tree also destroyed the Village Hall. “The big tree fell suddenly on 31 people, who died at the spot and injured 16 others. Those injured were taken to hospital. “The victims include two sisters, who sell tomatoes. Honestly, this is a saddest event in the history of our community,” he said. The traditional ruler of the community, Godwin Duru, lamented that such a tragic incident had never occurred in the community. “I do not know what to say. God, what can we call this? My people were destroyed within a twinkle of an eye. What a pit.....

The closing ceremony of the 18th National Sports Festival, Eko 2012 was momentous. The ceremony was an occasion that bridged the generational gap among the hordes of spectators on the stands and TV audiences across the country. It was a party, a jamboree of class and panache. The organisers put up a near perfect show that reaffirmed the belief that with unity of purpose, Nigerians can achieve whatever they set out to achieve. When the party started after the numerous speeches, no one could hold back. Both the youth and grand Pas were on their feet releasing the tension of days of competition and hardwork. It was party time indeed. When TY Savage took to the stage, her renditions were electrifying. The dexterity of the over a hundred dancers on the stage with her a.....

As the Federal Government intensified efforts to secure the release of Professor Mabel Kamene Okonjo, mother of Finance Minister from the kidnappers’ den, the Delta State Police command, yesterday, confirmed the arrest and detention of two police men who were supposed to be on duty at the palace when the kidnappers struck. Also Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd), yesterday, instructed the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to deploy Special Police Officers from the Force headquarters,Abujato assist in locating and rescuing Prof. Okonjo. Speaking at the opening of a two-day workshop on ‘Budgeting for Effective Policing inNigeria’, the minister who expressed sadness at the kidnapping incident said, “it is a very disturbing issue. In u.....

Veteran Nollywood actor, Enebeli Elebuwa is dead. Enebeli has been suffering from stroke for some months now, until he was flown abroad for proper medical attention. He passed on last night in an Indian Hospital in New Delhi, where he was receiving treatment.

Jailbreak In Port-Harcourt, 2 killed 4 Escaped Two inmates of the Federal Prisons, Ahoada, Rivers State, were on Saturday feared dead while a prison staff was hurt during a foiled jailbreak. Details of the incident were sketchy as of the time of filing this report. But a source at the Rivers State Prisons command said the attempted jail break was contained, but was unaware of the death of the inmates. “I know that a member of staff was injured in the process but I don’t know about about the death of any inmate. Actually, the inmates are those from the Bayelsa State command who are being kept in Ahoada prison. They were embarking on a riot,” the source said. The Police Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State police command, Ben Ugwuegbulam (DSP),.....

Majority of petrol stations in Asaba, Delta State capital and environs are selling petrol above the official pump price of N97 per litre. Investigation by our reporter revealed that the filling stations sell between N110 and N120 per litre. Except the three NNPC fuel depots located in Asaba, Total and Mobile filling stations, virtually others sell above pump price. Most worrisome of it all, is that the some of the stations have even gone ahead to adjust their metres. At one of the filling stations on the Asaba-Benin expressway, the manager who simply gave his name as Chiedu explained that “it is not our fault that we are selling above N100 because of short supply”. As a result of the increase in pump price, many motorists now besiege the few stations that sell at N97 per litre .....

ASABA—DELTA State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, said Monday, that he invited popular Nollywood actors, Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme, popularly known as Aki and Paw Paw, to visit flood victims in the state as motivational speakers to alleviate the pains of the internally displaced persons. Aki and Paw Paw were first noticed by some persons at the inauguration of the 12-man committee on the management of Federal Government fund released to the state over the flood disaster and the Post-Flooding Rehabilitation of Victims, headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Francis Tabai, at Government House, Asaba, by Governor Uduaghan. They were conspicuous in their attire and size and that attracted the crowd, which went hysterical. Governor Uduaghan, who paint.....

Teachers of the Federal Government Girls Secondary School in Benin City, have threatened to down tools over an attack on some of them by some suspected thugs. P.M.NEWS gathered that the suspected hoodlums invaded the school Monday and manhandled some teachers over the alleged flogging of a student in the school by one of the teachers. The flogged student is said to be a granddaughter of the Benin Monarch, Oba Erediauwa. She was allegedly injured on the hand after being flogged by the teacher. Thugs who stormed the school the thereafter demanded to see the teacher that flogged the girl. When their demand was not met, they resorted to manhandling the teachers around, including one of the Vice Principals. State Chairman of TUC, Joe Aligbe who confirmed that th.....

The Military Joint Task Force (JTF) claimed, yesterday, that it had taken over Boko Haram’s command centre in Kano, an action that has further dealt a massive blow on the capability of the sect. Two members of the sect had been captured and killed in the early hours of yesterday after a gun battle with the military and officers of the State Security Services (SSS). One of those captured was said to be Abu Qada, its spokesman. The JTF in a statement said: “Following further operation in the suspects’ heavily wired IED hideout, the following items were recovered: Two AK 47 rifles, two Pump Action Rifles, one Berretta Rifle, one Smoke Discharger, 433 rounds of 7.62 NATO ammunition, 80 rounds of 7.62 special ammunition, 2 AK 47 magazines, 36 prepared IEDs, 13 Laptops, two mo.....

ABUJA—The Federal Government, yesterday, rebuffed criticisms against the introduction of N5,000 note in the country, insisting that there was no going back on the decision. Similarly, the government insisted that, notwithstanding fresh facts that have been unearthed by the Vanguard to prove that Bakassi peninsula belongs to Nigeria, and which were concealed during trial, it will not appeal the 2002 verdict of the International Court of Justice which ceded the oil-rich peninsula to Cameroon. Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, conveyed government’s position on the issues, Tuesday night in Abuja, while speaking as a guest of People’s Forum, a programme organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ. His position was in apparent response to the resolutions.....

COMMERCIAL motorcycle operators popularly called ‘Okada riders’, once again yesterday stormed different parts of Lagos metropolis in protest against restriction placed on their operations by the new traffic law enacted in July. According to sources, the Okada riders. numbering hundreds stormed major highways, such as Lagos Abeokuta Expressway, Agege, Ajegunle, Apapa, and Lagos Island areas, urging government to revert the restriction order on their operations. Despite the on going fuel scarcity in the city, the operators chanting anti-government slogans, took over the roads causing traffic gridlock It took combined team of Rapid Response Squad, RRS of the Nigeria police to quell the situation and restored normalcy. Part of the new law restricts the operations o.....

Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, said on Monday that the state government would introduce Mandarin, or Chinese language, in public schools’ curriculum as from next session. Oladunjoye said this in a statement signed by the Ministry’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Lanre Bajulaiye, and made newsmen The commissioner said this after a meeting with the delegation from the Chinese Confucius Institute, University of Lagos. She said that learning the language in the state’s public schools would be an opportunity for the pupils and students to speak the language and be able to adapt to the Chinese culture. Prof. Caleb Orimoogunje, Director of the Institute, said the institution was ready to assist the state with necessary logist.....

“We have warned the First Lady to be weary of her”…friends and family cry out. Just like the way Hajia Bola Shagaya and Senator Daisy Danjuma advised the late Stella Obasanjo to go for tummy tuck many years ago, Hajia Bola who is fondly called ‘AGIP’ {Any Government In Power}, we gathered was the one who advised Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan to go for Cosmetic surgery. According to the source, “The First Lady came down with food poisoning in Dubai where she had gone on a secret mission to explore undergoing some procedure”. “The nature of the procedure remains a mystery, but a source at the Presidency said he knew that Mrs. Jonathan close friend, Bola Shagaya, had been persuading her to see a Lebanon-based cosmetic surgeon”. The source added that the First Lady was interested.....

ABUJA—Erstwhile Vice President of the World Bank for Africa, Dr Oby Ezekwesili,Tuesday, said Nigeria has lost more than $400 billion to oil thieves since she attained independence in 1960. Ezekwesili, who further regretted that as much as 20 percent of the entire budget for capital expenditure in Nigeria ended in private pockets annually, noted that whereas oil accounts for about 90 percent of the value of Nigeria’s exports, over 80 percent of the fund ends up in the hands of one percent of the country’s population. The former Minister of Education who made these startling revelations in a paper she presented at the ongoing 52nd Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, in Abuja, stressed that “poor governance of public resources and assets in Ni.....

THE Authorities of the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin, yesterday, paraded a fake Army Lieutenant, one Mr Goodluck Furupagha, who has obtained over one million naira from members of the public under the guise of recruiting them into the Nigerian Army. Parading the suspect in Benin City, Army Public Relations Officer, Roselyn Managbe, said the suspect was arrested in Asaba after an officer who presented himself as a prospective applicant approached the fake Lieutenant. She said when the officer who disguised as a prospective applicant met the fake army officer, “he demanded for the sum of two hundred thousand naira for him to be recruited into the Army. He then pleaded with the fake officer to collect N100,000. While this was going on, troops who were alerted came and arr.....

Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji was, yesterday, relieved of his job following the acceptance of his resignation, with immediate effect, by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. In a two-paragraph statement from Presidential media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, the president thanked “Prof. Nnaji for his services to the nation under the present administration and wishes him well in his future endeavours.” This is the first time a minister would be resigning under controversial circumstances since the inception of President Jonathan’s administration. But the Minister did not pick calls to his line or respond to a text message sent to him to clarify some of the issues leading to his exit. Although no reason was given for Nnaji’s resignation or the prompt acceptance by Mr P.....

The death toll in the Atlantic ocean surge which occurred at the Kuramo Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos, last Saturday has risen as the rescue team yesterday recovered three more dead bodies from the ocean, including a six year old girl, Miss Bisi Kolawole who reportedly got drowned alongside her mother and her siblings. This bring the total number of the bodies recovered so far to four out of the 16 people declared missing even as 12 persons are still missing. One of the bodies was reportedly found Saturday night while two were found yesterday at the shore of the beach. So far, only the body of the local diver earlier found on Saturday has been identified. The local diver identified simply as Olurunwa lost his life in his attempt to save the drowning victims. Su.....

Jos—The timely intervention of security personnel, yesterday, averted another bloody Sallah celebration in Jos, Plateau State. And in KOGI State Police Command, recovered a vehicle found to contain six AK-47 rifles and 11 live magazines. Eyewitness account said some Muslims youths, while returning from the prayer ground in Farin-Gada area of the town, threw stones at houses in the area and smashed cars parked at the premises of some churches and attacked motorists. The youths were said to have gone to the prayer ground with vehicles filled with stones. On their way back, they were alleged to have brandished dangerous weapons and chanted war songs, which created tension in the area. The action angered some youths in the area, which is predominantly occupie.....

FOLLOWERS of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo never had it bad as they did penultimate week. In spite of widening fissures in their rank, the leaders never descended to open abuse of one another on the pages of newspapers. But all that gave way when National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Bisi Akande, described top leaders of Afenifere -Chiefs Reuben Fasoranti (Leader), Ayo Adebanjo and Olu Falae as political jobbers, after they endorsed Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s re-election bid. The trio responded in equal measure and the polity is awash with their exchange of brick-bats and mud-slings. Mimiko is running on the plank of the Labour Party, the only party that diluted the ACN’s dominance of the Southwest. ACN is bent on stopping Mimiko and the .....

THE family of retired Assistant Comptroller of Fire Service, Mr. George Moses, a victim of the June 3 Dana air crash, Tuesday, raised the alarm over the whereabouts of his corpse, just as the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, condemned the assault on Mr Benedict Uwalaka, a photo-journalist with Leadership newspapers. Describing the alleged disappearance of the body as “insincerity” on the part of the hospital authorities, a member of the late Moses’ family, Mr. Achief Olajide, who spoke to journalists, alleged that in June, the name of the victim was among the 29 identified names pasted at the Lekan Ogunsola Memorial mortuary of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja. Brandishing documents and photographs, he said: “After the June 3 crash, we came.....

Abuja -The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for continued support and prayers from Nigerians to enable President Goodluck Jonathan to deliver his campaign promises. The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Olisa Metuh, made call in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday. “We have no doubt whatsoever that the president is on course, he will continue to deliver on the PDP promises to the people of Nigeria. “Quite a lot has been achieved in the various sectors and there is no gain saying that the government needs the continued support and prayers of Nigerians to do more,” Metuh said. He said any objective assessment of Jonathan would show that his administration had recorded a lot of achievements in the last 14 months. He said efforts by so.....

Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Ade Adefuye, yesterday, proffered reasons why Nigeria is against plans by Americans to classify Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). Ambassador Adefuye who was guest speaker of the Third Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, (NIIA), symposium on the visit of US Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton to Nigeria at the Louis Mbanefo Hall of the institute in Victoria Island, Lagos, said such classification will subject innocent Nigerian travellers to undue embarrassment and humiliation from U.S immigration authorities. The envoy who gave a background on the recent visit of Mrs. Clinton to Nigeria said some members of Republican Party in the U.S. Congress have been mounting pressure on the Obama admin.....

Just after the signing of the Lagos Road Traffic Bill into law on Thursday by Governor Babatunde Fashola, activities of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) across the various bus stops and motor parks in the state have been outlawed, the state government declared yesterday. Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, who revealed this while briefing journalists in Ikeja, alongside his Justice and Information and Strategy counterparts, Ade Ipaye, and Aderemi Ibirogba, said it was one of the provisions on the newly signed Lagos Road Traffic Law 2012. Opeifa said the government recognised the right for them to associate, but believed that the motor parks should be made easy for those who want to carry out their business of commuting in the state to do so wi.....

AL-MUSTAPHA'S PRISON NOTES **I would Have Gunned Down Abdulsalami. **I noticed who Abacha body changed when President Yasser Arafat security operatives shook hands with him Abacha and MKO's death were organized. "My Boss, General Sani Muhammad Abacha, died at the early hours of Monday, 8th June, 1998. I had prepared him for a workshop organized by the Federal Ministry of Information for that day as he was expected to deliver an address as the Special Guest of Honour. His speech was drafted and fine tuned by the Chief Press Secretary, Chief David Attah who had submitted it to the Aide-De Camp for vetting and necessary amendments by the Commander-in-Chief. When I got to the bedside of the Head of State, he was already gasping. Ordinarily, I could not just touch .....

BENIN—A 23-year- old man, Austin Giwa, has been arraigned before an Egor Magistrate’s Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State for allegedly duping his fiancee of N400,000 under the pretence of assisting her procure travelling documents to the United States of America. Police prosecutor, Mr. Thomas Omokaro, told the court that the accused committed the offence between the months of June and December 2010 at S/T Road, Uselu, Benin City. The accused was alleged to have collected two passport photographs from the unsuspecting girl, one Miss Joy Aibangbee in addition to the sum of N400,000 already collected from her. Testifying before the court, Miss Aibangbee, said the accused person collected the money in installments at various times and also took her to Oshodi in L.....

PORT HARCOURT - NO fewer than 20 houses, were, yesterday, set ablaze in Omudioga community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, when irate youths reportedly went berserk over the death of a youth, who was simply identified as Benjamin. Details at press time were hazy but community sources said the rampaging youths speculated that the death of the late Benjamin might have been caused by some members of the community. Effort to stop the rampaging youths from venting their anger on the property of innocent community folks was futile. However, attempt to get the reaction of the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Ben Ugwuegbulam, was futile, as his mobile lines rang out. Meantime, community sources said security men had been deployed to quell t.....

Family members, friends and colleagues of a 32-year old groom named Yussuf Babatunde Babalola are currently trying to unravel the sudden death of the young man who was alleged to have been poisoned on the eve of his wedding. The late Babalola with his wofe-to-be. Investigations revealed that the late Babalola woke up at about 6.30 a.m. on Thursday, 12 July, 2012, the day he was to be at the marriage registry, complaining of stomach upset to his bride, Kudirat. She raised an alarm by calling on his friends when the ailment became unbearable. By the time he was taken to the hospital two hours later, he was clinically dead. A close friend of the deceased who did not want his name mentioned told P.M.NEWS that on getting to his apartment on Wright Street, Eb.....

His fame and financial breakthrough pushed him into having up to six wives. His love for sex equally contributed to his patronage of the most beautiful girls in Ugbugbu Owukpa, Ogbadibo Local government area of Benue State where a man who was identified as Uroko Onoja was allegedly raped to death by his 6 jealous wives in the early hour of Tuesday. Trouble started on tuesday morning, precisely 3 am when Uroko returned from Ochanja, a popular joint in the small community of Ugbugbu and headed to the room of his youngest wife. The other wives who according to the youngest wife, Odachi had a meeting before Uroko returned home invaded her room with knives and sticks, demanding that their husband have sex with all of them at once. Uroko who resisted their attack was overpowered by t.....

Chief coach of newly promoted El Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, Kelechi Emetoele has played down fears of insecurity in the Borno State capital owing to activities of the dreaded religious sect, Boko Haram, saying that football was perhaps, the tonic needed to cancel such fears. In a chat with Sports Vanguard in his hotel room in Ojodu, Lagos Monday, Coach Emetoele said “we have been having a wonderful time in Maiduguri. In Nigeria today, nowhere is safe. You hear of kidnappings in the South and all sort of things in other parts of the country, some natural while others man-made causes. Nowhere is safe in Nigeria,” he said repeatedly. Asked about the conduct of fans, particularly in deference to the presence of Boko Haram in the city, Emeteole raised his voice. “The atmos.....

These are the kind of information that makes one want to question the authenticity of reports released about Nigerians. A survey conducted by condom manufacturer, Durex, in which 29,000 people in 36 countries were interviewed has ranked Nigerian women as the most unfaithful in the world. According to the survey, Thailand men are the most unfaithful in the world, with 54 percent of them admitting to cheating on their spouses. South Korea came in second with 34 percent, while Malaysia ranked number three with 33 percent. The survey revealed that the top two countries with cheating women are Nigeria, with 62 percent, and Thailand, 59 percent. 39 percent of Malaysian women also confessed to having betrayed their partners. Russian women came fourth at 33 percent whi.....

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned three clerics before Justice M. S. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering and obtaining N10m by false pretences. Alhaji Inuwa Usman and Alhaji Chindo M.D. Bose, both leaders of the Taraba State chapter of the Muslim Council, allegedly conspired with Reverend John Simon Jatutu, who was the special adviser to the state government on religious matters, to divert part of the funds approved to the council by the state government towards the celebration of the country’s Golden Jubilee. The Taraba State government had, in September 2010, approved N42m for the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Muslim Council for purpose of the 5.....

The killing of a 20-year-old innocent boy was all the youths needed to get mad and confront three gun-totting Boko Haram members who invaded Mahuta, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis on Sunday. The brave youths overpowered and arrested two of the terrorists, aged 17 and 22, who had gone to the compound of the District Head of Afaka, Alhaji Abdulwahab, in a bid to kill him. The Boko Haram members were bearing an AK-47 rifle at the time they invaded two neighbouring Rigasa and Mahuta communities on a motorcycle at 9a.m. According to an eyewitness, “The gunmen came and said they were looking for the ‘Hakimin Mahuta’ (District Head of Mahuta), disguising as members of his subjects. So, when they allowed them into the house, the ‘Hakimin’ was not comfortable with them, so .....

Three students union leaders from tertiary institutions in Ondo State have been killed in an accident which occurred on Akure-Owo Road. A truck was said to have rammed into the vehicle the students were traveling in, resulting in the deaths. Some of their colleagues traveling with them in the vehicle survived. Speaking during a visit to the survivors receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Gov Olusegun Mimiko, who rushed down to Akure from Lagos upon hearing of the incident, described it as one accident too many. While commiserating with the families of the victims and the student body at large, the governor described the deaths as a painful loss and prayed God to give the families the strength to bear the loss. He assured that the state governme.....

Amid initial hitches, enthusiastic voters yesterday trooped out to cast their votes in the Edo State governorship election. Early results from some polling units in Edo Central and Edo South Senatorial Districts appeared to favour Oshomhole of the ACN. For instance, the candidate reportedly won in seven of the 10 wards in Igueben Local Government in the Central District with a wide margin and Oredo LGA in Edo South. Other highlights of the election included the loss of the PDP in the polling unit where its candidate, General Charles Arhievbere, voted. The PDP also lost in the polling units where two other bigwigs – Chief Ogiadomhe, who is chief of staff to the president, and Dr. Sam Ogbemudia – cast their votes. The poll was characterized by late arrival o.....

A Nigerian soldier, Corporal Moses Olurunfemi has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Makurdi High Court after being found guilty of culpable homicide. The convict before his conviction was attached to 81 Intelligence Corp of the Nigerian Army in Lagos. According to the First Information Report, FIR, filed in Court by the Police prosecutor, the convict had on the 19th of September 2009 allegedly strangulated his girl friend Miss Mercy Ajagbonna at her residence for undisclosed reasons. The late Miss Ajagbonna was until her death a staff of the Federal Medical Center, Makurdi and resided at Kwararafa quarters in Makurdi town. In the course of the trial however, the convict told the court in evidence that he did not murder Mercy, claiming that he was aw.....

THE relationship between Miss Roseline Ijeoma Christopher, who was 23 years old and her boy friend, one Lawrence Ufan Ette ended in a tragic mood as the boy friend allegedly stoned the pretty Rose to death. According to the landlady of the deceased Miss Dorothy Bassey who resides at 13 Academy Street, Calabar, Roseline met her untimely death as a result of a brawl with her boy friend who is now on the run. Bassey said that Roseline and her siblings along with their aged mother had been living together and she had been in a relationship for sometime with Lawrence but his attitude towards her never showed that he loved the deceased. The attitude, she explained prompted her mother to stop him from coming to the house to see the girl. “But even with the instruc.....

As Fashola launches air-condition meat vans, co-operative college By Olasunkanmi Akoni and Monsur Olowoopejo Federal Government has approved N330 million grants to assist 20, 000 farmers in Lagos state, a measure geared towards increasing food production in the country. Meanwhile, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state inaugurated the first co-operative college and 60 refrigerated meat vans to convey wholesome meat from abattoir to different areas in the state. Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Adewunmi Adeshina who disclosed this Friday, at the flag-off of the growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS), said that the fund will be devoted to acquire fertilizers for the farmers. Adeshina added that the fund will cover 50 percent of the cost.....

A new Igbo group, the Conference of Igbo Youth Organizations, CIYO, has warned that Ndigbo will no longer watch in silence while their brothers and sisters are slaughtered like animals in the northern states in Nigeria. The group vowed that henceforth, it will be tit for tat. Most of the victims of the ongoing massacre in the North are Christians mostly of the Igbo stock in eastern Nigeria. Also, the Igbo youths in a statement endorsed by 10 youth leaders, including the National Coordinator, Igbo Youth Grand Alliance, Dr. Uchenna Uchehara, who read it after their emergency meeting in Owerri yesterday said: “Events of the past few months in Nigeria have become very disturbing to stakeholders, especially the Igbo nation that played a major role in the founding of Nig.....

Schoolgirls Boycott Classes, Demand Shorter Skirts Over 400 students of Rwathia Girls Secondary school in Kangema district went on strike demanding shorter and more ‘appealing’ uniform. The girls also complained of high handedness by the deputy principal and small portions of food. The students complained that the new purple uniform is too long, ugly and not meant for their age. The girls are said to have cut their skirts to their desired length, only to attract the wrath of the deputy head. The students started complaining on Saturday, but walked out of the school in the wee hours of Monday morning. They were intercepted by the police who herded them to a police station until day break. The strike was said to have been hatched by form .....

‘I used my three children for blood money’ RESIDENTS of Asaba and Oko towns in Oshimilli South Local Government Area of Delta State were stunned last weekend when a popular akara (bean cake) seller in Oko revealed that the cause of her thriving business was the death of her three children. Felicia (surname withheld) reportedly confessed to the horrendous act last Friday at a programme organized by a miracle-performing Prophet Kings Maidoh of the Divine Mandate Ministry in Asaba, the Delta State capital. The businesswoman, who is also a widow, disclosed how a surreptitious plan to grow her business through juju “boomeranged” and purportedly led to the death of her three children on the same day. Ironically, the death of the children coincided with an.....

As tension continue to mount in Plateau State following two previous incidents of heavy militant killing this weekend, security agents say they have discovered 50 burnt corpses in the home of a pastor in Matse village of Riyom local government area. The bodies, some of them burnt beyond recognition, were discovered in the home of a pastor of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), and family sources said they belonged to people who ran into the pastor's home for safety as Fulani gunmen surrounded and attacked the area on Saturday morning.

There was palpable confusion Sunday morning in Umuakuru, Emekuku, Owerri North local council area of Imo State, following the unexplained death of nine persons in their sleep. When Vanguard visited the scene at about 8.30am on Sunday, seven of the dead were clustered in one room while the lifeless bodies of an unidentified woman and her friend were found in the second room. Vanguard investigations equally revealed that the nine dead persons, including the only son of the family, Paschal Njoku, his wife, Juliana and their five children, were home to bury their mother, Felicia Njoku last Saturday, but none survived to tell the story. Narrating what she could remember to Vanguard at the scene of the ugly incident, the second daughter of the family, Kate, gave the nam.....

Muslim herdsmen have killed a federal senator and a state lawmaker in troubled Plateau state on Sunday after attended a mass burial for the victims of an earlier attack. The Senator representing Plateau North Dr Gyang Dantong and Majority Leader of Plateau House of Assembly Hon. Gyang Fulani were killed on Sunday while attending the mass burial of villagers killed on Saturday by suspected Fulani herdsmen. The Pam Ayuba, spokesman for the Plateau state’s governor confirming the incident said the senator representing Plateau north, Gyang Dantong, and the majority leader of the state assembly, Gyang Fulani and others were gunned down today Sunday by Fulani herdsmen,” He added that the two were killed shortly after attending the mass burial for the victims of a Satu.....

Again, the tradings of tantrum between Farouk Lawan and oil magnate, Femi Otedola took a different twist this week, as the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges saddled with the tedious task of unraveling the veracity of the $3 million saga was treated to another Nollywood drama. Farouk’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) who described the exercise as Act one: scene two, said: “I will describe the entire unfolding melodrama as Baba Sala’s Alawada’s historic comedy. “It is nothing short of comedy. We are dealing with a serious national issue that involves mega money, moral and integrity and how to navigate direction of our democratic experimentation… we are talking about petrol matter that drove many Nigerians to demonstration in January this year over this oil subsidy brou.....

Ahead of July 14 2012 governorship election in Edo state, Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomhole has denied the allegation leveled against him by the Edo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of constructing an alleged N10.8 billion mansion in his home town, Iyamho,Estako West local government area of Edo state. Oshiomhole while featuring at a live debate programme put together by Nigeria Election Debate Group,(NEDG),in Benin on Thursday, said, contrary to the allegations of PDP, what he was erecting was a mere four bed room guest house. This is the first time that Governor Oshiomhole is breaking his silence on the alleged construction of a multi billion Naira mansion after the allegation was made by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state u.....

Nigerian Military has announced plan to deploy more troops to boost the existing manpower in the trouble commercial city of Kano Addressing the troops in Kano during an official visit, Chief of Army Staff, Lt General, Azubike Ihejirika declared that “the commercial status of the city and its place in the socio economic baseline of west Africa can not be compromise. “We want Kano to return quickly to peace because of its role in the socio economic baseline of not only Nigeria but West Africa and to this effect more troops will be deploy so that you have the time to rotate and rest”, Lt General Ihejirika stressed. Kano, a city of over nine million people is one of the states in northern Nigeria facing serious security challenges and hence in recent months economic.....

A Dana air employee called in with anonymous tip regarding the aircraft that crashed in Lagos, making reference to te Indian bosses forcing the crew to fly a damaged aircraft - at the end of the day, I am sure this is all down to bribery and corruption:

LAGOS State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Friday disclosed that DNA test would be conducted on recovered remains of Dana Airline victims, to enable relatives of the victims identify their loved ones. Disclosing this at the scene of the crash, Chairman of LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke, noted that no fewer than 60 charred remains were recovered from the scene. According to him, “we have been recovering bodies of the victims and so far we have about 68 dead bodies. We have deposited them at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital,LUTH, where DNA would later be carried out so that relatives can claim their loved ones after proper identification. Already, we are evacuating the debris for proper clearing of the site. Everybody is working at the moment, the Ogun State emergency s.....

LAGOS – Residents of Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos State, where the ill-fated DANA aircraft crashed, yesterday, blamed the deaths of passengers in the crash on poor and delayed rescue operation, noting that the people resorted to using sachets of pure water to put out the fire before the plane exploded. Speaking with Vanguard, some of the residents who were accused of looting the dead, said the aircraft exploded 20 minutes after it crashed, commending the pilot of the aircraft for being brave with the handling of the aircraft that was wobbling before it crashed. A resident said: “Had it been that fire fighters were on ground earlier and prepared, all the passengers die would not have died”, adding that the fire fighters came with a leaking pipe, which made it difficult for th.....

A state official says a passenger plane has crashed into a two-story building in Nigeria's largest city of Lagos. Femi Oke-Osanyinpolu, Lagos state emergency state manager, said Sunday that casualty numbers are unknown. Harold Denuren, head of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed the crash. He said the Dana Air flight was heading from Abuja to Lagos in Nigeria. He said federal authorities were on their way to the site of the crash. The Director General of the National Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren, has confirmed that none of the about 160 passengers and crew on board the crashed Dana Airline survived. Naijapals also gathered that there were other casualties from the houses that were affected by the crash. Up date-Manifes.....

ABAKALIKI— FIVE suspected gunmen yesterday disrupted activities at the palace of traditional ruler of Ishiagu kingdom of Ivo local government area of Ebonyi State, Eze Moses Ngele. Vanguard learnt that when the gang of unidentified gunmen invaded the palace with AK 47 assault rifles, there was confusion as people within the palace scampered for safety. Eyewitnesses told Vanguard that the gunmen forced their way into the palace, shooting sporadically, adding that it was not clear whether the hoodlums came to kidnap the traditional ruler whose coronation had been a subject of litigation. The traditional ruler accused chairman of Ivo local government area, Celestine Eze, and a commissioner in Governor Martin Elechi’s government of sending the gunmen after him. .....

Justice Steven Adah of the Federal High Court Lagos yesterday stopped Lagos State government from imposing ban on operation of commercial motor cyclists popularly called ‘Okada’ in the state. The judge in a ruling on an application filed by the motorcyclists asking the court to determine whether the government has the power to impose ban on their operation in view of the constitution, prayed the court to declare among other things that the proposed ban and restriction of their operations would constitute a violation of their constitutionally-guaranteed freedom of movement. Given his ruling, the Judge held there was no valid law enacted by the state government that empowered it to impose ban or restrictions on their operations. The court therefore pronounced that .....

Dozens of people have been killed in an attack on a cattle market in north-eastern Nigeria, witnesses have told the BBC. Witnesses say they saw several bodies being removed after the market in Potiskum, Yobe state, was set on fire by gunmen armed with explosives. A hospital source told the AFP news agency that up to 34 people had died. Police say the attack may be in revenge for the killing by traders of a man who had earlier tried to steal cattle. 'Threw explosives' "A group of gunmen armed with around 20 explosives and assault rifles attacked the Potiskum cattle market," police spokesman Toyin Gbadegesin told AFP. "They threw explosives and shot indiscriminately, setting fire to the market, killing lots of livestock and.....

IKEJA – Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, appealed to the striking doctors in the state to return to work, insisting that their demands were “simply impossible.” He reminded them that money may come and go but “live lost cannot be replaced.” The governor also implored the doctors to return to work if only for the sake of residents, especially the sick ones whose lives are at risk due to the strike. Fashola, who made the remarks at the commemoration of his administration’s 1,800 days in office, in Ikeja, said he would not interfere in local governments’ administration in the state the same way he would not want the president to interfere in his administration. The governor, however, disclosed plans in the short-term to build Primary Hea.....

ABAKALIKI—TRAGEDY struck on Monday at Akpoha community in Afikpo North local government area of Ebonyi State as a woman (names withheld) allegedly set her co-wife ablaze over marital acrimony. The assailant whose name was identified as Ogeri, Vanguard learnt, has already been arrested by the police. Explaining the reason for her action, the woman stated that she was surprised and angry to discover that her husband, after all she had contributed towards their livelihood, could have the conscience to bring in another woman into their matrimonial home as her co-wife. It was gathered that the victim, who hails from Abomege in Onicha LGA of the state, was married on Sunday only to meet her death the next day. Meanwhile, as a result of the ugly incident, the vill.....

The families of January 27, 2002 Ikeja bomb blast victims have called on the Federal Government to fulfill the promise it made to them. The Federal Government had promised to compensate the families and assist the victims children. Speaking at a press briefing, the coordinator of the families, Mr Olaniran Majekodunmi, said lack of response by the Federal Government prompted them to consult their lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, who, in turn, wrote the Ministry of Defence and copied relevant government agencies and has also written reminders, but the initiative did not yielded positive answer. According to him, they were asking for justice for the spilled blood of their relations at Oke- Afa and other places in Lagos. By Onozure Dania

The Naira, yesterday, appreciated by 10 kobo at the interbank and official foreign exchange markets following dollar sales of $86 million by three oil firms. Investigations reveal that Chevron sold $70 million on Tuesday, while Total sold $6 million and Addax $10 million, yesterday. The boost in supply caused the interbank foreign exchange market to drop by 10 kobo to N157.4 from N157.5 per dollar on Tuesday. The official exchange rate also dropped by 10 kobo to N155.8 from N155.9 per dollar at the bi-weekly foreign exchange auction conducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), yesterday. The apex bank offered $150 million while it sold $150 million. On the international scene, the euro strengthened from a seven- week low against the yen as Spain’s bonds climbed afte.....

Despite security challenge posed by the Boko Haram sect and other issues, Nigeria’s economy recorded an unprecedented growth as it is said to be the third fastest growing economy in the world. Briefing State House correspondents after yesterday’s Federal Executive Council Meeting, Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, who was joined by the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama, said the growth in the economy was a clear indication that “there is a lot of confidence in the Nigerian economy.” Ngama, who presented a report on the country’s presentation during the recently concluded Islamic Development Bank Congress in Khartoum, Sudan noted that the growth noticed in the non-oil sector was particularly impressive, adding that government would continue to work o.....

A car bomb attack outside a church in Kaduna on Easter Sunday left at least 20 dead and scores wounded, a rescue source said. The explosion, a stark reminder of Christmas Day attacks that left dozens dead in the country, occurred where motorcycle taxi drivers and passersby caught much of the blast. At least one car said to be driven by a suicide bomber was involved in the attack, though a rescue official speaking on condition of anonymity said two vehicles packed with explosives detonated. “Now we have 20 dead from the twin explosions,” the rescue official, who was not authorised to speak publicly, told AFP. Officials were still counting the number of wounded, he added. “Bombs concealed in two cars went off just opposite this church,” he said. A poli.....

Few weeks ago, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was almost reinventing itself casting away the bickering image that shadowed it into its woeful electoral performance of last year. In meetings that were at one time thought to be impossible, political enemies sat side by side and sang songs of forgiveness. In attendance at one of such meetings few weeks ago were Senator Lekan Balogun, Alhaji Yekini Adeojo, Elder Wole Oyelese, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, Senator Teslim Folarin, Chief Olayiwola Lakojo, Dr. Saka Balogun who represented the former Governor of the state, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and many others. However, four weeks after, the political rivalry they had openly declared to have buried has resurfaced and this time with even stronger vehemence. Alliances have be.....

ABUJA— What could have led to one of the bloodiest Easter celebrations in recent times in Gombe State was averted, yesterday, as operatives of the State Security Service(SSS) discovered 60 Improvised Explosive Devices planted in different locations at the British Cotton Ginnery Area (BCGA) of the metropolis. They were programmed to explode yesterday, the eve of Easter Friday. Gombe State Director of SSS, Mr Bitrus Asha, disclosed at a briefing that four suspects were arrested over the intended attack following a tip-off while one suspect escaped. Asha explained that the suspects, who were paraded before newsmen were arrested between 12 noon and 1.30 P.M. He said: “As you can see, there are a lot of explosives, numbering about 60 prepared in tins, ready f.....

Wife of the alleged mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, Kabiru Abubakar Dikko, alias Kabiru Sokoto, has delivered a baby boy in a police cell where she is being detained. The wife of the Boko Haram henchman was arrested by the police after her husband escaped from police custody while he was being taken to his home for a search. Sources Friday said that she gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday inside a cell at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Garki, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Even after her husband was re-arrested at Mutum in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba, the pregnant woman was still kept in police custody until she put to bed on Wednesday. Sokoto was first arrested on 13 January by the polic.....

The Federal Government said, yesterda,y it would not succumb to threats of breakdown in bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom over the ongoing war on air fare disparity between both countries. This came as the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, offered free legal services to government in cases of litigation or review of treaties and bilateral agreements it might have signed with other countries. Also yesterday, British Airways traded words with members of the House Committee on Aviation over reduction of air fares as the Country Manager of British Airways and Iberia, Mr Kola Olayinka, refused to give appropriate answers at a public hearing, prompting the lawmakers to threaten sanction against the airline should it fail to slash fares. Aviation M.....

THE influential New York Times, perhaps, has picked Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala over US President Barack Obama’s nominee for the World Bank presidency, Jim Yong Kim. Comentators on the paper said: “Whereas Okonjo-Iweala has already attracted strong endorsements from publications at the cutting edge of global financial journalism like The Economist, and The Financial Times, this new endorsement enhances the profile of Okonjo Iweala. Conventional qualities The New York Times is unequivocal in its support saying as an “economist, diplomat and former World Bank managing director, she offers many conventional qualities of bank presidents” adding, “she breaks the mould as a woman from an African country where she fought to reduce the country’s debt, gain greater acc.....

LAGOS — A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, discharged former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Mr Erastus Akingbola, who is standing trial on a 26-count amended charge of financial impropriety and alleged stealing of N364 billion preferred against him by the Federal Government. Trial judge, Justice Charles Archibong, also dismissed the charges against him. The court further barred the prosecution from appearing before the court or another judge of the Federal High on the matter, over what it called “serious and professional incompetence” of the prosecution team made up of five Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs. The court also ordered the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohamemd Adoke, SAN, to disband the tea.....

SENATE President David Mark declared, yesterday, that plea bargain has only been beneficial to the high and mighty in the society, just as he stressed that it has been used to protect the nation’s big men even when the crime committed was heinous. Mark who spoke at a public hearing organised by the Senate Joint Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Services; Interior and Police Affairs on Plight of persons Awaiting Trial in Nigerian Prisons, said that a situation where statistics have it that 33, 692 out of the 48,124 Prison inmates were awaiting trial was an indictment on the nation’s judicial system. The Senate president’s position came on the heels of senators’ claim that N8.72 billion has so far been spent on prison decongestion from 2006 till date. R.....

President Goodluck Jonathan has endorsed plan by the Ministry of Aviation to compel the British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and other international airlines operating in the country to correct the disparity in the fare charged Nigerians against that charged other West African passengers. A top source in the ministry told Vanguard that before the announcement of the 30-day ultimatum issued the two British carriers and other international airlines by the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, President Jonathan and some key members of the National Assembly were fully briefed on the development. It was learnt that the decision to issue the ultimatum had been delayed this far on the advice of the President that the affected carriers be given time to respond and adjust the fares a.....

ABUJA- The Nigerian Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, and Africa’s nominee for the Presidency of World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has expressed confidence that she could win the contest to become President of the World Bank if the election process is open and transparent. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is contesting against two other nominees including Jim Yong Kim of the U.S. and former Colombian Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo. Expressing confidence at a media briefing yesterday in Abuja, Okonjo-Iweala enunciated her vision for the global financial institution, remarking that she possesses the best credentials to turn the focus of the Bank to the challenges facing developing countries and emerging economies across the world. Okonjo-Iweala.....

Jos—Suspected Fulani herdsmen have killed two anti-riot policemen attached to the Special Task Force, STF, at Palang in Bachit District of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. They were reportedly gunned down on Sunday while at their duty post. The same assailants allegedly shot and injured three people at Tahoss in the same area that night. A police source identified the slain policemen as Corporals Safiyanu Suleiman and Thomas Kozah. The gun men were said to have caught them unawares, opening fire on them before escaping from the area. Attacks on villages in the local government area has become a regular occurrence resulting in several loss of lives. Most of the attacks had been blamed on suspected Fulani herdsmen. Spokesman of the Plateau Polic.....

ABUJA — The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has vowed to punish any bank in the country that is involved in the pension fraud currently under investigation by the Senate. Sanusi, who stated this, yesterday, during a press briefing at the end of the Monetary Policy Committee meeting in Abuja, said the bank was eagerly awaiting the report by the Senate committee handling the probe as well as from the Ministry of Finance. He said: “We will deal with any bank that is found culpable in the on-going probe of the pension scam. I have been talking with the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the issue, and we will wait for the report from the ministry. I assure that we will punish any bank involved in the pension frau.....

ABUJA— The Herman Hembe led Committee on Capital Market and other Institutions which was accused by the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Arunmah Oteh of demanding bribe from the Commission, yesterday disqualified itself from further probe of Nigeria’s Capital Market collapse. Chairman of Committee, Mr. Hembe who announced that he was disqualifying himself from further probe of the Capital Market however insisted on his innocence and also requested that the entire committee be withdrawn from further conducting the public hearing. And in a swift reaction, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Aminu Tambuwal announced the constitution of an Ad-Hoc committee to carry on with the probe, afresh while also directing the Ethics and Privile.....

ABUJA – Intrigues, horse-trading and coercion were being brought into play, yesterday, as contending forces in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, sought to get the edge over one another ahead of the election of a new national executive of the party, Saturday. The object of the increasing schemes, it emerged, is the front-runner for the national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who normally reliable sources in the party said had been endorsed by the Presidency for the top party post. Meanwhile, there were reports yesterday that the Presidency was forging ahead with its pro-Tukur campaign with the lure of board appointments being offered to major antagonists of the Tukur agenda. It also emerged that the party has proposed to screen the 11 chairmanship aspirant.....

The remains of the late Egba High Chief, Apagun Oluwole Olumide, who was reported to have committed suicide last weekend, was committed to mother earth, shortly after an autopsy was performed on him. His corpse was brought into his compound by a grey Mercedez ambulance marked TOS 5 accompanied by his family members and friends, as six casket bearers later carried the sky-blue casket into the late Egba Chief’s home. Shortly before he was buried, Rev. Olohuntoba Obaselu who preached the sermon on the occasion, enjoined everybody to be mindful of his tomorrow. He was buried at exactly 3;45pm at his house at Ita-Eko, Ibara Abeokuta in the presence of many dignitaries including former Governor Gbenga Daniel, former Minister of Mines and Steel, Sarafa Ishola .....

ABUJA — A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned till Friday to hear a suit filed before it by 2,140 ex-soldiers who fought during the Nigerian Civil war between 1967 and 1970. The retired soldiers are asking the high court to invoke its original jurisdiction and order the Federal Government to forthwith, pay pension benefits and other entitlements due to them since the past 42 years after they bowed out of active service. In an originating summons they filed through their counsel, Mr. Femi Falana, the plaintiffs contended that having contributed their quota towards securing the territorial integrity of the country by fighting on the side of Nigeria against Biafra insurrection, it was unconstitutional and unjust for the government to refuse paying their pension benefi.....

ENUGU— Strong resistance to the adoption of a consensus list of candidates for the forthcoming national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, emerged yesterday with key stakeholders fighting to get reckoning in the incoming national executive. President Goodluck Jonathan apparently not wanting to be partial yesterday directed the outgoing National Working Committee, NWC to publish the list of all candidates vying for the different positions on offer in the NWC. The order came in the midst of allegations that a candidate favoured for the position of National Secretary missed the deadline for the submission of his form. Meanwhile, the party yesterday named a 60 man National Convention Planning Committee, NCPC headed by erstwhile Foreign Affairs Minister and Nati.....

SAPELE— IT was a bloody weekend in Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, as gunmen killed a bank manager and seven other persons at a drinking spot, opposite Okotie-Eboh Grammar School, in the town. No reason was given for the mindless bloodbath, but a source said, “The killers, who claimed to be unemployed and hungry, were incensed that their victims were busy drinking and eating with their girlfriends, while they (killers) were starving.” Meanwhile, another version of the incident, claimed that the husband of one of the women, who was killed was the person who hired cultists to invade the beer parlour, alleging that his wife lied to him that she was going to the saloon to make her hair, only to surface at the drinking spot with her lover. The woma.....

Scavengers in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State have appealed to the Federal Government to enable them with technologies for the conversion of waste to wealth. Mr Musa Salisu, the Chairman, of the Scavenger’s Association, made the appeal on behalf of the more than 500 members in an interview with the NAN in Kano on Sunday. He said the government had made promises to the association in the past but had yet to fulfill it. Salisu said scavengers sold wastes they excavated from dumpsites at very low prices to some local manufacturers and appealed that equipment be made available to them to recycle the wastes for other uses. “We need government support on machines that will enable us to convert waste to wealth, it will create more job opportunities fo.....

LAGOS—The shape of the next national executive of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was at the weekend being fine tuned after various interest groups in the party including governors struck a deal with President Goodluck Jonathan. At the heart of the agreement is the adoption of the President’s list of aspirants for the national executive with the concession of the offices of Deputy National Chairman and National Secretary for the Governors. Meanwhile, contention for the position of National Secretary was yesterday boiling over in the Southwest to which the office is zoned to with major stakeholders in the region taking position against President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo according to sources in the party has already nominated two persons for the position sparking spec.....

Iperu-Remo - An NGO, Encouragement Initiative (EI) in Iperu-Remo, Ogun on Friday distributed free school sandals to 149 barefooted pupils in the town. The three public primary schools visited for the distribution are Wesley Primary School, Salvation Army Primary School and AUD Primary School, all in Iperu-Remo. Speaking at the event, Mr Rotimi Akinlesi, the Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, said no fewer than 496 barefooted pupils benefitted from the programme since the beginning of the year. Akinlesi explained that apart from the free distribution of sandals, the NGO had also provided school uniforms for children, whose parents could not afford one, as well as provided drugs for sickle cell patients. He explained that the free sandal programme of the N.....

No fewer than 22 police recruits undergoing training at the Police Training College, Ilorin appeared before different magistrate courts on Friday for allegedly using fake documents to secure employment. The accused persons were arraigned on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and using as true a certificate known to be false, contrary to sections 97, 363,132 163 of the penal code law. The prosecuting counsel, Insp. David Wodi and Sgt. Mathew Ologbonsaye, told the respective courts that the accused were arrested after a screening where their certificates were discovered to be forged. However, all of the accused persons in separate pleas pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. The prosecutor told the courts tha.....

ABUJA – The coalition of Northern leaders, formed to articulate the region’s interest in the eventuality of a national conference, has rejected the framework for the present revenue formula and accused the presidency of a mischievous plot for another term for President Goodluck Jonathan. The coalition involving some northern governors, politicians, academics and some of the region’s most erudite personalities in the professions alleged that the subsisting revenue formula was illegal even as it deposed that it was harmful to the oil rich Niger Delta. According to the group, too much money going to the oil rich region was fueling corruption in the Niger Delta. The position of the northern leaders was articulated at the end of a meeting of the chairmen of its 10 committe.....

KADUNA based Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, CRCN, yesterday, criticised the committee set up by the Northern Governors’ Forum to resolve the Boko Haram phenomenon in the North, saying the governors were merely playing to the gallery on the issue. President of CRCN, Mallam Shehu Sani said the committee set up by the governors would not achieve any useful purpose in the resolution of the Boko Haram crises but rather compound it. Sani who spoke in a telephone interview with Vanguard said when asked if he would accept to represent the Boko Haram in a dialogue with the Federal Government as being speculated in the media: “If Boko Haram nominates me and the Federal Government appreciates my efforts or contributions, I will accept. It will be my own sacrifice to end the bloo.....

Minna — National Examinations Council, NECO, has pledged that it will not lower its standard in a bid to be patronised by eligible students. Registrar/Executive of the Council, Professor Promise Okpala who made this known while answering questions from reporters in Minna, capital of Niger State also denied that there was rivalry between NECO and the National Business and Technical Examination Board, NABTEB, as both examination bodies like others were championing the same cause of raising standard of education in the country. Okpala however, said that NECO had become more acceptable by students and higher institutions within and outside the country because of its high standard and zero tolerance for examination fraud. He pointed out that the problems of examination.....

Jos— The death toll from Sunday’s suicide bomb attack on St Finbarr’s Catholic Church, Jos and the ensuing reprisals rose to 19 yesterday as more corpses were taken to hospitals. This came as tension enveloped parts of the city following renewed hostilities between Christian and Muslim youths on revenge mission over reprisal killings that started since Sunday. There were unconfirmed reports of more silent killings in various parts of the city.. Many residents in Tinna Junction, Fillin Ball and Duala areas had to run for cover as security men shot into the air to disperse scores of youths from both sides who were advancing towards each other for a showdown. While a source said the fresh tension followed the disappearance of some people suspected to have been killed.....

PORT HARCOURT— SHELL Petroleum Development Company, SPDC and Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, have been asked to vacate Egbema West community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State due to alleged pollution of the area by their operations. Handing down the order, the people of the community said the operations of the firms had resulted in the death of more than 40 persons in the community. Speaking through the Chairman of its Community Relations Committee, Mr. Steve Aliba, the community said since Shell resumed operations in the area in 1961, it had not contributed to the growth and development of the area. He said the community resolved that the oil company and NPDC should pay N200 billion as compensation for damages and pollution.....

Lagos – Zenith Bank has posted a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N60bn which represents an increase of 21 per cent over the N50bn recorded in the corresponding period of 2010. Profit after Tax (PAT) stood at N44bn over N37bn, an increase of 18 per cent. The Bank has proposed a dividend pay -out of N29.8 billion up from N26.7 billion paid out in 2010. The result which was released on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in Lagos on Friday showed that the bank’s gross earnings rose by 27 per cent to N244billion, from N192billion, indicating an increasing dominance in its market share. By this performance, Zenith Bank has surpassed analysts’ projections at Gabros Capital which had forecast a gross earning of N217.95 billion and a profit after tax of N51.63billio.....

At least 10 people died yesterday and about 24 injured in a bomb explosion which hit another church in Jos, the Plateau State capital and protests that trailed the blast. Among the dead were a pregnant woman who was burnt beyond recognition and members of the church’s Boy Scouts manning the gate. Two protesting young men were also shot dead by security men in the violence that followed the blast. The blast went off at Saint Finbarr’s Catholic Church located in Rayfield area of Jos not far from the Government House as three suicide bombers in a Volkswagen Vento car attempted to force their way into the church premises. An eye witness said the blast went off at about 10.30 am just as the second service of the church got under way. The suicide bombers accompanied by .....

PROMINENT Northern leaders have begun the process of bringing together all groups in the North under one umbrella as a way of projecting a common position on all issues affecting the region. Rising from a meeting in Abuja yesterday, the northern leaders, comprising past heads of state, former army and air chiefs, politicians, businessmen, also expressed worry over the insecurity situation in the zone with particular reference to the activities of members of the Boko Haram sect that have, of recent, engaged in bombings leading to deaths and wanton destruction of property. The meeting, held at the Niger Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, had in attendance former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; ex-head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; former Vice Pre.....

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a Catholic church in the Jos, injuring three people attending Sunday mass, the emergency services said. The man drove his car towards St Finbar’s Catholic church in the city before setting off a large explosion, killing himself and wounding three churchgoers, emergency agency spokesman YuShau Shuaib told AFP

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and Convener of the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare, yesterday, decried the increasing cases of rape in the country, saying it was high time urgent measures were taken to arrest the situation. Former Education Minister, Prof. Femi Aborisade, however, asked the Federal Government to establish education bank similar to the Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF. They made the remarks while addressing hundreds of women, who marched from Allen Avenue, Ikeja to the Lagos House, Alausa, as part of activities to mark the International Women Day celebration, which also had in attendance, the Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Mr. Yinka Odumakin and his wife, Dr. Okei-Odumakin among others. Meanwhile.....

LAGOS—AFTER six days of diplomatic stand-off that led to the deportation of 256 nationals, Africa’s two powerhouses, Nigeria and South Africa, have mended fences and reached a five-point agreement to avert a recurrence. The much needed truce came after the South African government sent a letter of apology to Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, apologizing to Nigeria for barring 125 Nigerians from the country last Friday over alleged possession of fake yellow fever vaccine cards and the acceptance of the apology by the wronged party. Since the first deportation, Nigeria, in retaliation, has turned away 131 South Africans. “We apologize for this unfortunate incident and we hope this matter will not in anyway affect our bilateral relations,” Deputy Foreign Minister,.....

Iseyin (Oyo State) -The 2012 Batch “A” corps members of the NYSC scheme will be trained in martial arts while at the orientation camp. Announcing this at the NYSC orientation camp in Iseyin, Oyo State, on Thursday, the State Coordinator, Mrs Sekinat Idowu, said the training was for self-defence. Idowu spoke at the swearing in and official opening of the orientation course for 3,010 corps members posted to Oyo State. She said the new training schedule was part of the Federal Government’s policies toward ensuring that the scheme became an enduring instrument in the transformation agenda of government. Idowu also said there would no longer be posting of corps members to banks and other private organisations unless their services fell under the pu.....

Premier Mario Monti held a security committee meeting on Friday as anger spread over Britain’s failure to consult Italy before approving an attempt to rescue an Italian and Briton in Nigeria. The interministerial committee for the security of the Republic (CISR) was meeting to reconstruct the events of the failed British and Nigerian operation to save Franco Lamolinara and Chris McManus, who were kidnapped last year. “The tragic episode in Nigeria is unbelievable. The Italians are clearly humiliated,” said Antonio Puri Purini, columnist for the Corriere della Sera newspaper, which spoke of the government’s “rage” over the diplomatic incident. “It is an unacceptable slap in the face and saying sorry is not enough,” it said. Monti was only informed by Britain.....

ABUJA — Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, declared, yesterday, that the era of mounting of road blocks across the country by the police was gone and would not be reviewed. He said measures including deployment of Police patrol teams to these highways have been put in place to checkmate criminal activities on the roads. Speaking while decorating newly promoted police officers in Abuja, Abubakar also said henceforth, the police would no longer allow security agencies to take over its constitutional responsibilities. On the issue of checkpoints, the IG said: “The suggestions that Police checkpoints be returned to the highways because of robberies will not suffice because we cannot continue to employ Police methods that were in practice since colonia.....

A team of policemen from Mbo Division and protesting youths on Thursday clashed at the Stubb Creek marginal oil field operated by Universal Energy Resources Ltd. in Akwa Ibom. Th hundreds of youths who blocked the access road to the oil field were dispersed when police shot sporadically to disperse the protesters. The gunshots sent the protesters scampering to safety while 10 of the youth leaders were arrested and taken to the Mbo Divisional Police Headquarters. Following the police shooting, one person sustained gunshot injuries and was taken to a private clinic in nearby Oron, also in Akwa Ibom. The Divisional Police Officer, a Superintendent of Police Anietie Eyo who led the operation confirmed the arrest of 10 youths and said that they had been transfer.....

South Africa’s government promised Thursday to investigate why airport officials barred 125 Nigerians from entering the country, sparking a diplomatic row and accusations of anti-foreigner bias. The dispute blew up after officials at Johannesburg’s main airport on Friday refused entry to Nigerians over suspicions that their yellow fever vaccination cards were fake. “Cabinet expressed shock and regret at the reports regarding how African foreign nationals, particularly Nigerians, and other nationals from other parts of the world have been treated at OR Tambo International Airport,” minister in the presidency Collins Chabane told reporters. A ministerial task force had been set up to get to the bottom of the incident, he added. On Tuesday, Nigerian Foreign Mi.....

BENIN—IT was like a triumphant entry yesterday, when Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State arrived the Benin Airport from Abuja, where he had gone to pick his N4.7million governorship form of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, which reportedly purchased for him by market women in the state. It was difficult for the governor to walk out of the plane due to the crowd, mainly women and youths, who thronged the airport to welcome him. Oshiomhole stormed the National headquarters of the ACN in Abuja at about 6pm Tuesday to pick his governorship form ahead the July 14, 2012 governorship election in the state. Addressing the women at the Benin Airport Oshiomhole thanked them for purchasing the form for him, expressing surprise that the form was paid for by the women b.....

ABUJA—The Society for Family Health, SFH, said yesterday that no fewer than 60,000 women and their children who would have lost their lives in pregnancy-related illness, have been saved in Gombe State. Managing Director of SFH, Mr. Bright Ekweremadu, who disclosed this in Abuja, said the feat was attributable to a programme initiated by the group and its partners. The programme, known as “Inganta Rayuwar Iyali”, which started in November 2009 and ended on March 8, 2012, is aimed at reducing common causes of ill health and deaths among pregnant women and the new born through the use of different approaches. Speaking during a briefing to mark end of the project yesterday, Ekweremadu said the project became necessary when the National Demographic Health survey 2008 r.....

LAGOS – THE Federal Government has revised the 2012 budget proposals downward by about 2.11 per cent to N4,648.85 billion (approximately N4.649 trillion). This implies a reduction of about N100.25 billion from the N4.749 trillion budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan in December, 2011. The government is also projecting budget estimates of N4,828.19 billion and N4,925.63 billion for 2013 and 2014, respectively. A Revised 2012–2014 Revenue and Expenditure Framework document obtained by Vanguard showed that the budget is based on the following assumptions: Oil production of 2.48 million barrels per day (mbpd); Benchmark oil price of US$70/barrel; and Exchange rate of N155/US$. The revised budget showed estimated recurrent e.....

LAGOS— AN end to the raging diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa kick-started by the latter’s deportation of 125 Nigerians, including a serving senator over alleged possession of fake yellow fever vaccine certificates is not in sight. Reason: South Africa is not ready to apologise for the dehumanising treatment and Nigeria is ready to reciprocate the ‘gesture’ with equal measure. Feelers from both countries show that there will be more deportations on both sides as the South African government has refused to admit wrong doing and apologise as demanded by Nigeria government. A Foreign Affairs source said, “we are demanding unreserved apology from South Africa for this ill-treatment of Nigerian travelers or else, we will take more drastic actions.” A high.....

ABUJA – An alleged link man between the Boko Haram Islamic sect and the Al-Qaeda terrorist network, Mallam Mohammed Ashafa, was yesterday docked before a Federal High Court in Abuja. Ashafa, a 46-year-old man of about 5.4 feet in height, was accused of facilitating terrorist exchange programmes between the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria and the Al-Qaeda network which specialised on propagating terrorism around the world. Meanwhile, though the accused person who was brought to court by armed operatives of the State Security Service, SSS, mounted the dock, yesterday, he could not enter his plea to the allegation owing to the absence of his lawyer in court. Consequently, trial Justice Adamu Bello ordered the SSS to keep him in custody till April 3 when the case was adjo.....

A policeman went berserk and shot two of his colleagues before shooting himself at Lala Village of Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State just as another police corporal allegedly killed an Inspector and later killed himself, yesterday, at Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Also, in Minna, a disagreement between a couple has led to the death of a housewife, as her husband, Usman Bege, 20, allegedly slaughtered his spouse, Hauwa, with a sharp knife while asleep. The incident happened in Iri Village of Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State. Hauwa was said to have run to her parents for refuge shortly after the misunderstanding, unknown to her that the husband would trail her to the family house and kill her. Adamawa State P.....

Suspected Islamists have attacked a prison, police station and local government office wounding at least three police officers, officials and residents said Wednesday. “The (police) station was set ablaze,” police spokesman Samuel Tizhe told AFP of the attack in Konduga on Tuesday night. “They attacked the secretariat and prison … They started with firing, then they put explosives.” Residents said they suspected the attackers were members of Islamist group Boko Haram, though Tizhe declined to comment on who the suspects were. The spokesman said at least three policemen were wounded and no deaths reported. Konduga is located some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Maiduguri, which has served as the base of Boko Haram, blamed for scores of attacks that have killed.....

ABEOKUTA— Former Commissioner for Information and Strategy under ex-governor Gbenga Daniel government, Sina Kawonise, has accused Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State of planning to instigate the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against him over perceived trump up charges of corruption. Kawonise who is also the Managing Director of Westerner Publishing Company, publisher of Nigerian Compass and Westerner magazine, in a statement yesterday in Abeokuta, said Amosun had invited operatives of EFCC to comb ministry of Information with a view to fish for ‘phoney evidence’ against him. According to him “information reaching me indicates that officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on the invitation of the Governor of Ogun State, Sena.....

WARRI—MOVEMENT for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, yesterday, said that it was not only four military men that were killed in the March 2, gun fight between Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, with militants in the creek of Bayelsa State, adding that over 10 soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel, were killed. It also said none of its men was killed in the encounter and challenged the task force to produce the corpse of any of its fighters that was killed. JTF had, after the bloody fight, said that it killed Shedrack Itokofuwei, an alleged sea pirate, who led the attack and killing of Lt Col Malik and three naval ratings. Meanwhile, the Police in Bayelsa State said they have recovered the bodies of five policemen killed by unknow.....

Mr Chuka Umunna, Nigerian born Member of the British Parliament on Monday kicked against the branding of children as witches in the UK, describing it as an “awful act punishable under the law. ’’ Umunna represents Streatham, one of the three constituencies representing Brixton, an area with one of the largest African Diaspora populations in the UK. He is also the only black member of the Shadow Cabinet and is the most senior elected UK politician of African origin. Umunna made the remarks in reaction to recent reports which he said was “happening in small number of cases under the radar in this country. ’’ “There can be no excuse whatsoever for treating children in this way; branding them as witches or as possessed by evil spirits. If you carry out .....

…Says ‘I want to travel abroad’ Amid tight security at the airport, a young lunatic, Monday, beat all the security agencies at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and entered into the tarmac with the intention of boarding a flight to Europe. Vanguard gathered that the man, whose identity could not be identified at press time, broke the glasses of the boarding gate at the airport and entered into the tarmac. It was further gathered that as soon as he gained entrance into the tarmac, he was said to be shouting on top of his voice that he wanted to travel to Europe. “I want to go to abroad; I want to go to Europe. Please give way for me to go,” he shouted repeatedly. The screaming of the man was said to have attracted some aviation personnel.....

Former chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, is set to create new revenue opportunities in addition to its core assignment of determining all petroleum upstream and downstream revenue. A source close to the taskforce, said it would explore how to plug loopholes by demanding the review and strengthening of applicable laws. The source, who spoke to Vanguard in Lagos, said: “The task force sees its mandate as a huge responsibility. It will be proactive and far-reaching in carrying out that mandate without going outside its terms of reference. “It will carry out an analysis of existing laws and crude swap agreements to identify areas that need to be strengthened to plug loopholes and wastages. The analysis will also enable the .....

Tragedy struck, weekend, at Tin-Can Island area of Lagos as two motorists reportedly lost their lives during a scuffle that occurred at the National Bus Stop, along the chaotic Oshodi-Apapa expressway. Vanguard gathered that the motorists (names withheld) engaged in a bloody fight when one of them brushed the other’s car during rush traffic hour on Friday morning. Eyewitness told Vanguard that the motorist whose car was brushed got incensed, pulled out a jack knife from a naval officer, who was trying to make peace, and stabbed the other in the abdomen. The victim reportedly slumped and died. Meanwhile, a group of onlookers who watched as the ugly incident unfolded was said to have been enraged and clubbed the assailant to death. When Vanguard contacted the.....

By CHARLES KUMOLU URHOBO Youth Assembly, UYA, has demanded for the upward review of the 13 per cent derivation funds for oil producing states to at least 25 per cent, in the interest of equity, justice and fair play. It also called on President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on the governors of Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States to create oil commissions, so that the struggle of the founding fathers of the 13 per cent derivation fund will not be in vain. The group made this known in a statement by Mr. Jude Akpore, Frank Onogagamue and Akpobaro Umukoro. The group said: “We passionately appeal to Mr. President to direct the defaulting governors of Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom to create oil commissions, so that the ideas and the struggle of the founding fathers .....

Residents of Lekki-Epe area of Lagos State, yesterday, cautioned the state government not to stoke another Boko Haram phenomenon with the exploitation of road users in the area through toll collection by its partner, Lekki Construction Company, LCC. Their reactions came against the backdrop of weekend’s opening of the second toll gate at Ajah, for which no alternative route had been provided. The first toll gate was opened last December 18, 2011, around Lekki Phase 1, about 15 kilometers from the second, which alternative route runs through a private Oniru Estate, and not the Coastal road specified by the agreement between the state government and LCC. The angry residents, warned that Boko Haram stemmed from the injustice similar to one being imposed on residents.....

Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, alleged, Sunday, that the remains of Francis Osuvwo, alias General Gbokos, arrested in connection with the October 1, 2010 Independence Day bombing, were smuggled, Saturday night, out of Kuje Prisons, Abuja, where he died, to an unknown destination. The group, in a statement by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said it “received without surprise, news of the death of Mr. Francis Osuwo. “For refusing to cooperate with two Nigerian government informants, an employee of Agip and an employee of Daewoo, Yenagoa, to testify falsely against Henry Okah, Osuwo was arrested and accused of complicity in the MEND bombing of October 1, 2010. “Francis Osuwo and all other detainees in State Security Service, SSS, custody wro.....

NATIONAL chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, said yesterday that the late leader of the party, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, would remain the party’s leader, even in death. Umeh, who spoke during the funeral organised by APGA members from all parts of the world at Nnewi, said what the party would do was to elect a deputy national leader at the appropriate time. According to him, it is not the intention of the party to begin to find a replacement for Ojukwu, and it would be difficult to find such a person. His words: Ojukwu remains our leader. It was a decision we took many years ago and we do not intend to go contrary to that. It was the goodwill of Ojukwu that made us secure victory for Governor Peter Obi for two terms and ad.....

Sharp criticism to the call by northern governors for the reduction in derivation proceeds to oil producing states continued weekend with members of the House of Representatives from the region, leading stakeholders and the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND angrily rebuffing the quest. While MEND threatened dire consequences as its response, spokesman of the defunct Niger-Delta Liberation Front, NDLF, a militant group founded by the late “Gen” John Togo, “Captain” Mark Anthony, accused the northern governors of playing on the seeming quietness of President Goodluck Jonathan to railroad what he described as their provocative agenda. Rep. Victor Ogene, particularly, charged northern governors to situate their call against what he described as the lopsidedn.....

Many Nigerians aboard Arik Air and South Africa Airways flights were refused entry to South Africa on Friday. The passengers were denied entry by the South Africa Port Health authority and the immigration service on the ground that they had invalid yellow fever vaccination cards. One of the passengers, Olaminde Olaofe, said that they obtained their cards from government authorised health agencies in Nigeria and added: “This is very embarrassing and dehumanising. “It is an embarrassment not to us as passengers alone but to the Federal Government of Nigeria that another country will say the document we, as Nigerians, obtained in our country is fake. “We had arrived here about 5.30 a.m. and until now we are still kept at the airport by the immigration office.....

Nigeria will host the 5th African Conference on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) later this month, Mr Dele Ajisomo, the President, Open Source Foundation for Nigeria (OSFON), has said. Ajisomo disclosed this on Friday in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the conference, which will hold in Abuja from March 19 to March 23. He said that about 1,000 participants from Asia, Europe, U.S., Canada, Latin America and Africa are expected at the conference, which will be declared open by Mrs Mobola Johnson, the Minister of Communication Technology. The theme of the conference is “Open Source Solutions for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals.’’ “This conference is the continent’s rallying point for critical issues in the Information and Communication Technolog.....

Igbo people resident in Makurdi have appealed to the governors of the South-East zone to immortalise the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu by establishing a university in his honour. Chief Augustine Ezekwesili, Chairman of the burial ceremony of Odumegwu-Ojukwu in Makurdi, made the suggestion on Friday during an event in honour of the late statesman by the Igbo community. Odumegwu-Ojukwu was , the Military Governor of the defunct Eastern Region, which included the five Igbo speaking states. He said Odumegwu-Ojukwu accomplished great feats for “Ndigbo” and deserved such a monument in his honour. Ezekwesili said Odumegwu-Ojukwu epitomised justice and became famous in his quest to achieve justice. He urged the Igbo to live in peace with their nei.....

FORTY-TWO years after the Nigerian civil war ended, the Igbo nation declared yesterday that the impressive manner in which the Federal Government and the entire Nigerian nation accorded the leader of the defunct Biafran Republic, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu a befitting burial has confirmed that the war has actually ended. Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi who made the declaration on behalf of Ndigbo at the final funeral rites and interment of the late Ikemba Nnewi, said that President Goodluck Jonathan has actually ended the civil war, and for that reason, all the support his government needed to succeed would be given to him by Ndigbo. Obi spoke even as President Jonathan who personally witnessed Ojukwu’s burial.....

Nigeria has repatriated around 11,000 foreigners mainly from Niger and Chad over the past six months to curb a growing Islamist insurgency, the immigration services said, Monday. ”The latest number of foreigners repatriated as at this morning is 11,000,” immigration services spokesman, Joachim Olumba, told AFP, updating an earlier figure. He said: ”The bulk of them are from Niger and Chad.” The Boko Haram Islamic sect, blamed for dozens of attacks in the country that have claimed hundreds of lives, is thought to draw some of its members from neighbouring countries. Olumba said the repatriation “has been intensified in the past six months following the Boko Haram insurgency,” adding: “We have an obligation to rid the country of undesirable elements.” .....

Former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, who is facing a 10-count charge of stealing, money laundering and corruption at a London court, yesterday, denied pleading guilty to corruption charges. Ibori, in a statement signed by his media assistant, Mr Tony Eluemunor, also explained why he pleaded guilty to money laundering charges, saying: “Ibori did not want a long‑drawn trial where Nigeria’s name would be bandied about in a foreign court.” According to Eluemunor, “the world was made to believe that Ibori’s guilty plea was a sudden turn around and not a well‑deliberated act that was part of a plea bargain deal. But it is on record that several Nigerian newspapers of last Sunday published different versions of that self same story; that Ibori would pl.....

As part of measures to improve teachers’ welfare in Lagos State, the state government has released 10 million to Teachers’ Establishments and Pensions, TEPO, for teachers’ car refurbishment loan in all the six education districts in the state. Permanent Secretary of TEPO, Mrs. Mojirola Bola-Sadipe, who disclosed this, said the gesture would go a long way in boosting the morale of teachers, which in turn, would enhance the performance of students. The Permanent Secretary reiterated government’s commitment to teachers’ capacity building in state secondary schools, stressing that the agency had proposed training for about 11,000 teachers for 2012 as against 8,000 in 2011. She noted that about 21 French teachers were sponsored toLome, Togo in 2011 for French language .....

Prominent South-South leaders, a former governor and ex-militants in the region, yesterday, took up the northern governors in their agitation for a review of revenue allocation formula saying they were either uninformed, fishing for trouble or have deliberately set out to provoke the South-South. This is just as the umbrella body for employers in the country, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, said only the principle of derivation otherwise known as “Resource Control” will return Nigeria to the path of growth and development. Citing the axiom, “Seeing is believing”, the South-South leaders dared the northern leaders to undertake a tour of the riverside oil communities of the Niger-Delta by boat to see the difficult terrain, degradation and pollution to fu.....

Jos The Plateau Government on Wednesday began rebuilding villages destroyed by marauders. Gov. Jonah Jang, who laid the foundation for the building at Takwok, a village in Barkin Ladi, said that the villages would be built into modern communities “to give the people a new lease of life”. Vowing to leave a lasting legacy, Jang said that the project, an initiative of about 500 pastors and non-governmental organisations, would ensure better structures in the community. “The new community will house 90 units of three-bedroom flats with modern road networks, clinics, schools, two churches, a modern market, conference hall, children’s playground, tourist resort and security outpost camps. “The next phase of this initiative will be to replicate the same project i.....

Gombe – Barely six days after an unidentified gunmen attacked the Gombe Divisional Police Headquarters in Gombe metropolis, the police authorities have deployed a helicopter to embark on aerial surveillance of the state. The helicopter was seen hovering around the Gombe metropolis Wednesday at about 9.30 a.m, and later went to some surrounding local governments. Speaking on phone on the operations, the Gombe State Commissioner of Police (CP), AIG Orubebe Ghandi, said the action was to assure the citizens that they were safe. Ghandi, who was recently promoted to AIG, has yet to receive his new posting. “They are here to patrol. They are here to give you people confidence that nothing will happen.”

Senate has ordered the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC to stop issuing new vehicle number plates and driver’s license. The order was upon the adoption of a motion on new number and driver’s sponsored by Senator Dahiru Kuta and 19 others in which they condemned the indiscriminate fees charged by the FRSC on the new number plates and driver’s license. Senators during the consideration of the motion on Wednesday described the new vehicle number plates issued by the commission as illegal noting that act that set up FRSC does not empower it to issue number plates. Moving the motion, Kuta lamented that FRSC has abandoned it primary mandates of ensuring safety on Nigeria roads by turning itself into revenue generating agency. Kuta said, “The commission was no.....

FROM Owerri to Aba through Enugu to Abakaliki, the South-East geo-political zone was literarily shut down yesterday as the outpouring of grief and tributes ushering the remains of late Elder statesman and former Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu into the country hit his native Igbo land. Owerri, the Imo State Capital has been charged since Monday afternoon when Ojukwu’s corpse was flown into the city and the showers of tributes on the late Eze Igbo Gburugburu continued yesterday as his remains were carried through the heart of the territory he once carved out as the Republic of Biafra. To enable residents participate fully in the funeral activities, the Enugu State Government, which received the corpse yesterday has declared tomorrow a.....

Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has said he was prepared to do his best to flush out unscrupulous operators in the nation’s oil and gas industry. He made the statement during the inauguration of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in Abuja. Ribadu, who chairs the newly-formed task force to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of oil and gas revenues in the country, noted that so many Nigerians had suffered needlessly due to corruption in the industry. According to him, “Nigeria is today at a crossroad, we are at a junction. We understand the constitution of this task force as part of the effort to connect the publ.....

The dwindling ranks of the original cast of the iconic sit-com of the 80s, New Masquerade, shrank further, yesterday, when James Iroha a.k.a Giringori Akabogu succumbed to the vice grip of ill-health and poverty. His son confirmed his death, yesterday, bringing to three the original members of the cast that have died recently. Iroha was the creator of the now rested television drama, The New Masquerade, which ruled the screen in the early 80s, on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Network. He died yesterday at the age of 70. The New Masquerade started as a radio programme in then East Central State Broadcasting Corporation radio, Enugu which, at its prime, was the “King of Primetime” on the NTA Network. It ran as a 15-minute radio programme, known as T.....

The Police in Akure, Tuesday, arraigned a 28-year-old woman, Folashade Babatunde before an Akure Senior Magistrate’s Court for allegedly pouring faeces on a female banker. The accused, a trader and Higher National Diploma student at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo in Ondo State was docked before Mrs Rabi Abdulahi on a two-count charge of act likely to cause breach of the peace and assault. Babatunde was accused of pouring faeces on one Agnes Olasehinde, a 27-year-old banker with the First Bank Plc, Alagbaka branch, Akure. The offence, according to the Police Prosecutor, ASP Ayodele Atandeyi, was allegedly committed on February 24, about 12.30 p.m. at the First Bank Plc, Alagbaka branch, Akure. She was accused of conducting herself in a manner likely to cause br.....

Bauchi- A police man on Tuesday lost his life while another sustained serious injury when unknown gunmen attack a police station and a branch of old generation bank in Jama’are local government area of Bauchi State. According to an eye witness who spoke on condition of anonymity told vanguard that they heard gunshots and loud explosion around 9 a.m, a situation which caused pandemonium in the area as people ran helter skelter for safety. “we all ran inside the house and shut doors when we heard the gun shots in order not to be affected”, he said. When contacted on phone, the state police Commsioner, Ikechukwu Aduba confirmed the incident and assured to give more details later as he was on his way back to Bauchi from Jama’are where he has gone to access the sit.....

Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the Chairman, Petroleum Revenue Task Force, has pledged to ensure accountability and transparency in the petroleum sector in line with the mandate of the task force. Ribadu made the pledge on Tuesday in Abuja after the inauguration of the 20- member special task force by the Minister of Petroluem Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke. “We shall work diligently to meet the expectations of Nigerians; we seek to renew efforts by promoting values that support a new dawn of business conduct in the sector. “ We shall ensure that those who play by the rules enjoy all the best support and the unscrupulous players get a red card.’’ The former EFCC boss decried the lack of transparency in the petroleum sector and appealed to Nigerians to support th.....

Former Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Bola Tinubu, yesterday, blamed former military Heads of State, Generals Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida and former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the country’s current constitutional crisis through over-centralisation. He spoke on a day Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, also faulted the present federal revenue allocation formula, which they described as unjust and inequitable. Tinubu, who made the remarks at the first consultative roundtable and policy retreat organised by the State House of Assembly for elected officials of the state and local governments, said every successive government in the past was dictatorial and steered Nigeria’s federal arrang.....

EXACTLY 430 days after he was flown out in coma to a London Hospital for intensive medication and 91 days after his demise, the remains of late elder statesman and defunct Biafra Republic Leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, was flown back to Nigeria, yesterday, to a rousing reception and ocean of tributes. Given a full military funeral parade, President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika and Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, were among eminent Nigerians, who showered tributes on the revered Igbo leader, yesterday. Economic activities came to a halt in Owerri, Imo State capital, which stood still as the corpse of Ikemba Nnewi arrived the state. Ojukwu was flown out of the country in a military ambulance on December 23, .....

The personal emolument of President Goodluck Jonathan and his vice, Namadi Sambo, will henceforth to be taxed under the new Personal Income Tax, PIT, Act 2011 (Amended). Also to be taxed are state governors and their deputies. Under the new law, members of the public who earn N3.2 million and above per annum are also to pay as high as 24 per cent as tax to the government. On the other hand, low income earners who receive less than N300,000 per annum could pay only one per cent in the new tax regime, according to Chairman of Joint Tax Board, JTB, and Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, who briefed the press in Abuja, yesterday. Her words: “With these new provisions, the President, Vice President, Governors and Deputy .....

James Ibori, a former governor of one of Nigeria's oil-producing states, has pleaded guilty in a UK court to 10 counts of money-laundering and conspiracy to defraud. British police accuse him of stealing $250m (£160m) over eight years. The prosecutor called him a "thief in government house". Ibori, once seen as one of Nigeria's wealthiest and most influential politicians, was arrested in 2010 in Dubai and then extradited to London. Some $35m of his alleged UK assets were frozen in 2007. As his trial at London's Southwark Crown Court was about to begin, Mr Ibori changed his plea to guilty and admitted stealing money from Delta state and laundering it in London through a number of offshore companies. The BBC's Chris Summers say.....

Seven persons have been arrested by the police in Bauchi State for attempting to attack Church of Christ in Nigeria, a COCIN LCC, church with weapons and locally-made explosives in Miya Barkatai village in Toro Local Government Area of the state. The suspected bombers are Lamba Goma, Filibus Danasa, Joshua Ali, Danjuma Sabo, Joseph Audu, Simon Gabriel, Bulus Haruna, Yohanna Ishaya and Daniel Ayuba (who was the immediate past Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at Tilden Fulani Ward, Toro council, Bauchi State). Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, the Police Commissioner, who confirmed the incident to newsmen in an interview, said from investigations carried out by the police, the suspects are a rival group within the church. He said: “It was a rival group within the chur.....

THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday, described as cheap blackmail claims by petroleum products marketers that the ongoing probe into oil sector, especially the subsidy regime by the National Assembly, was responsible for fuel scarcity being witnessed in parts of the country, blaming the scarcity on perceived alliance between the government and marketers. In a statement, by its Acting General Secretary, Comrade Owei Lakemfa, NLC said it was unthinkable that marketers and the government would contrive to push the price of a litre of petrol back to N140 under the guise of fuel scarcity. The statement read in part: “The current artificial fuel scarcity in parts of the country is to blackmail Nigerians into accepting higher fuel prices and pressure the National Assem.....

The Federal Government has introduced new procedures for the issuance of petroleum products export clearance permit, which will become effective from the second quarter of 2012. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Mr. Dauda Kigbu, made this known during a stakeholders meeting on the review of the procedure for issuance of the permit in Abuja, weekend. Kigbu said the move became necessary after due assessment of the current procedures, in which the ministry observed quite a number of anomalies, resulting in avoidable delays through bureaucratic bottlenecks and willful abuse of due process. Accordingly, he said the ministry resolved to completely overhaul the process in line with global best practices, adding that government is conscious of the co.....

TWO suicide bombers in a Golf car, yesterday, crashed into the headquarters of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, COCIN, in the Plateau State leaving at least five people dead and about 40 people injured. At least five others, most of them commercial motorcyclists were said to have been killed in reprisal attacks by irate youths in different parts of the city. Some shops around Bank Road were also torched by protesting youths. Divine intervention saved what could have resulted in several deaths as the car laden with improvised explosive devices including industrial and refrigerator gas cylinders exploded just metres away from the church building. A motorcycle was said to have blocked the way and the car exploded as the suicide bomber tried to overrun it into the chu.....

Suspected Islamists killed 14 people in an overnight raid on a police station in Gombe, witnesses said Saturday. “I have seen at least 14 burnt bodies in and around the police station,” a witness in Gombe said on condition of anonymity. He said he counted 10 bodies inside the police building, adding the victims could be policemen, while four others were found dead in a burned car outside the station. “At a roundabout between the police station and the prison stood a car that was burned down with all its four occupants. It’s not clear who they were,” the witness added. Locals said the police station was completely burnt down in the attack. Another resident, Babandi Ali, said “the police station has been razed and there are burned bodies inside, but I .....

Authorities of the Ministry of Defence, are to commence a nationwide verification of military pensioners on behalf of the Military Pensions Board with a view to determining those who may have died after the last verification exercise even as the Chairman, MPB, Rear Admiral Bala Mshelia disclosed yesterday that there are over 104, 000 military pensioners in the country. The disclosure came just as the minister of state for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada Agbeja disclosed that the arrears of 53 per cent salary increment for retired ex-soldiers that was been expected for payment by pensioners this year, will no longer take place as President Goodluck Jonathan has directed that it be included in next years budget. Addressing State Chairmen of Nigeria Legion and the media on the.....

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday dragged the immediate past governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timpre Sylva to the Abuja High Court over alleged fraudulent stealing of N6.5 billion, property of the state government. The EFCC also said that Sylva among other things was allegedly involved in obtaining money under false pretences, an offence popularly referred to as 419. A six count charge with number. FHC/ABJ/CR/23/2012, filed against Chief Sylva by the EFCC’s Counsel, Festus Keyamo read: Count one: “Timipre Sylva, as Governor of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, sometime between October, 2009 and February, 2010, at various places in Nigeria, including Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did conspire to commit .....

The World Bank extended a loan of $500 million for support to Nigeria during the global financial crisis. This fact is contained in the just released Independent Evaluation Group report of the World Bank. According to the Bank “Nigeria faced serious fiscal issues at the onset of the crisis and the funds were given to Nigeria in the form of budgetary support to the government, for undertaking policy reforms, both in the areas of fiscal management and financial sector reform. In terms of the content of policy reforms, there were some positive areas, however some other longer term opportunities for reform may not have been seized and overall, the programme was moderately satisfactory in terms of its achievements.”

EMBATTLED former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori yesterday, described the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, allegation of laundering N1.6 billion against him, published in a national newspaper, as a “dishonourable low-level cheap shot media manipulation attempt” to sway public opinion and misdirect his London trial. Speaking through his Media Assistant, Mr. Tony Eluemunor, he said “it is unfortunate that while Nigerians wait in vain for the EFCC, to unravel the massive petrol subsidy scam through which the nation loses billions of naira daily, EFCC is busy fighting yesterday’s battles and when not repeating old lies, is manufacturing spectacular new ones just to hoodwink the public. “By sponsoring the irredeemably nasty story, which alle.....

FORMER Senate Chief Whip, Senator Victor Oyofo has warned against the proliferation of states, just as he said most of the existing ones were not viable. He described the creation of more states as a sin. Speaking with reporters in Abuja yesterday, Senator Oyofo said some of the existing states find it difficult to pay salaries of their workers, adding that such states only thrive on revenue from the Federation Account. Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, had said, weekend, that the agitation for new states across the country had increased to 45. Oyofo said: “In addressing the internal architecture of the federation, we must do what is obvious. This means consolidating our gains and formalising then into laws. “It is clear that states have to b.....

WHEREVER his spirit is now, the late Elder statesman and leader of the defunct Biafran Republic, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, would be nodding his head in affirmation and self-satisfaction. Reason: After four decades of vilification for allegedly waging war against his fatherland, most Nigerians now identify with the cause he fought for and want the government to revisit the issues he raised to save the country from implosion. Indeed, eminent Nigerians drawn from many parts of the country yesterday lamented that the flames of injustice, corruption, insecurity and faulty federation that led to the 30-month civil war of 1967-70 were still flickering and would unleash more damage on the polity if not extinguished through National Dialogue and restructuring of the polity......

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, says Nigeria has been losing about 10 billion dollars annually in export opportunities in the agriculture sector. Adesina, who stated this at the Lake Chad Research Institute Field Day in Keronwa, Marte Local Government Area of Borno, noted that the country had witnessed rapid decline in the agriculture secter over the years due to neglect by previous administrations. “Nigeria is losing about 10 billion dollar export opportunities in agricultural commodities alone. As we do not produce, we must import. “Nigeria imports over N1 trilion worth of rice, wheat, sugar and fish every year. Importation of wheat alone accounts for N635 billion every year.” Adesina lamented that the country’s position had over the yea.....

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, accused the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, of using fake companies to defraud the Federal Government of N894 million while in office. EFCC told a Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, efforts to trace most of the companies awarded contracts by the erstwhile Speaker proved abortive as the benefiting companies were non-existent. Testifying at the resumed trial yesterday, a prosecution witness, PW-1, A.S.P, Ibrahim Ahmed, told the court that the former Speaker awarded contracts to companies not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC. Ibrahim was part of the team that investigated allegation that Bankole inflated costs of items bought for members of the 6th.....

The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. General OA Ihejirjka yesterday in Lagos announced that videos and DVDs of overseas military training of the dreaded Islamic fundamentalist group otherwise known as Boko Haram have been recovered and are being studied. The army boss who urged Nigerians not to panic any longer also said security agencies in the country, particularly the Nigerian Army have made tremendous achievement in the fight against the menace of the sect. General Ihejirika made the disclosure at the commissioning ceremony of completed abandoned buildings at the Ojo military cantonment, along Lagos/Badagry Expressway. The buildings named Indian quarters, following the visit of some Indian military technicians about 32 years ago is to provide accommodation for 36 a.....

Barely a week after rainstorm killed about 15 persons, including 10 school children and destroyed property worth millions of naira in Lagos, the state government, Wednesday, warned residents to be more cautious and vigilant, as there were indications that more strong winds would accompany heavy rainfall this year. Meanwhile, the state government has presented 40 life jackets to Ojota and Origele residents in Ojo and Ikeka Local Government Areas in the state as part of measures to complement safety on the state waterways. On the more violent rainstorm this year, Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, gave the hint at a town hall meeting, where Governor Babatunde Fashola noted that those who indulged in abuse of the environment were “enemy of the state” and would be.....

THE list of Nigeria universities, yesterday, swelled to 122 from 117, following the approval of five new private universities by the Federal Government. There is currently three categories of universities across the country, in terms of ownership. These are federal, state and private individuals and groups. Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, Nigeria’s Information Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku, said two of the new universities, Macpherson University, Seriki Sotayo, with University of Ibadan as mentor, and Southwestern University, Okun-Owa, with University of Lagos as mentor, are located in Ogun State. Maku listed others as Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Ondo State, which has University of Technology Akure as .....

Police Commissioner, Hassan Zakari Biu, the officer on whose custody Kabiru Sokoto, the suspected mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, escaped has been dismissed from service. Sokoto, however, has been re-arrested. In a statement by the Police Service Commission (PSC), chairman of the commission, Mr. Parry Osayande, said that Biu’s dismissal, which will take with effect from today, is as a result of his culpability in the escape of Sokoto. The PSC also announced the promotion of seven officers to the rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police, and 13 to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General. The new DIGs are: Suleiman Dauda Fakai, Atiku Yusufu Kafur , Emmanuel Kachi Udeoji, Haruna John, Peter Yisa Gana, Ma.....

Motorists plying Apapa—Oshodi expressway literally went through hell, yesterday, spending hours in the traffic as fuel tankers waiting to load fuel at the tank farms in the area blocked the entire expressway. This was in spite the 72-hour ultimatum given to the tanker drivers on Sunday by the Lagos State Government to remove the vehicles from the highway or be forcefully relocated. The traffic which stretched several kilometres was very chaotic at Mile 2 and Julius Berger yard as there were no officials of Lagos State Transport Management Authority, LASTMA to restore sanity. The state Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Kayode Opeifa, gave the ultimatum when he paid an on-the-spot assessment of the damage at the scene of the last Saturday’s tanker explosion at Mile 2 wh.....

No fewer than 40 persons have died from Lassa fever in the last six weeks, the Federal Government said yesterday. The government also said all 397 cases reported so far across the country would be treated at no cost to patients. Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, who disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja, said six of the dead were health workers, including two doctors and four nurses. He said other cases had been reported in 12 states, namely Edo, Nasarawa, Plateau, Ebonyi, Taraba, Yobe, Ondo, Rivers, Gombe, Anambra, Delta and Lagos. Of the 397 cases reported, the Minister said only 87 had been positively confirmed by medical officials. He said adequate quantities of Ribavirin injections and tablets, the specific antiviral drug for Lassa fev.....

AN official of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, yesterday escaped lynching by operators of commercial motorcycle in Awka, Anambra State. Residents of Awka woke up to see that major roads in the city, including Enugu-Onitsha expressway, were filled with officials of FRSC demanding particulars, fire extinguisher, spare tyres, among other things, and were asking motorists to apply their breaks and test the lights on their vehicles at stationary positions. The development created chaos in the town and motorists were meandering the side streets to find ways of avoiding the road marshals. Trouble started when one of the commercial motorcyclists carrying a passenger came to one of the points where the FRSC men were operating and when one of them stopped him, he.....

President Goodluck Jonathan has sent a revised budget proposal of N4.648 trillion for the year 2012 to the National Assembly. The revised budget is N101 billion short from the budget proposal of N4.749 trillion which the President presented to the National Assembly in the December 2011. The proposal also includes N888 billion allocations to petroleum subsidy which was not part of the initial budget. Jonathan in a letter to Senate read by Senate President David Mark explained that the review of the budget and the 2012-2014 revenue frameworks were necessitated by the need for government to accommodate the reintroduction of the petroleum subsidy scheme. The letter read: “Recent domestic developments, key among which was the partial withdrawal of subsidy on pet.....

The Nigerian Police have said its anti-bomb squad ,Tuesday, discovered and demobilised a bomb at Ungwar Sarki area of Kaduna. The bomb was said to have been planted at the same spot where Sgt. Sunday Badang was killed by a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) last week. Report say the around Sultan Bello mosque has been sealed off. Details later.

No fewer than 30 people were killed yesterday in Maiduguri when suspected members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, opened fire and set off bombs at Baga Fish market in the metropolis. Eight of the sect members were, however, killed in a gun duel with the Joint Task Force. According to AFP report, traders at the market reported that gunmen believed to be members of the Islamic sect stormed the market and opened fire indiscriminately killing many of them, including women and children. “The number of dead could not be less than 30,” a Maiduguri hospital nurse told AFP. The military confirmed the assault on the market but denied any civilian deaths, saying security forces had killed eight assailants and safely defused bombs planted by the attackers. Spokesman o.....

Members of the Boko Haram sect were also reported to have assassinated the District Head of Geidam, in Yobe State, Mustapha Geidam as well as a 60 year-old Islamic cleric in Konduga, a town near Maiduguri. Sheik Saina Alhaji Ajiya. The killings occurred on Sunday night. The district head, Mustapha Geidam, was a former protocol officer to Senator Bukar Ibrahim. He was assassinated in front of his residence after the Maghreb prayers. Confirming Mustapha’s assassination, Tanko Lawan, Yobe’s Police Commissioner, said the district head was relaxing in front of his residence when he was attacked and killed, adding that the Boko Haram had sent him a letter, alerting him that he had been marked for death and would be killed unless he relocated from his palace. Also.....

DELTA State has produced an energy master plan that will enable it provide 24-hour electricity to the people and also drive its industrialisation process. The master plan includes gas production and utilization, generation, transmission and distribution and is engaging investors from around the world in these areas. Chairman of Delta State Integrated Development Project, DIDP, a Public-Private Partnership development programme, Mr. Godwin Akpobire, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen, yesterday, in Warri, Delta State. He said already, the state is planning an energy conference, tagged ‘Delta Electricity Conference’ to brainstorm on the electricity supply market that will soon emerge in the state. He said: “There are also plans for a Delta Electric.....

A Police Inspector, Clement Onwueguta, attached to Uwani Police Division in Enugu South local government area was shot dead weekend by a police patrol team which mistook him for an armed robber. Four members of the police patrol team who killed the police officer have been detained and are currently being interrogated, with a view to ascertaining the person that actually fired the shot. Vanguard learnt that the deceased police officer, who was dressed in mufti at the time of the incident on Friday night, was sighted with a pistol along the Railway Line at the end of Aku Street within Ogui New Layout and was ordered by the police patrol team from Ogui Police division to stop for a search. Rather than complying with the directive, the late inspector reportedly took .....

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, warned politicians interested in 2015 presidency to stop holding political meetings to that effect forthwith. Jonathan spoke at the 58th emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, saying he would sack any of his political appointees seen to be engaged in such meetings henceforth, stressing that such meetings were totally uncalled for. He said such moves were not only too early, but distract those in government from governance. Jonathan spoke against the backdrop of reports that although the president and governors were yet to spend one year in office, some people had started positioning themseves for their offices. He, however, said such meetings should be di.....

An Ikeja High Court, Lagos, weekend, sentenced a middle aged man, Thank-God Ukwueze, to five years imprisonment over the death of his niece, Nkiru Iruka, eight years ago. Ukwueze was charged for murder, allegedly committed on January 17, 2004 in Ikoyi, Lagos, under Section 319(1) of Criminal Code Cap C, Vol. 2 Laws of Lagos State in November 29, 2005. But the court convicted him for manslaughter in accordance with Section 317 of the same law. Trial judge, Justice Adebisi Kayode-Ogunmekan, in her judgment, held that though he was found culpable for the death of Iruka, the facts and circumstances of the case made it more appropriate to convict him of a lesser offence of manslaughter. The Judge said: “Although the accused was charged for the offence of murder, .....

A police Corporal, Mr Emmanuel Okoye, attached to the Ifako Police Station in Lagos, has allegedly kidnapped a 17-year-old girl, Patience Isabor, from her residence in Bariga, Lagos. Sources said that the incident happened on Feb. 10, when Okoye allegedly entered Patience’s home after shooting her elder sister Blessing in the cheek and hand. Blessing, 19, is currently critically ill at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, after undergoing series of surgeries to remove bullets from her body. According to sources, Okoye has been dating Blessing and later dropped her to settle with Patience. The mother of the girls, Mrs Isabor, opposed the relationship of her two daughters with the police officer. “Corporal Okoye was dating Bles.....

CONTRARY to the image of invincibility woven around the Islamic terror group, Boko Haram in the media, the sect was not thoroughly organised and may be routed by security agencies with another major arrest, a reliable top source within the security apparatus in Abuja, disclosed yesterday. According to the source, Boko Haram was no longer as powerful as it used to be, before the arrest of its spokesman, Abu Qaqa and one of its foot soldiers, Kabiru Sokoto, whose arrest had led operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the arrest of several other members of the group who were in their planning council. Revealing that from the statements and intelligence gathered from the arrested members, the SSS was close to routing the group completely out of Nigeria, the.....

Sgt. Sunday Badang’s last walk on earth covered just about 100 metres. But, it was the most chilling, eerily breath-taking walk anyone could have embarked on. It was spectacular, but so poignantly tragic that even the gladiators of the old Roman empire would feel a bit luckier. And the setting for his death was more like that of an amphi-theatre of the Romans. A mammoth crowd stood on high grounds overlooking the main Gari-Kawo road at Unguwan Sarki, Kaduna around 11:30am last Tuesday when Badang was to die. Soldiers and Police had blocked off all traffic leading to that point of the road. No pedestrian was allowed 100 metres from an electric pole that was about 50 meters from an overhead bridge. Under the electric poll was transparent polythene bag, whic.....

THE Presidency has ordered Chevron Nigeria Limited to provide stable and sustainable power supply from the Escravos Tank Farm to oil-rich Ugborodo and Gbaramatu communities in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State as part of its corporate social responsibility. The directive was given in Abuja, after a marathon meeting with stakeholders at the Presidency. The meeting was presided over by Vice-President Namandi Sambo. Present at the meeting were Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and some Gbaramatu youth leaders as well as representatives of Chevron. The Ijaw/Itsekiri youth leadership also agreed that with this, work on the multi-million naira Escravos –Gas –pipeline project being executed by Fenog Nigeria Limited, which was stopped by the aggrieved commun.....

TRAGEDY struck Saturday, at Ago-Okota area of Lagos State, when a middle-aged man, identified as Ifeanyi Anaekwe, slumped and died during a scuffle with his wife in their apartment. Vanguard gathered that the deceased and his wife had an argument over money to buy pampers and baby food for their child which degenerated into a fight. It was gathered that during the fight, the widow, Chikodili Anaekwe, allegedly grabbed a pestle and hit her husband on the head which made him to slump. When he slumped, she allegedly stabbed him several times. Mr. Anaekwe was said to have died before help came. A police source who did not want to be identified, told Vanguard that “neighbours reported that the victim was first clubbed from behind early with a pestle and he slum.....

Following the Suleija fresh bomb blast, the Police in the FCT, Abuja, have beefed up security in and around the Capital City with new motorized electronic detecting equipment deployed to such places as the Aso Rock Villa, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport and the entry point between FCT and Niger State. More motorized electronic bomb detectors, which were recently procured from Europe by the Federal Government, according to Vanguard sources, are to be deployed to more entry and exit points of the FCT when they arrive the country because only a limited number including one deployed to the Keffi/Marraraba/ Nyanya axis to checkmate those that may want to infiltrate the FCT from the Boko Haram hot spots. “It would have to take some time to get others because these high caliber and .....

Malam Umaru Abdullahi, a 55 year-old farmer in Bojinji village of Bauchi Local Government Area, on Thursday, narrated how his two eyes and three teeth were removed by unknown assailants. Narrating his ordeal in an interview at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBU-TH), Bauchi, Abdullahi said that on Feb. 1, the attackers pretended to be Fulani herdsmen in search of their missing cows. “They asked me if I had seen the animals and I answered in the negative. I was trying to load some firewood on my motorcycle, so they offered to assist me. “As they were giving me some helping hand, one of them suddenly hit me with a cutlass, after which they tied me with a cable wire. “They then removed one of my eyes, damaged the second eye and knocke.....

The policeman who allegedly shot an employee of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in a passenger bus on Sunday in Lagos may soon be charged to court. An investigation by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, on Thursday revealed that the command had concluded his Orderly Room trial. The command’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, ‘A’ Department, Adams Audu, who confirmed the trial, however, said that the Provost had yet to present the panel’s report. NAN gathered that the passenger was allegedly shot dead when the armed policeman was reportedly struggling to bring the vehicle to a stop at the Barracks bus-stop, Ojo. Audu explained that the command was waiting to receive the report of the trial before taking a decision on t.....

An automobile accident on Azare- Potiskum road in Bauchi and Yobe states on Thursday claimed 32 lives, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said. Also 18 people were crushed in a multiple accidents at the foot of the Niger Bridge in Anambra State. The Spokesperson for FRSC in Bauchi, Malam Ibrahim Geidam, made the confirmation in Bauchi, saying the accident, involved two Yobe Line buses about 11.45 a.m. He said that all occupants, including the two drivers, died when the buses coming from opposite directions collided and caught fire. Geidam said one of the buses was coming from Kano and heading to Potiskum while the other was coming from Damaturu and heading to Kaduna. “The accident occurred about 10km away from Azare town, near a village, called Kusku.....

Abuja— Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111 and Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, yesterday, declared that the era of insecurity caused by the spate of bombings and shootings by the Boko Haram sect in Borno State is over. Both spoke just as the army authorities have stopped the pension of an ex-soldier, Habibu Bama, who was declared wanted by the State Security Service, SSS, over the Christmas day bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State that claimed more than 40 lives. Sultan assures of end of security challenges The Sultan, who spoke when the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Onyeabo Azubike Ihejirika paid him courtesy visit in his palace assured that the current security challenges facing the country will soon be over with the co.....

US District Judge Nancy Edmunds has sentenced Nigerian born ‘underwear’ bomber Umar Abdulmutallab to mandatory life sentence. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 25, was sentenced after pleading guilty in October to eight charges, including the attempted murder of 289 people on board Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines Flight 253. he will spend the rest of his life at Supermax federal prison in Florence, Colorado, where he will be restricted from visitors, phone calls, outgoing mail, and interaction with other inmates.

The Federal Government says it plans to use a 500 million dollars World Bank loan to tackle erosion in some states across the country using the water shed approach. Mr. Adekunle Oshikoya, the Director of Flood and Erosion Control, in the Federal Ministry of Environment, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday. “The approach under this World Bank programme is water shed approach; we are trying to solve the degradation problem from the water shed view, which is holistic. “We are not going to probably look at individual erosion sites alone; we are going to tackle it holistically. That’s why the approach may be like a once and for all thing to solve erosion problem in the area.” The director further told NAN th.....

A 30-year-old man, Femi Olaolu, was charged before a Yaba Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly being in possession of 100 wraps of marijuana, otherwise known as Indian hemp. The accused is facing a one-count charge of possessing a dangerous drug. The prosecutor, Insp. Philip Ugbodu, told the court that the accused resided at Iganmu, Lagos. Ugbodu said that on Feb 3, the accused and others at large were seen at the railway line by Nigerian Breweries, Iganmu, smoking Indian hemp. He said upon sighting the police, his accomplices ran away, leaving behind the accused who was subsequently arrested. He said when the accused was searched, 100 wraps of Indian hemp were found on him. Ugbodu told the court that the alleged offence contravened Sectio.....

Lokoja – The Nigeria Prisons Authority on Thursday confirmed the escape of 119 inmates from the Koton-Karfe prison on the Lokoja-Abuja Road after it was attacked on Wednesday night by unknown gunmen. The Spokesperson of the Nigeria Prisons Authority in Lokoja, Mrs Hadiza Aminu,said that the inmates were among the 120 persons awaiting trial. She denied reports that the prison was attacked by members of Boko Haram sect, saying that those believed to be behind the attack were members of a robbery syndicate whose colleagues were among the detainees. The robbery syndicate had in the last few days written three letters to the prison authority in Lokoja, asking for unconditional release of their colleagues, but the request was rejected. Aminu, who neither confirme.....

Abuja – A 20-year-old applicant, Hamza Abdullahi, was on Wednesday sentenced to one-year imprisonment by a Karu Senior Magistrates’ Court for theft and criminal trespass. The convict of Kugbo village, Nyanya, Abuja, was arraigned before the court for stealing some plastic chairs valued at N27, 000. The Senior Magistrate, Chinyere Nwacheonwu, sentenced him to one-year imprisonment with an option of N5, 000 fine. She said the convict should also pay a compensation of N8, 500 to the complainant. The Police Prosecutor, Silas Nanpan, had told the court that the case was reported to the police by Pastor Sywkinus Williams, of Universal Pentecostal Church Phase 1 Nyanya, Abuja, on Feb. 11. Nanpan said that the convict trespassed into the complainant’s Church.....

ABUJA—Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde Wednesday admitted before the Senate that the commission is facing problems of corruption within its staff. Lamorde who was confirmed by the Senate after an interrogation that lasted almost two hours stated that polygraph test will be introduced to weed out corrupt staff from the agency. He said: “Corruption in EFCC, to some extent is correct, and as the acting chairman, I have taken step to address some of the issues. We have about three of our personnel that are in detention for acts that seem not to be acceptable to the standard of an anti- corruption agency. “We have also initiated prosecution against two other officers. The case is in court. I have decided to establish an i.....

UYO—Commander of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Josephine Obi, has denied that Mrs. Alice Imah, 56, was beaten to death by staff of NDLEA in the state. Obi said though the cannabis vendor allegedly died in the hands of men of NDLEA shortly after her arrest, the agency would not succumb to the blackmail by family members of the deceased. Stressing that Mrs. Imah died of shock after some five kilogrammes of hemp was discovered in her shop and house, the NDLEA Com-mander said: “Three joints were raided on the day Mrs. Imah died. The raids were based on information and purchases made from the affected joints. “Her joint was the second on the way to the ‘borrow-pit’ where the bulk of the exhibits were recovered in the freezer and the .....

LAGOS — The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, yesterday, said the level of poverty in Nigeria will continue to rise unless there is a deliberate effort to create other sources of revenue. Speaking at the Murtala Mohammed annual memorial lecture in Lagos, in a paper entitled: “Banking Sector, Financial Reforms, Impact on the Nigerian Economy and Economic Development,” Sanusi cautioned against excessive borrowing from developed countries by Nigeria and its counterparts in the African continent. He said African countries should be able to put in place measures to develop their resources to be able to compete favourably in the international arena. Sanusi said the country, presently, has a dysfunctional economy, emphasizing that there is an .....

ABUJA—Apparently miffed over the ease, with which Boko Haram sect attacked some military formations in the country recently, the Army high command, yesterday did a major stock taking and redeployed 72 Generals including three General Officers Commanding. GOCs, 26 other Major Generals and 43 Brigadiers- General. The GOCs include those of the First Mechanized Division, Major General Joseph Shoboiki, the GOC Enugu, Major General Sunday Idoko and the Third Armoured Division, Jos, Major General O.O Oshinowo, while the GOC 81 Division, Lagos, Kenneth Minimah retained his position just like his counterpart in Ibadan, Major General MD Mohammed. The jurisdiction of the GOC of the First Division covers Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, all in the north Wes.....

The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, in Bauchi has warned motorcyclists against using car horns while driving on highways across the state. The Sector Commander, Mr Zakariya Mamman, told newsmen in Bauchi on Wednesday that the commission was aware that the commercial motorcyclists use the car horns to intimidate other road users. He urged the operators to desist from the acts as it was a crime to “fitted car horns on motorcycles. We have been receiving complaints about motorcyclists using car horns to intimidate other road users. “My men have arrested some of these persons, they were forced to remove the horns and pay fines after confiscating them,” he said. He added that any motorcyclists found plying the highway in the state would be apprehended and .....

ABUJA: Following intensive interrogation of the captured spokesperson of the Boko Haram sect, Abul Qaqa, the State Security Services, SSS, has declared another member of the sect, an ex-soldier, Habibu Bama wanted. The suspect who is said to be known with several pseudo names including Habib Bama, Shuabu Bama and Habib Mamman is Kanuri by tribe and hails from Borno State. Deputy Director Public Relations in the Department of State Services, DSS, Marilyn Ogar while declaring the suspect wanted in a statement in Abuja, pleaded with members of the public to offer useful information that will lead to his arrest. According to her, “ HABIBU BAMA is hereby declared wanted by the Federal Government in connection with crimes against the State. “HABIBU BAMA is an ex.....

Poor governance, poverty and unregulated migration have sparked a security crisis in Nigeria’s city of Kano, where Islamists killed at least 185 last month, said a report released Wednesday. The governor of the northern Kano state commissioned 15 business and political leaders to probe the causes fueling local unrest following the January 20 attacks in the state capital, claimed by Boko Haram Islamists. “With the virtual collapse of governance structure at community level, making it impossible to keep track of activities in local communities… Kano has unfortunately been reduced to an urban jungle,” said Magaji Dambatta, who headed the committee that authored the report. Boko Haram has carried out a series of both large and small scale attacks in several parts of A.....

The Senate has on Wednesday, confirmed the appointment of Ibrahim Lamorde as the chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). It will be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 appointed Lamorde to head the anti-graft commission. He has been under acting capacity since then. However, Lamorde’s appointment followed the sacking of Mrs Farida Waziri as the chairman of the commission by President Jonathan over undisclosed reasons.

It was tears of joy Tuesday in Kano as the state government disbursed over N200 million to 185 identified victims of the recent bomb blasts in the city. Out of the 185 victims identified so far, five were senior police officers whose families got N1.5 million each while the other 156 bereaved families got N1 million each. In a serene ceremony held at the Government House shortly after the meetings of stakeholders, Governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso revealed that the monies disbursed were voluntary donations realized from public-spirited individuals and organizations to help alleviate the plight of those who lost their loved ones during the January 19th carnage. The breakdown of the donor list shows that CBN gave the highest donation of N100 million, followed by Kano.....

A magistrate court in Gombe on Tuesday ordered Tasiu Ahmed, a resident of Fikayel village in Bayo Local Government Area of Borno State, to be remanded in prison custody. According to NAN, the presiding magistrate, Haruna Inuwa gave the order against Ahmed for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl in the bush. The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Gayos Lapai, told the court that the accused person allegedly committed the offence on January 21 at 5 p.m in Zambuk village, in Yamatu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State. Lapai said the accused gave palm fruit to the girl in the bush and thereafter raped her while he knew that he was HIV positive. The prosecutor said the offence is contrary to Section 282 of the Penal Code. The accused person pleaded not gu.....

The Nnamidi Azikiwe International Airport was ,Wednesday virtually shut down as it was locked to vehicular Traffic for over three hours following security alert that terrorists of the dreaded Boko Haram group planned to attack the airport. Vehicles carrying passengers to the airport were subjected to extreme security checks leading to most of the vehicles being turned back. Many passengers were forced to trek over one kilometer in order not to miss their flights while several motorists took the nearby villages to return to Abuja town. The disruption affected both domestic and international passengers especially those on London flights on British Airways and Arik Air. A security source at the airport disclosed to Vanguard that intelligence report indicated .....

This is really heart breaking, this was the moment an anti-bomb squad member Sergeant Sunday Badang was blown off by a boko haram bomb in Kaduna state.

Senate, yesterday, alleged that out of the N4.7 trillion budget estimate submitted last year to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan for consideration and subsequent passage, some government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAS secretly smuggled in over N1trillion projects into it. This came just as the President has requested for Senate approval to borrow $7.9billion from the World Bank and four other multilateral development institutions. According to the Senate, over 40 per cent of projects to be executed were not captured in the 2012 budget estimate indicating that the budget may have been doctored. Budget padding and corruption has led to rising poverty in the country with over 112 million Nigerians said to be under the poverty line. Early in J.....

Two suspected fraudsters, Mr. Jamiu Adeyemi and Mr. Kayode Oseni, have been arraigned before an Ejigbo Magistrate Court, Lagos, for allegedly using a live python to defraud one Alhaji Jelili Kuku of N40,000. The python, when it was tendered as exhibit by the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, caused disorder in the court. When it was brought out, lawyers and other litigants panicked. Prosecutor informed the court that they were tired of keeping the snake since the arrest of the suspects last Saturday. The prosecutor, Oladejo Balogun, asked the court to order the police to return the live python to the court’s custody till the next adjourned date, adding that the prosecutor has no accommodation for the snake and does not know the type of food the snake eats. .....

Bauchi— Residents of Jahun quarters, a suburb in Bauchi, Bauchi State capital, have been thrown into mourning following the death of three people inside a dry well in the area. Vanguard learnt that the incident took place at the residence of one Mallam Bala Mohammed. According to sources, the said Mohammed gave a contract for the cleaning of the well in his compound to his friend, Mallam Mohammed Gudum, because the dry well was dirty and also needed to be dug deeper to bring more clean water. However, the contractor allegedly sublet the job to one of his sons, Salisu as he was said to be busy with other things. It was further learnt that although the well was not very deep, it usually retains water throughout the year, from which people from the neighbourho.....

Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, has said it will commence the sale of the three nationalised banks this month just as the company has so far recovered N600 billion of the more than N2 trillion bad loans it acquired from banks. Managing Director/Chief Executive, AMCON, Mr. Mustapha Chike-Obi, disclosed this in Lagos, yesterday, while speaking with newsmen at end of the Bankers Committee meeting. It would be recalled that last year, AMCON acquired Mainstreet Bank, Keystone Bank and Enterprise Bank, the three bridge banks created by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, to take over the assets of the former Afribank, Bank PHB and Spring Bank whose licences where revoke by the CBN for not meeting the September 31 deadline for rescued banks to re capita.....

Monday, February 13, was like every other day for residents of Jakande estate in Oke-Afa Isolo area of Lagos, as they set out for their respective work and business places. Then all of a sudden, the hitherto calm atmosphere was changed, following an unprecedented dark cloud which hampered vision. Just before anyone could fathom the outcome of the cloudy weather, the heaven opened with torrential down pour, which was greeted by violent wind. The wind said to have been the worst ever experienced, pulled off over hundred roofs, leaving close to two hundred families homeless. The wild wind also uprooted trees some of which landed on buildings and shops, thereby causing wanton destruction of property. The wind reportedly lasted fifteen minutes but the impact would last a life.....

Two bombs exploded in restive Kaduna on Tuesday, killing one policeman, hit hard by a wave of attacks claimed by Boko Haram Islamists, police said. Two bombs were planted near a military checkpoint outside the main mosque in Kaduna’s Unguwar Sarki area, police and residents said. After the first bomb went off, soldiers at the checkpoint discovered a second explosive device and called the police anti-bomb squad, Kaduna state police spokesman Aminu Lawan told AFP. “We lost one of our men from the police bomb disposal unit. He died when an explosive device he was trying to defuse exploded, killing him on the spot,” Lawan said, adding that no other casualties were reported. “As if he knew what was going to happen, the policeman ordered everyone to move back an.....

TRADE Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, yesterday, demanded that names of politicians said to have links with Boko Haram be made public and be brought to book if found culpable. TUC in a statement by its President-General and Secretary, Comrade Peter Esele and Chief John Kolawole, while reacting to the re-arrest of Kabiru Sokoto at Mutum Biu Taraba State, said that all those directly or indirectly linked with the sect should be made to face prosecution within the ambits of the law. The statement read in part: “We congratulate the Nigerian security apparatus, especially the State Security Services, SSS, for this very rare feat. It does show that even with the present parlous state of the nation’s security system, heights could be attained when there is commitment and determ.....

Mr. Patrick Eze of Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi State has been murdered because of his alleged inability to pay N8,000 debts emanating from a motorcycle business. A source told Vanguard that the deceased was killed last month, even though the agreed date of completing payment for the motorcycle had expired. It was learnt that the motorcycle was sold at a hire purchase of N10, 000, while the deceased paid 2,000 deposit, leaving a balance of N8, 000. In her account, wife of the deceased, Mrs. Regina Eze, stated that her husband had earlier pleaded with the seller of the motorcycle to allow him pay the remaining N8, 000 since the expiration of the payment would elapsed in 2012, adding that the motorcycle trader insisted that he must collect his motorbike w.....

Another fresh revelation coming out from the interrogation room of the Department of State Services, DSS, in the on-going “PROCESSING” of Abu Qaqa, the spokesman for the dreaded Jamaatu Ahlil Sunna Lidawati wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram, was how N41m reportedly procured by some members tore the sect apart. Indeed, an instance of “N41 million” was reportedly mentioned by Qaqa during investigation. Meanwhile, there are strong indications that the alleged mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing in Madalla, Suleja, Mallam Kabiru Abubakar Dikko (a.k.a Kabiru SOKOTO) may be charged to court soon. Attempts to confirm this, yesterday, did not succeed. A source privy to the on-going interrogation told Vanguard that Qaqa explained to his interrogators that “a maj.....

TRAGEDY struck, yesterday, in Ajamimogha area of Warri, Delta State, when a truck conveying empty bottles dragged a set of high tension Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, cables across the highway, breaking an electric pole in the process, which fell on a tricycle rider, killing him on the spot. The falling pole also crushed the legs of a lady. She is now receiving treatment at the Central Hospital, Warri. The deceased was identified as Meyigbemi Atoromeyintse, a father of one, while the woman, a petty beautician, was identified as Bose Chimezie. The incident, which took place around 8: 30 am, drew the ire of youths of the area, when the truck driver who usually assists raise low PHCN cables to allow free passage, dragged the cables that eventually got the po.....

Embattled Commissioner of Police, Zakari Biu, who is currently being investigated over the dramatic escape of Kabiru Abubakar Dikko, a.k.a. Kabiru Sokoto, the alleged mastermind of the Christmas day bombing of St Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, in which over 40 lives were lost, yesterday opened up on his plight and trial. The Commissioner of Police who was immediately detained after the escape of the suspect, and later whisked away by a combined team of military men and officers of the State Security Service, SSS, told Vanguard over the telephone that he did nothing to undermine the interest of the Nigeria Police Force and the nation at large, promising to tell his story when the time is ripe. He told Vanguard on phone that his life has always been full of.....

Fresh facts yesterday revealed that butfor his sharp reflexes, one of the operatives of the Department ofState Services, DSS, who arrested escapee Kabiru Abubakar DIKKO (a.k.a Kabiru SOKOTO), would have been axed to death by the man beingdescribed as Kabiru’s ‘brother’ . Although the filial connection is yetto be established, the so-called ‘brother’ to Kabiru wielded an axe upon sighting the DSS operatives and attempted to chop off thehead of one of them. Also, it was established that just before the arrest of Abu Qaqa, the alleged spokesman of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, Kabiru had been communicating with him. A source privy to the investigation and rearrest of Kabiru disclosed to Sunday Vanguard that “once Kabiru got wind of Qaqa’s arrest, he stopped all form.....

At the venue where Sokoto was paraded, reporters had a chat with the SSS spokeswoman Marylin Ogar and Sokoto. EXCERPTS: What is the fate of Kabiru Sokoto now that he has been re-arrested? Would he be charged to court immediately? Ogar – “We must ask questions believing that we have just brought him in. He has to undergo all processes – we have processes and procedures – at the end of it definitely he would be charged to court. But he has rights … Ogar – Yes, we know he has rights but security agencies too have rights to ensure that we secure the nation. So which right is greater? The right of an individual to cause havoc, or our rights as a collective people in an environment or country? Individual rights must not infringe on the rights of the whole of us a.....

The main suspect of the Christmas Day bombing at Madalla , Suleja, in Niger state, Kabir Sokoto has been re-arrested. Sokoto, is suspected to have masterminded the Christams Day 2011 bomb blast at the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State. He escaped from a police van while he was being taken to his residence at Abaji, a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory for a search. His escape led to the arrest of Zakari Biu, a commissioner of police who is currently being investigated by the police authorities. Details later.

Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State yesterday threw party sentiments aside, describing Lagos State under Governor Raji Fashola as a no-go area for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or any other party apart from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Aliyu poured encomiums on Fashola, saying he had distinguished himself with his performance. The governor, who spoke while declaring open the 47th Annual International Conference of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society in Minna, said the giant strides of Fashola in Lagos had made the Action Congress of Nigeria popular in the state. He described Fashola as a dedicated and committed public servant, Aliyu, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party said the performance of his.....

The presidential campaign of the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) in Bauchi yesterday almost ended on a tragic note when the jet conveying top officials of the party, including the vice presidential candidate, Fola Adeola, nearly crash- landed at the Bauchi airstrip. The aircraft crashed into some animals on the runway as it landed. The Jet with registration number SN-BMR which landed at the Bauchi airstrip at midday was also carrying the deputy national chairman, Mustapha, Alhaji Yusuf Garba Ali, former chairman of ANPP among other dignitaries. According to the Director of Publicity, Nuhu Ribadu Campaign Organization, Ibrahim Modibbo, the incident happened as they were trying to descend when they came face to face with two strange animals, which were crushed to de.....

ENUGU—The National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, yesterday reassured Nigerians of commitment of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to achieve its target of improved power supply before 2015. According to NERC, the various agencies saddled with the responsibility are working assiduously to realize the target. Speaking with newsmen after a visit on Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, Chairman of NERC, Dr Sam Amadi, disclosed that while the nation awaited improved power supply, NERC was already devising strategies at ensuring that consumers were not exploited by officials of the various power agencies. He said consumer satisfaction and service delivery remained the focus of the ongoing reforms in the power sector, adding that electricity distribut.....

Fresh massive fraud in the subsidy payments on fuel and kerosene was, Thursday, unearthed in the on-going investigation on fuel subsidy regime. This is coming as the Attorney General to the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adokie testified that his office was not aware of the fuel subsidy payment as it ought to be guided by law. On the illegal transactions of Sahara Oil, the Minister said the matter has been reported to the security agencies for proper investigation. Meanwhile, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Group Managing Director, GMD, Mr Austen Oniwon, and the Executive Secretary of Petroleum, Pricing, Products, Regulatory, Agency, PPPRA and others failed to provide reason on why kerosene is sold at N130 against the subsidise.....

The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Wednesday, said its presidential candidate at the 2011 elections, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu accepts the appointment as head of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, set up by the Minister for Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Allison-Madueke in his personal capacity. In a statement in Abuja, today, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the decision to re-state that position followed the appointment offered to the ACN presidential candidate in the 2011 elections, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, as head of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, set up by the Minister for Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Allison-Madueke ”As a political party, we wish to reiterate our position barring any member of our party from tak.....

THE Anambra State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Awka yesterday ruled that the police forensic expert brought by the former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, who is challenging the outcome of the April 2011 senatorial election for Anambra South senatorial zone should testify. The forensic expert, Mr. Elias Okwudili Uzoemeka, a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, was to testify last week but could not do so because of the objection of the counsel to Senator Chris Ngige of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, whose victory is being challenged by Akunyili of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. Counsel to Ngige, Mr. Emeka Ngige, SAN, had told the tribunal that the expert could not produce original letter of authority from the Inspector G.....

ABEOKUTA—The Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, Gbenga Obadara has called for resignation of the Minister for Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, to allow fair probe into the ministry’s activities. Obadara who represents Ogun Central Senatorial District, spoke in Abeokuta, yesterday, after a visit to his constituency. He said the Petroleum Minister, should step aside as to pave way for a genuine probe of the ministry under her watch. He said: “The woman is not supposed to be on that seat pending the outcome of investigations into activities of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. “I am not saying that she is guilty but from the series of revelations coming from the probe, she is not innocent, she ought to resign .....

A blast rocked an area near a military barracks in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna on Tuesday but the cause of the explosion and number of casualties were not immediately clear, an official said. “NEMA rescue team alerted to explosion at military formations in Kaduna,” National Emergency Management Agency spokesman Yushau Shuaib said in a brief statement. “Yet to confirm the nature of explosion or casualty. Relevant security working to contain the situation.” Residents said the explosion occurred in the area of a military barracks known as the First Mechanised Division and that windows in an office complex there were shattered. The area has been cordoned off, but the office complex could be seen, residents said. “Virtually all the glass has been shatte.....

The extremist Islamic sect, Boko Haram may be considering the invitation to dialogue with the federal government as it named some Northern leaders to negotiate with the government on its behalf. Although, the veracity of the video is being investigated by security agents, as it came on a day that multiple blasts rocked Kaduna with the armed forces as target. Those named in the video on the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, are : Sheik Abubakar Gero, Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno, Alh Ali Bukar Ibrahim, the former governor of Yobe State. The fourth name listed was not clear in the video to be identified. However, Vanguard findings revealed that Boko Haram leaders have disowned the list of negotiators and that the said video did not originate from its or.....

Nigeria’s foremost economist, Prof. Sam Aluko is dead. He died ,Tuesday, at the age of 83 in a London hospital, in the United Kingdom. His views on the nation’s economy are internationally respected. Although he was criticised for serving under late Gen. Sani Abacha as Chairman, National Economic Intelligence, Aluko in a recent interview before his death, said he had no regrets serving late Abacha as economic adviser. Aluko on the economy (October 2011) ” Our economy is bad and this is because we have corrupt leadership. The CBN reform agenda has worsened our economy. The Federal Government policy on free market, exchange rate, private sector-led economy and free trade have killed our economy. Nigeria’s economy is in shambles. The CBN has added more to the.....

Indeed, every passing day brings heart-rending stories of cruel killings from Boko Haram’s bombs and explosions with panic stricken citizens running from pillar to post. And with police and military check-points conducting widespread stop and search everywhere, the scenario of a nation at war is hardly disputable. There are many, many issues that the Boko Haram insurgency has thrown up which cannot be easily addressed; some have no solutions at all. For example, Boko Haram say their prime goal is to impose Shari’a Law throughout Northern Nigeria. In other words, they are seeking to dismantle this country as we know it and to create another in which they alone will rule. But we have also been told that they want to eradicate decadence, corruption and injustice in our body politi.....

Yenagoa — Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, has launched a manhunt for the alleged masterminds of weekend attack on the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, facility in the mangrove swamp of Brass in Bayelsa East senatorial district. Already, the names of the suspects, it was gathered, are with the security forces. Meanwhile, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, MEND, yesterday, dared the JTF on the Niger Delta, warning that in the next few weeks, when it carries out few major bomb attacks, the military task force would regret its cynical comments regarding weekend’s resumption of hostilities by the group. MEND also said the South-African government, which, through its Ministry of Internal Affairs, claimed the Nigerian g.....

MAIDUGURI – TO overcome Boko Haram insurgency and insecurity of lives and property in Borno State, Governor Kashim Shettima is to embark on a massive job creation through infrastructural development in agricultural and education sectors. Shettima made the declaration at the recent joint session of principal officers of the Borno State House of Assembly, members of State Executive Council, SEC, and top government officials at the signing of N149 billion appropriation bill into law at Government House, Maiduguri. He said Boko Haram insurgency in the state can only be overcome with the rescuing of the state’s collapsed education system; and massive job creation projects in the agriculture, environment and education sectors. Such “rescuing and full implementation” of .....

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has disclosed that he is one of the prominent Nigerians on the hit list of Boko Haram sect marked for assassination. In a down‑to‑earth interview with TheNEWS magazine in its latest edition, Soyinka revealed that he was not only on the sect’s assassination list but very close to the top. Soyinka said he had reported this to the security operatives in the country and they confirmed the information but he expressed disappointment that the security operatives have not taken action on the threat. He said: “The reason for this programme (elimination) which I know is very much their third phase, is that those pushing this agenda know very well that this could be the last straw that will break the camel’s back. “And .....

A mother of three, Mrs. Chinenye Aghandu, of Umuezike, Anara, Isiala Mbano local council area of Imo State, is now cooling her heels in police custody, for allegedly selling her day-old baby boy for N30,000. The other people arrested for allegedly being active participants in the alleged crime include the owner of a maternity home in Nwaorieubi, Mbaitoli local government area, as well as the couple that purchased the baby. Vanguard gathered that at the peak of labour, Mrs. Aghandu left her Anara matrimonial home January 29, 2012, and headed for the maternity home where she had planned to deliver her baby. A villager, who did not want his name in print, told Vanguard that eyebrows were raised when she returned to her family home without her baby. “When we qu.....

WARRI – AFTER cessation of hostilities for some months in the Niger Delta, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, weekend, threatened to bomb telecommunications giant MTN, SACOIL and other investments by South Africans in Nigeria over alleged interference of President Jacob Zuma in its struggle for justice in the oil producing communities. The militant group also bombed a trunk pipeline at Brass in Bayelsa State. The pipeline belongs to Italy’s Eni SpA, ENI, which lost “around 4,000” barrels per day of “equity production” from the incident, the Rome-based company said in an e-mailed statement yesterday confirming the attack. The pipeline carries crude to an export terminal in the coastal town of Brass, about 250 kilometres south west of the oil-in.....

ASABA—DELTA State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has called on all Nigerians, especially Muslims, to use the Eid-el-Maloud festival as a period of sober reflection on the numerous challenges facing the nation. The governor, who stated this in his goodwill message on the occasion, said: “I enjoin all Nigerians, especially Muslims, to use the festival as a period for sober reflection on the numerous challenges facing the country. “I sincerely hope that all Deltans will regard the festive season as a period of renewal of faith and hope for a better future. I urge Muslims to continue to follow the exemplary leadership of Prophet Mohammed for a peaceful and egalitarian society. “Prophet Mohammed lived a complete life worthy of emulation by all. Anybody who imbibes su.....

AWKA – GOVERNOR Peter Obi Sunday presented a cheque of N1 million each to 14 widows whose husbands were murdered by suspected Boko Haram members in Mubi, Adamawa State, thereby redeeming the promise he made last week. He presented the cheques after a church service at St Andrew’s Catholic Church, Adazi-Nnukwu where he also warned against people trying to make political gains out of the Mubi incident. Obi, who attended the church service in company of his wife, Margaret and member representing Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia federal constituency, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, said the Adamawa State government promised to pay compensation to the victims. While calling on the people of Anambra State to remember those who died in prayers and assist their families in any way possible .....

There was pandemonium at the Mile One market Friday when some persons accused a Hausa man of turning a little girl into a goat. Details of how it happened were not clear but the alleged incident caused tension in the market as everybody ran to the reported scene of where the thing allegedly occurred. Police men from the Mile One Police station had to rush to the scene to whisk the Hausa man away before youths could mobilize to lynch him. Effort to speak with the Police on the incident was futile. The Police also restricted movement to the Mile one Police Station where the Hausa man was taken to. Some passersby around the market who spoke to the Vanguard said they heard the alarm and ran to where people said it happened. “I could not even see through the crowd because .....

A union between husband and wife without children in most Nigerian cultures, is sure to end badly for both. In some cases, the man is urged to take another wife – if divorce is not possible. This is the environment where Dr. Vincent Ezeabasili and Ifeoma Ethel Ezeabasili live as man and wife. And so it was natural that concerned friends and family members were afraid for the Ezeabasilis when, after their marriage in 2004, no child was forthcoming. For Dr. Ezeabasili, a university scholar, and Mrs. Ezeabasili, a lecturer at Redeemer’s University, Ogun State, it seemed that their marriage would produce no issue. All through the years they were married, not once did Ifeoma get pregnant, let alone go for pre-natal examinations. Life continued for them from one agonising year to ano.....

Immediate past Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Irabor Onikolaese, has taken a critical look at the recent nationwide strike embarked upon by organised labour, in conjunction with the civil society organisations, declaring that it was a colossal failure on the part of Labour. Irabor, who was also the former President General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria and now Special Adviser on Environment in Edo State, says Governor Adams Oshiomhole has proved that unionists are not just noise makers agitating for workers welfare but also good managers of men and materials. According to him, he has joined forces with the governor to salvage Edo State from the rot of the Peoples Democratic Party. Irabor said that Oshiomhole should not be crucified .....

Nigerians may be looking the wrong way in the manner and ways they react to every act of violence by militants in some parts of the North. The questions that needed to be answered are: How did an organization that started in a sitting room on how to win support for governorship election a few years back transform into a sect using sophisticated weapons to wreak havoc on Nigerians? Is Boko Haram responsible for the killings or some people that have an axe to grind use the name as cover? Former Minister for Petroleum, Professor Jibril Aminu told Saturday Sun in an exclusive interview that he is of the view that a lot of things are attributed to the religious sect for which it may not be responsible. He said: “I personally think that a lot of attributions are made to Boko Haram.....

The senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Dr. Chris Ngige, has described the killings of Igbo as a looming genocide in Nigeria, insisting that enough blood of the race has been shed for the unity of Nigeria. Ngige’s stand came just as the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate in the February 15, 2012 re-run election for Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunkofia Federal Constituency, Mr. Ferdinand Dozie Nwankwo, said the killing of Igbo has raised more questions as to the position of Ndigbo in the Nigeria polity. Ngige, who spoke to newsmen in Awka shortly after the burial of the Adazi-Nnukwu 12 killed in Mubi, Adamawa State by Boko Haram, expressed regret that the enormous contributions of Igbo in the country were yet to be appreciated by some elements in the .....

Hell was let loose yesterday as dare-devil robbers attacked a police station and banks with explosives. This is coming five months after similar attacks. According to eyewitness account, the robbers stormed the city at about 1am yesterday and attacked Geregu Camp, where they carted arms and ammunition from the divisional police post before bombing it. It was gathered that after bombing the police station, the robbers attacked a new generation bank, but did not succeed in breaking the vault. The robbers, it was gathered, however, broke the ATM machine and stole a large sum of money. A medical doctor simply identified as Dr. Ameh, who was returning from work, ran into the robbers and was killed by the bandits, who shot sporadically for more than three hours. Other people su.....

A 15-member Consultative Committee, set up by Kano State Government in the wake of the January 20, 2012 bomb blasts in the state, has submitted its reports, lamenting the uncontrolled influx of foreigners into the state. The committee, which submitted its report to the Kano State governor, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, yesterday acknowledged the springing up of unplanned settlements all over the place, harbouring strangers without any proactive system of monitoring their activities. Other subjects of the report include huge rural-urban migration, the almajiri (young boys on the streets) syndrome, teeming unemployed youth and grinding poverty, all of which, it said, had combined to exacerbate the security situation in Kano State. Also acknowledged by the committee, which.....

Speaking for the first time since the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stopped Mr. Timipre Sylva from seeking re-election, President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the former governor was barred from the contest because of non-performance of his government. Addressing a mammoth crowd at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex Yenagoa, during the official campaign flag-off and presentation of flag to PDP governorship candidate, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, Jonathan noted that Sylva’s poor performance was evident in the failure of his administration to complete laudable projects left by previous administrations in the state. According to him, the people of Bayelsa affirmed the non-performance of Sylva when the former governor was stoned duri.....

Yola – Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Alhaji Nasir el-Rufai has taken a hard knock on the present PDP-led Federal government, describing the party’s regimes since the enthronement of democracy in the country as disastrous. “PDP regimes in the past twelve years of our democratic system is not only disastrous, but completely against the wishes and aspirations of the entire Nigerians”, said el-Rufai . The former FCT Minister told newsmen in an interview at the Yola International Airport Friday, that the present security challenges facing the nation is brought about by the ineptitude, lack of focus, injustice , corruption and lack of dedication to the plights of ordinary Nigerians. el-Rufai , who is at the head of the CPC National headquarte.....

A member of Islamist group Boko Haram has confirmed one of the group’s high-ranking members was arrested, but refuted reports that the detained person was its spokesman. In a phone conference with journalists in the northeastern city of Maiduguri late Thursday, the man said Boko Haram’s head of “public enlightenment” Abu Dardaa was arrested and not spokesman Abul Qaqa. The man speaking on the phone claimed to be Abul Qaqa himself, but his voice sounded different from previous such conferences in which the purported spokesman has claimed responsibility for scores of deadly attacks. There has also long been speculation over whether those going by the aliases Abul Qaqa and Abu Dardaa are the same person. “We want to react on what security agents said regarding.....

WARRI— PLACARD-CARRYING students of Federal University of Petroleum Resources, FUPRE, Ugbomro, Delta Delta, yesterday, protested the non-accreditation of degree programmes offered by the institution since it was established. The university was set up five years ago. The studenst, who refused to sit for their final year examination, which ought to have kicked off last week, unless they were given assurances that their certificates would give them job after graduation, were defiant, despite appeal by the dean of students affairs, Dr. Arubaye and others. Their spokesman and a former students’ union leader, Mr. Michael Nwaosisi, told the embattled Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Alabi, that they were embarrassed that the degree programmes, which the university admi.....

LAGOS — A proposal by the Federal Government to expend an annual average of N27 million on each staff of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, as personnel cost caused a stir at the National Assembly, yesterday. Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, who led the DPR team and other agencies of the Ministry of Petroleum to the Senate defence hearing, however, assured that the government in a bid to curtail the burgeoning personnel cost was set to embark on a rationalization of its staff and agencies. An estimated N30 billion of a total budget of N35 billion proposed for the DPR is earmarked for the department’s 1,100 staff. A breakdown of the budget presentation tabled before the six committees of the National Assembly showed that of DP.....

The Federal Government has declared Monday, February 6, 2012 as a public holiday, to mark the Id-el-Maoulud celebration. This was contained in a statement issued by the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, and signed by an Assistant Director/Press Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Ben Bem Boong, on Thursday.

Commotion broke out at the old Toll gate area on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Thursday, following the death of an unidentified bus conductor of a commercial bus, who was crushed to death by another vehicle coming from behind while allegedly trying to evade arrest by officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA. In a swift reaction, Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Kayode Opeifa, who described the incident as regrettable, however, denied the involvement of LASTMA, saying, he had ordered immediate investigation into the incident with the aim of bringing the culprit(s) to book. Commercial bus drivers, who took to the streets, protested the killing of the conductor. The protest which spread to different areas of the state, forced most LASTMA offici.....

As universities in the country resumed for academic activities, Thursday, after the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, called off its 59 days strike, chairperson of ASUU LASU chapter, Dr Jamiyu Oluwatoki, confirmed that lectures in the university have resumed at their duty post. He said: “Our staff have resumed. When we went on strike, we informed the management of the university, now that we are back, we are about to send a letter to the Vice Chancellor, informing the university management that we are back, so that he can set everything rolling. “It was the university that asked the students to leave since we were not coming to work, so it is the university’s responsibility to ask them to come back.” A Philosophy student of the institution, Ope Samson, s.....

Ambassador of the United States of America to Nigeria, Mr. Terence McCulley has said his country never predicted that Nigeria would break up by 2015 as earlier reported. The envoy who was in Ibadan Thursday explained further that the prediction was done by a private agency that carried out a survey and not the US government as claimed by the report. He said the US government considered Nigeria as a strategic partner in Africa adding that the role that Nigeria plays in peace keeping operation in the continent was very vital. Describing the violent activities of Boko Haram sect as unfortunate, he said he was optimistic that it would soon be resolved going by the combined efforts of both Christian and Muslim youth to solve the problem. To him, the issue of Boko Ha.....

In 1998 when they were arrested for interogation by the Special Investigative Panel, SPI, hardly did they realised that that was the beginning of an end. Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, a former Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha was one of the many people invited for interogation over several criminal activities perpatrated during Abacha’s regime. However, among the cases that attracted public outcry and eventual prosecution was the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, the wife of the late politician and presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief M.K.O. Abiola. Prior to the death of Abacha, Al-Mustapha as his CSO was very powerful. The death sentence verdict passed on him started moment he was arraingned before an .....

LAGOS — Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has charged Nigerian universities to design a functional education template, tailored towards solving the various challenges facing the country. Fashola said N1 billion was earmarked for research in the 2012 budget of the state while the state would employ over 700 teachers for primary and secondary schools in the state. The governor, who spoke at the 8th Annual Lecture of the University of Lagos’ School of Postgraduate Studies, urged universities in the country to generate research-based ideas for the development of the country. He said there was a disconnect between the education offered by the universities and the demands of the society, adding that the situation had greatly affected the country’s quest for deve.....

ABUJA — Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday, expressed zero tolerance for criminality in any part of the country, even as he warned that any officer of the Force responsible for any security breach around the country will pay dearly for it. He also said he was adopting neighbourhood viewpoint as his administration’s strategy to fight crime and criminality across the country. Briefing journalists after a crucial closed-door meeting with Assistant Inspectors General of Police as well as Commissioners of Police of the 36 states of the Federation, which lasted for over three hours at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, Abubakar evaded divulging his strategies to tackling the Boko Haram menace but maintained that the days of jamboree were over and that.....

ABUJA— Students of public-owned universities across the country were yesterday bubbling with enthusiasm for resumption following the decision of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to call off its 59-day strike. The strike was called off following what sources close to the negotiations between the union and government told Vanguard was the government’s show of good faith to, within three months, implement the core issues at the heart of the demands of the union. Among the issues that thawed the ice were the pledge by government to give presidential assent to the bill raising the retirement age of academic staff to 70 years; to pump more funds to the universities and to grant more autonomy to the universities. The agreement to call off the strike was r.....

ABUJA - Amidst tears, yesterday, the families, friends and members of St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, buried victims of last Christmas day bomb blast which claimed the lives of 43 persons. The occasion nearly turned chaotic when the crowd that had assembled for the occasion booed the Emir of Suleja, Mallam Auwal Ibrahim, and prevented him from alighting from his car to deliver his goodwill message as requested by the Parish priest, Rev. Father Isaac Achi. After his arrival at the gate of the church, the emir was delayed for over 10 minutes before he was allowed inside the compound. He stayed in the car while the church service for the victims was held. The emir, who was later called by Rev. Father Achi to come and give his goodwill message, was firmly rejected.....

OFFICIALS of the State Security Service, SSS, in Borno State, yesterday, confirmed that they have dealt dreaded sect, Boko Haram, a major blow by arresting the spokesman of the group Abul Qaqa. He was reportedly arrested in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The arrest, according to Vanguard findings, was effected via GPS tracking of the top Boko Haram chieftain. It was learnt that the SSS has flown Qaqa to Abuja for further interrogation. A top official of the SSS in Borno told Vanguard on telephone that: “We have finally picked him up and he is currently in our custody; you can report that as a confirmed development”. Also confirming the arrest of Abul- Qaqa, one of the sect members in a telephone interview with newsmen in Maiduguri said: ‘’Our spokesman Abul- Qaqa.....

Jubilation, today greeted the suspension of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) among residents of Plateau State. Students and parents who reacted following the announcement of the strike’s suspension rejoiced over the development saying it ended the frustration of idling away at home. Some of the patents said they were unhappy seeing their children sitting at home while the strike lasted and thanked God that they can now go back to school. Also rejoicing over the development are entrepreneurs who are into one business or the other at the university who said the strike had virtually thrown them out of business. They were happy that they would be able to return to their businesses to earn a living and prayed that the strike should b.....

The SSS reportedly quizzed former Governor Shekarau over his alleged involvement in sponsoring Boko Haram just as his spokesman, Sule Yaú Sule, said the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) 2011 presidential flagbearer was not under arrest, contrary to online reports. Shekarau was invited to the Abuja headquarters of the SSS and questioned for several hours on what he knew about the funding and membership of the sect, which has claimed responsibility for series of bomb and gun attacks, leading to the death of about 1000 persons in various parts of Northern Nigeria. ANPP presidential candidate, Ibrahim Shekarau As learnt, the security agency allowed him to go after the interrogation but informed him that he would be re-invited for further questioning if considered nec.....

ABUJA – The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, said the growth rate of the nation’s economy fell to 7.69 per cent while unemployment rose to 23.9 per cent in 2011. The apex bank, however, maintained its benchmark interest rate, the Monetary Policy Rate at 12 per cent and assured that it would pursue stable exchange rate in 2012 as the partial removal of fuel subsidy would enhance increase in the nation’s external reserves, Governor, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said this, yesterday, while reading a communique of the Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, meeting held in Abuja. He said: “Provisional data from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, indicated that real Gross Domestic Product, GDP, grew by 8.68 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011 up from 6.64, 7.72, and .....

BESIDES the fact that global economies are now private sector driven, the inefficiency in Nigeria’s power sector, occasioned by actions and inactions of the Federal Government and civil servants, necessitated for the ongoing reforms in the sector. But whether the reforms would bring about the needed efficiency in the generation and distribution of electricity depends on how well some contentious issues regarding the liquidation of Power Holding Company,PHCN, are resolved. CHARLES KUMOLU reports. LIKE other sectors of Nigeria’s socio-economic existence, the story of the country’s energy sector since the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria ,ECN, ordinance No. 15 of 1950, has been punctuated by operational failures . Although, those in charge of the nation’s power sector c.....

ABUJA—Senate Committee on Works has asked the Federal Government not to award road contracts to Julius Berger Nigeria Limited and other multinational construction companies unless they take part in government road concession programmes. Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ayogu Eze, who gave the directive yesterday during an interface with the Ministry of Works at the 2012 budget defence, lamented that all the multinational construction companies have failed to contribute to the rehabilitation of Nigerian roads despite enjoying high patronage from the Federal Government. He said: “Despite the patronage multinationals are enjoying from government of the federation, they have maintained studied distance from our development programmes.” He lamented. The com.....

House of Representatives has threatened to revoke the concession contract between Federal Government and Bi-Courtney, following the slow pace of work on the reconstruction of Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Chief Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, member of the House of Representatives, issued the threat notice in Abuja during the 2011-2012 budget defence of the Federal Ministry of Works presented by Mike Onolememen, Minister of Works. Ozombachi, who was irked by the pace of the work on that expressway said: “Nigerians should not be held to ransom by any legal issue. We are going to summon the contractor and the minister and find an exit strategy,” adding that the company has not demonstrated competence. “If he is not doing that project, we will find money or Option B. That road is a .....

Indications have emerged that an ideological feud within the rank and file of the Boko Haram sect may have led to a breakaway faction. The new outfit calls itself ‘Ansaru.’ In a statement circulated in Kano, Ansaru gave its full name as “Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan,” meaning Vanguards for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa. Its motto is “Jihad Fi Sabilillah,” meaning it is fighting and sacrificing for Allah’s cause. The statement was signed by one Abu Usamata Al’Ansari, who claimed to be its leader. Ansaru expressed displeasure with Boko Haram’s style of operations, which it described as inhuman to the Muslim Ummah. It vowed to restore dignity and sanity to “the lost dignity of Muslims in black Africa” and to bring back the dignity of Islam in N.....

An Abuja High Court sitting at Apo, Tuesday, has ruled that former Speaker Dimeji Bankole and his deputy Usman Bayero Nafada have no case to answer in the N40bn loan case. The court ruled on a “no-case-submission” before it by the erstwhile Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada pertaining to the 17-count criminal charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over an alleged role they played in a N40 billion loan saga that trailed the sixth session of the lower chamber. Justice Belgore rubbishes Keyamo’s case as he ruled that he the accused did not benefit from the loan. There was no theft as it was a loan that have been liquidated and it was provided for in the bud.....

AFTER 159 months of trial, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State General Sani Abacha and Lateef Shofolahan were yesterday sentenced to death by hanging by a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere over the murder of Kudirat Abiola, wife of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola. The verdict drew mixed reactions from the Abiola family, Al-Mustapha’s family and eminent Nigerians. Most of them said the trial adjudged as the longest criminal trial in the nation’s history having been initiated in October 1998 and lasting exactly 13 years and three months met the expectations of observers. Among those, who spoke on the ruling, yesterday, were veteran Presidential Candidate, Dr Tunji Bra.....

The family of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, yesterday, described the verdict of the court as shocking. Reacting to the verdict in Kano at their Bompai residence, the family spokesman, Hadi Al-Mustapha, said “the shocking verdict has pulled a temporary setback on our concerted effort to secure his freedom.” Devastated by the verdict and somewhat broken in spirit, Hadi Al-Mustapha, noted that the long trial, which was brought to the end yesterday, was laden with ‘political undertone,’ stressing “the case would be pursued to its logical conclusion.” “We strongly believe in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man, but I must confess to you that we are shocked by this verdict. But in every situation, we should give glory to Almighty Allah,” he said. Hadi Al Must.....

LAGOS-Twelve years after he was charged with the murder of the amazon of the pro-democracy movement in the early nineties, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola , wife of late business mogul and politician MKO Abiola, a Lagos high court yesterday found Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, guilty and held that he should die by hanging. The court ruled that the same fate should befall Lateef Sofolahan who was accused with Al-Mustapha of taking the life of the late Kudirat. To the family of Chief Abiola it was relief that 16 years after her murder justice has finally been done while Al-Mustapha’s relations wailed in court yesterday describing the verdict as unjust. They said that after he had spent twelve years in custody sentencing him to death was cruel. Late Kudirat was murdered on June 4,.....

THE Presidential Villa, otherwise known as Aso Rock, will spend about N18.36 billion this year for fuel and lubricants. Also, N237,370,200 will be spent by the State House headquarters. Of this figure, the office of the President will spend N168.722 million for fuel and lubricants, while N68,647,329 will be spent on lubricants by the Vice President. The State House is also expected to spend N75, 131,589 on plants and generators for both the headquarters and that of the Vice President, with the headquarters spending N54,329,366 while the Vice President will spend N20,802,589 on fuel for generators alone. The Presidency in the budget for the year would spend N577.543 million to replace aged vehicles in the presidential fleet while N15, 215, 500 has been earmarked fo.....

The man accused of masterminding two deadly bombings at 50th independence celebrations in Abuja will face trial in October after a South African court Monday delayed his case by nine months. Henry Okah is facing trial in South Africa, where he has permanent residence, on charges that he orchestrated the twin car bombings — which killed 12 people in Abuja on October 1, 2010 — from his home in Johannesburg. Lawyers for both sides said Monday they needed more time to prepare their arguments. “Neither the prosecution nor the defence was in a condition to continue with the trial at the moment, so we agreed to postpone it,” Okah’s lawyer Rudi Krause told AFP. Dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt and a blazer, Okah looked visibly thinner than his first court appearan.....

Hundreds of sympathisers joined the new Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Dikko Abubakar at the Tarauni cemetery, Monday afternoon, to bury the remains of his wife, Hajiya Maryam Dikko Abubakar, who passed on at the early hours of today (Monday) in Kano. Maryam Abubakar, 47 , died in the family house at Gwandu Albasa quarters of Kano State after a long battle with cancer. The IGP was said to have flown to Kano at 11:30am following the news of death of his wife and was at the cemetery to perform the dust-to-dust rites. Sympathisers, friends and well wishers of the new police chief moved to his home to join other Muslims faithful for special prayers for the repose of the soul of his late wife.

Embattled former Chief Security Officer, CSO, to late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamzat Al-Mustapha and a protocol officer in the MKO Abiola campaign organisation, Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan, today, at the Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere, were sentenced to death by hanging for the conspiracy to murder and murder charge preferred against them. Justice Mojisala Dada of Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere delivered the judgment Monday afternoon. Details later.

unmen attacked another police station yesterday in the flashpoint city of Kano, sparking a shootout with police and causing pandemonium, witnesses and police said. The shootout occurred in Zaria Road axis of the state. The attack followed the January 20 attacks by the Islamist group Boko Haram that killed 185 people in the city and after a string of recent threats of more violence from the group. The bitter confrontation started at about 6.45pm at a police station in Naibawa area, after the sect members launched an attack. The police station was on fire as at the time of filing this report. Soldiers were seen moving to the scene of the incident. Residents of the affected area have all run into quarters and homes to avoid being caught in the crossfire. “A large number .....

ABUL-Qaqa, the spokesman of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnati Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, also known as Boko Haram, yesterday, alleged that security agents have arrested “many” of its members in Sokoto and called for their immediate release. He however, urged senior citizens in Sokoto and other neighbouring states to intervene in order to avert the replication of what he described as “the big attack in Kano State.” Qaqa, who spoke to journalists on phone yesterday said: “This is an open letter to the emir of Sokoto (Sultan of Sokoto) Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar 111, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and the Acting Governor of Sokoto State. “Before we visited Kano, we wrote open letter to senior citizens there on the imperative of releasing .....

Gunmen attacked a police station on Sunday in Nigeria’s flashpoint city of Kano sparking a shootout with police, witnesses and police said. The attack followed the January 20 assault by the Islamist group Boko Haram that killed at least 185 people in the city — and after a string of recent threats of more violence from the group. “A large number of gunmen stormed the area at prayer time and opened fire on the police station,” local resident Kabiru Maikatako told AFP. “The police fired back and a shootout has been going on for the past 30 minutes,” he added. “I am now trapped in my (timber) shed. It is shooting all around and the whole area has been deserted. Only the police and the attackers are shooting at each other.” Kano state police commissionne.....

FOR allegedly mismanaging the finances of their states, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will go after some of the five former governors who were sacked by the Supreme Court on Friday. The commission, at the weekend, disclosed plans to invite some of the governors to answer questions regarding management of state finances during their tenure in office amid speculations that some of them may be on their way out of the country to escape investigations by anti_graft agencies. Sunday Vanguard gathered that a host of the governors did not have ample time to tidy their books before they were booted out of office, a situation that may afford the anti-graft agencies room to nail them. With two favourable judgments in their kitty, some of them stormed Abuja a.....

Major Hamza al-Mustapha, former chief security officer to the late General Sani Abacha, and a co-accused to know fate over the killing of the late Kudirat Abiola. Twelve years ago when they were arraigned before a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over alleged complicity in the murder of Alhaja Kuditrat Abiola, the wife of the billionaire businessman cum politician, Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola, it appeared that judgment in the case will not come. However, tomorrow will be a significant day for the nation’s judiciary as well as the family of the late Kudirat Abiola, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and his co-accused, Alhaji Lateef Sofolahan, when Justice Mojisola Dada, sitting in High Court, Lagos Division, will deliver judgment on the controversial case. Whichever way the .....

President Goodluck Jonathan may enter the race for chairman of the African Union, after Gambia pulled out of the running this week, a source close to Jonathan said Saturday. Leaders will choose a new chairman for the 54-member pan-African body in a secret ballot at the African Union summit opening Sunday. The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are campaigning for Jonathan to run for the position, which has been occupied by the President of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, since 2008. “Quite a number of African leaders have been approaching him and encouraging him to be the candidate for the next chairman of the African Union,” said the source, who spoke of the condition of anonymity. “If it is the consensus of (ECOWAS.....

Nigerian troops on Saturday killed 11 fighters from the Islamist sect Boko Haram during a shootout in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, a spokesman said. “Today, in an exchange of fire during an cordon-and-search operation conducted by the JTF, 11 Boko Haram members were killed,” Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Mohammed told AFP by telphone, referring to the army’s Joint Task Force unit. Mohammed said no casualties were suffered by the JTF, a specialised squad set up last year to crack down on Boko Haram, a shadowy group that is blamed for the deaths of more than 200 people already this year. Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, was placed under a state of emergency on December 31 by President Goodluck Jonathan along with other parts of the country hard hit by Boko .....

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday gave out cheques worth N17.5 million to 70 families of victims of the “black Sunday”, January 27, 2002, at the Oke Afa Memorial Cenotaph where about 1000 people drowned in the Oke Afa Canal in the old Oshodi Isolo LGA now Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, LCDA. Fashola, who performed the symbolic ceremony, urged the families to “let go of their grief and march on.” The governor also unveiled the ceremonial wall of remembrance and later laid a wreath at the foot of the January 27 cenotaph. According to him:“We must take solace in the fact that there will always be a special place in history for people whose deaths bring about change, and we must take solace in the fact that our loved ones will never be forgotten.” I.....

NO fewer than 25 persons suspected to be members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram from Zamfara State were arrested by the police Thursday night while on their way to Enugu State. But in a swift reaction to the arrest, the State Police Command said the arrested persons were believed to be hunters even though investigations were on to determine their true identities and their actual mission to the state. Saturday Vanguard gathered that the heavily armed suspects were intercepted around Okpuje while heading to Nsukka in a Zamfara State Government-owned Nissan bus with registration number XA 581 MRD. When their bus was searched by the police on the spot, several locally made single and double barrel guns, machetes, daggers, axes, some powdered substances among other it.....

IN a landmark decision, the Supreme Court yesterday sacked five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, who won re-run elections in 2007 In an unanimous judgment delivered by its full panel, the apex court maintained that former governors Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Ibrahim Idris (Kogi) and Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto) ought to have vacated their offices before May 29 last year, stressing that in-line with the provisions of section 180(2) of the 1999 constitution, their statutory four-year tenure had already elapsed. The verdict elicited plaudits from many Nigerians as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), ordered that speakers of the affected states be sworn-in immediatel.....

Ringim local government area of Jigawa State, the country home of sacked Inspector General of Police, IGP,Mr. Hafizu Abubakar Ringim has been occupied by armed security operatives as part of measures to deny members of Bokom Haram access to the town. It was gathered that the security operatives mounted different stop and search check points on major roads leading to the community, and motorists were thoroughly searched before allowing to proceed on their journey. Also blocked is the road leading the former IGP’s personal residence. It was learnt that following the development, one of the state legislatures (name witheld) who lives close to Hafiz Ringim`s house was denied access to his residence by the security operatives. The visibly furious lawmaker was later.....

ABUJA – THE National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Friday, described the unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court which sacked its five governors as a welcome development and an acceptable verdict. Speaking with Vanguard on the ruling, the PDP National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke who noted that the party had expected that the judgement would have been otherwise, stressed that as the final court of the land, the ruling of the apex court was not questionable. The PDP however maintained that the emergence of Henry Seriake Dickson as the candidate for Bayelsa State; Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, Sokoto; Murtala Nyako for Adamawa and Liyel Imoke of Cross River remain unchanged, just as the party boasted that it was fully mobilized for the elections fixed .....

Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital, Friday, erupted in celebration as the news of the ouster of Governor Timipre Sylva by the Supreme Court hit the airwaves. Immediately, the police authorities sealed off the Creek Haven Government House, in Bayelsa State ostensibly to prevent looting of the place. Heavily armed policemen barricaded the Onopa end of the Mbiama-Yenagoa road leading to the Government House and it was closed to traffic. When Vanguard visited the area armed policemen were sighted diverting traffic to the Lambert Eradiri road connecting the DSP Alamieyeseigha way to other parts of Yenagoa. Armed policemen were also deployed around the Peace Park, directly opposite the Government House, stopping visitors from gaining entry into the amusement p.....

Gunmen have killed 15 village traders returning from a market at night and set their bodies ablaze in Zamfara state, a local police chief said on Friday. “Gunmen, suspected to be armed robbers, attacked some local traders on their way back from a market in neighbouring Katsina state late Thursday,” Zamfara state police commissioner Tambrai Yabo said. “The armed robbers waylaid the traders travelling back in an open truck and opened fire on them. They then loaded the truck with 14 bodies and burnt them,” said Yabo, adding that a 15th victim had died in hospital. Villagers said around 100 robbers came out of the bush and forced the truck to stop. The attack occurred near a village that is close to the town of Birnin Magaji in Zamfara state, which borders Nige.....

Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar yesterday took over the reins of police leadership from his predecessor, Hafiz Abubakar Ringim vowing to fight the dreaded Boko Haram sect in all its ramifications. Besides Boko Haram, Abubakar said the Nigeria Police force under him would undergo serious restructuring and declared a state of emergency on Police training institutions in the country saying the way they were presently constituted can only produce ill-equipped officers. Addressing senior Police officers at the IG’s conference room after the handing over ceremony in his office, the new IG promised to work with the DIG Parry Osayande Committee set up by the President “so that Nigeria can have the Police force it deserves, a police force that will r.....

KANO—For the third time in one week, another bomb explosion, yesterday, rocked Sabon Gari, a predominantly Christian quarter in Kano, injuring two persons. Another explosion, from a burst tyre at Sabon Gari market, yesterday, afternoon caused pandemonium as people thought it was another bomb blast. The Improvised Explosive Devise, IED, went off between two long buses at a motor park along New Road, Kano, triggering pandemonium. Eyewitness told Vanguard that the explosive, stuffed in an empty soft drink can, was thrown by unknown persons between commercial buses operated by two transport companies, Gobison Bus and Ezenwata Motors. The explosion was said to have shattered the glasses in one of the buses, while two people sustained slight injuries in the pandemonium .....

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the federal government will dialogue with the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram if the members would identify themselves and state clearly their demands as a basis for talks, while acknowledging that military confrontation alone will not end their insurgency. This is the third time the Nigerian authorities are asking the sect for a dialogue. The first time was in June when Police in Maiduguri called on an extremist Islamic sect to declare a ceasefire and come to a dialogue. Also, on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, Security Adviser to the President, General Andrew Azazi said Nigerian security services were considering making contact with moderate members of the Islamic sect Boko Haram via “back channels”, even though explicit talk.....

FORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, expressed grave concern over the current state of insecurity in the country and the continued slow march of the nation to desired development destinations. He also called for increased public private partnership in the management of education to tackle the “four serious problems that still persist in thwarting” the nation’s efforts with consequences for Nigeria’s ability to meet the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs. Obasanjo who delivered the 41st convocation lecture of the University of Nigeria, UNN, at Nsukka on the theme “Education and national development” said the country could not continue to wobble as she is currently doing. Speaking on the challenges of the future for the nation, Obasanjo said: “Th.....

New Police Inspector General, Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, arrived the Police Force Headquarters, in his smart blue and black uniform around 9.45am to a gallant show put up by a police quarter guard on hand to welcome him to his new post. Colourfully dressed policemen on horseback ushered the new IGP into the force headquarters. Shortly after the brief arrival ceremony, Abubakar immediately proceeded upstairs to a meeting with his former IG, Hafiz Ringim, where he took briefing and hand over notes from his predecessor. Present at that meeting which lasted over three hours were all the former DIGs whose retirement became inevitable with the ascension of IGP Abubakar. Thereafter, both Abubakar and Ringim, accompanied by the retired DIGs and other members of the P.....

World football governing body, (FIFA), has threatened to ban Nigeria over recurrent court cases against the nation’s football house, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), in Nigerian courts. In a letter signed by the FIFA deputy Secretary-General, Markus Kattner, and sent to the NFF, the world body expressed its perplexity over the way and manner individuals in Nigeria has been using litigation to run down the flow of activities in the Glass House. FIFA is concerned about the recent court judgement, which declared NFF and NPL illegal in Abuja.“We would like to remind you that according to Article 64 of the FIFA Statutes and Article 69 part 1 of the NFF Statutes, recourse to ordinary court of law is prohibited unless specifically provided for in the NFF Statutes and the FIFA regula.....

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday approved the appointment of Mr. Mohammed D. Abubakar as acting Inspector General of Police in what the Presidency described as a first step towards the comprehensive reorganization and repositioning of the Nigeria Police Force. The President also approved the retirement of all Deputy Inspectors General of Police with immediate effect. These are: Mrs. Ivy Uche Okoronkwo, DIG POL (2 i/c) Force Headquarters, Abuja, Mr. Azubuko J. Udah, DIG Administration (“A” Dept), Mr. Sardauna Abubakar, DIG Training (“E” Dept.); Mr. Audu Abubakar, DIG Operations (“B” Dept); Mr. Saleh Abubakar, DIG Works (“C” Dept.) and Mr. Mohammed A. Yesufu, DIG Planning and Info-Tech (“F” Dept.). Abubakar who was said to have been flown into Abuja from Bauchi in a p.....

BAUCHI—A baby, girl, without hands and legs, has been born in Sandigalua village in Zaki Government Area of Bauchi State. The baby, named Fatima, was born to the family of Ahmadu Didda, a peasant farmer and wife, Rukaiyya, on January 13. Fatima’s father, Didda, however, expressed gratitude to God for giving them the child, describing her as a beautiful baby. Didda said Fatima was delivered at home and that both the mother and the baby are healthy. Father’s plea He said: “This is a gift from God. But it won’t be easy for us to raise Fatima because without legs and hands, she needs special care and attention. We feel sorry for her but with assistance from government and individuals I know that she will live a good life.” The couple, however, appealed to both .....

Investigations carried out by Vanguard showed that Nigerians have given a nod of approval to the forceful retirement of Ringim, describing the action as the right step towards restructuring the Nigeria Police. With the emergence of Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar as the new IG, it is expected that positive changes in terms of checkmating the Boko Haram sect would be witnessed. Abubakar, as expected, has much assignments to do presently to save the already damaged image of the Police Force in order not to toe the path of his predecessor. The operational AIG who has served in different capacities in the Nigeria Police Force, has reportedly proved himself. For instance, when he was CP Lagos, statistic showed that crime was brought to the barest min.....

LAGOS — EMBATTLED Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Hafiz Ringim has been fired by President Goodluck Jonathan. The former police boss, who is due for retirement in March is to proceed on terminal leave with effect from yesterday, January 25, 2012, according to a statement by President Jonathan’s Media Spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati. In his stead, the President approved the appointment of Mr. Mohammed Dikko. Abubakar as Acting Inspector General of Police “as a first step towards the comprehensive reorganization and repositioning of the Nigeria Police Force.” Before his elevation as IGP, Abubakar was Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 12 Headquarters in Bauchi. Born on May 5, 1958, Mr. Abubakar enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on J.....

Nigeria's president has sacked the chief of police, Hafiz Ringim, forcing him to retire early, a statement from the presidency says. It follows a wave of attacks by the Islamist group Boko Haram, the latest in Kano on Friday in which 185 people died. The group says it wants to overthrow the government and impose Islamic law. President Goodluck Jonathan's move was aimed at "meeting emerging internal security challenges", AFP reports. There have been calls for the police chief's resignation since a man suspected of masterminding Christmas Day bomb attacks on churches escaped from police custody earlier this month. According to the AP news agency, a statement from the presidency said Mr Ringim had been placed on "terminal leave" pen.....

LAGOS — Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, said, yesterday, that despite the fact that there is no formal break up of the country, the nation was already disintegrating due to the refusal of the government to embrace national dialogue. Soyinka said this while speaking on “The quest for justice, tolerance and non-violent change” at a presentation highlighting Dr Martin Luther King jr and the American civil rights movement, organised by the Public Affairs Section of the US Consulate General in Lagos at the Freedom Park, Lagos. According to him, “the presidential system of government is totally unfitted to the governance of Nigerians. The legislators have become a bastion of corruption while the system operational in the country encourages corruption.” Soyinka, who .....

KANO city, yesterday, came under a fresh attack as the Boko Haram sect bombed a police outpost at Sheka along Zoo road, close to the Shagari quarters. The fresh attack, at 6.30 p.m, came few minutes to the commencement of the restriction of movement. Vanguard gathered that there was fierce shooting between security forces and suspects believed to be members of the Boko Haram sect that has claimed responsibility for last Friday’s bomb attacks which left more than 200 persons dead. Details of the new attack were still sketchy at the time of this report as people were running helter skelter for shelter. Unconfirmed reports said that158 suspects were arrested after the gun duel that lasted about four hours between 12.55 and 4.00 am. The report which quoted security so.....

Lagosians woke up last Monday to behold armed stern-looking soldiers deployed to strategic places in the state. Gani Faweyinmi Park in Ojota had a larger concentration of the armed soldiers. They were reportedly deployed to the state on the orders of the Federal Government to checkmate activities of protesters of oil subsidy removal. This was few hours before Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, called off the strike which had entered its sixth day. The deployment was greeted with complaints from Lagos State government and Lagosians, in general, who wondered why such deployment should be done just when the strike had been suspended. There were also claims and counter-claims as to who ordered the deployment. Accusations, denial.....

ABUJA — AS Nigerians await the outcome of the high powered investigative panel to review the explanation offered by the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, over the escape of Madalla church suspected bomber, Mr Kabir Sokoto, there are indications that the fate of the embattled IGP is hanging in the balance. The IGP is facing a panel put together by the National Security Adviser, NSA, Gen. Andrew Azazi, to study his response to a query issued him by the Minister of Police Affairs, Mr Caleb Olubolade, over the dramatic escape of the key suspect in the Madalla, Niger State Christmas day bombing which killed over 50 people, with many injured. Vanguard gathered the NSA’s panel is expected to turn in its report on the IG’s response, Friday. For the firs.....

Yesterday, Dr. Braithwaite said the withdrawal of the soldiers after the eminent citizens’ protests and complaints from other Nigerians showed that it paid to resist wrong. The Army authorities Tuesday ordered the withdrawal of soldiers deployed last week in Lagos to checkmate activities oil subsidy protesters. He said: “We went out to fight for the people and it has produced effect. We demonstrated in the face of odds. People should begin to realise that we must begin to resist wrong. If you resist wrong, wrong will give way.” protest, during the 1,700 Days in office of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, Lagos state Governor, held at LTV Blue roof, Ikeja. Photo: Bunmi Azeez"”]] Lagosians had woken up, Monday last week, to behold stern looking troops in strate.....

A joint military task force in Nigeria arrested 158 suspected members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, security sources said, three days after a spate of bombings and shootings left more than 200 people dead in Nigeria's second-largest city. Some suspects resisted arrest and exchanged gunfire with the task force in the city of Kano, said security sources who asked not to be named because they are not authorized to speak to the media. No casualties have been reported so far, they said. The arrests come as community leaders said the number of dead from the Kano bombing and gun attacks has risen to at least 211. Government officials declined to confirm the number of victims. They previously put the death toll at 157. President Goodluck Jona.....

LAGOS — Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Monday, said the proposed compulsory registration for all residents of the state, tagged, ‘Lagos State Residents Registration Programme, LSRRP, would soon begin. He said his administration would complete 152 inner roads, to add to the existing 65 on going reconstruction of roads across the state under the current fiscal year, bringing the roads set for reconstructions to 217. It is part of measure to ease traffic in the state. Fashola made the disclosure at an event to mark his administration’s 1,700 days in office since 2007, when he was first elected governor. He was re-elected in the April 2011 general elections. He said the registration would start before the end of the year, adding that its objective was to .....

KANO—The Police authority in Kano yesterday confirmed that a total of 186 persons died from last Friday multiple bomb blast that rocked the ancient city of Kano A statement signed by the Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris in Kano put the civilian casualty at 150, while his Command lost a total of 29 personnel during the attack The statement further revealed that the state security service lost three personnel, Nigerian Immigration Services lost two officers, the Nigerian Custom Services lost a personnel, while the Nigerian Union of Journalist lost a member . The Commissioner of Police stated that the sect attacked seven targets in the state which included, Zonal Police Headquarters along BUK road, where a suicide bomber crashed through the gate detonated.....

LAGOS —The Boko Haram sect has cited the stoppage of its monthly financial support for the recent attacks on northern states, claiming that the group was until recently being bankrolled by some northern governors. The claim by the group came as it also alleged that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was in its firing range last September but was spared because of his tolerance of the sharia Islamic code during his presidency. An unnamed high ranking official of the group alleged that the Ibrahim Shekarau administration in Kano made a monthly N10 million donation to the group while the Bauchi Governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda besides financial commitments was also an admirer of the military prowess of the group. The group has, nevertheless, dismissed any personal grouse .....

KANO—The pomp of royalty was set aside, yesterday, as the revered Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero broke down in tears as he recounted the loss of human lives that followed last Friday’s Boko Haram attack on the ancient city before a visiting President Goodluck Jonathan. Right in front of his subjects while receiving President Goodluck Jonathan, the octogenarian monarch could not hold back his tears, while reflecting on the level of carnage and the hundreds of innocent souls who had been killed from bomb blasts by the Boko Haram sect. The president’s visit was to commiserate with the Emir over last Friday’s bomb blast in the ancient city that reportedly left about 162 dead and several others injured. It took the monarch almost half an hour to read through a two-pag.....

ABUJA—The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Engr. Austen Oniwon has assured that the existing three refineries in the country would come up to 90 per cent production capacity by December 2013. Oniwon, who gave the commitment over the weekend while speaking with journalists, said the on-going turn-around maintenance of the refineries was part of effort towards ensuring adequate local refining of petroleum product. He admitted that the nation’s refineries were not doing well but assured that NNPC has designed refinery revitalization working plan using the original contractors that built the refineries. According to the GMD, the Port Harcourt refinery will commence the projected capacity production by the fourth quarter of 2012.....

LAGOS — Govenor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State; Senate Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Solomon; Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Housing and Land Matters, Senator Gbenga Ashafa and member, House of Representatives, Mr James Faleke, have condemned last Friday’s multiple bomb attacks in Kano State, in which no fewer than 164 people reportedly lost their lives. Fashola, who asked all well-meaning Nigerians to rise up and find a path of peace for the country, urged aggrieved persons to seek dialogue first rather than as a last resort. He expressed shock and deep sadness at the death of a staff of Channels Television, Mr Enenche Akogwu in Friday’s multiple explosions. In a condolence letter to Chief Executive Officer of Channels TV, Mr John Momoh, Fashola said it was pain.....

ABUJA — Minister of Police Affairs, Mr Caleb Olubolade said, yesterday, that he was satisfied with the response of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Hafiz Ringim, to the query issued to him over the escape, from police custody, of Kabir Sokoto, who was alleged to be the mastermind of the Christmas day bomb attack at St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State that claimed more than 40 lives. This is against the background that the investigative panel set up by the government is yet to submit its report on disappearance of the prime Boko Haram suspect Speaking with newsmen, yesterday, the minister said although he was satisfied with Ringim’s response to the query issued to him, his fate will, however, be determined by an investigative panel, adding that since he.....

ABUJA— Following the increase in the spate of Boko Haram bombings and attacks in the country and seeming inability of security agencies to stop them, retired military generals have scheduled a two-day meeting in Abuja to deliberate on present security challenges and come out with possible solutions to the problems. The retired generals under the auspices of Alumni Association of National Defence College (ANNDEC) in conjunction with the National Defence College , will converge at the auditorium of the NDC on 24th and 25th, January 2012, to brainstorm on National Military Strategy and serve as a bridge between the current participants at the College and ANNDEC. Addressing the media on the objectives of the meeting at the weekend, Chairman of the organizing committee and fo.....

The reality of the high casuality of the Friday coordinated bombings in Kano dawned on the nation yesterday as reports and eye witnesses put the death toll at around 162. The authorities had, on Friday, said seven people had been killed in the attacks, including a journalist with Lagos based Channels Television, Godwin Akogwu. Yesterday, hospitals and mortuaries were struggling to deal with the numbers of killed and injured still arriving. A series of explosions ripped apart police buildings and other sites around the city, which is now under a 24-hour curfew. The Boko Haram group said they carried out the attacks, which appear to be their bloodiest assault to date. A disturbed President Goodluck Jonathan, who, on December 31, 2011, declared a state of emer.....

OUTRAGE, yesterday, greeted Friday’s series of bomb blasts in the commercial city of Kano, which, at press time, have claimed over 162 lives including Channels’ Television, Kano correspondent, Enenche Godwin Akogwu. Unarguably the most destructive in the over 30 explosions linked to the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, Nigerians, who commented on the issue, urged decisive action on the part of government to halt the recurring and increasing harvest of deaths. A similar condemnation also trailed the police tear-gassing of eminent citizens such as Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN), Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu and Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, among others, who were protesting Federal Government’s deployment of soldiers in Lagos, last Thursday. This is as Boko Haram promised to unleash more.....

OUTRAGE, yesterday, greeted Friday’s series of bomb blasts in the commercial city of Kano, which, at press time, have claimed over 162 lives including Channels’ Television, Kano correspondent, Enenche Godwin Akogwu. Unarguably the most destructive in the over 30 explosions linked to the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, Nigerians, who commented on the issue, urged decisive action on the part of government to halt the recurring and increasing harvest of deaths. A similar condemnation also trailed the police tear-gassing of eminent citizens such as Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN), Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu and Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, among others, who were protesting Federal Government’s deployment of soldiers in Lagos, last Thursday. This is as Boko Haram promised to unleash more.....

Yenagoa – The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in Bayelsa has confirmed that two explosions rocked parts of Yenagoa at about midnight on Friday. The JTF spokesman, Lt.-Col. Timothy Antigha, said on Saturday that there were dynamite explosions in certain parts of the capital city, but there were no casualties. The task force, he said, was collaborating with other security agencies in the ongoing investigation into the matter. Antigha advised the residents of Yenagoa to remain calm and pursue their legitimate businesses lawfully, “as the JTF is working in tandem with other security agencies to forestall a recurrence”. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Hilary Opara, also confirmed the blasts, saying that some miscreants might be trying to create the i.....

The Boko Haram and its activities are now a serious national concern. Today, it would seem that the Nigerian security agencies are getting overwhelmed and lacking in capacity and ability to checkmate it and stultify its activities. With its serial bomb blasts and promise to do much more, critical stakeholders have not stopped talking about it, with a view to finding a lasting solution to its menace and the resultant carnage. Sanusi Muhammad, a social critic and radical journalist knows a few things about this terrorist group. He is based in Bauchi and in this interview, he discussed the group – how it started, what it wants, and how possibly the authorities could deal with it. He spoke to our Bauchi State’s correspondent. Excerpts: Can you please give your views on the B.....

The battle over the removal of fuel subsidy, which raged for almost a week all over the nation may, have come and gone, but the last is definitely yet to be heard on the intrigues and the behind-the-scene manoeuvres that caused the organised labour into beating a retreat and acquiescing to the Federal Government’s position. Saturday Sun exclusively gathered that it was largely a case of emotional blackmail and outright threat of labour leaders by the government. “At some point in time, the sword of treason hung delicately over the head of the labour negotiators, and being human, the self-preservation instinct made them buckle,” said a dependable source, who attended many of the meetings between both parties. Another competent source, who attended the meeting, told.....

The ancient city of Kano yesterday came under heavy attack, as persons suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic sect launched a simultaneous offensive, killing an unspecified number of persons, including police officers. Several others were injured. The multiple bomb blasts, which rocked the state capital after the Friday Jumat prayers, occurred for several hours and spread through several areas in the state capital, resulting in pandemonium. Saturday Sun gathered that the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 1 was first attacked, when a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into the office complex. In the attack, about two low-ranking police officers, whose identity could not be established and a civilian were killed. The tailoring .....

A 24-hour curfew is in place in Nigeria's northern city of Kano, after co-ordinated bomb attacks killed at least seven people. Police stations and the state police HQ were among the targets, and gunfire was heard across the second biggest city. The militant Islamist group Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden", said it was responsible. The group has been behind a recent campaign of violence in the mainly Muslim north. Meanwhile, organisers of a controversial civil activists' mass rally set for Saturday in the commercial capital Lagos called off the event in light of the attacks. Organisers of the demonstration against government corruption and the military's presence in Lagos say they fear their protest could be .....

Mohammed Fawehinmi is the eldest son of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi. A critic,almost in the mould of his father, defied his condition and participated in the protest; a regular face at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos last week. In this interview, he explains why he joined in the rally among other issue and why he will continue to protest. Excerpt Why did you join in the protest? I joined the protest for one reason and that is to ensure that the masses of this country are not cheated. Right from independence the masses have always been cheated. Everyone knows the history of how my father spent his entire life securing the interest of the masses with the instrumentality of the law. My condition is not relevant but what is relevant is the interest.....

The Kano State Government has declared 24-hour curfew after suicide blast, explosions Meanwhile security forces in Nigeria’s second-largest city, Kano, battled gunmen after a suicide blast killed at least 6 police officers and several other major explosions targeted them Friday. The city erupted in chaos, with some 20 explosions heard and at least five police offices thought to have been targeted. Local television was reporting that scores were feared dead in the attacks. Police were not responding to phone calls, but the state government announced a 24-hour curfew until further notice. It was not immediately clear who was behind the violence, though previous such attacks in Nigeria’s north have been blamed on Islamist group Boko Haram. A senior poli.....

There have been more negative reactions to the reported escape from Police custody, of the mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla in Niger State where over 45 innocent worshippers were killed as the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) registered its displeasure through a petition to President Goodluck Jonathan saying the escape story is “unacceptable to us and offends the sensibilities of right thinking Nigerians irrespective of religion or tribe.” A petition signed by the national president, Patriot Simon A.S Dolly, and his secretary, Solomon Omaivboje, copies of which were also sent to principal officers of the National Assembly, the National Security Adviser and the attorney-general of the Federation,.....

Senior police officers are angry over the handling of Boko Haram menace by the leadership, especially the escape of the prime suspect at the weekend. They believed that the leadership’s tardiness in stopping the Islamist sect from unleashing terror on the people had led to unnecessary deaths and loss of property estimated at billions of Naira and the dwindling image of the police force. Uneasy calm on Tuesday pervaded the Louis Edet House Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, as some senior officers are reportedly kicking over the circumstances surrounding the escape of Kabiru Sokoto, the alleged mastermind of the Christmas Day 2011 bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State. Sokoto, a topshot of the Boko Haram, which claimed responsibility for the Ch.....

ENUGU- The Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popularly called fuel is now being sold at N500 per litre by black marketers in Enugu, following artificial scarcity created by dealers. A four-litre gallon of fuel at the black market at Onu-Asata on Presidential Road in the capital city was sold between N2,000 and N2,500 to desperate buyers Thursday. Motorists resorted to patronizing the black marketers following refusal of major and independent marketers to sell fuel since the new price of N97 per litre was announced by President Goodluck Jonathan. Apart from NNPC Mega station that had consistently sold fuel at the new pump price since Monday, with a long queue of vehicles, some of which the owners slept at the station, none of the filling stations in Enugu was open by pres.....

ABUJA — The Senate, yesterday, warned that it would not accept any extra budgetary spending on fuel subsidy from the Federal Government in 2012 fiscal year even as it approved President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2012-2015 Medium Term Fiscal Frameworks, MTFF and 2012 Fiscal Strategy Paper, FSP, setting a benchmark price of crude oil for the 2012 Appropriation Bill at $75 per barrel. Senate has also directed all government ministries, departments and agencies to submit their 2012 budget estimates to it with clear details on how the funds would be expended. The upper chamber gave the directives upon the approval of the Medium Term Fiscal Framework, MTFF, submitted by Finance, Appropriation and National Planning. The Senate recommended among others that: “With the partial d.....

LAGOS—Anxiety about the potential danger posed by the continued elusiveness of the alleged mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing in Madalla, Suleija has spurred the security forces to combine efforts at tracing and apprehending him. Vanguard garthered, yesterday, that men of the State Security Service, SSS, on the trail of Kabiru Umar (a.k.a. Kabiru Sokoto), the dreaded Boko Haram suspect who escaped from Police custody earlier in the week, trailed him to Toto Local Government Area in Nasarawa State. This came even as the Nigeria Police, yesterday, declared him wanted and placed a N50 million ransom on his head. Investigations by Vanguard revealed that men of the SSS swung into action with a view to helping a sister organization (Police) to track down an alleged kil.....

LAGOS — PROTEST against the deployment of soldiers to Lagos State kicked off yesterday in Lagos in the form of a demonstration by some of the country’s elderly political class. The peaceful protest was, however, met with a violent interruption by teargas-wielding security men. The demonstrators led by legal icon Prof. Ben Nwabueze and including former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu; Second Republic Presidential Candidate Dr. Tunji Braithwaite; Chief Missioner of the AnsaruDeen Society of Nigeria, Alhaji Abdulrahman Ahmad among others, were also protesting the increase in fuel price before they were violently dispersed by the police. The Police success nonetheless, activists were yesterday planning a victory rally to celebrate what they claimed was the success.....

Abuja – A bill to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to remove the word “Force’’ from the Nigeria Police Force passed second reading in the House of Representatives. The objective of the bill is to delete the word “Force’’ from the Nigeria Police Force to read “Nigeria Police.” The bill was unanimously adopted by the House when put to vote by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal. Leading debate on the general principles of the bill, Rep. Jagaba Adams (PDP-Kaduna), argued that there was the need to remove the word “Force’’ from the Nigeria Police. According to him, a name affects the behavior of people, and this could be the reason why the police use force most times. “A name constitutes so much, name definitely attracts attention,’’ he .....

KANO – The police authorities in Kano, Thursday, arraigned 24 persons in connection with the nationwide anti- fuel subsidty protest before a magistrate court presided over by Magistrate Bashir Abdullahi Sufi on three count charge. The police prosecutor, Inspector Bashir Abubakar told the court that Abubakar Rashi and 23 others were caught rioting with offensive, mischief by fire and causing grievous hurt which is contrary to section 306, 32 252 of the Penal Code. The 24 accused persons however, denied the charges and pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Bashir Abdullahi Sufi .The Defence lawyer to all the accuse persons, and who also double as Kano state Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barrister Abdurrazaq Aikawa presented himself and 14 other lawyers as.....

ABUJA – The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has dismissed calls by critics for her to step down from office to allow proper investigation into allegations of abuse in the management of petroleum subsidies. Alison-Madueke, who spoke to journalists yesterday after the inauguration of the Special Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) Task Force, in Abuja, also noted that the incidence of corruption and abuse in the subsidy process occurred in past administrations prior to recent adoption of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, by her ministry. Said she “We live in a democratic country; everyone has the right to speak their mind both for and against any individual, particularly individuals that put themselves up for public office. And.....

A drug suspect, currently in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), is telling the anti-narcotic officials all he knows about the 7.1kg of liquid cocaine found with him at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos . The suspect, 32-year-old Patrick Chukwuemeka emulsified the drug in a solvent and packaged it as wine. It was intercepted during the screening of passengers in an Emirate flight from Brazil enroute Dubai. Three of the nine packs of wine that the suspect imported were found to contain cocaine. The estimated street value of the drug was N63.9 million. However, seized cocaine in liquid form was not common in the country as most seizures were in powdery form. Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, while inspec.....

ABUJA – Long queues of vehicles waiting to get premium motor spirit, PMS, (petrol) were, yesterday, noticed at major filling stations within the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, signalling acute scarcity of the product. When Vanguard visited some of the filling stations, most of them were not selling the product, while the ones selling were overwhelmed by customers struggling for the product. This development created a booming market for fuel hawkers (black marketers) who resurfaced despite the presence of security agents and personnel of Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB. With the hawkers, 10 litres sold between N2,200 and N2,500, depending on buyers’ bargaining power. A fuel attendant, who preferred anonymity, told Vanguard that the scarcity might be connected .....

ABUJA — THE weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, yesterday, approved N364 million for the audit of the oil, gas and mining revenues by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI. It is expected that the audit report which spans over two-year period, 2009-2011, for the oil and gas and 2009-2010 for the mining sector, will offer the government the opportunity to look deep into the books of the respective sectors. Addressing State House correspondents on the outcome of the FEC meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, said NEITI “is mandated by law to promote transparency and accountability in the management of Nigeria’s oil, gas and mining revenu.....

ABUJA—AS anger mounts in Aso Rock over the and avoidable escape, Tuesday, of Alhaji Kabir Sokoto, the suspected bomber of the St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, on Christmas day, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Hafiz Ringim has been queried over the incident and faces sack if he is found guilty of complicity. This came even as President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered a full-scale investigation into the matter. Alhaji Sokoto who was arrested Saturday night at the Borno State Government lodge, Abuja, following a tip-off, escaped while he was being conveyed to Abaji by a team of policemen for a further search of his house. Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd) who fielded questions from State House Correspondents after the weekly Federal .....

LAGOS — When Abraham Lincoln stated that integrity is a moral force for persuasion, he was indeed relating to events that would happen in Nigeria almost a century and a half later. In today’s Nigeria, the affairs of the country is being overseen in some quarters by people whose integrity even the government of the day has called and is calling to question. That, perhaps, captures the story of Police Commissioner Zakari Biu, a police officer of long standing who could be described as a cat with nine lives but who loves the eye of the storm. He has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into the escape of a Boko Haram suspect, Mr. Kabiru Sokoto. For Nigerians who witnessed Nigeria’s version of a TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION, derisively descr.....

Soldiers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) have arrested six Islamists described as high-ranking members of the Boko Haram sect during a raid in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, an officer said Wednesday. Acting on a tip-off, soldiers from the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Tuesday raided a hideout used by the extremist group — which has claimed a string of deadly attacks in recent days — and defused five bombs across the city. “We have succeeded in arresting six high-profile members of Boko Haram in a raid on their hideout following useful information provided us by some residents,” JTF commander Victor Ebhaleme said. He said the six were being interrogated and gave no further details. In another part of the city, notorious for bomb and shooting attacks blamed o.....

A 60-year-old woman, Mrs Esther Olajide, and two of her grandchildren, were on Tuesday burnt to death at her residence in Molete area of Ibadan. Eye witnesses told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the deceased and her grandchildren, aged six and nine, could not be rescued due to the thick smoke emanating from the inferno that gutted the one-story building. The fire, according to the eye witnesses, started around 11 p.m on Monday. A friend of the late woman, Mrs Olayinka Oyebode, blamed the incidence on power surge. She claimed that power supply in the area before the incident had been erratic, arguing that this was responsible for the inferno. “The mummy that I know dislikes anything that has to do with electrical gadgets and she will instruct t.....

ENUGU—FUEL dealers in Enugu have turned down the directive by President Goodluck Jonathan to reduce pump price of petrol to N97 per litre. Apart from the NNPC mega station that complied with the new price regime, major and independent marketers in the state declined as they continued to sell fuel between N165 and N170 per litre. Most stations owned by major marketers remained shut throughout yesterday even as their dispensing pumps still read N141.50. Only stations operated by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, had fuel which they have consistently sold at cut-throat prices. Some operators interviewed claimed that the products they had were procured after the removal of subsidy and as such could not sell at the new pump pr.....

ABUJA — As reactions continue to trail President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to slash pump price of petrol from N141 to N94 per litre, the first civilian President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and a former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), yesterday, passed a vote of confidence on the President The two leaders said they were satisfied with the outcome of the government and labour face-off, and the security measures taken by government, especially the maturity and statesmanship shown by the President. Fielding questions from State House correspondents after meeting President Jonathan, Gowon who spoke on behalf of President Shagari, said no one could predict an end to a security challenge, adding that with the resolve of all to give the necessary support, an.....

Osogbo – Commercial and other socio-economic activities resumed yesterday across many states of the federation, including the South-West as labour Monday suspended its strike over the removal of subsidy on petrol. Banks, public institutions and schools came alive in the zone as residents took to the streets in pursuit of their daily engagements. In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the state Secretariat witnessed a heavy presence of workers as many were seen at their duty posts while others discussed in groups. Ministries monitored included Home Affairs, Youth and Sports, Environment, Office of the Head of Service and Office of Secretary to the State Government. Some workers were seen dusting their tables and chairs while those in Parks and Gardens’ section of the .....

LAGOS – The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, yesterday, said it lacked the power to hear the appeal against the election of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, candidate, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji. The court, it would be recalled, in December struck out the appeal by Mrs. Olajumoke Sawyer of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, against the election of Ikuforiji due to undue delay by the appellant. Counsel to Sawyer, Mr. Deji Fasusi, regularised the appellant’s brief and the appeal was adjourned for hearing till January 9, 2012 but the court could not sit as a result of the nationwide strike embarked upon by organised labour against the removal fuel subsidy. When the matter came up, yesterday, the appellate court held that the 60 days envisaged by Section 285(7) of the con.....

ABUJA—THE Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Mr Ndubuisi Nwaogu, yesterday alleged that all importations made in connection to subsidised fuel by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, never went through the Nigeria Customs Services but were discharged into smaller vehicles in the high seas to Nigeria by the corporation. Payment on subsidy lacked transparency —NEITI Similarly, chairman of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives, NEITI, Prof. Asisi Asobie, also said payments made in respect of fuel subsidy by the NNPC lacked transparency and due process as they were not made from the Central Bank through the Petroleum Fund as stated by law. The duo spoke at the on-going investigation by the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on the.....

Abeokuta—SELLERS of sachet water in Abeokuta are recording a boom due to the scarcity of water in the Ogun capital. Investigation conducted on Monday revealed that most residents had resorted to the use of sachet water to cook, bath and perform other domestic chores. The situation increased the demand for sachet water and consequently the price. Some residents, who spoke attributed the development to the inability of staff of Ogun Water Board to function, due to the strike declared by the organised labour. The industrial action was yesterday suspended. Mrs Adeola Adeyemi, a trader, said, “I now buy pure water at N10 per sachet instead of N5. I use almost three bags per day out of which I bath my children and carry out other domestic activities......

High drama is in the offing as some fuel marketers have resolved to expose sleazy deals involving top government officials, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] begins investigations into the alleged multi-trillion naira fuel subsidy scam. This is coming just as operatives of the anti-graft agency yesterday, raided the office of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) in Abuja, in a surprise move which caught officials of the agency napping. The operation was aimed at the recovery of vital documents relating to transactions and payments made for fuel subsidy in the past six years, with a special focus on those for last year. No arrest was made by Press time. A total sum of N3.655 trillion was reportedly paid by government to bene.....

LAGOS — Eleven Nigeria banks have been ranked among the top 50 banks in the continent, according to The Banker magazine. The banks that made it to the top 50 African banks are Zenith, FirstBank, Guaranty Trust, Access, UBA and Fidelity. Others are First City Monument, Diamond, Skye, Stanbic IBTC, and EcoBank Nigeria. Banks in Nigeria beat other African countries in the number of banks it has in the Top 50 African banks as published by The Banker magazine in its January 2012 edition just released. The Banker which recently retained its world’s number one monthly publication position above Bloomberg Markets, Euro-money and Harvard Business Review by Global Capital Markets Survey through a study by Think Media, an independent company that researches readership of financial .....

Shocks, and disbelief characterised the expression of many top executives of Labour, as they claimed that their leaders, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Comrade Peter Esele, might have caved in due to high pressure from government. According to a source who spoke with Daily Sun on the condition of anonymity, after a Press conference in Abuja yesterday, the presidential broadcast was out of the mandate given to the two leaders to hand over to the government. “We had to leave Abuja on Sunday night to forestall being trapped as we planned to continue the strike on Monday. Hence, when we left Aso Rock Villa by 6p.m, the mandate given to our leaders was with the option that N65 now and discussion on.....

THE leadership of House of Representatives, yesterday, raised eye brows over the insertion of N155 billion by the Federal Government in the 2012 budget proposal for payment of fuel subsidy arrears, in addition to the N1.3 trillion spent as at September 2011. The Farouk Lawan-led ad-hoc Committee on Subsidy Regime asked Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance to provide the bank statements, details of quantum of crude oil extracted, volume of PMS consumed per day and relevant documents on the payment of fuel subsidy from Federal Ministry of Finance as well as the unilateral withdrawal of revenues generated from the Joint Venture Cash Calls by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, without recourse to the National Assembly. Chairman.....

ABUJA—LEADERS of organized labour in the country have given reasons why the indefinite strike and street protests declared to force the Federal Government revert the pump price of Petrol from N141 per litre to pre-January1, 2012 price of N65 per litre, was suspended after eight days. Announcing the suspension of the strike at a joint press briefing in Abuja yesterday, leaders of NLC and TUC explained that the strike action forced the government to announce price reduction from N140 to N97 per litre after it had earlier said the price hike was irreversible, while the government has also adopted the policy to reduce cost of governance. The labour leaders also said following the protests across the country, the government has now made up its mind to move decisively against .....

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, also decried the deployment of soldiers especially in Lagos and wondered whether it was part of the deal Labour reached with government. Demanding immediate withdrawal of the soldiers, Soyinka described their deployment as “an intolerable act of provocation that has taken underhand advantage of the willingness of the people to negotiate and give the government a breathing space” and makes absolute nonsense of the Belgore machinery for resolution that was set up, even before it has commenced work. “It has turned future dialogue into negotiation under the gun, which is nothing but a charade and will only be challenged at no distant date.” He urged Labour and Civil society to boycott further talks with the government until the .....

SPEECH Dear Lagosians: For the past few days, I have monitored the developments related to the public protest against the increase in the pump price of petrol. During that period, I have at the invitation of my colleagues in the Governor’s Forum responded to an invitation from the Presidency. My role since last Monday till date has been to find a ground of compromise that stabilizes the polity, protects our democracy and prevent any loss of lives. Inspite of these efforts, we were not wholly successful in preventing the loss of the life of a young Nigerian, Ademola Aderinto who was sadly shot. I am truly saddened by that ugly development. While I condole with his family, I pledge the commitment of our Government to bring the alleged perpetrator to.....

Organised Labour Suspends Strike and Protests! The group calls on Nigerians to go back to work. Stay safe. The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has suspended street protests and rallies More to follow soon!.

Armed soldiers have taken over the Gani Fawehinmi Park, the Ojota venue of last week’s rallies that was renamed Freedom Park. Thousands of protesters gathered daily at the park with speeches by labour leaders, civil society activists, as well as, artistes’ performances during the strike over the removal of fuel subsidy. Other reports say soldiers have been deployed on major roads in Lagos, as there are increased presence of roadblocks and checkpoints in the metropolis. Witnesses Account

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has suspended street protests and rallies just as it asks Nigerians to sit at home in continuation of its strike action. In a statement by NLC Acting Secretary General, Owei Lamkemfa, said the suspension of street protests is imperative due to escalating violence and increased in security challenges. His words: “In view of escalating violence, in order to eliminate casualties, and due to the increased in security challenges, Congress has directed that rallies and street protests be stopped across the states and the FCT.”

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEREGULATION POLICY IN THE DOWNSTREAM SECTOR OF THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY, SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2012 Dear Compatriots, 1. This is the second time in two weeks I will address you on the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector. In the last seven days, the nation has witnessed a disruption of economic activities. Although, the economic imperatives for the policy have been well articulated by government, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) went ahead to declare a nationwide strike. 2. There was also near-breakdown of law and order in certain parts of the country as a result of the activities of some persons or groups of persons who took advantage of the situat.....

LAGOS – A civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has sent a Freedom of Information, FoI, request to Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, urging him to “to provide documents on the systemic corruption in the subsidy system to enable our organisation petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for suspected perpetrators of corruption in the system to be effectively brought to justice.” SERAP in the petition by its Executive Director, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, said: “We welcome your (Sanusi’s) recent publicly expressed position that those involved in the fuel subsidy scam to the detriment of millions of Nigerians should be arrested and prosecuted by the appropriate authorities. “This request .....

ABUJA—former Vice President Atiku Abubakar,, said the Federal Government and organised labour/civil society leaders had a responsibility to show flexibility rather than adopting rigid postures to find a mutually agreeable settlement on the issue of fuel subsidy. Abubakar noted that the current anti-subsidy withdrawal protests across the country had created additional burden on Nigerians since the strike began a week ago. In a statement from his media office, the former Vice President noted that both the government and labour leaders should be united in the common interest of ordinary Nigerians, who are bearing the brunt of the stalemate. According to him, unless the two sides are realistic the nation stands the risk of reaching a dead end in negotiations, thereby .....

LAGOS – Following the meeting between the Federal Government and organised labour over the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector, which ended in deadlock, weekend, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and Speaker, state House of Assembly, Mr Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Sunday, stressed the need for parties to put national interest above other interests in resolving the lingering strike and protests in the country. They made the remarks at the laying of wreath to mark 2012 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the Arcade in Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS, Lagos. Fashola urged Nigerians to reflect on sacrifices of the heroes, adding that the week-long strike over the removal of the petroleum subsidy was not in the best interest of Nigerians. Deputy Governor, Mrs Adejoke .....

The Federal Government panel in talks with trade unions over a spike in petrol prices was weighing its options Sunday to avert the continuation of a strike that has shut down Africa’s top oil exporter. A team of top cabinet ministers and powerful state governors was meeting Senate president David Mark who has been mediating between the two sides in the dispute. “We are meeting and finding solutions to this problem,” Rotimi Amaechi, governor of the oil hub of Rivers State, told reporters. Nigeria’s unions have vowed to press ahead with the week-old nationwide strike on Monday if a deal over fuel prices is not reached before then. But they put a threat to halt crude production on hold for now. “We have looked at the solutions and we think that with labour, we.....

The Federal Government and union leaders ended talks late Saturday without a deal to end a week-old strike that has shut down the country, but a threat by workers to halt oil production was put on hold. A labour leader meanwhile said the strike over soaring fuel prices that was put on hold for the weekend would restart on Monday if no deal is in place. Another union official said further talks could occur as early as Sunday. “The meeting is not deadlocked, but we have not reached a compromise,” Nigeria Labour Congress president Abdulwahed Omar told journalists after the meeting at the presidency involving a range of government officials broke up. Asked if they would now begin shutting down oil platforms, he said, “no, we are taking this thing gradually. We are sti.....

As the anti-fuel subsidy removal entered its fifth day on Friday and in spite of the intensity of security around government buildings and other strategic places, some youths alleged to be members of opposition parties in Sokoto State took advantage of the protest to raze the Independent National Electoral Commission’s, INEC, office in Bodinga, the headquarters of Bodinga local government area. When Sunday Vanguard visited Bodinga, about twenty kilometers from Sokoto metropolis around 4 p.m. on Friday, the INEC office was still in flames while some shops close to the office at the junction of Danchadi village road had caught fire. Bodinga local government council chairman, Alhaji Buda Badau, condemned the attack, but said that calm had been restored in the town “followin.....

As part of efforts to enhance the capacity of Nigerian security establishment to tackle the menace of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, 20 officials have been selected to undergo specialised training abroad. The officials include eight from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), eight from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and four officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser. Speaking in Abuja, yesterday, the Italian envoy to Nigeria , Ambassador Roberto Colamine, noted that the course in Italy will be adjusted to suit the Nigerian situation. He said: “The course is for 20 Nigerians who are engaged in border control. The course is slightly different and we are going to adapt the course to suit the Nigerian situation. This is the moment when info.....

The Nigeria Immigration Service, has embarked on total closure of the nation’s borders in Borno and Yobe States with the support of other Security Agencies. Considering the security imperatives of the announcement by President Goodluck Jonathan declaring state of emergency in some Local Government Areas in Borno and Yobe States , the Nigeria Immigration Service was mandated to ensure the closure of the borders of the affected States. A statement from the NIS signed by the (Assistant Comptroller of Immigration Service) Public Relation Officer JoachimOlumba said it has “the Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Mrs. Rose Chinyere Uzoma, mobilized officers and men of affected State Commands to intensify surveillance, monitoring and patrol of the borders in those Sta.....

Talks between the Federal Government and labour unions ended late Saturday without a deal, but a union leader said a threat to shut down oil production at midnight would be put on hold. “The meeting is not deadlocked, but we have not reached a compromise,” Nigeria Labour Congress president Abdulwahed Omar told journalists after the meeting at the presidency involving a range of government officials broke up. Asked if they would now begin shutting down oil platforms, he said, “no, we are taking this thing gradually. We are still giving peace a chance.” He said that a nationwide strike that began on January 9 but which was suspended for the weekend would continue on Monday if a compromise is not reached before then. It was unclear however when or if another round of.....

What has been the experience transiting from the legislature in Nigeria to being a diplomat at ambassadorial level? It has been both challenging and fruitful. When I went to Uganda with concurrent accreditation to Rwanda, I realised that Nigeria’s bilateral relationship with Uganda was okay but there were more openings for Nigerians to come to the country and help contribute in areas of investment. With my presence, United Bank for Africa, UBA, Bank PHB, Access Bank and Global Trust Bank came into the country. With the discovery of oil in Uganda, many Nigerian firms are trooping into Uganda to look for oil blocks and licenses and by the grace of God, Nigerians might be successful because a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Nigeria and Uganda to pave way for Ni.....

FOLLOWING the Deputy Inspector-General of Police DIG directive Thursay in LAGOS to commence arrest of miscreants who set bonfire along major roads in Lagos, Police authorities in Lagos yesterday announed that it has arrested 130 miscreqants in the state. The arrest sources said was carried out at various locations in the metropolis. According to sources, as early as 7.00am, police detachment stomrd major roads in the state where it discovered that street urchins popularly called Area boys were setting bonfires and extorting innocent persons of their money and valuables and arrested them. The rooads included the Apapa/Oshodi expressway, the Okorodu road, Obalende, Ijora and Iyana-Ipaja. It was gathered that the miscreants werein their usual notoriety when the law.....

TODAY is a decisive day for the representatives of the Organised Labour and the Federal Government. When they return to the negotiation table, they are condemned to reaching an acceptable agreement that will end the on-going six-day mass protests that have led the country and her citizenry to lose about N2 trillion. According to estimates, the strike is costing the country about N320 billion a day. Failure to reach an agreement may unleash an incalculable damage to the already stretched economy and deteriorating polity, especially if protesters take the mass action to the next level and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) shuts the upstream sector of the petroleum industry including export terminals tomorrow as it threatened on Thursday.....

BY VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG & FAVOUR NWABOWU, Lagos ORGANISED labour and its civil society allies, yesterday advised Nigerians to use today and tomorrow to restock and re-energise for the next phase of the nationwide strike and mass protest to force the Federal Government to revert the pump price of Petrol to pre-January 1, 2012 price of N65 per litre. Under the umbrella of Labour and Civil Society Coalition, LASCO, the group said unless the government between now and Sunday, reverted to the old price, the second phase of the strike, would commence on Monday, January 16, with greater fury. In a joint statement by Acting General Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Comrade Owei Lakemfa and Chief John Kolawole, respectively, on.....

The massive protests this week show that Nigerians can do whatever they want if they really want to do it. The streets were deserted, offices, shops and markets shut while agitated crowd gathered at major points across the country to express their grivances. It has been a very challenging moment, perhaps, the mother of all protests, as some dubbed it. It has crippled governace and rendered socio-economic activities prostrate. Many more people are joining the protest as the hundreds of thousands of people milling to meeting points show. And the protest is becoming more tensed by the day. Some are already lamenting the socio-economic effect of the strike action which they said had made life even more difficult for them. A 54 year -old widow, Ajoke Olopade who sells .....

ABUJA—A possible end to the ongoing nationwide strike action was in the offing last night after the Federal Government agreed to temporarily revert to the pre-New Year price of N65 per litre of petrol. At a marathon meeting attended by President Goodluck Jonathan, organised labour, the leadership of the Senate and the representatives of state governors, labour was given two options for the reinstatement of the N65 per litre price of petrol. The first option is to revert to the pre-New Year price on the condition that the subsidy regime would be completely removed in April. The second option is to allow the N65 selling price of petrol and withdraw 80% of the subsidy in March, meaning that petrol would sell for N120 if the current price regime remains in force. No a.....

IBADAN— Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, yesterday, threatened to apply the full weight of the law to deal with any individual or group who use the ongoing national strike to further unleash mayhem in the state. In areas like Ologuneru, Eleyele, Sango-Polytechnic road, miscreants have taken over the protest and were extorting money from motorists; and whenever they resisted, trouble ensued. Though security agents were seen removing roadblocks on the road, but immediately they left the scene, the thugs replaced the obstructions. The governor, in a broadcast yesterday, said: “In the last three days, we have witnessed ugly incidents of armed attacks and arson on public utilities like offices of the PHCN and police stations, the burning of private business conc.....

ABUJA—With just over a week to Adamawa State governor-ship election, Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, has raised alarm over attempts to assassi-nate its flag bearer, Gene-ral Mohamed Marwa (rtd.), his running mate, Chief John Manasah, Senator Jubril Aminu, Boni Haruna and Mr. Nuhu Ribadu. In a statement by Chief Manasah, Director-General of Marwa Campaign Organisation, CPC disclosed that it was in possession of a very disturbing report detailing the evil plots of one of the gubernatorial candidates. CPC gave the names of others to be assassinated or kidnapped to include Chief Joel Madaki, Senator Folashade Bent, Alhaji Bawa Garba, Dr. Hassan Lawan, former governor Boni Haruna and General Haladu Hannaniya. The party alleged that several meetings were held in several .....

LAGOS — As the strike called by organised labour and civil society organisations enters its fifth day, the Police High Command, yesterday, banned the use of bonfire and road blocks by protesters, threatening to arrest anyone or group of persons who violated the directive. This came as doctors have been advised to use their discretion to treat patients with bullet wounds before requesting for police report. Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG, Administration, Mr Azubuiko Udah, who met with senior police officers, comprising Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos and various Commissioners of Police, heading police formations and departments in Lagos, said the ban became necessary as innocent civilians have had their valuables disposses.....

LAGOS — Eleven human rights groups have dragged President Goodluck Jonathan before the International Criminal Court, ICC, over alleged killings of no fewer than 35 Nigerians by security agencies in the on-going protest against subsidy removal by the Nigerian government. Human Rights Agenda Nigeria Network, HRAN and 10 other groups in the petition by HRAN chair, Mr Chino Obiagwu, want Prosecutor Moreno-Ocampo of ICC, to open a preliminary examination of these alleged violations and to investigate and prosecute any international crime against the statute that might have been committed. According to the petition, “on January 1, President Goodluck Jonathan’s government announced an official 120 per cent increase in the price of petrol. On January 9, 2012, the labour unions a.....

LAGOS - LEADERS of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, NLC, yesterday asked the civil servants especially those under the payroll of the Federal Government to ignore the threat of no-work no-pay by the government because it was not implementable. Similarly, the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNPSC, also asked their members to ignore such threat, describing it as an empty threat. At briefing in Lagos, after the monitoring of compliance of the ongoing indefinite strike over the hike of the pump price of petrol, Deputy President of NLC, Comrade Promise Adewusi, who spoke on behalf of NLC, TUC and the Joint Action Front, JAF, said the threat had been on since the history of trade unionism, but had never been implemented. He sai.....

ABUJA - AS the nationwide strike enters day four today, the Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday, rose from a crucial session, accusing the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and the Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, of inflicting more socio-economic pains on Nigerians than the removal of the fuel subsidy. This came as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke,yesterday, raised an alarm that “some persons or group of persons are perpetuating criminal activities under the guise of participating in the on-going demonstration against the subsidy removal policy of the Government.” The meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, insisted that in spite of the sharp rise in the price of Premium Motor S.....

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, EMMAN OVUAKPORIE & Inalegwu Shaibu ABUJA- THE Senate and the House of Representatives, yesterday, expressed their resolve to end the current nationwide strike by organised labour against removal of fuel subsidy by government within 24 hours, following positive responses from both parties after series of meetings held in the past 72 hours. Senate President, David Mark had called two separate meetings on Monday and Tuesday nights at his Apo Mansion to settle the impasse between Labour and the Federal Government. The meetings which were attended by the leadership of Organized Labour led by President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and his counterpart from the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Peter Esele was however deadl.....

Subsidy protest continues The nationwide protest over the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government continues today . The Senate, however, yesterday, joined the House of Representatives in asking President Goodluck Jonathan to revert fuel pump price to N65 per litre. In Lagos, Abuja and other major cities, reports say businesses remained shut. Protest continues in Kano, by Ali The protest in started peacefully, today, but we dont know what will be the reaction of the police and the state government later on. Protest in Sokoto by Abubakar Jibril Anti-fuel subsidy removal campaign is taking place in Sokoto. Closed shops in Akure by Adebayo Some people who opened stores in Akure were forced to close shops Mass pro.....

ABUJA—The Senate, yesterday, joined the House of Representatives in asking President Goodluck Jonathan to revert fuel pump price to N65 per litre. In a closed door session, the senators urged the Senate President, Senator David Mark to convey the message of the upper chamber to President Jonathan within 24 hours. This came as the nationwide protest called by the organised labour against the removal of subsidy on petrol which commenced on Monday was hijacked on its second day by hoodlums in Ogun, Kaduna, Oyo and Edo states even as the Nigeria Labour Congress vowed that the protests will continue indefinitely until the Federal Government reverts the pump price of petrol to N65. The Federal Government also yesterday declared that it was still ready for dialogue with organis.....

ABUJA—AS part of moves to halt the activities of Boko Haram sect, the Nigerian Army have concluded arrangements to intensify training in counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations. Addressing journalists, yesterday, on the current security situation in the country, Director, Army Public Relations, Major-General Ralph Isa, disclosed that troops were now patrolling major highways and towns complimenting the efforts of already existing task forces. According to him, Nigerian Army troops on Operation Restore Order III recently raided a suspected terrorists’ hideout in Pompomari area of Damaturu in Yobe State where it discovered an ammunition dump and a number of AK-47 rifles and Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, adding that troops have continued to dominate the ar.....

ABUJA — The House of Representatives, yesterday, directed all security agencies in the country to do everything possible to secure the lives of every Nigerian where ever they may be living within the territorial boundary of the country. In a motion adopted on the spate of killings, especially targeting churches, mosques and other innocent Nigerians in different parts of the country, the House also called onNigerians wherever they may be living in the country to ignore the ultimatum given by the Boko Haram for southern Christians living in the North to leave the region. Yesterday’s motion was sponsored by Hon. Samson Osagie and enjoyed bi-partisan and regional support from all members of the House of Representatives. Entitled: “The unjustified killings in parts of .....

The Federal Government has expressed regrets in the unfortunate loss of lives during protests across the country against the removal of petrol subsidy and assured that the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the National Human Rights Commission will work with the Nigeria Police Force and others security agencies on the imperatives of avoiding excessive use of force and the protection of the rights of law abiding citizens. A statement issued yesterday and signed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke also accused the NLC and the TUC of refusing to join issues with the Government in the judicial process initiated at the National Industrial Court and other peaceful initiatives. “Rather than obey subsisting.....

ABUJA — The Federal Government has directed all federal civil servants to report to work as from Wednesday. The Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bello Sali, who gave the directive in Abuja, today, said security officers had been deployed to the various government offices to ensure their security. He said government had discovered that many civil servants could not report for work due to lack of transport and, therefore, directed that the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies to provide staff buses for the transportation of workers to and from work. It was also learnt that some government agencies had opened fresh attendance registers with a view to punishing workers who failed to report for work.

LAGOS— Hundreds of medical doctors were on ground in Lagos at the Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Park in Ojota to provide immediate medical attention to protesters who sustained injuries during yesterday’s mass action to protest the recent implementation of fuel subsidy removal by President Goodluck Jonathan, even as most public hospitals and health centres across the state were devoid of normal services as patients stayed away. The doctors, under the auspices of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Lagos State branch who were dressed in their ward coat and stethoscope however, explained that the rationale behind their full participation, was based on the fact that the action of the Federal Government would make it more difficult for over 70 per cent of Nigerians to have access to he.....

ABAKALIKI— Workers in Ebonyi State yesterday ignored directives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, to embark on an indefinite strike to force the Federal Government to rescind its decisions of fuel subsidy removal. When Vanguard went round Abakaliki metropolis, virtually all the ministries and parastatals had their offices opened for work, considering the fact that some of the workers who embarked on strike in September 2011 were still begging to be paid their salaries. The workers explained that the state governor’s state-wide broadcast on Sunday night, warning that the removal of the petrol subsidy was irrevocable and irreversible gave them the forewarning that observing the protest could cause them their jobs. Acc.....

ENUGU—THE anti-fuel subsidy removal strike in Enugu State was partially observed by civil servants and those in the private sector, following the state government’s ban on public assemblies, meetings and procession until further notice. Governor Sullivan Chime had on Sunday made a proclamation banning public assemblies, meetings and procession, saying they were capable of leading to breakdown of law and order. A statement by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, urged residents and, indeed all her citizens to go about their lawful duties without fear of molestation. The statement said: “Government, hereby, assures that appropriate security measures have been put in place to ensure security of lives and property of the people. H.....

YOLA – Gunmen, suspected to be members of Boko Haram, yesterday, attacked Christ Apostolic Church in Yola, Adamawa State capital, killing 11 worshippers. Another member died in hospital from bullet wounds. News of the shooting made residents, mostly non-indigenes, to flee their homes in the night and seek refuge at the General Jalo Army Barracks, Yola, for fear of being killed. Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, campaigned for the re-election of Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State despite the nationwide strike called by labour over the recent increase in petrol price. It was learnt that the unknown gunmen, who rode on motorcycles, entered the church and opened fire on the worshippers. 11 members reportedly died on the spot and several others .....

LAGOS – The nationwide strike action called by organized labour and its civil society allies against the removal of the subsidy on petrol practically shut down the country yesterday as workers in private and public institutions abstained from duty. The strike action which was peaceful in most parts, however, turned bloody in Kano, Lagos and Benin where at least 12 persons were killed in controversial circumstances. Two persons were reportedly killed in Lagos when a Divisional Police Officer attached to the Pen Cinema Police Station shot at some youths who took opportunity of the absence of traffic to play football along the road. The Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim promptly ordered the arrest of the DPO who he said should face trial for murder. Seven persons wer.....

LAGOS— Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has assured that his government was determined to ensure the creation of more employment opportunities for indigenes and non-indigenes resident in the state. Fashola, who made the remark during the pre-50th anniversary/investiture of grand patrons/patronesses and N20m ultra modern water factory luncheon by the Holy Family Catholic Society of St. Dominic Catholic Church, Yaba, in Lagos, said for Nigeria and Nigerians to live in peace and harmony, citizens should endeavour to live peacefully with one another irrespective of religion. Fashola, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Jeje Bosun, thanked the Holy Family Catholic Society for recognising the people of the state. Also speaking, Govern.....

LAGOS - Twenty-four hours to the commencement of the planned nationwide strike to protest the recent removal of fuel subsidy by President Goodluck Jonathan, pharmacists under the auspices of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, have told Nigerians to expect a 50 per cent rise in the cost of basic drugs in the country. National President of the PSN, Mr Azubuike Okwor, who stated this, weekend, in Lagos also regretted that the hike in costs of basic drugs in the weeks ahead was inevitable if the decision to remove the subsidy was not reversed. Okwor added that the development would provide another window of opportunity for faking of genuine medicines as many Nigerians would go for cheaper and affordable drugs. His words: “After thorough evaluation of the possi.....

BENIN CITY—THE Niger Delta Democratic Coalition, NDDC, weekend, warned the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to stay away from the Niger Delta in its planned strike, saying that the group would mobilise over one million youths to resist any attempt to enforce the proposed strike action in the region. Meanwhile, South South leaders met last night at the residence of Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, in Abuja with a view to taking a position on the recent massacre of Southern Christians in the North and also the prevailing crisis over the removal of fuel subsidy. Though details of the meeting is were unknown at press time, but the text message sent to the leaders for the meeting read: “My fellow compatriots, you are urgently invited to attend a meeting today .....

The Jonathan administration truly gave Nigerians a left-handed gift for the New Year. Still reeling from the Christmas day bombing, Nigerians were hardly prepared for the surreptitious and final withdrawal of the so-called oil subsidy. It can only be imagined, the shock of impact on a rapidly impoverished people, particularly for those who had exhausted their savings for the Christmas celebrations. The year ended with violence and the new one began very rudely. Nigerians are now saying with much bitterness that Jonathan is bad luck. A terrible change in mood has descended on this nation since the April 2011 elections in which this current president was swept into office alongside many lives swept into their untimely graves. For his supporters – and there were countless a.....

BARELY 24 hours after about 29 persons were killed in Mubi, Adamawa State, gunmen, yesterday, struck again in the state, leaving threeother persons dead. The scene of the latest incident, according to reports, is Lamurde. There were insinuations that yesterday’s killings were politically motivated as the candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state, slated for January 14, General Mohammed Buba Marwa, said they were designed to instil fear into the electorate ahead of the poll. Also yesterday, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said the wanton killings in the north was “an express invitation to civil war.” The Friday incident had been linked to the Boko Haram sect which actually claime.....

THE NATIONAL BROADCAST BY PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR, ON THE DEREGULATION OF THE DOWNSTREAM PETROLEUM SECTOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2012 Dear Compatriots, 1. A week ago, I had cause to address Nigerians on the security challenges we are facing in parts of the country, which necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in 15 Local Government Areas in four states of the Federation. That course of action attracted widespread support and a demonstration of understanding. With that declaration, government had again signaled its intention to combat terrorism with renewed vigour and to assure every Nigerian of safety. 2. The support that we have received in the fight against terrorism from concerned Nigerians at home and abroad has been remarkabl.....

Subtle presures by Presidency officials on the leadership of the House of Representatives to defer today’s emergency sitting on religious sentiments have been rebuffed. The rebuff by the House leadership came in the wake of the revelation that the Senate buckled under the same pressure after it was agreed by the leadership of the two houses to convene extraordinary sittings in the light of the multiple crises facing the nation. Today’s extraordinary session of the House is to deliberate on the removal of the controversial subsidy on the price of petrol and the declaration of emergency rule in four states of the country. In formation made available by a very strategic leader in the House suggests that today’s session would “be with a view to ensuring that a middle .....

THERE was never a time the president said the withdrawal of oil subsidy would be in April as published in some media. I did not say so either. The April date was the handiwork of some mischief makers.” With these words, Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, dismissed the claim that the Federal Government reneged on the promise to remove the subsidy on petrol in April 2012 as against January 1 when it did. Okonjo-Iweala, who is also the Coordinating Minister on the Economy, added: “It was never to my knowledge that the president gave such a date (April 2012). There is no particular time one could say was best suited for the withdrawal. It is the prerogative of the president. The important thing is that we cannot carry on the way we did in the past. It would be .....

Last minute moves by the Federal Governemnt to avert nationwide strike on the heels of the removal of subsidy on petrol apparently failed as Labour insisited, yesterday, that the strike commences tomorrow. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said the government went before the wrong court to procure an injunction to stop the strike. The National Industrial Court (NIC) had, on Friday, granted an exparte application brought on behalf of government by the Attorney- General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), praying the court to restrain the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from embarking on masss protests/strike action beginning from tomorrow. In his ruling , the NIC president, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, restrained the defendants from embarking on str.....

ABUJA-The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has denied knowledge of any court action filed against it and therefore insists that it cannot abide by a judicial pronouncement in a matter in it was not involved. This was contained in an e-mail sent to the press last night by the NLC Acting General Secretary Comrade Owei Lakemfa. The NLC scribe Comrade Owei Lakemfa therefore urged all workers and Nigerians to ignore what it described as rumours obviously referring to a ruling by the National Industrial Court (NIC) stopping Labour from proceeding with next Monday’s strike. According to the statement: “There are rumours circulating that the Jonathan administration has purchased a black market injunction possibly from the National Industrial Court (NIC). The .....

FOLLOWING the latest attack on Southerners and worshippers at the Deeper Life Church in Gombe State where seven persons were killed as well as the Mubi killing of about 20 others, the National President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, have renewed their call on Christians to defend themselves in any part of the country whenever they were attacked. General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enock Adeboye, also expressed outrage, saying however that, “Nigeria’s future is very bright but the devil is only trying to hinder and prevent our progress.” Wife of Pastor Johnson Jauro,of the Deeper Life Christian Church in the Nasarawa area of G.....

The Boko Haram Islamic sect has made good its threat to attack Southerners living in the North as no fewer than 20 people from both the Igbo and Yoruba extractions were murdered in Mubi, Adamawa State between Thursday night and yesterday. Eight other people, including six Christian worshippers, were killed and several others wounded in a Deeper Life Church in Gombe State just as an 80 year- old father, Musa Darkuwa and his son, Usman were killed in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State on Thursday night, bringing the number of those killed by suspected members of the sect in the two states within the period to about 30. Wife of the Pastor Johnson Jauro of the Deeper Life Church was among those killed in the attack, even as two other victims in the state were killed in a hote.....

An Islamic militant group in northern Nigeria has claimed responsibility for attacks that killed at least 25 people in a rash of violence against the country's minority Christians, officials said, after it issued an earlier ultimatum that gave Christians three days to leave the area. Gunmen opened fire on residents Friday, killing at least 15 people who were mourning the deaths of two slain businessmen, said Rev. Paul Alhamdu, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria. At least eight people were also killed on Thursday in a church shooting in northeastern Nigeria, a pastor at the church said, as sectarian violence spirals and the country is shaken by angry protests over fuel subsidies. Gunmen attacked the Deeper Life church in Gombe, the capital of Gombe.....

KANO – Right Against Violence, the Non Governmental Organization whose members were brutally dispersed from the Kano city centre yesterday, has filed a suit against President Jonathan and others demanding for N500m compensation for the action. Also joined in the multi million naira suit Friday are Kano state Government and Inspector General of Police. The suit is also seeking ano experte motion restraining the Federal Government, Kano state Government, Inspector General of Police and their agents from obstructing them the right to lawful assembly. Briefing Reporters shortly after the court session, National President of Right Against Violence, Ahmad Suleiman Garun’Ali explained that the heavy handedness metted out to his members at the Kano city square contradi.....

LAGOS — Ahead of the planned nationwide strike called by Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, the Minister of Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed, yesterday, in Lagos, appealed to Nigerians to have a rethink by giving the Federal Government opportunity to prove its transformation agenda. Meanwhile, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Oluseye Petirin, has assured Nigerians that the insurgence of Islamic fundamentalist group, Boko Haram, would soon be a thing of the past. The defence chief, who spoke on the occasion of the reception of the newly acquired Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Thunder, at the Western Naval Command, Apapa, described members ofIslamic sect as “cowards,” adding that the resort to suicide bombing to drive home whatever reason for their dast.....

LAGOS – Nigeria Air space will be closed and Air transport grounded by 12 midnight on Sunday. This is sequel to Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, directives that all affiliate unions should commence an indefinite strike on Monday, January 9, in response to the Federal government withdrawal of fuel subsidy on Petrol. In a communiqué signed by the three unions in the aviation industry after an emergency meeting,the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria,ATSSAN, the Nation Union of Air Transport Employee, NUATE, the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineer ,NAAPE, have directed their members to withdraw their services by 00.00hrs Sunday night. The resolutions signed by Mr Oloyinka Abioye, Deputy General Secretary,ATSSAN, Comrade AbdulKareem Mota.....

BUJA – PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will, today, meet with the 36 state governors to brief them on the deregulation of the downstream sector of the economy. The meeting is coming a day after the President had summoned an emergency Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting to deliberate on the same issue. Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, who fielded questions from State House correspondents, said President Jonathan will meet the governors in Abuja to review the situation ahead of the planned strike declared by labour on Monday. He said: “The President will be meeting with us tomorrow (today) for us to further look at how states can also key into some of the palliative measures which the president has put forward.” He noted that under the present dispensa.....

FOR the third consecutive day, protests in different parts of the country over the New Year Day’s removal of fuel subsidy continued yesterday in some parts of the country ahead of Organised Labour’s nationwide industrial action billed for Monday. Protesters grounded Ibadan, Benin and Kaduna yesterday as the three-day peaceful protest in the commercial city of Kano turned violent with about 44 persons injured. Thiswas even as other trade unions, including the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria, NWUN, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, Federation of Informal Sector Workers, Petroleum and National Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, and the Federation of Female Lawyers have indicated .....

Indications have emerged that security reports indicted the Emir of Suleja, Alhaji Awal Ibrahim in whose domain the Boko Haram sect had detonated bomb five times last year alone. As a prelude, the Niger State Government has issued the Emir a query, asking him to defend his non-challant attitude to the issues of bomb blast in his domain, especially the ones that affected churches. The Emir might be the first casualty as the Niger State Government is set to get to the root of the series of bomb blasts that rocked his emirate in the last eight months. Not less than five bomb blasts took place in the emirate within the period, the last being that at the St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Mandalla on Christmas Day which left over 38 people dead, 80 injured 36 houses and 4 churches burnt .....

The battle-line between organized Labour and the Federal Government was drawn yesterday with an ultimatum to the latter to let fuel subsidy stay or face indefinite nation-wide strike from January 9. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress and their pro-people allies have threatened an indefinite nationwide strike effective Monday, if the government fails to revert fuel price to N65 per litre. The two labour centres also ruled out the possibility of negotiation with the Federal Government or any of its ad hoc committees set up in the wake of the increase ahead the general strike on Monday. Government had, on January I, 2012, commenced deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry. Immediately, petrol price rose from N65 to about N200 per litre. .....

AWKA—SENATE President, Chief David Mark, yesterday in Anambra State appealed to Nigerians to embrace peace as it was the only way for genuine development to be achieved, arguing that despite the problems Nigeria was facing, she was not unstable. He also charged the people of Anambra South senatorial district to vote for Andy Uba, the senator sacked recently by the Appeal Court in Enugu recently, as the re-run election ordered by the court nears. Mark spoke at Uga in Aguata local government area of the state during a visit to Chief Andy Uba. “There could be challenges here and there which is normal in life, but that is not enough to say that the country is unstable. Nigeria is not in crisis and will never be. The challenge it is currently facing is normal which a .....

Sokoto — Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, has cautioned Islamic preachers against preaching in the way and manner that could confuse their followers on their relationship with the Christian brothers in order not to jeopardise peace in the country. He stated this, yesterday, in a message at the closing ceremony of the 26th Sokoto State Qur’anic recitation competition, at the auditorium of the Sultan Muhammadu Maccido Institute for Qur’an and General Studies in Sokoto. He said: “I will like to appeal to Islamic preachers to conduct their preachings in such a way as not to confuse their followers in matters of their relationship with their neighbours, thereby throwing the nation into crisis.” Represented by the Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Mohammad Ilyasu Bashar, t.....

KANO – Nigerian Police in concert with memebers of Vigillante Group last night apply maximum force to disperse thousands of protesters occupying Kano city centre. The incident occured around 1.30am , Thursday morning , as substantial part of the multitude were asleep at the centre after a convenant was signed between the Muslims and their Christian brothers on right to worship. Eyewitnesses told Vanguard that the police fired several cannister of teargas at the sleeping crowd before unleashing violence on the protesters. The account had it that in the ensuing confusion, no fewer than 42 protesters sustained various degree of injury, while six were arrested and subsequently released on intervention by leaders of the protesters. Vanguard learnt that the Coas.....

For former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, removal of fuel subsidy would correct distortions in the economy. But former Justice Minister, Prince Bola Ajibola disagreed, saying the removal is an explosive issue that must be handled with utmost care and caution. Chief Anyaoku told shareholders of Orient Petroleum Resources Plc, during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Awka, Anambra State, at weekend, that it would reduce pressure on the exchange rate. As Anyaoku spoke, vice-chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Arthur Okowa said subsidy on kerosene would go in 2014. Speaking with Daily Sun in Abuja, Okowa, who is also a member of the Committee on Gas, said Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, told a panel at an interactive session that .....

The Director of Lagos Business School, Prof Pat Utomi has denounced the Federal Government imposition of collective tax on Nigerians in the guise of deregulation of the prices of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS. Prof Utomi, who was the presidential candidate of Social Democratic Mega Party, SDMP, said the Federal Government has sold a dummy to Nigerians that the increase in the pump price of fuel was a product of its policy on deregulation “when in actual fact the government is using it as a disguised taxation on petroleum, to raise revenue as it is still business as usual in the process of importation and distribution of fuel by cronies and lackeys of government.” Prof Utomi said a genuine process of deregulation of the petroleum sector will entail transparent process of p.....

ILORIN Youths in their hundreds stormed the streets of Ilorin, Kwara State capital, yesterday, venting their anger over the removal of the fuel subsidy. One of them was allegedly shot dead by the stray bullets fired by security agents, allegedly into their midst to disperse them. Motorists and motorcyclists, for fear of being attacked by the protesting youth hurriedly turned back while many pedestrians also ran way from the affected areas. Security agents and anti riots policemen, who stormed the scenes to disperse the protesters using canisters of tear gas and shooting into the air with alleged live bullets, were said to be responsible for the death of the protester. Pandemonium ensued when both the protesting youths and passers-by ran helter-skelter f.....

LAGOS – One person was killed yesterday in Ilorin as spontaneous mass protests greeted the new year’s sudden removal of petrol subsidy in the country. The protests in which about 300 serving policemen participated in Lagos also took place in Kano, Benue and Oyo states among others. The Police Headquarters in Abuja described its personnel who protested as mutineers. In Lagos, Nigerians protesting the subsidy removal and the over 150 per cent hike in the pump price of petrol shut down major parts of the state, including the ever-busy Ikorodu Road as vehicular movements were halted for over six hours. This came as a Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, (name withheld), descended heavily on junior police officers for not firing live bullets at un-armed protesters.....

Akure—THE National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Joint Campus Committee, Ondo State and the Senate of the National Association of Ondo State Students, NAOSS, yesterday gave President Goodluck Jonathan a 24- hour ultimatum to reverse the removal of subsidy on petroleum products or face massive protests. At a briefing in Akure, the students threatened that the two bodies would mobilize over one million members across the country to protest what they called President Jonathan’s inhuman action. They condemned the subsidy removal, stressing that it showed that Mr. President was insensitive to the plight of the masses. NAOSS National President, Victor Oguntoyinbo and Ondo State NANS Coordinator, Omotayo Oladele, noted that with the removal of fuel subs.....

CATHOLIC Archbishop of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, has warned that Nigeria was drifting dangerously, asking that urgent steps be taken by the Federal Government to address the current insecurity in the country. He called for what he described as the ‘’revolution of the mind and spirit.” Okogie lamented that the government has failed to protect Nigerians in the face of incessant bombings by Boko Haram Islamic sect. In his New Year message to the nation, Okogie said only the collective will of the citizens, government and God can change the dark cloud hanging over Nigeria. The cleric said: “To get back on track and salvage our beloved country from its present woes, there is need for change. There is an urgent need for a revolution. In line with the three dimensi.....

Former leader of Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari has warned that Niger Delta fighters are ready to take up arms to fight Boko Haram Islamists, and are holding back only out of respect for the president. Dokubo-Asari, a Muslim who led a rebellion in the Delta until a peace deal with the government in 2004, said bomb attacks by Boko Haram could provoke retaliation by mostly Christian Southerners, including those living in the delta. Asked if Northerners could be the in the south, he replied: “It is seconds away ... Nigeria is on the precipice of a civil war.” “For Niger Delta, people to take up arms is just a minute away. Its just Goodluck that is holding us back,” said Asari. “We have all reached the extreme. There is nothing anybody can do a.....

Nigerians are protesting in different parts of the country against the removal of fuel subsidy and spiked gas prices. Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s president, faces a growing backlash to his sudden removal of a fuel subsidy programme, seen as one of the few contributions the government of Africa’s biggest oil and gas producer makes to its people’s wellbeing.

Port Harcourt—Labour unions and civil society groups in Rivers State have been warned against embarking on protest marches and demonstrations against the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government. Describing protest marches and demonstrations without police permit as illegal, Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr Suleiman Aba, yesterday, said Police was not against strike actions but that people should not take to the streets without a permit. Meanwhile, commuters in the state have lamented the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy on transportation system in the state. Vanguard investigations yesterday showed that transportation costs went up by over a hundred percent on almost all routes in the state capital. Some commuters told the Vanguard that t.....

The Federal Government, yesterday, assured that there would be no reprisal killings in the Niger Delta region, in response to the violent activities of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram. Government’s assurance came against the backdrop of the two weeks ultimatum given by Egbesu warriors, after the bombing of a mosque in Sapele, Delta State, to Muslims in the region, to leave or face reprisal killings. Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Matters, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, in an interview in Lagos, said the reported attack on the mosque in Sapele was an isolated case, which should not be seen as retaliatory attack. According to him, the provocative antics of the Boko Haram sect will not instigate any form of attacks on Northern or Islamic targets. He .....

ABEOKUTA—THE Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, have urged the National Assembly to commence impeachment process on President Goodluck Jonathan for alleged contravention of the constitution. They also described the Federal Government’s action to remove the fuel subsidy as lawless. This also coincided with a mass protest by students under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, against the removal of fuel subsidy. The students who shut down the state capital for hours during the protest match that took place on major streets in the state capital, described the policy as anti-people. The state chairman of NLC, Comrade Akeem Ambali, while reacting to the removal of fuel subsidy, ye.....

LAGOS – CONSEQUENCES of full deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry or removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government began taking its toll on the citizenry yesterday across the country. Commuters had to contend with over 100 per cent hike in transport fares as fuel price ranged from N140.50 to N200. Price differentials were noticed in many petrol stations within the same town. This came as mixed reactions continued to trail the policy with some members of the House of Representatives describing the Federal Government action as a breach of faith and vowed to lead the mass protest being organised by Labour against removal of fuel subsidy. We ‘ll stand with the Nigerian people – Reps Reacting to the issue, some members of the House of Represen.....

Ordinary Nigerians and trade unionists have condemned the government for withdrawing a fuel price subsidy which has led petrol prices to more than double in many areas. The BBC's Chris Ewokor in the capital, Abuja, says many Nigerians are angry at the announcement, fearing the price of many other goods will also rise. There have been small protests and the trade unions have called for a strike. Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer, but imports refined petrol. Years of mismanagement and corruption mean it does not have the capacity to refine oil, turning it into petrol and other fuels. Analysts say many Nigerians regard cheap fuel as the only benefit they get from the nation's oil wealth. Several previous governments have tried to .....

ABUJA – PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, explained why it took him some time before declaring emergency rule in 15 local government areas of Borno, Plateau, Niger and Yobe states, saying that it was to avoid unpardonable mistakes that will tell on the lives and well-being of Nigerians. Speaking at the First Baptist Church, Garki, Abuja, where he attended the new year church service with his family and aides, Jonathan explained that “when I’m challenged I think more, I don’t rush to take decisions, I listen more to people. That is why a times it looks as if I’m slow. I also know that when people rush to take decisions, they also make a lot of mistakes. A lot of people only celebrate their successes and not their mistakes.” Jonathan, who also ordered the immedi.....

On the lips of eminent Nigerians and groups yesterday were mixed views on the Federal Government’s declaration of state of emergency in some areas of four states of the country, to contain the murderous activities of the Boko Haram Sect. President Goodluck Jonathan on December 31, 2011 declared emergency rule in 15 Local Councils spread across the states of Borno (five), Yobe (five), Plateau (four) and Niger (one) as part of “decisive measures necessary to restore normalcy in the country especially within the affected communities.” Response to the decision yesterday ranged from approval to criticism and cautious optimism. Among those who spoke on the issue were the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF); Second Republic Politician, Alhaj.....

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has rejected criticisms of turning the services of the state administration from the poor and flayed insinuations that his predecessor, Bola Tinubu was a sponsor of the Lekki Concession Company, LCC. Speaking against the background of criticisms following the hike in fees at the Lagos State University, LASU and the tolling of the Lekki –Epe highway, Governor Fashola said yesterday that even as he would have loved to reduce the tolls his hands were tied by the contracts with LCC. The governor particularly expressed his personal hurt over misleading news reports that a man was killed in the course of the protest against the tolling of the Lekki-Epe road saying that as a defender of human rights, that he could not turn to brutal tac.....

ABUJA – FOR the third time in as many elections, the Presidential Candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the April 16, 2011 presidential polls, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), yesterday lost his bid to overturn the election of a sitting president when a seven-man panel of the Supreme Court affirmed the election of President Goodluck Jonathan. And as he had done in 2003 and 2007 when he ran on the plank of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and lost to Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, respectively, both at the polls and in the law courts, Buhari yesterday rejected the ruling, saying that it was politically motivated and had little or no judicial content. He warned the government to save the country from imminent collap.....

LAGOS – The last appears not to have been heard about the on-going health workers’ strike which has shut down essential healthcare services at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH,Idi-Araba. With no apparent end in sight, persons seeking treatment are being forced to look elsewhere other than the tertiary health institution even as in-patients have been compulsorily discharged from the wards as the striking medical and health workers vowed not to return to work. Currently, only the set of quintuplets born a couple of weeks ago at the health institution are still on admission at the Intensive Care Unit, ICU. This development emerged as a result of special arrangement by the hospital authorities to ensure the babies, who were born with low birth weight, con.....

ABUJA – NIGERIA Christians under the auspices of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Wednesday described the Christmas Day terrorists attacks on Christians and churches in Madalla, Jos, Damaturu and Maiduguri as a declaration of Islamic Jihad on Christians. The leadership of CAN led by its President, Ayo Oritshejafor, in a prepared speech at a meeting last night with President Goodluck Jonathan, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, blamed the attacks on Islamic, religious and traditional rulers for not publicly condemning the activities of the sect adding that its members may have no other option than to fight back when attacked. President Jonathan, in his response, however, called for calm, assuring that government was on top of the situation as some arrests have b.....

In November, dozens of armed men descended on a town in northern Nigeria and killed more than 100 people in a coordinated series of bombings and gun attacks. Many of those targeted were Christians, but police stations and mosques deemed "insufficiently Islamic" were also attacked. The town was Damataru, capital of the Nigerian state of Yobe, and the assailants belonged to the group Boko Haram, which translates from the local Hausa as "Western education is outlawed." In two years, Boko Haram has morphed from a radical Muslim sect into an insurgency responsible for dozens of attacks in Nigeria and beyond. Western intelligence analysts believe it is also developing links with al Qaeda affiliates in Africa. Boko Haram's targets include police out.....

The war Veterans Social Welfare Association is the association of soldiers that fought the Biafra-Nigerian civil war under the command of the late Gen. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and integrated with the Nigerian Legion, the association was inaugurated by Ojukwu himself after the war. The General Commander of the veterans, Col. Emmanuel Ossai, who hails from Aboh, Nokwa East LGA, Delta State, took over from the first commander, Col. Professor Awamadu, after the latter’s death. In a memorable occasion, he was handed over the staff of office by Ojukwu himself on March 24, 2009. In this interview in Enugu, Col. Ossai spoke on Ojukwu’s death and the future of Biafra. He remains optimistic that Biafra would be reality through .....

By the end of today, people would have wound up all their Christmas purchases. Even within the week, it was all frenzy. As a result of the rush, prices of goods and services have doubled, putting everyone in a tight corner. Families, in order to meet up with the season’s demands, do all manner of things. If anything, the children must celebrate and their parents must look for the money. Rush for rice It is obvious that when Christmas is mentioned, rice would be one of the important items that would enter into the minds of the people, especially the younger ones. It is also the major item for gift. Therefore, the demand becomes higher, and as that happens, the prices increase based on the law of demand and supply. A bag of rice, which was sold for N7,500 now sells for between.....

Ahead of Christmas tomorrow, the gun battle between security operatives and members of the Boko Haram sect yesterday took devastating dimension in Damaturu, Yobe State, with the killing of no fewer than 50 people. This is coming at a time about 11 people have been killed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital in multiple explosions. In the Damaturu incident, it was gathered the gun duel, which started around 2.30pm on Thursday and continued till the time of filing this report yesterday, has claimed the lives Officer-in-Charge (O/C) of MOPOL in Damaturu, Ibrahim Mohammed and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (A/C), Operations, Ibrahim Abubakar. Following the intensity of the gun battle, more military personnel have been deployed to Damaturu and Potiskum. All streets .....

Team Manager of Bukola Babes of Ilorin, Alloy Chukwuemeka, has described the recent Annual Congress of the Nigeria Premier League in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, as a huge success, calling on all stakeholders to rally round the Chief Victor Rumson Baribote-led board to move the Nigerian League forward. “The Annual Congress of the Nigeria Premier League was a huge success. We all came out of the Congress smiling and I'm sure that the 2011/12 season would be a better one for all of us. We all agreed to eschew all bitterness and closed ranks to move the Nigerian League forward,” he told League Unlimited moments after the Congress in Yenagoa. “Last season was a bad experience. The leadership crisis we had robbed the league of a lot of positives before we were able to stabilise.....

The Federal Government yesterday said it was yet to fix a definite date for the commencement of the removal of petroleum subsidy, as it was still consulting with stakeholders. Addressing State House correspondents, after the last Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting for 2011, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, and the Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama, said the government was still engaging different groups in dialogue for proper understanding of the subsidy issue. Maku said: “No take-off date has been announced. The truth of the matter is our country is in a very difficult economic situation to continue to run Nigeria with one third of the budget set to subsidise one product is absolutely a path to difficulty for the economy. We have continued to be tal.....

With the introduction of E-Receipt in Ekiti State, Governor Kayode Fayemi has succeeded in stopping fraudulent practices that have been rocking the state Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The body generated N600 million in November and now targets N1biliion monthly. Speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, Fayemi said the state has been generating about N109million as Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, for so many years before he came into government. The E-Receipt that the governor commissioned in October 2011 exposed a lot of the atrocities that have been rocking the IRS for years, as the IGR jumped up from that N109million to N600million in a month. Fayemi disclosed that with that discovery, it was clear to him that he could generate N1Billion if he adopts all t.....

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola said yesterday that he and his Oyo State counterpart, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, are ready to re-open the murder case of Chief Bola Ige (SAN), 10 years after his murder. Ige, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, was killed in his bedroom at his Bodija, Ibadan residence on December 23, 2001. Aregbesola said he had held series of meetings with Ajimobi on how to re-open the case within the next 12 months. The governor made the disclosure at Premier Hotel, Ibadan, venue of a lecture entitled: “Political violence and assassinations: Implications for the future of democracy in Nigeria”, organized in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Ige’s assassination. According to him, the fact that the Federal Gover.....

Chairman Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, yesterday reiterated the need for the establishment of Electoral Offences Tribunal (EOT), saying it will help to fast-track prosecution of electoral offenders. Jega stated this when the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Dorothee Janetzke Wenzel, visited him. He said INEC would use the window of the expected amendment to the constitution and the Electoral Act next year to canvass the establishment of the special tribunal in line with the determination of the electoral organ to sanitize the entire electoral space of the country. Jega explained that INEC was eager to prosecute electoral offenders to check electoral malpractice, which he regretted had become a clog in the wheel of the country.....

Ahead of the prediction by oil experts that Nigeria’s oil well reserve might dry up within the next 35 to 45 years, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in Ewekoro, Ogun State said his administration was committed to diversifying Nigeria’s economy. Jonathan who spoke at the inauguration of the 2.5 million metric tonnes of Cement Factory tagged ‘’Ewekoro II’’ , built by the nation’s pioneer cement company, Lafarge Wapco Cement , also said his administration was committed to encouraging private sector to go into manufacturing. His words: ‘’ As a government, our commitment is to make sure that we diversify, we must move away from the mono-culture of depending exclusively on crude oil. As a nation, we must prepare for our children and grand children. “We must encourage our priv.....

Three weeks after Senators called for the prosecution of former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his alleged culpability in the sale of privatized companies, Senate suddenly kept mum on the request yesterday. Before commencement of legislative business on Tuesday, Senate went straight into a closed-door session which lasted less than 30 minutes. Daily Sun gathered that the Senate leadership was split on the consideration of the BPE report. Twice, the report was listed on the Senate Order Paper for consideration and twice, it was removed. Last Thursday, the report was removed from the Order Paper and a fresh order published even after Senators were already in the chamber for the business of the day. Shortly before consideration of the recommendations of the ad-h.....

The House of Representative Committee on Sports has attributed the problem of Nigerian sports on the inability of the Presidency to appoint a competent professional as the minister of sports, insisting that as long as incompetent persons continue to occupy the position, our sports would continue to be in the doldrums. A member of the Committee from Kano, Hon. Engr. Muhammed AG Wudil, who made the assertion while fielding questions from Daily Sunsports at the National Assembly during the recent interaction with sports stakeholders, lamented that President Goodluck Jonathan, who is an apostle of continuity, had failed to appoint professionals to handle the Sports Ministry. Enumerating the factors that contributed to the problems Nigerian sports, especially football is faci.....

Mr. Wale Shofunlayo, a legal practitioner, is, perhaps, the happiest man at the moment. This is understandable, considering that his wife was penultimate Friday safely delivered of quintuplets three girls and two boys at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba. The multiple delivery has turned the hospital into a Mecca of sorts as it was recording such a medical feat for the first time. Since the arrival of the pleasant surprise, Mr. Shofunlayo has been full of praises to God and the hospital. Besides, his equally bemused friends have ceaselessly bombarded him with different questions concerning the miracle multiple birth. “Wale, can it be true? How did you do it? Some jokingly say they don’t want to touch me so I don’t implicate them,” he told Da.....

Owing to the high political temperature generated from the decision to remove oil subsidy, the Federal Government may have pushed the planned removal from January to April 2012. National Assembly sources told Daily Sun that the decision to shift the new take-off date to April was based on “inconclusive consultations� across all the sectors of the economy and politicians. Months of intensive lobby by the Presidency for the National Assembly (NASS) to endorse the removal, beginning from the 2012 fiscal year ran into troubled waters. President Goodluck Jonathan may be at the crossroads as an intensive lobby of the leadership of the National Assembly and some key committee chairmen has failed, for now. Federal lawmakers have, so far, refused to endorse his proposal.....

KADUNA – A week after an explosion killed seven people leaving six injured in Kaduna, the city witnessed another bomb explosion yesterday triggering a pandemonium that sent hundreds of residents scampering to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Barracks about two kilometres away. The explosion which occurred around 1:30pm on Ibrahim Rintiyi street, Unguwan Magaji, Kawo, Kaduna, demolished about seven buildings around the house where it exploded. Though no death was recorded, three persons believed to be the occupants of the House, ran out of the building covered in blood, but were chased and apprehended by locals who promptly handed them over to the Police. When Vanguard visited the site, around 3pm yesterday the place was smelling of gunpowder, with smoke still .....

ABUJA – MINISTER of Finance and coordinating minister for economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday, said Nigeria was not going to implement any programme initiated by the International Monetary Fund, IMF, even as the Senate President David Mark urged the Fund to make its economic and financial policies friendly to Africa if the desired results must be achieved. Contrary to insinuations that the Federal Government is implementing designed programmes of the Fund, Okonjo-Iweala, who was accompanied by Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to the House of Representatives, explained that the Fund had changed the modality of its operation, adding: “IMF of today is different from the IMF of yester-years. “We are now partnering with an ins.....

The Senator representing Osun-East in the National Assembly, Babajide Omoworare, has said senators elected on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), will continue to kick against the move by President Goodluck Jonathan to remove oil subsidy. Omoworare, who is the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Characters, said their decision was born out of their determination to be on the side of the masses and also to ensure welfarist policies and programmes by the Federal Government. Delivering a lecture, entitled: Checks and balances: Nigeria in search of credible and sustainable election, to mark the 2011 Pen Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) chapel in Osogbo, Omoworare stressed the need for al.....

Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe has lamented that irrespective of the campaign by the Federal Government on the need to rid the nation of fraud in public offices, the campaign has not yielded any result. As a way of tackling the problem, Nzeribe challenged President Goodlcuk Jonathan to first remove the government subsidy on gross and wanton corruption before that of oil he canvasses. He said there is heavy subsidy the Federal Government pays on corruption by condoning it, and that what actually saps the resources of the nation is not oil subsidy but corruption. He noted that since government keeps quiet on corruption, which is the major strain on the economy of the nation, it implies it still retains the subsidy on it. “The government complains of spending heavil.....

Since she was born, 12-year-old Shade Samuel has always been a very promising girl. Pretty, brilliant and imbued with a bundle of talents, she started dazzling her schoolmates since she turned three and began her elementary education. She has always displayed uncommon brilliance so much so that one of her teachers nicknamed her ‘The professor.’ And at home, her parents were always comforted that Shade would eventually put their family name in a positive, prominent spot on the global pedestal. That might not happen unless help comes very quickly. The brilliant girl recently had her two eyes shattered by bullets allegedly fired by some Boko Haram fighters in Maiduguri. And with that, the family’s lofty dreams are gradually turning into an unending nightmare. All t.....

The Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, has granted a request by the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) Governorship candidate in the December 3, 2011 poll in Kogi State, Prince Abubabar Audu to conduct paternity test on the two children from his estranged wife, Mrs. Aisha Audu. Documents available to Daily Sun showed that the court which gave the order on November 23, 2011, however, insisted that the genetic test on the children, Abubakar Audu Jr and Shazali, should be conducted within 30 days after the entry of the order, after which the “written results of such blood tests be supplied to the parties and the court.� The former Kogi State first lady, Mrs. Aisha Audu instituted a divorce case against her husband, Prince Abubakar Audu, former Kogi State.....

Cynthia Chika Onwuka, a lawyer is the Founder/ Executive Director of Women Rights & Empowerment Initiative (WORI), a non-governmental organization based in Nigeria. She has avid interest in the rights of women & children and democracy/governance. She worked for several years as a Programs Officer, in the area of Women’s Human Rights, with Women Aid Collective (WACOL). Onwuka coordinates a network of lawyers who provide pro-bono services for vulnerable children in conflict with the law and indigent women in Rivers State. Onwuka is the pioneer coordinator of Rivers State Child Protection Network (CPN), a network of NGOs that work for the protection of children’s human rights. She contributed immensely to the establishment of the body across the States of Nigeria. She c.....

Cynthia Chika Onwuka, a lawyer is the Founder/ Executive Director of Women Rights & Empowerment Initiative (WORI), a non-governmental organization based in Nigeria. She has avid interest in the rights of women & children and democracy/governance. She worked for several years as a Programs Officer, in the area of Women’s Human Rights, with Women Aid Collective (WACOL). Onwuka coordinates a network of lawyers who provide pro-bono services for vulnerable children in conflict with the law and indigent women in Rivers State. Onwuka is the pioneer coordinator of Rivers State Child Protection Network (CPN), a network of NGOs that work for the protection of children’s human rights. She contributed immensely to the establishment of the body across the States of Nigeria. She c.....

As the Federal government continues its programme for the privatization of the power sector, the Electricity workers have reiterated that it may be an effort in futility if government fails to pay all their full entitlements, even as they denied stalling the biometric process. The workers under the aegis of Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) and National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), stated at a Send forth programme organized for past National Executives of SSAEAC in Lagos last week that the two unions were never against the biometric process initiated by the government towards paying the 50% arrears. The National President of SSAEAC, Comrade Bede Opara said that though the government went in contrary to the appliance of the bi.....

Four suspected members of Boko Haram were killed in Kano State in bloody shootouts between the members of the sect and the police, while a total of 14 members arrested. The sect killed four Police officers, while one officer was injured in the bloody operations that rocked the state in the past few days. Police Commissioner, Mr. Ibrahim K. Idris yesterday, paraded four of the arrested suspects at the headquarters of the command. Briefing the Press on the series of encounters with the sect, the Commissioner revealed that on December 14, “a team of detectives arrested one Abdullahi Ahmed of Hotoro Road Kano at a petrol filling station, Kofar Nassarawa with a stolen Honda Accord with Registration No. CP408� He added that during investigation, they received a repor.....

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has threatened a full blown strike if the Federal Government does not implement the recommendations made by the inter-ministerial/stakeholders’ committee on the inspection and verification of Depot Facilities of Members of Jetty and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria (JEPTFON) before December 31, 2011. National president, Benneth Korie, disclosed in Abuja at the weekend that the report contains recommendations on deregulation that government must look into before removing fuel subsidy or it will destabilize the nation The report, which took three weeks for the 18-man committee to come up with, he claimed, had been on the table of the Petroleum Minister for some time, yet, nothing was done about the important.....

Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly Church, Lagos, Pastor Tunde Bakare, said yesterday that the debate on the proposed fuel subsidy removal confirmed the failure of leadership, describing the debate as “weapon of mass deception.” Bakare said at a Press conference in his church’s auditorium in Lagos that “if we ever allow this to take place, Nigerians will be made to pay for the ineptitude of their leaders and the kleptomania of the government functionaries.” The cleric, who was the presidential running mate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the April 2011 election, said the plan to remove the subsidy was uncalled for, stating that there is “no subsidy in the price of the fuel being refined in the country for domestic consumption.” According to him, the Fe.....

The female Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who was said to be the guest of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police in-charge of investigations, Mr. Ganiyi Ali Dawodu, at the time of his death, has been flown to Abuja for questioning. Dawodu died in a hotel room in Lagos, after he represented the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Hafiz Ringim, during the commissioning of Crime File, organized by Bi-Communications, producers of Crime Fighters: Police and You, held at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, on Thursday, December 15, 20011. Daily Sun gathered from a senior police officer that the female officer, who came from Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, was ordered to be flown to Abuja, by Ringim to help the detectives in their investigation, into the cause of the sudden de.....

Amidst a flurry of protests and counter protests, traffic gridlock and outright disorder, the planned tolling of the Eti-Osa -Lekki Expressway, took off yesterday on a shaky note. Commuters plying the axis had a hellish time as traffic spanned almost two kilometres on both stretches of the ever-busy road. It was confusion galore as some motorists refused to leave the plaza until they had collected to the last kobo, the balance of the money they paid as tolls. Although the toll fees announced by Lekki Concession Company Limited LCC, the concessionaire handling the expansion of the 49.5 kilometre road, is N50 for motorcycles, N120 for saloon cars and tricycles, N150 for Sports Utility Vehicles, SUVs, minibuses and pick-up truck, N80 for commercial Danfo mini-buses and N250.....

The Boko Haram sect has , yesterday , confirmed that three of its members were killed by their own bombs in Saturday’s explosion in Shuwari, Maiduguri. Spokesman of the group, Mallam Abul Qaqa, made the confirmation in a telephone conference with newsmen in Maiduguri “We have hundreds of members that are willing to sacrifice their lives in this crusade; the unfortunate incident of Saturday will not discourage us; if anything, it will encourage us to strategise and diversify our techniques because we are not afraid of death,” Qaqa said. The Joint Task Force (JTF) on Operation Restore Order had told newsmen on Saturday that three suspected members of the group died in an early morning explosion at Shuwari in Maiduguri. Lt. Col. Hassan Ifijeh, the Public Relat.....

KANO – Three policemen were killed weekend in a bloody clash with members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect at Darmunawa quarters in Kano municipality. Four members of the sect also died in the encounter while 14 of them were arrested with assorted Improvised Explosive Devices and three posh cars recovered. Kano state police commissioner Mr Ibrahim Idris said the shootout occurred on Saturday after a suspected Boko Haram leader discovered that his house was under surveillance by the police and called out other members of the group to attack the police. Idris told newsmen that two of the police officers on surveillance duty were killed, and that when reinforcements were sent, one of those officers was also shot dead and another wounded. “Four of the sect members were shot d.....

One of the leaders of Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram has been arrested after a shoot-out in the northern city of Kano, police say. Muhammed "Hamza" Aliyu was held as he tried to flee the city after an exchange of fire outside his residence, they said. Three police officers and four militants were killed, according to Kano state police chief Ibrahim Idris. Boko Haram has staged numerous attacks across northern and central Nigeria. The group, whose name means Western education is forbidden, often targets the security forces and state institutions. In August it claimed responsibility for a bomb at the UN headquarters in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, which killed at least 23 people.

Ahead of the planned commencement of toll collection on Lekki-Epe Expressway today, heavily armed policemen, yesterday, stopped a demonstration when they dispersed hundreds of residents along the axis who stormed the Admiralty Plaza, at Admiralty Circle Plaza at Lekki–Eti-Osa in protest against the tolling. Meanwhile, an unconfirmed report had it that one person later died as a result of bullet wound he sustained during the incident. The police claimed, last night, to have fired gunshots into the air to disperse the protesters because they were armed. There were conflicting reports as to the cause of the disturbance. While the residents said the police and hoodlums attacked them, another account had it that trouble started when the protesters tried to force motorist.....

Violence among couples has continued to greet pages of newspapers, magazines and airtime of radio and television in recent times. Before now, though, it was violence against women that made the headlines, now the trend is changing and very fast too. Violence against men is fast gaining public attention. Also, Nigerian courts are today inundated with divorce cases, some of them arising from spousal battering. In some extreme cases, victims of domestic violence are not alive to either, seek redress in the court of law or tell their own story. One of the recent and celebrated cases of violence against women was that of Titilayo Arowolo, a 27-year-old mother of one, who was gruesomely murdered allegedly by her husband, Kolade. The banker was alleged to have been axed to deat.....

Gowon’s pardon By 1981, particularly after President Shehu Shagari granted amnesty to General Yakubu Gowon, Emeka, who was fond of calling Gowon ‘Jack,’ felt that their ‘two cases’ could have been considered in tandem, but because the people of Plateau made a strong case for Gowon, while ‘the East’ was not able to present a united front on his case, it would appear to Shagari that Gowon’s case was a more pressing national issue. He then suggested that we pursue a new initiative by making the necessary contacts with those within the listening range of President Shagari and others outside of this orbit. The primary targets were Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, Dr. Ibrahim Tahir and Chief Victor Masi. Okadigbo was to be the arrowhead, since he was the Political Adviser to the President. Tah.....

The current strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) smacked of déjà vu. The world, it seemed, had turned full circle to give us a replay of an occurrence that happened 30 years earlier. This was in 1981, when Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria was the president of this country. He was then presiding over a country that was gradually but surely spinning out of control. But we did not know it. This was because we were young, anxious and full of life. We had just finished from the secondary school where they had consistently told us the future was bright. They equally and continuously drummed it into our skulls that we were ‘the leaders of tomorrow.’ Basking in the euphoria of being young and versatile, we all looked forward to the future with .....

The National Economic Council (NEC) rose from its meeting on Monday this week to announce that it wholeheartedly supports the Federal Government’s plan to remove subsidy on petroleum products. For months now, the debate has been going on. While most Nigerians are opposed to it, government, particularly, says there is no going back on it. Recently in his Akure residence, Professor Sam Aluko, former Chairman of National Economic and Intelligence Committee (NEIC) during Abacha era, it was that government’s stance on the issues is wrong-headed. He believes that, in the first place, the whole idea of importing fuel and all the processes involved are dubious. He gave detailed breakdown, showing why the idea is fraudulent from the days of the military, up till now. He added: “All gove.....

The 29-member Committee for the Reform of the Judiciary set up by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, yesterday submitted its report with three of its members refusing to sign the document. Although, no official reason was given for their actions, but Daily Sun learnt that they disagreed with some of the recommendations reached in the report. Specifically, a member of the committee told Daily Sun under anonymity that the contentious issues include those bordering on (a) whether the CJN should retain the chairmanship of the National Judicial Council (b) whether to allow members of the public to have input into the appointment of judges by advertising such appointments and lastly whether to retain judges who have been consistently performing below aver.....

IKEJA-No fewer than five persons, including a ministry official, were trapped, yesterday afternoon, as a one-storey building collapsed at Alausa, Ikeja, close to the Governor’s Office. At press time, no casualty was recorded in the incident. The building, being built by the Ministry of Environment and still under construction, caved in at exactly 2:30 p.m. The building is about 10 metres away from the main building of Lands Bureau, on the same premises, with a commercial bank adjacent Alausa Millennium Park. it was gathered that the site engineer, Mr. Oki, was rescued at exactly 3:55pm, after over one and half hours. One of the onlookers, told Vanguard that the building belongs to the state Ministry of Environment. “The Ministry of Physical P.....

Two brothers, Ben Justus and Fred Justus (not real names), alleged to be notorious armed robbers, and specialising in car theft were recently arrested by the Lagos State Special Anti–Robbery Squad (SARS). Luck ran against them when, with the other members of their gang, they robbed a victim at a hotel in Lagos. One of the gang members was said to have seen the owner of the car where he parked his car and was urinating by the side, pointed a gun at him and took away the car. They sold the car for N250,000 at Amukoko, Lagos. The buyer gave N15,000 to Ben, which he shared with his brother, Fred. He was said to have given him N7,000. The officer in charge of SARS in the state, Mr. Abba Kyari, said the two suspects were notorious for robbing people of their cars. He stated th.....

A first time visitor to Ibadan North West Local Government Area of Oyo State could wonder what a “comfort station” is on sighting any of the10 structures springing up in some parts of the metropolis. However, the buildings are simply public conveniences being put up by the council chairman, Wasiu Olatunbosun led-administration in response to the perennial health and environmental challenges of the area. The public toilets are sited in Ayeye, Agbaje, Oke Padre and Abebi areas, which constitute the slums and half rural part. The other part being the more developed and elitist neighbourhoods of Eleyele, Onireke and part of Mokola, all located on the western wing of the local government area. It is no surprise that the toilets are being sited at the former. They are notoriou.....

Investors in the nation’s capital market have subscribed N20.3 billion in the first tranche N20 billion of Ekiti State N25 billion bonds recently floated with a three-year call option, but with N20 billion being its first tranche. The bonds issue tied to infrastructure development, modernized agriculture, education & human capital development, health care services and industrial development, was issued at 14.5 per cent, well below the last Federal Government bond auctioned at 16 per cent by the Debt Office and well below other state government’s planned bond. Briefing newsmen at the weekend on the success of the bond offer, the Commissioner for Finance and Budget Planning Mr. Dipo Kolawole, said the bond would be utilised as 50 per cent development and 50 per cent as inc.....

O people! Be pious and conscious of Allaah and enjoy the good things that He has made lawful for you. Be grateful to Allaah by carrying out the duties that He has enjoined upon you. Gratitude is a necessary condition for the perpetuation and increase of the bounties of Allaah. O people! Beware of making use of what Allaah has made unlawful unto you. He has only forbidden that which would harm you concerning your life and religion. Allaah is indeed the All-Compassionate, the Ever-Merciful. One of the most harmful things that Allaah has forbidden, and the Muslim jurists have therefore reached a consensus on its unlawfulness, is Khamr, or alcohol and all other intoxicants. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has described Khamr as: ìThe source of all abominable matters. He.....

President Goodluck Jonathan has assured Nigerians that he will not be party to inflicting pains on Nigerians, but warned that the country cannot continue to borrow to fund its economy. He gave the assurance at the 2011 Christmas Carol Service held at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last night. He said the whole world was experiencing economic challenges and Nigeria was not exception, but it will fizzle out soon.“I will plead with religious leaders both Christians and Muslims to join government and see how we will improve the economy of this nation. “We are witnessing a nation, as the years are going the challenges are becoming more. Most societies are becoming more enlightened. The demand for power has increased, the demand for water, the demand for.....

The 29-member Committee for the Reform of the Judiciary set up by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, yesterday submitted its report with three of its members refusing to sign the document. Although, no official reason was given for their actions, but Daily Sun learnt that they disagreed with some of the recommendations reached in the report. Specifically, a member of the committee told Daily Sun under anonymity that the contentious issues include those bordering on (a) whether the CJN should retain the chairmanship of the National Judicial Council (b) whether to allow members of the public to have input into the appointment of judges by advertising such appointments and lastly whether to retain judges who have been consistently performing below aver.....

Ghana’s ruling government has concluded plans to begin export of electric power to Nigeria and other West African countries by 2015. The country’s Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who unfolded the plan in Accra, on Tuesday, said the government has already embarked on extensive expansion of power infrastructure to enable them achieve the project. Mahama explained that a key motivation for the investment was that Ghana presently has competitive advantage in the area of power supply over other neighbouring countries, including Nigeria, which is still grappling with massive power deficit for its estimated 150 million citizens. The vice president, who spoke at a summit on Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Compact Two in Accra, said the country intends to consolidat.....

Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc., Mr. Wale Tinubu, says a vibrant economy, where youths are gainfully employed, remains key to a stable and secured polity. To boost employment in the country, Tinubu wants greater investments in the gas sector, to tap the resource which, he noted, was in abundance but had been left dormant or not effectively tapped for national growth. “With our proven gas reserve base of 187 trillion cubic feet and a further undiscovered potential of 600 trillion cubic feet, Nigeria is positioned to accelerate industrialization, thereby creating jobs which, in turn, lead to political stability and security,” Tinubu said.“Countries such as Brazil and Indonesia have used natural gas as a catalyst to develop their industrial sectors and have moved from low value .....

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was yesterday asked to go after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and expose alleged corruption in the agency after the defence of the 2011 budget performance. Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Anti-corruption, National Ethics and Values, James Faleke, said that ICPC needs to wake up from its slumber and show Nigerians that it was ready for the anti-corruption crusade. The probe, the committee noted, would go a long way to sanitise the petroleum sector as the nation, including President Goodluck Jonathan were in the dark about the number of barrels of crude oil the country is producing daily. “Nigerians need to know more about the effectiveness of the ICPC in .....

The Federal Government has bowed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) demand with the Senate commencing moves to raise the retirement age of professors from 65 to 70 years. The lecturers’ union had been on strike since December 5 to force the government to complement its 2009 agreements. Also, the Senate may raise the retirement age of lecturers from 60 to 65 years. These amendments are contained in a bill to amend the retirement age of academic staff of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education and for matters incidental thereto, 2011. Leading debate on the bill on Wednesday, its sponsor, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, noted that the proposed amendments are in fulfillment of the agreements reached between the Federal Government and ASUU. “The bil.....

An overloaded passenger boat has capsized in Mgbuodohia community, Rivers State. Umesi Emenike of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said on Tuesday that four bodies had been recovered, 10 people rescued and 30 still missing. “As at yesterday, officially, the rescue figure had gone up to 10,” Based on estimates of around 40 or more people on the boat, “we expect that we still have between 25 and 30 persons in the water,” he said. The wooden boat was traveling between Eagle Island and Mgbuodohia. Mgbuodohia community, official Chima Amadi told AFP, the boat was the only reliable means of transport to Port Harcourt because of the bad condition of roads in the area. “More than 40 passengers were on the boat,” he said. “It is quite painful and sad......

The Federal Government has backed down on the removal of fuel subsidy, at least in the interim, even as it plans to merge Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to save costs, Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said in Abuja yesterday. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala, who also doubles as the Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, said government had temporarily jettisoned the idea to allow for “wider consultations with stakeholders.” The government, earlier in the year, had indicated its intention to hands-off the payment of subsidy on fuel, notably petrol and kerosene, in a bid to free up funds for capital expenditure in the 2012 budget. The Presidency had hinged its policy reversal on the huge sums (about N1.4trillion) it was investing in the fuel subsidy regime, and .....

ABEOKUTA—Nigerian Air Force personnel from Logistics Command, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday, engaged a 12-man robbery gang operating on Ota/Idiriko Road, Ogun State, in a shoot-out and foiled the gang’s attempt to snatch vehicles. The bandits reportedly stormed the ever-busy road in two unmarked vehicles which they used to block the road. Thereafter, they dispossessed their victims who were trapped in the resultant traffic of valuables and cash. Traders going to Idiroko border were dispossessed of several hundreds of thousands of naira in the attack that lasted over two hours. One of the motorists was shot by the robbers after he attempted to manoeuvre his way out of the traffic. Security personnel, who were on their way to work, reportedly pulled off thei.....

LAGOS - Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has called for discreet negotiations with the Islamic militant group, Boko Haram, who he claimed are inspired by misguided Islamic teachers. Denying popular claims that Islamic suicide bombers would have a special place of pleasure and privilege in heaven, Aliyu in an interview in the January, 2012 edition of Africa Today, also lamented the dilapidated state of the nation’s refineries which he said generated the unnecessary controversy on the removal of fuel subsidy. Aliyu, who is also Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum also bemoaned the north’s failure to develop the region despite providing leadership for the country for most of its first decade of independence. While observing an international dimension .....

ABUJA— Contrary to reports that the federal government has finally removed fuel subsidy, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, disclosed yesterday, that Goodluck President Jonathan was sill consulting and would announce his decision on the issue at the end of the consultations. “Mr. President is consulting widely on the subsidy issue. He has been consulting with various stakeholders in the country, including private sector operators, students, religious leaders and others. At the end of the wide consultation, we will give him room to take a decision,” she said at the briefing on the 2012 budgetary allocations in Abuja. Thrice, journalists tried to glean information from the minister and each time she stuck to her po.....

Senate President David Mark has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to fulfill all promises made concerning full implementation of the 2012 budget. Mark said this during his opening address to the joint session of the National Assembly on the presentation of the 2012 budget proposals by the President yesterday. The Senate President bemoaned past promises made on failed economic policies and capital projects, which are supposed to benefit Nigerians but not implemented. “Over the years, we have listened to very beautiful and impressive budget speeches eloquently delivered in this chamber. Unfortunately, the implementation has not matched the words as economic policies often lack continuity and projects are needlessly discarded or abandoned. “We have what it takes t.....

President Goodluck Jonathan was surprisingly silent yesterday on the planned removal of fuel subsidy as he unfurled a hefty N4.749 trillion budget for 2012. While presenting the 2012 Appropriation to a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja, Jonathan who based the estimates on a benchmark oil price of US$70 per barrel, did not mention the controversial oil subsidy removal from where his administration had planned to re-coup N1.5 trillion for infrastructure upgrade and development in 2012. It is not yet clear whether the President’s silence on the oil subsidy issue means that he has buckled to pressure from the National Assembly, civil society groups and Nigerians at large not to remove the subsidy on oil. The silence is more confounding even when the President has, .....

The tenure of Senator Nkechi Nwaogu representing Abia State Central Senatorial zone was yesterday brought to an abrupt end as the Court of Appeal nullified her election. In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Ejembi Eko, the appellate court held that Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, where Nwaogu hails from did not fall within Abia Central Senatorial District but is situated in Abia South. It was on the strength of this that her election was declared null and void by the Abuja Division of the court. Her predicament was consequent upon an appeal filed by one of the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the slot, Mr. Emeka Atuma, who challenged her election before the court. The court, however, refrained from declaring Atuma as the rightful candidat.....

ABUJA – President Goodluck Jonathan,yesterday, was silent on the issue of subsidy removal on petroleum products as he presented a budget of N4.749 trillion to the National Assembly with a deficit of N1.105 trillion. He said it would be the start of prudent financial planning. The President said spending would rise from the N4.48 trillion in 2011, to N4.749 trillion in 2012, but recurrent expenditure would fall to 72 per cent of the budget from 74.4 per cent this year as the government focuses more on capital projects. According to the President “This budget is a stepping stone to the transformation of our economy … we cannot subject the wellbeing of Nigerians to unnecessary risks, we must therefore protect ourselves by planning our finances prudently”. Jonathan who dre.....

ABUJA - The Supreme Court, yesterday, fixed December 28 to deliver its judgment on an appeal lodged before it by the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, seeking to sack President Goodluck Jonathan from office. Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, who led six other justices of the apex court that presided over the matter, yesterday, adjourned for judgment after all the parties exchanged and adopted their respective written arguments. The opposition party had gone to the apex court with a view to setting aside the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal that on November 1 affirmed President Jonathan as the authentic winner of the April 16 presidential election. The tribunal which held its sittings at the Abuja Division of the Cou.....

A powerful bomb exploded Tuesday at a military post in the restive, northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, followed by a hail of gunfire, witnesses said. The witnesses said they saw bodies, but we could not confirm any deaths or injuries. They said the military exchanged fire with the attackers and cordoned off the area. Suspicion fell on the militant Islamic sect Boko Haram, especially with the Christmas holidays around the corner. In November, dozens of Boko Haram assailants descended on Damaturu, capital of the Nigerian state of Yobe, and killed more than 100 people in a coordinated series of bombings and gun attacks. Many of those targeted were Christians, but police stations and mosques deemed "insufficiently Islamic" were also attac.....

Honestly, Ojukwu’s death is a very devastating news to me. But, before he died, I was on phone with Iyom Bianca, the wife. She called me few hours before he died and told me that he was in crisis situation. So, after that sad call, we talked more on phone, prayed, cried and all that. Then, when he passed on, Iyom called back to inform me and we continued talking till morning. The whole thing was shocking, but I was able to stabilize myself because, within the hours of that night that I was told that he was in crisis situation, I was following the whole situation and, because of that, the news of his death no longer came to me as sudden announcement because I had an early inkling about his situation. Ojukwu was the father figure of Igbo struggle for emancipation, which.....

Sunday, December 4, 2011 which was the equivalent of Muharam 9, 1433 (Islamic calendar), members of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos Area Unit converged on the Adeyemi Bero Hall, within Alausa Secretariat, Lagos for their annual convention. The theme of this year’s convention was Unemployment and the Islamic Economic System while the topic of discussion was, Islamic Economic Model, a panacea for Global Economic Crisis. Their President (Amir), Mallam Qosim Badrudeen, in his welcome address said the theme of the conference was chosen because “the unemployment crisis in the country has given rise to a lot of socio-economic challenges threatening the stability of the country.” According to him, the matter must be discussed and solution found to it for the.....

President General of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, has called on Nigerians to stop celebrating the free fall of Nigerian football and instead find lasting solutions to rescue Nigerian football. Dr. Ladipo was reacting to Nigeria’s football plunge which went full circle with the failure of the Dream Team V to pick a ticket for the London 2012 Olympic Games. He said that Nigeria as a nation was paying the price of not planning for the rainy day that threw her into the present precarious situation. He observed that the Nigerian football administrators had been laying much emphasis on winning without giving a thought to developmental programmes. “People should stop celebrating the free fall of our football and start seeking ways of reclaming our los.....

It was hectic time for motorists plying Abuja- Lokoja highway yesterday when for over six hours, over 1000 Niger Delta ex-militants blocked the highway causing traffic gridlock in the ever busy road. According to findings, the ex-militants, who were traveling in 60 coast er buses were going to Abu ja from Bayelsa State to make a demand from the Presidency on the fulfillment of their amnesty deals reached with the former president, Umar Yar Adua, when the police intercepted them at the Jamata Head Bridge on the highway The ex-militants, who were said to be vi sibly angry over the interception, then barricaded the road with their vehicles, thereby, making it impossible for any vehicle coming or going to Abuja to ply the road. It took the intervention of the soldiers, who w.....

Burial plans picked up yesterday family members of Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, formally informed the town and the Igwe of the death of their father. The family delegation, led by Sylvester Ojukwu, a lawyer and first son of the Ikemba Nnewi, who had earlier arrived the Igwe’s palace at about 8.30a.m, went through the motions of advising the monarch on the death of his father as the tradition and customs of the town demanded. Sylvester, who was accompanied by his uncle, Chief Innocent Okafor and Obi Benneth Okafor, the paramount ruler of his Umudim community and other delegates, told Igwe K.O.N Orizu III, represented by the palace Secretary, Prince Joseph Ikeotuonye, that his father was dead. The South-East governors had earlier in the week stated that the funeral rites .....

Debe Sylvester Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the late Ikemba’s eldest son is precisely a chip of the old block. He cuts in a special way, the split image of his father-the eye popping, gesticulations, mannerisms, voice modulation, physiognomy, charisma, shining brilliance, a clone, in self admittance. Debe, lawyer by profession sits atop the legendary family business empire in Lagos. In this interview with Daily Sun, he speaks with deep fond memories of his late father, his love for his people, his interests lifestyle and the things that propelled him. His death, in his view is not the end of an era, since “It is something that runs in the family. His own grandfather, Ojukwu Ezeigbo was a great warrior. The history did not start with him. It will not end with him.” He reveals nostalgical.....

Barely 24 hours after the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) held a two-day peace conference on the way out of heightened insecurity especially in the North, a devastating explosion yesterday killed seven people in Kaduna metropolis. The blast occurred at 9.am. The inferno from the explosion razed several houses and shops at Ori-Apata, a highly populated commercial/residential area. Eyewitnesses who did not rule out bombing by the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, said they saw two men riding on a motorcycle near the scene and that one of them was killed in the explosion. They claimed 15 people might have died but the police were yet to ascertain the death toll by Press time. When Daily Sun visited the area yesterday, charred human bodies littered the place, just as fire figh.....

The seven days mourning for Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu announced by the Movement for the Actualization of a Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) ended yesterday with Chief Ralph Uwazuruike commending the people for adhering to the honour for the late Igbo leader. At a joint press conference at Ojukwu's Enugu residence yesterday, both the MASSOB leader and the National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chief Victor Umeh, praised Igbos for their prayers and show of love for their departed leader during the period. Uwazuruike thanked the media especially those in Enugu for the coverage of events so far “and as our seven-day prayers ends; I have to thank all Ndigbo because I was getting reports from all the states and local governments on how it went; .....

Hopes of President Goodluck Jonathan presenting the N4.8 trillion 2012 Appropriation to the National Assembly on Tuesday, December 13 now hangs in the balance. Daily Sun reported on Monday that the Presidency and leadership of the National Assembly had set a tentative date of next Tuesday for the President to present estimates of the new budget to the legislature. Senate, has, however, set a condition for the budget presentation. Senate spokesman, Enyinnaya told newsmen after Wednesday’s plenary that there might not be a way forward for the 2012 budget unless the Medium Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) was put in place. The upper legislative chamber debated the MTFF only on Tuesday, December 6, two months after the President forwarded the document to the National Asse.....

ABUJA — THE Federal Government, yesterday, rejected to criticism by the United States Government following Senate’s outlawing of same sex marriage, insisting that same sex marriage is not only alien to Nigeria’s social and cultural believes but also undemocratic since majority of Nigerians are against it. The government, therefore, asked the US and other countries opposed to the Senate’s passage of the bill banning same sex marriage, to respect Nigerians’ independence, democracy and sovereignty. This came as the Senate, yesterday, insisted that the law banning same sex marriage in Nigeria remains while members of House of Representatives have vowed that the decision by President Obama to fight discrimination against gays and lesbians abroad by using foreign aid and diplo.....

ABUJA — The Nigerian Army, yesterday, told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja how the Boko Haram Islamic sect evolved in Borno State, saying its intelligence report indicated that the sect had only 4,000 converts as at the time its former leader, Mohammed Yusuf, was murdered in 2009. Testifying against five police officers accused of complicity in the extra-judicial murder of the late Boko Haram leader, yesterday, commander of the military task force drafted into Borno State by the Federal Government in 2009, Col. Benjamin Ahanotu, insisted that his team apprehended Yusuf and his followers at their hideout in Maiduguri, and handed them over to Police authorities alive. Ahanotu said his team swooped on leaders of the sect after it was uncovered that they had imported o.....

Soon after the fall of August, the last quarter of the year sets in. This last segment is characterised by months, ending in ember. Nigerians and probably many people across the world believe there are lots of myths, mysteries and even realities associated with this period of the year. Generally, it is believed to be characterised by frenzy. People get agitated the moment August ends and September sets in. Professor Joseph Dada Adeyemi, a psychologist with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) shares his views on the ember months. Hear him: “The ember months, as a subject, is a psychological burden on the society. It is really quite a disturbing period. The ember months have to do with what I always refer to as the social burden on the society. By this, I m.....

Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) yesterday denied today’s sit-at-home order for all Igbos purportedly made by it to end the seven-day mourning period for the late Dim Chukwuemeka-Odumegwu Ojukwu. The sit-at-home was declared by the South-East governors and members of the organisation. Consequently, MASSOB called on the people to ignore the call which it described as false and an attempt to cause confusion and go about their businesses, insisting that the directive never came from it. Some national dailies including Daily Sun yesterday reported a statement allegedly signed by one Bishop C.J.Okeke, National Coordinator, Biafra Clergy Parliament, an arm of MASSOB, directing all the Igbos to sit-at-home today. But in a counter state.....

“Even though my father has a big responsibility towards knowing me according to the Holy Quran, I know myself and I know I’ve not been insane before. In fact, I’ve never been to a psychiatric centre before.” These were the words of convicted Boko Haram spokesman, Ali Umar Konduga (a.k.a Al-Zawahiri) after an Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court sentenced him to three years jail yesterday. He had earlier pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of felony, criminal breach of public trust and intimidation through anonymous communication. Konduga was responding to a report credited to his father last weekend that he (the convict) had mental challenges. The court, however, acceded to SSS’ request to allow the convict to spend his term in its custody in view of the porous nature of t.....

Widow of the Ikemba Nnewi, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, touched down at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, yesterday evening dressed in all black attire. Bianca, who had been in London, returned to Enugu for the first time since the death of her husband on November 26. Although Bianca could not speak to newsmen at the airport, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, who escorted her, said that the February burial date for Ojukwu was actually chosen by President Jonathan. “Actually, the date was given by the family and the governor of Anambra State was mandated to meet with the President over two possible dates; they were January 27, and February 2; and after the meeting with Mr. President, he chose February 2. “You .....

ABUJA — An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court, yesterday, sentenced the self confessed spokesman of the Boko Haram Islamic sect, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga (a.ka Al-Zawahiri) to three years imprisonment without option of fine. Konduga was convicted by the trial court on a two-count criminal charge bothering on criminal breach of public trust and intimidation through anonymous communication, after he had pleaded guilty to all the allegations levelled at him by the State Security Service, SSS. Though Kondunga admitted guilt before the court on November 22, however, presiding Magistrate Oyebiola Oyewumi on that day deferred his sentencing, saying it will be handed to him when the culpability or otherwise of the first accused person, Ndume, who blatantly denied the allegation against .....

ABUJA- Senators were, yesterday, divided over plans by President Goodluck Jonathan to remove subsidies from petroleum products in January 2012. The division came to the fore during the consideration of the 2012-2015 Medium Term Fiscal Frameworks (MTFF) sent to the National Assembly by President Jonathan, even as the Senate plans to extend the 2011 budget to March, 2012. Senate President, David Mark who presided over the session decried the high cost of running the executive arm of government even as the senators faulted the revenue projection of government in the MTFF. While some of the senators believed fuel subsidy removal will trigger development and national growth, others contended that subsidy removal will compound the economic woes of the masses. Som.....

KADUNA-Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Hasan Matthew Kukah and the Arewa Youths Forum, AYF yesterday lampooned Northern leaders over their roles in the under development of the area, saying the leaders were hypocritical with claims of following the footprints of the late Premier of the North, Sir Ahmadu Ballo; just as the former Petroleum Minister called for the proscription of the Christian Association of Nigerian, CAN, warning that failure to do so would force Muslims to come under one umbrella as, Muslim Association of Nigeria, MAN with the attendant consequences. They spoke at the Northern Peace Conference in Kaduna. Aminu warned that should Muslims have the same kind of arrangement, it may create a front for constant conflicts. Bishop Kukah and AYF also po.....

Yenagoa—The battle of wits between Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP- nominee for the forthcoming gubernatorial election, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has turned into open acrimony between senior government officials in the state. In one instance, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, council workers have remained unpaid for three months because of differences between the council chairman and his vice-chairman over the PDP gubernatorial ticket. The feud has also caught up with prominent political leaders in the state with some trudging behind Dickson and others sticking with the governor. Sylva stays action on guber campaign Meanwhile, Governor Sylva has rolled back plans to flag-off his gubernatorial campaign today as earl.....

An educational consultant and President of Change League Africa, Mr. Abally Johnson Eze, has called for an intellectual revolution that would restore the fortunes of the country. He said the decimation of the intellectual middle class over the last four decades in the country was a deliberate ploy by visionless leaders to subjugate the people to perpetual servitude. In his lead presentation during the special syndicate session on innovative education at the excellence in leadership conference 2011 organised recently by Day Star Christian Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, Abally said unless the country rose up to the challenge of repositioning the education sector before 2017, it would take her another 50 years of struggle to catch up with the rest of the world. The conference, which.....

Fundamental Islamist sect, Boko Haram, has vowed to mow down nine more persons in addition to a groom that was shot dead after a wedding fatiha in Maiduguri, Borno State on Saturday. The disclosure came yesterday as the sect’s spokesman, Abu Kaka, dissociated the group from the death of two men shot dead on Sunday evening at Tandari mosque in the Hausari ward of the state capital. The late groom, according to Boko Haram, was an informant to security agencies in the state while the nine persons on its death list were his accomplices. “The former local government councillor was involved in giving out information about our members to the security agencies which have led to the arrest of some of our members. He knew it and we didn’t make any mistake in our target. The.....

Vice President Namadi Sambo yesterday said the ethno-religious and other form of violence in the North over the years have slowed down the general development of the region. Sambo who spoke at the opening ceremony of a 2-day peace conference organized by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) was however short of mentioning the violent activities of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, but noted that the arrays of crises in the region were so complex for simple solutions to be found to them over night. “Ours was a nation of talk shops and not gunshots until the recent springing up of clandestine groups who spread deliberately, mischievous information, some even attack innocent citizens, maiming and killing wantonly. But for those that breach peace, which create insecurity to our go.....

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday warned of an imminent ‘Arab spring’ experience in Nigeria if the issue of unemployment was not addressed. The former president, who cited Egypt and Libya as examples of countries that had witnessed the Arab spring in the Middle East, spoke during a workshop on Economic Diversification and Revenue Generation, organized by the Ogun State Government and the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission. Obasanjo, who noted that although Egypt and Libya economies experienced growth because of their respective resource endowment, warned that this did not spare them of the people’s ‘discontent’, when it happened. According to him, there were mass civil protests in the Arab spring, because there was a ‘disconnect’ between.....

ABUJA — A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, declined to order the State Security Service, SSS, to release Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume from its custody, though it struck out the two-count criminal charge preferred against the embattled lawmaker by the security agency. Ndume, who is representing Borno South Senatorial District, was charged to court over allegation that he was not only a major financier of the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic sect, but equally furnished them with classified information. He is facing trial alongside a self-confessed spokesman of the sect, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga (a.ka Al-Zawahiri), who had on the last adjourned date pleaded guilty to the charge against them. SSS had in the First Information Report, FIR, it tendered before th.....

Kogi’s Governor-Elect, Captain Idris Wada has challenged Prince Abubakar Audu, his main rival in last weekend’s gubernatorial election to come up with scientifically provable evidence of the alleged rigging which the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN candidate blamed for his defeat. While Wada who flew the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said he was still savouring his victory ahead of forming a government of technocrats, Audu on his part said he was weighing his options having according to him compiled the authentic results from his agents. The Nigeria Bar Association, NBA on its part has given its endorsement to the conduct of the election, saying that the election could become a template for the conduct of future elections in the country. Affirming tha.....

LAGOS— Governor Babatunde Fashola battled hard weekend, to justify the astronomical hike in tuition fees recently introduced in Lagos State University, LASU, by the state government. Recall that the state government had increased tuition fees paid in the university from N25,000 to N250,000 per session. Fashola, who spoke at Government College, Ughelli’s, annual luncheon party in Lagos, said Nigerians were unconsciously making the country one where there would be separate schools for the rich and poor. According to him, critics of the increment are indirectly calling for a Nigerian society which will be divided into poor university for the poor and rich university for rich people. He said: “Countries that do not prioritise education are always at the mercy o.....

KADUNA—NORTHERN leaders, yesterday, met in Kaduna to seek solution to the crises of confidence among the various tribes in the zone, even as some notable traditional rulers in the North Central area and Middle Belt were conspicuously absent. Apart from fromer Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, who is from Plateau State and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad III who attended the peace conference, their contemporaries like General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, and His Highness, Asaph Zadok, Hama Bachama were absent. Others who did not attend the well publicised event include, the Attah of Igala, Dr Aliyu Obaje; the Tor Tiv, Dr. Alfred Tokula; the Ochi of Idoma land, Chief Ageba Idu Elias, the Ponzi Tarok of Lantang Gen. Domkat Bali (rtd), and the Gwatyap of Kataf l.....

ABEOKUTA— FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, warned the Federal Government of the possibility of having what he called “Arab spring” experience in Nigeria if the rate of “unemployment,” is not checked. Obasanjo who spoke at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, during a workshop on ‘Economic Diversification and Revenue Generation,’organised by the Ogun State government and Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, lamented the soaring rate of unemployment, which he said agriculture could solve. While citing some of the Arab countries that had experienced the wrath of their people over unemployment, the elder statesman said Egypt and Libya witnessed the Arab spring in the Middle East despite the fact that their economy did experience growth. He.....

Erstwhile Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George, yesterday, declared that he was neither a crook nor a criminal, saying even the judge who sent him to jail confessed he did not steal a kobo. Noting that he was a victim of a conspiracy to put him out of circulation, George, at his 66th birthday thanksgiving in Lagos, said in the midst of his incarceration, he found a higher calling in God’s service in facilitating the release of many indigent persons wrongly imprisoned. George, who spoke at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Kirikiri, Lagos, while admitting that he was susceptible to err like all human beings, however, affirmed: “But I am not a crook. I am not a criminal. I will never take what belongs to others. “My incarcera.....

The last appears not to have been heard on the operation of foreign accounts charges levelled against Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu while in office as Lagos State governor by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) as Tinubu is threatening to seek redress. The charges weer last week dismissed by the Code of Conduct Tribunal on the grounds that the charges lacked substance. Tinubu, formally reacting to the acquittal, yesterday, said he would “seek further redress because of the injury caused by my reputation and inflicted on my businesses and family”. In a statement by the national leader of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), he maintained that his anger lingered over the non-full disclosure of the alleged bank accounts and other details relating to the charges by the governme.....

The investigations by the Department of State Service (SSS) into the alleged complicity of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume and the activities of the Boko Haram sect, took a new twist, as one Alhaji Sanda Konduga, whoclaimed to be the father of a suspect, Ali Sanda Konduga, declared that his son is insane. The SSS had based its arrest of Ndume on the confessions of the younger Konduga. But the SSS, yesterday, rose in defence of its actions, insisting that its investigations would continue and that it would not be distracted. The press statement released by the said Alhaji Sanda Konduga on December 1, 2011, in Abuja, reads: “I and my family received with deep shock, the news of the arrest of my son Ali Sanda Konduga,his arraignment and subsequent conviction on the.....

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) yesterday said it was in total support of the Senate for passing the bill making same sex marriage in Nigeria a crime that carries 14 years jail term. The PFN also lampooned some western countries for threatening Nigeria with sanctions should the bill be passed into law. The UK had warned of withdrawing some of its assiatance to Nigeria should the bill become a law. Speaking to newsmen in Kaduna yesterday, the chairman of the Kaduna state chapter of the PFN, Bishop David Bakare said; “ the Senate has done Nigerians proud by having the moral courage to pass this bill. We call on President Goodluck Jonathan not to give in to the blackmail of any western nation and sign the bill into law. “The decision of the S.....

Senator Ali Muhammed Ndume currently standing trial over his alleged links with Boko Haram on Thursday returned to an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court where he is facing felony charges with an application seeking to be admitted to bail pending his trial. The court, however, reserved ruling on the application till Monday, December 5, 2011. Senator Ndume was arraigned by the State Security Services [SSS] alongside the spokesman of the sect, Ali Sada Umar Konduga, who was convicted by the court after pleading guilty to felony. Ndume, he was remanded in the SSS’custody on November 21 after entering a plea of not guilty to the charge of felony. At the hearing of the matter, the prosecutor, C.I. Osagie, had told the court that the accused persons conspired to commit felony, brea.....

Eulogies poured in torrents at the Senate on Thursday for Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who died last Saturday in a London hospital, aged 78. In a motion by Senator Andy Uba and 50 others including Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Senators Chris Anyanwu, Uche Chukwumerije, Dahiru Kuta, Emmanuel Paulker, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Helen Esuene and Heineken Lokpobiri, the Upper legislative Chamber urged all the eastern states which were formerly in the old Eastern Region to honour the late Ojukwu with a state burial. Senate rejected an earlier request from Chairman of the Education Committee, Senator Uche Chukwumerije that Ojukwu be accorded state burial. Deputy Majority Leader Abdul Ningi said that state burial is usually accorded former Presidents, their deputie.....

Eagle-eyed men of Abia State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have arrested one Chetachi Obi , the Personal Assistant (PA) to a member representing the state at the National Assembly, (names withheld) for alleged examination fraud. Obi was arrested with another woman suspected to be the invigilator for allegedly sitting for the current Nov/Dec NABTEB examination for her boss. Obi and the invigilator were arrested at Unique Comprehensive High School , Isuochi following a tip-off from those who have observed that Obi had been writing the examination daily since it started on November 10. Obi , who has been coming to the exam hall in her private Volkswagen Golf car, was arrested and her car impounded and parked at Isuochi police station. She was arrested yesterday .....

ABUJA—THE Sen ate, yesterday, called on the Federal Government to immortalize the late Dim Odimegwu Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, by naming a prominent establishment after him, just as it paid glowing tributes to him. Also, yesterday, the Senate resolved to send a delegation to commiserate with his family, the people and government of Anambra State, even as it observed a minute silence in his honour. Resolutions of the Senate came after a motion by Senator Andy Uba, PDP, Anambra South, along side fifty other senators. In the motion, Uba who noted that late Ojukwu was a source of pride for those who had the opportunity to experience him and stood tall against elements of injustice, segregation and oppression, said, “his efforts helped to lay the foundation for national integration,.....

THE House of Representatives, yesterday, rejected President Goodluck Jonathan’s planned proposal to remove oil subsidy by January 2012. The legislators rejected the proposal during the consideration of the report on the Fiscal Strategy Paper submitted to the National Assembly by President Jonathan. They averred that the proposal was premature, just as they called on the President to source funds to finance items for the deficit expected in the 2012 budget. While considering the report of the Joint Committee on Finance, Appropriation, Legislative Budget and Research, National Planning and Economic Development, the members also tasked the President to be cautious in the implementation of its Public Private Partnership, PPP, policy. They observed that rushed i.....

ABUJA—THE Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja, yesterday, quashed the entire 3-count criminal charge that was preferred against the erstwhile governor of Lagos state and leader of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu by the federal government. The former governor was charged to court on allegation that he violated section 7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap C15 LFN, 2004, as amended, by operating10 foreign accounts whilst he was in office between 1999 and 2007. In a unanimous ruling of a 3-man panel of justices of the CCT led by its chairman, justice Danladi Yakubu Umar, yesterday, the ex-governor was discharged on the premise that the charge against him was legally defective. The tribunal not only.....

Jos — The increasing cases of robbery and other sharp practices linked to the collusion of bank workers is now a source of concern to bank customers in Plateau State. Vanguard investigations revealed many cases of robbery or attack on customers by hoodlums in circumstances that point to the fact that the criminals were supplied information on the transaction made by customers by bank workers. Cases of fraud rackets in banks where bank workers collaborate to defraud customers or collaborate with outsiders to defraud their employers using various tricks including tampering with the close circuit camera system to prevent their nefarious activities being recorded were also discovered. Victims who shared their sad experiences with Vanguard narrated how they were follow.....

ABUJA — STATE Security Service, SSS, yesterday, paraded seven suspects belonging to four syndicates, that allegedly specialised in sending panic messages to the members of the public, foreign embassies and corporate organisations under the pretence of being members of the dreaded religion sect, Boko Haram, for fraudulent purposes. Parading the suspects in Abuja, spokesperson of the Service, Marilyn Ogar, said the suspects capitalised on issues of insecurity in the country to exploit, threaten and stir apprehension amongst members of the public, especially during the last Eid-el-Kabir celebration. According to SSS, the first syndicate is made up of four members operating from Suleja in Niger State and Zuba, FCT. The second syndicate operated from Kaduna by Haruna A.....

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday refused to swear in the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman-designate, Francis Elechi, from Rivers State over what he described as “disturbing calls”. The President said Elechi will not be sworn-in until all issues raised against him are resolved. Mr. Nta Ekpo was asked to act. Jonathan, who spoke during the inauguration of the board of ICPC in Abuja, stressed that his administration holds the opinion of people dear, hence, it will not do anything that will tarnish the image of the anti-graft agency. The President warned that until corruption is dealt with, it will be difficult for the country to take its appropriate place in the Comity of Nations. “Let me congratulate all of .....

Senate yesterday brushed aside threats from Britain to cut aids to African countries that violate the rights of gays and lesbians by passing a bill which criminalises same sex marriage. The lawmakers unanimously approved a 14-year jail term for perpetrators, four years more than the recommended punishment from the Senator Umaru Dahiru-led Committee on Judiciary and Human Rights. Senate considered the Bill for an Act to prohibit marriage or civil union entered into between persons of same sex, solemnization of same and for other matters related therewith on Tuesday. The bill seeks to prohibit marriage or civil union entered into between persons of same sex and to provide penalties for the solemnization and witnessing of same thereof. Section 5 of the same Sex Marri.....

Members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Soveriegn State of Biafra (MASSOB) yesterday stormed Ojukwu’s countryhome and took over the running of the premises. Leading a delegation sent by MASSOB leader, Comarade Uche Madu, the national Director of Information, told Daily Sun that they were at the Ikemba’s residence on the instruction of their leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike. Madu said that the team was only protecting the interest of the family of the late Ikemba. According to him, “Uwazurike sent us to come and commiserate with the family down here , also to open a condolence register tomorrow so that all Igbos and friends of our dead leader may come and pay him his last respects. You know that Ojukwu is the symbol of our struggle; this is what we are supposed.....

The Department of State Service (SSS) appears to have established a strong connection between the detained Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume and the former spokesperson of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga (a.ka Al-Zawahiri). Information pieced together by Sunday Vanguard, at the weekend, suggest that part of the evidence the SSS has assembled against the senator is what a security source described as “the two-way communication link, via telephone between the senator and the man known as Al-Zawahiri”. It was learnt that the “connect is so strong that even the attempt by the senator’s wife to address a press conference on Friday afternoon had to be quickly thwarted by the senator himself.” “When it was discovered that the woman (wife) was attempting to address .....

22 days after his 78th birthday, former Biafran leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu succumbed to the cold hands of death. The family said in a statement that their patriarch died of stroke in the Royal Berkshire Hospital, United Kingdom, in the early hours of yesterday. The National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), the platform on which Ojukwu sought to become president in 2003 and 2007, and which Board of Trustees (BoT) he headed, Chief Victor Umeh, said the former warlord, passed on at about 2.30 a.m. yesterday. Ojukwu had been flown to the London hospital almost one year ago, precisely December 23, 2010, after he suffered what doctors called “massive stroke” and went unconscious. He was initially treated at the Intensive Care Un.....

If you wish to find out first hand what human trafficking victims go through, ask Leslie Ibeanusi Nwoke. This young lady, who was crowned Miss Nigeria in America in 2005, is driven by the sufferings of these victims, who have no idea of what lies ahead when they are made promises of better lives abroad. Leslie worked with TAMPEP, an NGO in Italy, which rehabilitates victims of human trafficking after she was crowned. Given her heart for engaging young people and motivating women, her NGO, Making Noise Inc., was birthed. In a recent chat with Daily Sun, Leslie spoke about her NGO and how marriage has changed her. Excerpts: What are you up to lately? There’s a lot going on in my life right now. I am in my last year of medical school. So, I’m finishing up my last few clin.....

In Lagos, very many things happen - the bizarre, the absurd and the intriguing. As it is often said, in Lagos, anything can just happen. Indeed, Lagos is a city never lacking in things that confound. That is why when an experienced Lagosian tells you, ‘this is Lagos,’ you might be mistaken to believe he is showing you the city’s high-brow Victoria Island or upmarket Ikoyi and its scenic splendour. The city’s growing array of parks and gardens, high-rise buildings, long bridges and unmistakable cosmopolitan character, might not be the issue. Watch out! You are being handed a caveat and told to activate your sixth sense. For you might be in for the unexpected or the dramatic. Someone might be waiting to pull the plug on you. At a time one thinks that one has fully mastered the.....

Senate President David Mark has said that there was a lot of pressure on the Senate of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) probe report. The ad-hoc committee on the BPE probe, chaired by Senator Ahmed Lawan, submitted its report to the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly on Tuesday. At Wednesday’s plenary, the Senate President said the chamber would commence consideration of the report on Thursday, (yesterday) but could not do so even after Lawan formally read the report to Senators at plenary. Rather, Mark said consideration of the report had been shifted till next Wednesday even after he told his colleagues that there was pressure on the Senate over the probe. “We took this report today to avoid speculations, we took this report today to avoid speculations .....

The Sokoto State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Aminu Bello Mohammed has described the recent outcry by some members of the party as attempt to deny the state Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko right to re-contest the position under the PDP in the scheduled March 2012 elections. This is just as the North-West Zonal Secretariat of the party suspended its Ex-Officio, Alhaji Faruk Ahmad Gusau over a publication against the Governor of Sokoto State Aliyu Magatakada Wamakko The Secretary of the party while addressing journalists in Kaduna yesterday on the recent complaint to the national secretariat against Governor by executives of the 23 local governments council of the state, said they have discovered that the names of the purported members of the exec.....

President Goodluck Jonathan has urged the graduates of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to emulate the lifestyle of the founding father of the university, the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, and the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello. Speaking yesterday through the Minister of Education, Professor Rukkayat Ahmed Rufai at the convocation ceremony of the institution, Jonathan noted that the late leader achieved many things at a younger age for the good of the society. The President, therefore, called on the graduates as well as all Nigerians to imbibe Ahmadu Bello’s virtues in order to move the country to a greater height. He also restated his administration determination to put in place structures to assist budding entrepreneurs to realize their ambition. “Sir.....

At 85, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, is still agile. He still oversees his personal business on daily basis. He spoke with Daily Sun on sundry national issues, particularly as they affect the South-west region. Secret his good health “The secret of my good health is simple. It is the grace of God Almighty and my tastes are simple. I eat natural fruits. I don’t gallivan about. I don’t womanise or take anything alcoholic.” Teaching was not his dream profession, but his father persuaded him to venture into the profession and it has brought him fame and contentment. Today, the octogenarian is a proud founder of two schools in Ondo State, Akure High School and Omolere Nursery and Primary School: “I find teaching fulfilling at.....

Muharram is the month, which marks the beginning of Muslims’ lunar Hijrah Calendar. It is one of the four sanctified months about which the Holy Quran says, “The number of the months according to Allah is twelve months (mentioned) in the Book of Allah on the day in which He created heavens and the earth. Among these (twelve months) there are four sanctified.” These four months, according to the authentic traditions are the months of Zulqadah, Zulhijjah, Muharram and Rajab. All the commentators of the Holy Quran are unanimous on this point, because the Holy Prophet in his sermon on the occasion of his last Hajj, has declared: “One year consists of twelve months, of which four are sanctified months, three of them are in sequence; Zulqadah, Zulhijjah, Muharram, and the fourth is R.....

Just as it happened four years ago during the Edo State governorship election where Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole was elected, every indication now points to the fact that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate for next year’s election appears unstoppable. In an interview with Ojieva Ehiosun in Benin a chieftain of the party and special adviser to the governor on Legal Matters, Henry Idahagbon, said that Oshiomhole’s moving train is battle ready and may crush any opposition. Defection from PDP to ACN I think when all of us joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), there was practically no alternative to PDP. Some of us started politics from a progressive background and there was no progressive political party truly speaking as at then, and we desired to join the PDP thi.....

BENIN— CHIEF of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, has warned politicians harbouring the idea of dismembering the country to discard such ideas as the Nigerian Army was prepared to pay the supreme price in defence of the unity of the country. Gen. Ihejirika’s warning came on the heels of the arrest of a serving Senator for allegedly supporting the Boko Haram Islamic sect which has been bombing several parts of the North and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja in recent times. Fielding questions from newsmen shortly after the end of a three-day Chief of Army Staff, COAS, conference in Benin, he said the Military and other security agencies had made huge sacrifices to keep Nigeria united in the past past and would continue to do same.. “My advice to poli.....

ABUJA — Apprehended king-pin of the Boko Haram sect in Niger State, Ahmed Hassan Ezimakor, yesterday, told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the sect would not relent in its terrorist activities until it is satisfied that the death of its former leader, Mohammed Yusuf, is dully avenged. The suspect, who appeared in court as a prosecution witness in the trial of six other members of the sect, maintained that though their ex-leader, Yusuf, before his death in 2009, taught them against the use of violence as a means of driving home their demand for the entrenchment of the Sharia law in the Northern part of the country, however, the group resorted to bombing following the gruesome murder of their leader in 2009. While identifying the six accused persons, Shuaibu Abubakar, S.....

A Police officer, and at least 19 other people have been killed and several others severely injured in the wake of violence which occurred at Barkin Ladi, the council headquarters of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State. Two churches, an Islamic school, and over 20 other buildings were also torched. The officer, whose name was given as Dalyop Pinda was killed in the mayhem which occurred in Barakin and to forestall possible spread to neighbouring villages and towns especially to Jos, which is about 50 kilometres to the area, the Special Task Force (STF) has imposed 24-hour curfew, in the area. The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Abraham Yiljap, while briefing the press after assessing the level of damage said, the actual cause of the mayhem has.....

The Director of Finance, National Assembly, Mr Bukoye Azeez, told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday that even though former Speaker Dimeji Bankole approved N37 billion loans for lawmakers, he and his deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada, did not benefit from them. He said Bankole okayed the loans allegedly obtained from two banks to fund the increase of lawmakers’ running costs from N17 million to N42 mmillion quarterly. He said that the approvals were given following persistent demand for increase by members and when the ex-Speaker was about to be removed from office. The Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, has, however, again been summoned by the court to testify in the loan scam case brought against Bankole. Maikasuwa, who is the Chief Accoun.....

MAIDUGURI—ISLAMIC sect, Boko Haram, which has claimed responsibility for series of bomb attacks in the northern part of the country, yesterday, declared that its next targets would be offices of political parties nationwide even as it denied any link with serving Senator Ali Ndume who is facing trial in Abuja for allegedly being a sponsor of the sect. Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has described as unfortunate, alleged involvement of Senator Ndume in activities of the Islamic sect just as Ndume’s supporters have called for his immediate release. Senator Ndume was arraigned at an Abuja Magistrate Court, Tuesday, on a two-count charge of terrorism following the confessions of former spokesman of the sect, Ali Konduga, a.k.a Usman Al- Zawahiri, that the senator was .....

TWENTY- FOUR hours after Mrs Farida Waziri’s unceremonious removal as the chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, by President Goodluck Jonathan, the polity was awash, yesterday, with debates on whether or not her exit would boost the anti-graft war. Most persons who spoke to Vanguard averred that instead of bolstering the anti-corruption crusade, the way she was sacked could hamper the efforts. Indeed, the Human Rights Watch, HRW, said in a statement that Waziri’s removal would not improve the fight against corruption. While former National Publicity Secretary of the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, Mr Ayo Opadokun, said Waziri had been made a sacrificial lamb; former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, said .....

A High Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to pay popular comedian Babatunde Omidina aka Baba Suwe the sum of N 25 million for denying him personal freedom. The riuling was given on Thursday by Justice Yetunde Idowu. Omidina was picked up at the Murtala Mohammed Airport while on his way to France to compere a child dedication ceremony. He was thereafter detained for weeks by the NDLEA on the suspicion that he had ingested narcotics. Bamidele Aturu, counsel to the comedian told the court that his client’s rights were violated by the NDLEA as he was kept in the agency’s custody for more than the 24 hours allowed by the constitution without charging him for any offence. While delivering the ruling, Justice Idowu said “”the NDLE.....

Local government Councils statutorily became the third tier of government in Nigeria in 1976.The initial idea was to make Local Government administration a catalyst for rapid and sustained development at the grass roots level. The number of Local Government had risen steadily from 301 in 1976 to 774. Lagos state has 20 Local Governments recognised by the 1999 constitution. The state has power to initiate the creation of additional Local Government areas, but before such newly created council can become legal entities, the National Assembly has to pass a consequential act to satisfy such creations. In the year 2003 under the administration of the former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 37 local council development areas were created. It had been argued .....

Let’s say one good thing about President Goodluck Jonathan. He is not usually found wanting whenever he is expected to tell Nigerians that all will be well, and all our problems will soon be over. Let us consider just a few instances. About two years ago now, at the turn of 2009, the president, then Acting President or Vice President to an ailing but now late President Musa Yar’Adua, vowed that Nigerians would no longer be needing generators in 2010 because the electricity debacle would have been resolved. Two clear years after, generators are still Nigerians’ best friends! You can only choose not to have one in your house at your own peril, especially if you live in Lagos where you sometimes get the impression that hell might not be quite so far away because of the oppressive .....

Igbominaland, a large expanse of communities spread across Kwara and Osun states, stood still recently. It was a day the presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church (Winners’ Chapel), Bishop David Oyedepo, a former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Tafa Balogun, and three other distinguished natives of the community were honoured in their homeland. On that day, a socio-cultural organisation, Omo Ibile Igbomina, recognised their contributions to the development of Igbominaland and honoured them with merit awards. The awards were presented to them during the Seventh Igbomina Day held at Esie in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. A development fund of N250 million was launched at the event. The other three awardees were former deputy governor of Kwara State.....

At last, the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Deziani Allison-Madueke yesterday appeared before the House of Representatives where she disclosed that the Federal government had set aside the sum of $2 billion (N320 billion) to repair damaged pipelines in the next 12 months. Briefing the House Committee on Petroleum (upstream), she apologized to the committee for her absence on two occasions, saying that it was state functions, which kept her away. The minister admitted that she received the letters of invitations sent to her, but that she had to attend to other duties like the commissioning of the 128 kilometer Calabar Gas Pipeline owned by Oando Petroleum on Monday. She pleaded with the committee chaired by Hon Muraina Ajibola that she would not be able to explain the act.....

Citing alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2011, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday threw its weight behind the suit seeking to unseat Enugu State Governor Sullivan Ihenacho Chime of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). INEC told a Federal High Court, Abuja that the primary that produced Chime did not comply with the electoral law. The electoral body faulted the January 11 and 12, 2011 governorship primary where Gov. Chime was nominated as the PDP flag-bearer for the April 16, 2011 election. In the suit, a governorship aspirant, Chief Alexander Chukwuemeka Obiechina, is praying the court to nullify the nomination Chime as the candidate for the election. He asked the court through his counsel, Oba Maduabuchi, to declare that th.....

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday unceremoniously relieved the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC], Mrs Farida Waziri, of her appointment, amid allegations of unethical conduct and procedural blunders in her prosecution of the anti-corruption war. But beyond her alleged sundry ‘sins’, intense pressure from formidable political interests cutting across party lines especially at the National Assembly and the Governors’ Forum, were said to have influenced the decision of President Jonathan, who announced the development as he jetted out of the country on a three-day official visit to France. Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, said in a statement that Waziri’s removal was with immediate effect, and named the commission’s Director of Operati.....

ABUJA — FOLLOWING his alleged complicity in sponsorship of the Boko Haram Islamic sect, the States Security Service, SSS, yesterday, arraigned Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South Senatorial District), before an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court even as his colleagues in the Senate resolved to stand by him until investigations into the case have been concluded. The lawmaker who was docked alongside the apprehended spokesman of the sect, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga (a.ka Al-Zawahiri), pleaded not guilty to a two-count criminal charge that was preferred against them. According to the First Information Report, FIR, entered before the trial court, SSS, particularly accused Senator Ndume of breaching public trust by disclosing several classified information to the Boko Haram sect, a.....

ABUJA—The Joint Security Information Managers Committee set up in the wake of the Boko Haram terrorist attacks and other security challenges in the country, Monday, confirmed that all three suicide bombers who targeted the headquarters of the Joint Task Force in Maiduguri on November 4, 2011, were killed by the bombs they carried. Addressing the media on the security situation in the country, Director of Naval Information, Navy Commodore Aliyu, said: “The suicide bombing targeted at security personnel on that day was aborted as a result of tight security in Maiduguri by JTF and other security agencies and all the suicide bombers died in the failed attempt.” He said the 13 people responsible for the Damaturu, Yobe State, bombings had been arrested and taken to Maiduguri .....

The State Security Service (SSS), yesterday paraded the man who claimed to be the spokesperson of the deadly Boke Haram sect, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga (A.K.A Usman Al-Zawahiri) with the suspect alleging that a serving Senator and an Ambassador were financiers of Boko Haram activities. The Deputy Director, Public Relations of SSS, Mrs. Marilyn Ogar, who paraded the suspect in Abuja, told journalists that Al-Zawahiri was arrested on the 3rd of November, 2011 at Gwange area, Maiduguri, Borno State. According to Ogar, “The former political thug that was operating under a group widely known as ECOMOG was arrested during a joint security operation by SSS. His arrest further confirms the service position that some of the Boko Haram extremists have political patronage and sponsors.....

A four-fold increase in polio has been reported in Nigeria, with the disease spreading to other countries, a World Health Organisation official says. Forty-three cases were reported in Nigeria this year, compared to 11 last year, the official, Thomas Moran, said. Curbing the polio virus in Nigeria is key to eradicating the crippling disease in Africa, he said. In 2003, northern Nigeria's Muslim leaders leaders opposed vaccinations, claiming they could cause infertility. Nigeria is one of four countries in the world - along with Pakistan, India and Afghanistan - where polio is still a major health risk. 'Strong leadership' Mr Moran told the BBC the disease had also spread to neighbouring Niger, Mali and Ivory Coast. "T.....

Fifteen years after he escaped death in a brazen assassination attempt on a popular Lagos bridge, Chief Alex Uruemu Ibru, chairman and publisher of The Guardian Newspaers, finally succumbed to death yesterday afternoon. Ibru, a businessman and former Minister of Internal Affairs, passed on at about 2.30 pm, according to a release issued by his family. He was 66 years. Chief Alex Ibru was the youngest member of the popular Ibru dynasty, a family of businessmen from Agbhara-Otor in Delta State. The Ibru Organization, founded by Alex’s big brother and patriarch of the family, Chief Michael Ibru, has business interests spread across the oil and gas, hospitality, automobile and newspaper industries. Born on March 1, 1945, Alex Ibru attended Yaba Methodist Primary School be.....

The Presidency is worried over the silence of Northern leaders and elders on Boko Haram crisis. The government is not comfortable that they are not condemning the Islamist sect enough on the spate of attacks and the loss of lives and properties, a senior government official said yesterday. A top government source disclosing the feelings of the Federal Government said it was worried and concerned that since the sect increased its spate of attacks over a year ago, there has not been a strong condemnation of Boko Haram from the region, hence, raising concerns on the continual co-existence of the country. The source said, this was the highlight of a security meeting held in Abuja. The meeting resolved to investigate a certain former governor who set up the militant group as .....

Fifteen years after he escaped death in a brazen assassination attempt on a popular Lagos bridge, Chief Alex Uruemu Ibru, chairman and publisher of The Guardian Newspaers, finally succumbed to death yesterday afternoon. Ibru, a businessman and former Minister of Internal Affairs, passed on at about 2.30 pm, according to a release issued by his family. He was 66 years. Chief Alex Ibru was the youngest member of the popular Ibru dynasty, a family of businessmen from Agbhara-Otor in Delta State. The Ibru Organization, founded by Alex’s big brother and patriarch of the family, Chief Michael Ibru, has business interests spread across the oil and gas, hospitality, automobile and newspaper industries. Born on March 1, 1945, Alex Ibru attended Yaba Methodist Primary School be.....

Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Ethics and Values, Mrs Sarah Jubril, has become a recurring decimal in national politics. In this interview with REMI ADEFULU, the presidential aide laments the insecurity in the country, especially the activities of the Boko Haram sect which is peopled by northern youths. She opined that most worrisome about the development is the deafening silence of northern elders, Generals and professionals, who have somewhat kept mute on the development, despite coming from a zone that ruled the country for over 30 years. Jubril also speaks on her political experience, fighting spirit, contesting against ex-President Obasanjo, women politicians and sexual harassment, and more. Excerpts: Political experience I remain dissati.....

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Attahiru Jega is on the spot. It has nothing to do with the claims by the Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari that he cannot defend the outcome of the April presidential poll won by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) neither has it to do with the nullification of some of the elections by tribunals in some states. on December 3, 2011, the people of Kogi will go for the governorshhip election. Iheanacho Nwosu, looks at the preparations of the Independent Natioanl Electoral Commission (INEC) and the battle between the two leading parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Action Congresss of Nigeria (ACN). Instead atte.....

Fresh facts emerged yesterday on the seeming frosty relationship between the Presidency and the National Assembly lately. Within the week alone, some Senators who were angry with the Presidency over the increasing insecurity especially the spate of attacks by the dreaded Boko Haram Islamist sect, threatened to push for a ‘no confidence’ motion against President Goodluck Jonathan. Just on Wednesday, the federal lawmakers rejected the Presidency’s plan to remove fuel subsidy. Sources told Daily Sun that the federal lawmakers were angry with President Goodluck Jonathan over the 2011 Appropriation virement request from the executive to transfer some funds from one sub-head to another. At stake in the virement proposal is N4.97 billion constituency project funds appropriated for .....

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told an Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta that it has prepared more criminal charges against former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel. The EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, stated this yesterday while asking the trial judge, Justice Olanrewaju Mabekoje for a short adjournment to enable him file additional charges against the former governor. Daniel had on October 12 been arraigned before the court on a 16-count charge of stealing and diversion of state funds for personal use. After taking his plea and subsequently granted bail on some stringent conditions, the case was adjourned to November 17, 2011 for commencement of trial. When the matter came up yesterday, counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs sought th.....

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) has again restated its position to hold the governorship primary tomorrow, to produce its governorship candidate ahead of the governorship election, slated for next February. Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja had on Wednesday issued an interim injunction, restraining the party national leadership from going ahead with the conduct of its primary slated for tomorrow. But 24 hours after court bailiffs pasted the court order on the walls of the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, the party continues to feign ignorance of the interim order. In another statement issued yesterday and signed by National Publicity Secretary of the party, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali, the PDP claimed that n.....

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, has seized a cache of ammunition believed to have been abandoned by criminals and suspected terrorists who engage in illegal arms deal. The command said the ammunition was abandoned at the strong room of the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO). According to Customs Area Comptroller, MMIA Command, Michael Adewole, the inventory of the abandoned arms and ammunition include six double barrels, one single barrel, one pump action, one Uzzi, two magazines, one barretta pistol as well as one becheverria pistol. Adewole listed the ammunition to include 20 pieces of 5.56 mm calibre, 19 cartridges, 12/12, 500 pieces of blank Armour and a sealed box of cartridges. He listed the servicing ac.....

ABUJA — Two weeks after the bloody attack by the Boko Haram sect on Potiskum and Damaturu in Yobe State, the hammer has fallen on some senior Police officers with the Inspector General of Police, Mr Hafiz Ringim, ordering the posting of six new Assistant Inspectors General of Police to take over six zones while some were removed. Vanguard had reported exclusively in the wake of the Friday, November 4, 2011 attacks, which left over 100 people dead in Damaturu, Yobe State, that heads would roll among the top hierarchy of the Nigeria Police Force as it was discovered that adequate intelligence was passed to the senior officers while the attackers obviously had a free ride into town with the Police in the states close to Yobe State doing little or nothing to stop them. Conse.....

ABUJA — A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja, yesterday, ordered the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to suspend its scheduled November 19 gubernatorial primaries for Bayelsa State, till November 22, when a motion ex-parte filed by the embattled governor of the state, Timipre Sylva, will be determined. The court which granted the plaintiff leave to paste the court order at the national headquarters of the PDP in Abuja, further gave all the defendants in the suit, 72 hours upon receipt of the court processes, to show cause why fresh gubernatorial primaries should be conducted in the State. Besides PDP, Governor Sylva listed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Acting National Cha irman of the party, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, as the 1st and 3rd defendants respec.....

ABUJA— Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, set up as an intervention commission by Federal Government to develop the oil-rich Niger Delta region has been described as a total failure by the Senate President, David Mark. Mark made the scathing remark after the confirmation of a 13-member board for NDDC yesterday, just as he lamented that the commission was turned into personal gold mines by successive board members to the detriment of the people of the region. He further lamented that NDDC has failed in its statutory responsibilities of carrying out infrastructural and social development of the region that has been subjected to harsh environmental degradation due to the oil exploration activities of oil companies. He also blamed the Senate Committee on Niger .....

ABUJA — SENATORS returning from the Eid-el-Kabir holidays were, yesterday, in angry mood with President Goodluck Jonathan over the security situation in the country lamenting what they described as his inability to protect lives and property. A bid by some senators to instigate a vote of no confidence on the President was, however, forced down by the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, who with the assistance of the Senate leadership mollified the angry senators. Senator Mark was pushed to promise a face to face meeting with the President on the issue as a way of mollifying the anger of the senators. Senators who spoke during the closed door session to address the insecurity caused by activities of the Boko Haram group flayed what was described as the incompeten.....

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Lagos State has for long sought to upstage the dominance of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in the politics of Lagos. At a time PDP was about getting its acts right, trouble has broken out in the fold. Is it a conspiracy or what? It is an irony that at a time when it should have been building on the perceived foibles of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in Lagos State that the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is now thrusting into another major crisis. Following its dismal performance during the April general elections, the PDP had sought to reinvent itself by building on the alleged infractions of many local government councils in the state by winning control of many councils. However,.....

ABUJA-The United Nations Development Programmes-Global Environment Facility, UNDP-GEF, has said Nigeria could save $45 million from every one million compact florescence lamps, CFLs, it replaced with incandescent light bulbs. UNDP-GEF said the country could well save more on electricity to get better and efficient service if it replaced all the incandescent light bulbs in government residents and public institutions. Mr. Etiosa Uyigue, UNDPGEF Energy Efficiency Programme’s National Project Coordinator in an interview with Vanguard at a training organised for members of Hotel Owners Forum Abuja, HOFA, in Abuja, yesterday, that the government should not only pay attention to generating more in the country but should address the issue of efficient usage of energy than wasti.....

CHIEF Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, yesterday, abolished the plea bargain procedure hitherto employed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, in settling high profile cases of corruption out of court. The CJN who described the plea-bargain system as “a novel concept of dubious origin,” insisted that “it was invented to provide soft landing to high profile criminals who loot the treasury entrusted to them.” Speaking at the opening ceremony of the fifth annual general conference of the section on legal practice of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, the CJN whose speech was read by Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court, said the system “has no place in our law- substantive or procedural. It is an obstacle to our .....

It was victory songs for two governorship candidates of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Prof. Steven Ugbah of Benue State and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Senator James Akpanudoedehe as the Supreme Court yesterday ordered the re-trial of their petitions by the state governorship election petition tribunals. In both appeals, the apex court was unanimous in its decision that substantial justice rather than technicalities should be considered in arriving at the merit of the case. Specifically, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, who headed the five-man panel of justices for the two appeals lampooned judges, who sacrificed substantial justice on the alter of technicalities. In the case of Benue State, the Court of Appeal sitting in Mark.....

The President yesterday justified why business mongul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, was bestowed with Nigeria’s second highest honour of Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON). The award is usually reserved for the Vice President, Senate President and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). Criticisms have trailed Dangote’s GCON since the list was made public last weekend. Dangote, who is the President, Dangote Group, was listed as Africa’s richest businessman by United States’ influential Forbes magazine. Presenting the awards to 355 distinguished Nigerians yesterday in Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan said that the man who has employed over 12,000 Nigerians and is planning to employ 22,000 on completion of business concerns, deserved to be bestowed with the honour. The Presiden.....

Nigeria/Zambia friendly fixed for 5pm today in Kaduna is threatened as generating set to supply power to the stadium failed five times during evening training. Zambians were disappointed last night as they trained in the dark when the power supply to the Kaduna Stadium failed. Meanwhile, Coach Stephen Keshi will try all his best to make the Super Eagles the victorious side today in Kaduna against Zambia after a barren draw with Botswana last weekend in Benin. “Zambia is a good team and we will approach the game with the right attitude,” promised Keshi. “We won’t be complacent in our approach to this game. I know what our people want and we will definitely not disappoint them.” Nosa Igiebor, who made his full international debut against Botswana in his hometown .....

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, presented a budget estimate of N485.292 billion for 2012 to the State House of Assembly for ratification, saying his administration’s purpose and commitment towards delivering the greatest good to the greatest number of citizens of the state remains unchanged. The amount which, according to the Governor, is being proposed in consideration of the prevailing economic climate, exceeds by 7.66 per cent the 2011 budget estimate which stood at N445.180 billion. As has been the hallmark of the present administration since inception in 2007, Capital Expenditure again took the lion share with N257.821 billion which represents an increase of N30.351 billion over Recurrent Expenditure which stood at N227.470. However, Cap.....

President Goodluck Jonathan, Monday, justified Federal Government’s decision to confer business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, with the second highest national honour award of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, saying that the recipient deserved the feat because of his contributions to Nigeria’s greatness. Dangote, the President of the Dangote Group, and member of the National Economic Management Team, NEMT, becomes the first Nigerian who is not a top politician or political appointee to bag the prestigious honour. The President gave the explanation after decorating 355 distinguished Nigerians with various national honours, in the 2010/2011 sets, thereby bringing the total number of recipients so far to 3,924 since it began in 1963. Reacting to a n.....

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed regrets over Prof Chinua Achebe’s decision to reject, once again, the conferment on him of the national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR). He has, however, said despite the rejection which might have been borne out of misinformation as to the true state of affairs in Nigeria and hopes that he will find time to visit home, Prof. Achebe will continue to be held in very high esteem. The President said Achebe “remains a national icon, a Nigerian of high attainments, indeed, one of the greatest living Africans of our time”. In a statement signed by Presidential spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, President Jonathan further expressed surprise over Achebe’s claim that the issues which caused him to reject the same award seven.....

Governor Timipre Sylva has raised the alarm over reports that there are plans to arrest him over what he called trumped –up charges of treasonable felony. The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was said to be investigating a petition that borders on national security against Sylva. The Governor reacting to his disqualification from participating in the November 19 governorship primaries by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through his Chief Press Secretary in a press statement: ‘Bayelsa People Shall Prevail’ said the story was that there was a tape where he had threatened to kill President Goodluck Jonathan. While dismissing the story as entirely false, he said there was no reason to wish Pre.....

Less than forty-eight hours after he flagged off his campaign for the Peoples’ Democratic Party governorship ticket, ahead of the party governorship primary, the PDP National Working Committee has finally sealed the hope of the Bayelsa State Governor, Timpire Sylva to contest its primary. At the state capital in Yenogoa, the embattled governor had flagged off his campaign last Friday, claiming to have been cleared for the race by the screening committee set up by the party. But in a press statement made available yesterday and signed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali, the party restated its position that Governor Sylva, the former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Timi Alaibe, former director general of Niger.....

The Kebbi State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Birnin Kebbi yesterday nullified the election of Governor Usman Saidu Dakiagari of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Alhaji Dakingari thus became the first governor to lose election in the current democratic dispensation . Justice Mairo Laruba Mohammed in delivering judgment in the petition brought by the governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Charge (CPC), Alhaji Garimallam, declared the election null and void. She ordered fresh eletion. The Independent National Electoral Comission (INEC) did not present the official documents it used for the election. Justice Mohammed is the chairman of the tribunal which also had two other justices. In her judgment, the tribunal chairman said the petitioner, Alhaj.....

LAGOS – Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State was last night pondering his options after the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ruled him out from the contest to fly the party’s ticket in the forthcoming re-scheduled gubernatorial elections. The Governor’s disqualification from the contest followed the orders of the National Working Committee, NWC of the party which warned of the dire consequences should the governor or any of the other two aspirants also disqualified, sabotage the party in the coming election. In his first reaction to the development yesterday, Governor Sylva expressed reservations that his rights as a member of the PDP were being abridged by the NWC even as he pledged to abide within the folds of the PDP. Erstwhile Managing Director of the Niger D.....

LAGOS — Counsel to Nigerian comedy actor, Babatunde Omidina, commonly called Baba Suwe, Mr Bamidele Aturu, yesterday, said his client has no case with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, vowing to fight the abuse of his client’s fundamental rights. Addressing newsmen in Lagos, yesterday, Aturu said: “This is not a Baba Suwe’s fight, but a fight to bring the narcotic agency to questioning on how they carry out their scanning. It is a fight against the abuse of the peoples’ fundamental rights. In other countries, where people respect the law and have proper perspective of what they do, nobody would allow people to be detained, humiliated and refused access to even his lawyer until some days after going to court. As a matter of fact, a foreign newspaper carr.....

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja is again witnessing season two of its lock down. The first came in the wake of Boko Haram’s bombing of the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja. Worse, last Thursday, the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, NESG, commenced its 17th session with the theme focused on inviting foreign investors to the country. Unfortunately, Boko Haram struck; and the United States of America issued a terror alert – although the alert has been eased, the damage was already done because the three luxury hotels that investors were likely to lodge, Abuja Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, and Nicon Luxury Hotel, were said to be possible targets of Boko Haram and, therefore, unsafe for westerners. The summit held in one of these hotels. The th.....

Deeply concerned by terrorism believed to have been orchestrated by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has assured President Goodluck Jonathan that over 78 million Nigerian Christians will not relent in their prayers at this period of security challenges in the country as the Federal Government declared that it will seek the banking of foreign help to stem the tide. “As in all situations of terrorism, it would require the cooperation of the international community, especially friendly countries like France to effectively address the challenge. This is why the Federal Government is particularly delighted with France’s expression of solidarity and condemnation of recent acts in our cities which.....

The spate of hostage taking in Nigeria has shot the country into the number four position in global ranking, according to the American Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Although the Bureau did not disclose the three countries ahead of Nigeria in the ranking, it explained that the cases of hostage taking across the world have been under-reported. Hostage taking in Nigeria assumed a frightening dimension in the wake of the militancy in the Niger Delta, leading to incessant kidnapping of expatriates working with oil firms and affluent Nigerians or their relations. Commercial hostage takers kidnapping people later emerged and the scourge spread to the south-east. An FBI agent, Ms Jennifer Dent, who disclosed the ranking of Nigeria as number four in the wo.....

It appears the federal government is gearing up for proactive measures towards proper maintenance and rehabilitation of Nigerian roads. Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolomemen, had dropped the hints penultimate week in Abuja while addressing the Senate Con Works that government will reintroduce toll collection on highways in 2012. He stated that the programme would generate revenues for government to maintain federal roads nationwide. But is this the best option we can put forward bearing in mind that government is at the same time putting finishing touches on the removal of oil subsidy – a programme that will also have multiplier effects on the people and economy. Government attempt in the past on toll plazas yielded little or no result, as the roads then were scarcely ma.....

It’s illegal —Barr. Ebun Olu Adegboruwa The plan by the Federal Government of Nigeria to re-introduce toll gates on major express ways is totally unwarranted and illegal. By virtue of section 13 of the 1999 Constitution, the government is under a sacred obligation to provide good road network for the citizens, free of any charges. Thus, provision of motorable roads, across the length and breadth of Nigeria, is a sacred constitutional responsibility of the government of Nigeria. Under and by virtue of section 38 of the same Constitution, citizens are entitled to freedom of movemment throughout Nigeria without any hindrance or let, by way of toll gates for the collection of toll fees. These toll gates, in so far as they may hinder the free flow of movement of people.....

Fear has gripped all the 985 Assistant Superintendents of Police, ASPs now on promotion course at the Police Staff College, PSC, Jos, Plateau State, following security reports of possible attack on them by members of the fundamentalist Boko Haram. No fewer that three patrol teams made up of members of the Police Mobile Force, MOPOL, were deployed around the college Thursday night as reports said that some of their Muslim colleagues were alerted during their evening prayers in the mosque over the possible attack. Security sources told Saturday Vanguard that activities were paralyzed in the college when a text message was read to the course participants alerting them about the possible Boko Haram attack at a time when most of their Muslim colleagues had tactfully disappear.....

Indications emerged yesterday that the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, may soon re-invite 15 former governors that hitherto entered into ‘plea bargain’ with the federal government in their bid to evade prosecution. The ex-governors had conceded to making restitution to the federal treasury, after they allegedly pleaded guilty to allegations bothering on assets falsifications, official misconduct and financial recklessness whilst in office, contrary to the laid down code of conduct for public officers in the country. Though fifteen of them were initially listed for prosecution, however, the CCB Chairman, Mr. Sam Saba, subsequently disclosed the decision of the Bureau to drop the criminal charges against some of them who he said had restituted. Meantime, sequel to refu.....

The Bauchi Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Bauchi yesterday upheld the election of Governor Isa Yuguda of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of the state as the duly elected candidate during the April 28 gubernatorial election. Dissatisfied with the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Yusuf Maitama Tuggar of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) had refused to concede defeat. On May 5, Tuggar filed petition challenging the declaration of Yuguda as the duly elected governor of the state before the tribunal alleging widespread irregularities. Tuggar, in the suit, expressed confidence that the forensic checks on disputed ballots and other elections malpractices, especially how the votes in the 20 local governme.....

A Lagos High Court yesterday fixed judgment on murder trial of former Chief Security Officer (CSO), to General Abacha, Major Hamzat al-Mustapha for January 30, 2012. Al-Mustapha along with Lateef Shofolahan is facing a two-count-charge of conspiracy and murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, wife of the late Chief MKO Abiola who was killed on June 4, 1996 along the Motorways road in Alausa Ikeja. Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere fixed the date after counsels in the matter adopted their final written addresses. In its submission, the defence, led by Olalekan Ojo, urged the court to discharge and acquit the defendants on the ground that the prosecution was not able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt because of the issue of contradiction.....

To curb the activities of Boko Haram and other anti-state groups, the Federal Government has ordered a 24-hour surveillance around all hotels that have over 50 rooms capacity in the country while all public infrastructure and private recreational centres would now to be manned by plain clothes security operatives. The order, which emanated from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), General Andrew Azazi (retd), following the security alert issued by the United States (US) Government to its citizens to steer clear of some prominent hotels in Abuja, also include the immediate installation of top security equipment in the country, before the end of November. The Federal Government it was also gathered, has begun discussing with border countries on the need for a.....

Police have arrested a man who attempted to withdraw huge sum of money from the bank account of a female senior staff of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), murdered last Friday in Abuja. The deceased, a mother of three simply identified as Mrs. Abdullahi, was reportedly strangled to death by her driver in connivance with a young man whose identity had not been ascertained presently, and her body dumped inside a deep freezer which she just purchased. However, as a joint team of homicide and anti-robbery detectives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command spread their dragnets in a manhunt for the perpetrators of the evil act, a middle-aged man has been caught in the net. The suspect was arrested in far away Imo State, while coming out from .....

Can you give me some examples of good deeds that we can do every day to increase our hasanaat? Praise be to Allaah. If Allaah helps him to do righteous deeds, the Muslim can earn a great deal of reward. There are many different kinds of righteous deeds that can be done by rich and poor, old and young, male and female, depending on each person’s circumstances, ambition and energy, after the help of Allaah. Allah says: “Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)”[al-Nahl 16:.....

They have never had it so good, at least not in recent times. They are used to living solitary life perhaps, they are forgotten and abandoned. They are confined to their camps. They are inmates at the Juvenile Remand Home and Child Care Unit, Eleyele/Sango Expressway, Ibadan, Oyo State. For these kids with peculiar cases, it was indeed a different experience after so many years in the camp. For them, the experience of Saturday, October 8, 2011, would continue to linger in their memories as long as blood continues to flow through their veins. The management of FAN Milk Plc, Nigeria’s oldest diary firm had paid a visit to the home as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of its existence in the country. Established in 1961, the visit was targeted “to make them ha.....

Can you give me some examples of good deeds that we can do every day to increase our hasanaat? Praise be to Allaah. If Allaah helps him to do righteous deeds, the Muslim can earn a great deal of reward. There are many different kinds of righteous deeds that can be done by rich and poor, old and young, male and female, depending on each person’s circumstances, ambition and energy, after the help of Allaah. Allah says: “Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)”[al-Nahl 16:.....

The Federal government has vowed to remove all obstacles that are militating against Foreign Direct Investment into Nigeria. Part of the measure was to restructure external trade and review current tariff regime to open up the economy for foreign investment. President Goodluck Jonathan who declared open the 17th Nigerian Economic Summit with the theme; “Attracting Foreign Direct Investment through global partnership,” said in Abuja yesterday that ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government have been directed to come up with policies that will create an environment conducive for business to grow. Specifically, the President said he has directed that visa requirements be softened for global Chief Executive Officers who are on a trade visit to Nigeria while.....

Two men were reportedly killed when some gunmen suspected to be of Boko Haram sect attacked and bombed a police outpost and the office of the Federal Road Safety (FRSC) in Borno yesterday evening. According to sources, the attack which occurred at Mainok, a small town in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State situated along the Maiduguri- Damaturu-Kano Road was carried out in a manner that beat the security put around the place even as the incident was said to have caused panic among the residents in the community. Daily Sun gathered that the gunmen stormed the town at about 6pm, bombed the police outpost and subsequently attacked the FRSC office. They were said to have shot sporadically for about 30 minutes before leaving the town. JTF Spokesman, Lt. Col. Hass.....

Miss Goodness Moses, a victim of violence against women, has finally found her way back to the hospital, this time, the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu State. And the news about the medical report is anything but cheering. Consequently, doctors at the UNTH have advised her to go back to the Eye Foundation, Ikeja, Lagos, where her eyes were earlier operated on, after a Lagos-based businessman, Nwzie Uzoma, allegedly stabbed the eyes and hit her jaws with an object. One thing that seems to have compounded the case of the 26 years old girl, is the alleged uncooperative attitude of her attacker. For instance, on July 15, 2011, Uzoma’s lawyer and that of Goodness’ family agreed to settle the matter out of court. And one of the conditions given to him, as.....

As time approaches for Edo governorship election slated for the second quarter of next year, intrigues and scheming have started, especially in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the once ruling party in the State that lost out to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at the Appeal Court after 2007 general election. Before the 2007 general election, the PDP in Edo State was a united family with Chief Tony Anenih as the leader. From 1999-2007, the party was in control of all elective seats or positions in the state. Anenih proved to everyone that he knew the politics of the state more than any other person; he also applied it in delivering the then President of the country, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for his second term in office in 2003 against all odds, especially from his running ma.....

ABUJA – IN a swift move to avert any possible terrorists attacks as predicted by the United States, US, government, President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the immediate completion of top security equipment project in the country, before the end of November. The presidential directive coincides with an order by Andrew Azazi, National Security Adviser, NSA, to Ministries, Departments And Agencies, MDAs to volunteers capable hands to be trained by his office on counter terrorism and emergency response strategies. The officials will manage related security issues in their respective MDAs to complement the efforts of key security agencies in the country. The new security equipment, it was learnt is to complement the already existing tracking device put into operation a few .....

Hopes of the Bayelsa Governor, Timipre Sylva to get the go-ahead to contest for the governorship ticket were again dashed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) yesterday. Despite the entreaties of PDP governors and a follow-up meeting by the South-south governors to prevail on President Goodluck Jonathan to allow the embattled governor contest the party’s governorship primary slated for November 19, the party’s door appears permanently shut against Governor Sylva. His name was again missing on the list of aspirants cleared for the primary by the PDP NWC. National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali in a statement made available to journalists yesterday released names of three additional aspirants cleared for the Novembe.....

Weeks after the conclusion of the controversial Local Government election in Lagos State, a silent war may have broken out between former works minister, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George. Reviewing the election in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun, Ogunlewe lamented that despite collecting a whooping N50 million to prosecute the polls, George misapplied the money. “They (PDP), gave Bode George N50 million to share to the contestants, he gave the money to his leaders, and they didn’t give the money to the candidates. All they gave them was N200,000 and that was the cause of his problem, because so many of the candidates are not happy with him,” he said. According to him, this was what led to the aggression within.....

Residents of Calabar have condemned the prolonged power outage in the city as the situation has affected businesses and social life. Mrs Agnes Ibe, a hairdresser in Calabar, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)that the situation had lingered on for more than two weeks making people to spend more on petrol to power generating sets. ``Every day I fuel my generator both in the shop and in the house, so what I get in a day almost goes for fuel,‘'she said. Mr Asuquo Eyo, a resident, said he spent an average of N1,000 every day to power his generating set, and it was telling on his pocket. ``My family cannot stay without light, so I make sure that there is light both in the night and during the day time,'' he said. He said he was sad that the PHC.....

Ogun State Police Command met with leaders of both Christian and Muslim Worshippers on Tuesday to checkmate and prevent possible Boko Haram attack on the religious worship centres in the South-West of the country, as being speculated. NEXT reports that at the meeting, the police commissioner, Nicholas Nkemdeme encouraged the worship centres to always liaise with the command on regular basis to collectively train their internal security men and procurement of necessary gadgets required. He emphasized that the meeting became necessary in view on the need to beef up security at their centres to forestall any insecurity particularly Boko Haram attack or insurgence, stressing that the meeting was called at the heels of the rumor and security intelligence reports which portend.....

The National Chairman of Action Alliance (AA), Senator Suleiman Salawu has raised the alarm that an opposition party in Oyo State has infiltrated the ranks of his party with a view to destabilizing the administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi. Sen. Salawu disclosed this in Ibadan on Wednesday when he led some stalwarts of his party on a courtesy call on the governor in his office. ``Information at my disposal indicates that a leading opposition party in Oyo State tried to penetrate the ranks of our party in order to explore the petition we had earlier filed before the Election Petitions Tribunal for the purpose of pulling down Governor Ajimobi,'' he said. The AA National Chairman, however, said that as far as his party was concerned, the petition challengin.....

Royal Dutch Shell's failure to mop up two oil spills in the Niger Delta has caused huge suffering to locals whose fisheries and farmland were poisoned, and it must pay $1 billion to start cleaning up the region, Amnesty International said on Thursday. A spokesman for Shell said the company had already acknowledged the two oil spills and started cleaning up, adding that oil theft was responsible for most spills in the Delta. The report by the human rights group to mark the 16th anniversary of the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro Wiwa by Nigerian authorities said the two spills in 2008 in Bodo, Ogoniland, had wrecked the livelihoods of 69,000 people. Amnesty said the community's UK lawyers suggested the spill had leaked 4,000 barrels a day for 10 w.....

ABUJA – NINE days to the Bayelsa governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the embattled governor, Timipre Sylva was again not cleared by the party yesterday. The party cleared Doukpala Francis Amaebi, Ekiyegha Fred Korobido and Austin Febo to join those cleared last week by the National Working Committee, NWC of the PDP. According to a statement signed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Alkali, “the review exercise continues until all issues concerning all aspirants are successfully dealt with and disposed off.” It will be recalled that last week Tuesday, the national leadership of the party, through Alkali, cleared Oruta Justine Boloubo; Henry Seriake Dickson; Enai Christopher Fullpower and Kalango Michael Youpp.....

A United States’ (US) Sunday warning of possible attacks on three Abuja luxury hotels during the Sallah holidays was based on specific and credible information, an American diplomat said yesterday. Even though he did not want his name disclosed, the diplomat would not say where the information on the likely attacks by Boko Haram originated from. He however, said that the US Embassy had no choice, but to warn its citizens who frequent the hotels. The warning on the possible attacks was made on Sunday following the devastating attacks by the Islamist sect which claimed about 150 lives, last Friday and Saturday in Damaturu and Potiskum in Yobe State, as well as Maiduguri in Borno State. However, on Monday during a joint Press conference in Abuja, the National Securit.....

ABUJA — British Airways lobbyists have pressured the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, to intercede on behalf of the airline to save it from losing more than 50 per cent of its flight frequency to Nigeria following the treatment meted out to Nigeria airline, Arik Air, at Heathrow Airport. This came as Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Mr. George Uriesi, said yesterday that the Federal Government’s action on British Airways was informed by the need to protect the country’s domestic airlines. A dependable government source disclosed that Mr. Cameron had waded in last Friday following the insistence of the Ministry of Aviation that British Airways should restructure its London-Lagos flight frequency from seven to three weekly. .....

ABUJA — The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is to review its decision on the withdrawal of the provisional clearance given to the former Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Mr Ben Murray Bruce, following advice from some legal experts on the issue. Top party source revealed in Abuja, yesterday, that since the withdrawal of the provisional clearance on the recommendation of the party’s appeal panel headed by former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs Biodun Olujimi, the case had been subject of consultation by President Goodluck Jonathan. The source revealed that Jonathan had requested legal opinion on the issue of dual citizenship, the basis of which Mr Murray Bruce’s clearance to contest the November 19, party gubernatorial primaries was withdr.....

After four consecutive terms in the Senate including two consecutive terms as Senate President, Senator David Mark’s future is the subject of increasing speculation. With kith and kin urging him to aspire higher, the former army general with a reputation as one of the country’s most successful military and civilian political operatives, could be pondering his options. MR Mike Omeri as a chief strategist for the Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign had a knack for sparking controversies, notably undercutting the rival Atiku Abubakar campaign ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential primaries last year. Now, Mr. Omeri is about conceiving a probably more controversial or maybe comfortable political project. A former aide of Senator Mark, who was lent to the J.....

LAGOS -The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has rolled out new guidelines for the deployment of offsite Automated Teller Machines, ATMs, by banks and Independent ATM Deployers, IAD, giving banks and other ATM deployers the authority to charge customers a maximum of N100 per transaction on their ATMs. According to a circular by the CBN to all banks, IADs, Cash-in-Transit companies and Switches, the guidelines is in line with its cashless policy objectives and in view of the critical role ATM deployment and availability play in ensuring the success of the policy. The circular by Mr. Gaius Emokpae, Acting Director, Banking and Payments System Department, CBN, said the transaction fees shall remain pegged at a maximum of N100 per transaction for all ATMs, adding, however, that .....

Islamic sect, Boko Haram has threatened to carry out more attacks, a day after a series of blasts and gun battles claimed by the group killed more than 100 people in the country’s northeast, the Nigerian Red Cross has said. Ibrahim Bulama, an official from the humanitarian organisation, said on Sunday that the death toll is expected to rise as local clinics and hospitals tabulate the casualty figures from Friday’s attacks in Damaturu, the capital of rural Yobe state. A spokesman for the Islamist armed group, using the name Abul-Qaqa, promised “more attacks are on the way”, speaking hours after witnesses reported “scenes of carnage”. The US Embassy in Nigeria has issued an emergency warning to its citizens living there that bomb attacks could be possible at luxury.....

An Islamist group which has carried out deadly attacks in north-eastern Nigeria may be planning to bomb hotels in the capital, Abuja, the US embassy says. The Hilton, Nicon Luxury and Sheraton hotels were named as possible targets of the Boko Haram group. The warning came as the Nigerian Red Cross said more than 100 had died in the attacks, mainly in the town of Damaturu. Pope Benedict XVI has appealed for an end to the violence. On Sunday, Boko Haram gunmen shot dead a police inspector in the city of Maiduguri, 130km (80 miles) east of Damaturu. Specific warning The US embassy warning is regarded as unusually specific. The hotels it has named draw diplomats, politicians and Nigeria's business elite. The embassy said th.....

An oil tanker seized by pirates off the coast of the Niger Delta last week has been released, officials in Nigeria say. The vessel - the MT Halifax - was attacked near the oil city of Port Harcourt. The crew of 25, mainly Filipinos, were said to be safe and accounted for. The area has seen an increase in the number of hijackings of tankers as pirates target oil shipments moving out of Nigeria. In most cases the cargo of fuel is taken off before the ship and crew are released unharmed - unlike in Somalia where crews and their ships are held until ransoms are paid, often after several months. "The vessel is presently being escorted to Port Harcourt harbour by Nigerian Navy Patrol Team," a spokeswoman for the Nigerian Maritime Administration s.....

At least 63 people have been killed in bomb and gun attacks in the north-eastern Nigerian town of Damaturu, the Red Cross says. Witnesses said the bombs hit several targets, including churches and the headquarters of the Yobe state police. The Islamist militant group Boko Haram told a newspaper it was behind the attack and that it planned to hit further government targets. A Nigerian journalist told the BBC he personally counted nearly 100 bodies. "I saw 97 dead bodies in the morgue," Aminu Abubakar, who is in Damaturu, said. "But an official involved in the evacuation told me that he counted 150 dead bodies although some had been taken away by their loved ones," he said. President Goodluck Jonathan was "greatly disturbed" by.....

As the controversy over the last local government elections in Lagos State rages, former National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has said that his party would not give up in the fight for the results. Speaking in Lagos, George said that the street protest he embarked on with members of the PDP was part of the party’s way of challenging the results of the local government elections. He spoke on this and other issues. The result of the recent council election seems to be unacceptable to you and your party. What went wrong? We did not accept the result. We took part in the election. You know this is 21st century when all election results from every polling booth would be announced and signed and you keep your copy. So, nobody can g.....

Nigeria bomb and gun attacks 'kill dozens' in Damaturu A series of bomb attacks in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Damaturu has killed at least 30 people, reports say. Witnesses said the bombs hit several targets, including the headquarters of the Yobe state police. The BBC's Jonah Fisher, in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, says gunfire lasted into the night and residents were said to be fleeing. It follows attacks on security forces in neighbouring city, Maiduguri, blamed on the Islamist Boko Haram group. Update Bomb and gun attacks in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Damaturu — targetting police stations and churches — left dozens of people dead and at least 100 injured, witnesses said Saturday. The attack.....

Greece's PM George Papandreou is set to face a crucial no-confidence vote, with the outcome on a knife-edge. Mr Papandreou shocked EU partners and sent markets into turmoil after calling for a referendum on a hard-fought EU deal to bail out debt-ridden Greece. The finance minister said on Friday the referendum had now been scrapped, but even if the PM wins he faces an unclear future, amid new calls to resign. The developments have overshadowed a key G20 meeting in Cannes. Eurozone leaders fear that failure to solve the Greek debt crisis could risk it spreading to other vulnerable economies, particularly Italy. Germany had said a referendum would essentially be a vote on whether Greece wanted to be part of the EU and that the stability of the euroz.....

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EID-Unas (ra) reported that when the Prophet Muhammad (saw) migrated from Makkah to Madinah, the people of Madinah used to have two festivals. On those two days they had carnivals and festivity. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) asked the Ansaar (the Muslims of Madinah) about it. They replied that before Islam they used to have carnivals on those two joyous days. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) told them: ‘Instead of those two days, Allah has appointed two other days which are better, the days of Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha.’ (Hadith) EID-AL-FITR is celebrated on the first day of Shaw’waal, at the completion of Ramadan. Shaw’waal is the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. The Eid-al-Fitr is a very joyous day; it is a true Thanksgiving Day for the believing men an.....

Seven years after toll gates were scrapped on federal highways across the country, the Federal Government said yesterday that it would re-introduce toll gates on federal highways in 2012. Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolomemen announced the plan at an interactive session with the Senate Committee on Works yesterday. Onolomemen explained to the Senator Ayogu Eze-led committee that the move was part of plans to reverse the deplorable state of federal roads across the country. “The future of the road sector cannot be shouldered by the Federal Government alone. We will soon start work on some of these roads. By 2012, we will introduce toll gate policy to rehabilitate our roads. Beyond this, we need a major reform of the sector. “We need an enabling framework for the co.....

The Katsina State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal yesterday dismissed the petition of Aminu Bello Masari, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) governorship candidate, against the return of Governor Ibrahim Shema of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the April 26 poll. In a five-hour long verdict, the justices of the tribunal, led by C. I. Jombo-Ofo sitting with E. Teetito and D. Z. Senchi, ruled that, based on the facts and circumstances of the petition coupled with the state of the laws, the petition had failed and it was dismissed. The tribunal further held that it could not grant the reliefs sought by Masari because the allegations leveled by the CPC governorship standard bearer against Shema were not proved beyond reasonable doubts. The grounds upon wh.....

Intrigues over the planned removal of oil subsidy continued yesterday as the House of Representatives’ session on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) became rowdy. The House began investigation of the non-remittance of N450 billion to the Federation Account by the NNPC even as the agency, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agebcy (PPPRA), Customs and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources failed to turn up in the Senate to brief the lawmakers on the subsidy. In the House yesterday, the uproar degenerated into name-calling and a warning on the lawmakers’ place in history as regards their conduct. Before the resumption of the public hearing, the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) had postponed the much-publicised tal.....

Hope for an amicable resolution of the clearance of the remaining batch of governorship aspirants in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State melted in confusion late Wednesday as a peace meeting called to address the debacle failed to hit a standard rhythm. With this development, incumbent governor, Chief Timiprey Sylva, may well be walking a tight rope in his bid for re-election. A source close to the meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, which was called at the instance of governors sympathetic to the cause of the Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, said an uncontrolled flare of tempers raised tension and led to a non-definitive resolution. Similarly, another meeting called yesterday to finally address the matter was at the risk of not holding, .....

ABUJA — Ahead of the Muslim Sallah celebrations and fears that the Boko Haram Islamic sect planned to distrupt it by carrying out surprised bomb attacks, the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Abubakar Ringim, has directed 24-hour patrols, increased surveillance and vigilance on all key and vulnerable points across the country. Also, all Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police and Commissioners of Police in state commands have been mandated to effectively deploy men of the anti-terrorist and anti-bomb squads, particularly, to the areas that have been identified as black spot. Speaking through a statement signed by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Yemi Ajayi, the IGP directed the officers to engage in stop-and-search duties and to be on 24-hour red-aler.....

Theo Nwaigbo is an activist and lawyer who found himself in the battlefield to dislodge the then Imo State Governor, Ikedi Ohakim from office. In this interview, he gives a stern warning to the incumbent, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to watch his back and beware of sycophants who ruined his predecessor and are now hovering round the Government House in Owerri like predators. He spoke to Daily Sun in Lagos on the new government in the state, his reason for supporting the candidature of Okorocha, the challenges before the regime among others. OLA AGBAJE presents the excerpts. Why I pitched my tent with Rochas Okorocha As I said, I was not into partisan politics. But there is always a defining moment for a human being. I would say that I was motivated to join the political forces .....

The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Sa’ad Muhammudu Abubakar 111, will clock five years on the throne today.‘Sada’, as the Sultan is fondly called, is an embodiment of peace, lover of religious harmony and a trustworthy person. For the 20th Sultan of the seat of the Caliphate, the need for all to consistently live in peace irrespective of religious and tribal differences has been his ultimate concern, even as his leadership traits are not in any way hidden. Within the last five years, he had established himself as an icon of peace in the country. He also does not speak to be heard neither does he move just to be seen. His words are always timely and meaningful. He has never been silent on some national issues with potentials for controversy. From the issue of Militants in Nig.....

A rice dealer at Marian market and Etim Edem market, Mr. Kenneth Ubah, has been nabbed by the police for allegedly locking up a 13-year old banana hawker in a disused deep freezer in Chief Obot Close State Housing Estate Calabar. Daily Sun investigations revealed that luck ran out on the trader when the brother of girl, he lured into his premises allegedly for ritual purposes raised the alarm, which prompted intervention by passersby and the police. On getting wind of the incident, the Zone 6 Command dispatched a team of detectives to Mr. Kenneth Ubah’s residence and the girl was rescued from the claws of death. A source told Daily Sun that Kenneth, along with others was working on his storey building, when he invited the girl into the premises on the pretext that he .....

Franca Ogbu gained admission in 2010, to study Economics at the Federal University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State, now known as Modibbo Adama University of Technology. It won’t be an exaggeration or understatement, if one says the family rolled out drums to celebrate her admission into the university, a feat that made other families in the community in Obi Local Government Area of Benue State, green with envy. In fact, the parents’ joy knew no bounds, even as they toiled day and night, farming and engaging in petty trading, to raise some money to make their first, beautiful daughter’s dream, which is to have university education, come true. But unfortunately, as she secured the much awaited admission, fate had packaged surprise, fatal gift for her, literarily .....

The ‘ping-pong’ game in the clearance of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants in Bayelsa State continued yesterday with hints of an imminent all clear for the embattled Governor Timipre Sylva. The Appeals Committee had on Monday withheld his clearance, citing inadequate powers, information and technical know-how to do so, based on allegations of security breaches. The National Working Committee (NWC) followed suit by endorsing the decision on Tuesday. However, following increased anxiety and lobbying, there were indications yesterday that a second list of cleared candidates, which would include Sylva, was in the works and may be released today. The governor’s aides insisted last night that Chief Sylva had never been shut out, situating the melodrama th.....

Nigeria has confirmed the appointment of a former captain of the Super Eagles, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, as a replacement for the sacked coach, Samson Siasia, and given a mandate to take Nigeria to the Brazil 2014 quarter-finals of the World Cup. Keshi replaces Samson Siasia, who was sacked last Friday after his 2012 Nations Cup qualifying failure. The 49-year-old, who captained Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup finals, was previously in charge of Mali and Togo at international level. Keshi was also part of the last Nigerian side to win the Africa Cup of Nations - as they did in 1994. “It was a unanimous decision taken by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for the appointment of Stephen Keshi as the new head coach of the national team,” said NFF Deputy President, Mike Um.....

Amid pomp and ceremony the Maigari of Lokoja, HRH Alhaji Kabiru Mohammed, the Makarfi 111 recently took time to bless the new director general of National Youth Service Corps, Brig Gen Nnamdi Okorie-Affia The occasion was the inaugural visit of Affia to Kogi State in commencement of his familiarisation tours to all the 36 states of the federation. Gen Okorie Affia was who was appointed on September 6th as the 16th director general of NYSC was born in Bonn, Germany by a German mother and a Nigerian father who hailed from Arochukwu community in Anambra State. He read political science at the university before he enrolled into Nigeria Defence Academy and was commissioned in 1982 as a full lieutenant Before his appointment, Affia had served differently as area coordina.....

The Presidential Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja yesterday validated the election of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as president, throwing out the petition of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) seeking the nullification of his victory. But CPC insists the president and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should not celebrate yet. It’s National Chairman Prince Tony Momoh has served verbal notice of appeal, saying the party would approach the Supreme Court to seek to upturn the verdict. The opposition party is citing a possible manipulation of the judiciary as one of the reasons, for its loss at the Appeal Court. The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) yesterday lost its legal battle to invalidate the April 16, 2011 presidential election that produced President Goodluck Jonathan.....

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) yesterday came out with an official pronouncement on the fate of its aspirants, seeking clearance to contest the party’s ticket for the Bayelsa governorship election. Four of the aspirants were cleared for the party’s primary, according to a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali in what the party called first batch of aspirants cleared. The names of those cleared were Oruta Justine Boloubo, Henry Seriake Dickson, Enai Christopher Fullpower and Kalango Michael Youppele. The name of the sitting Governor, Timpire Sylva, who is also seeking the party’s ticket for a fresh term was missing on the list. Also missing on the list were former director-gener.....

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) yesterday lost its legal battle to invalidate the April 16, 2011 presidential election that produced President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the Court of Appeal sitting. The Presidential Election Tribunal threw out its petition as lacking in merit and substance. But in a swift reaction, the CPC condemned the judgment and vowed to challenge it at the Supreme Court. Specifically, in a unanimous judgment, the five-man panel held that the party has failed woefully to prove that the election was marred by irregularities and not conducted in substantial compliance of the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act. Relying substantially on the relevant provisions of the Evid.....

As the debate over the planned removal of fuel subsidy continues, the House of Representatives has raised a probe panel over alleged theft of 150,000 and 200,000 barrels of crude oil daily. The House yesterday mandated its Committees on Petroleum Resources (upstream) and the Navy to investigate activities of illegal bunkerers even as its two-day round-table on fuel subsidy begins tomorrow. The development came even as the House was told that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), illegally deducted N553, 950billion from oil proceeds between January and September, this year. Testifying before the Joint committee on Finance, Petroleum Upstream, Downstream and Gas Resources of the House probing the non-remittance of N450 billion into the Federation Account by.....

Activities at the Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, in Ikeja, Lagos State, came to a temporary halt yesterday as former national deputy chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George led members of the party in the state on a street protest. The party was protesting the outcome of the October 22 local government election in the state. Though the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was declared winner in all the 57 local council areas in the state, the PDP claimed it won the election in five local government areas and over 200 wards against 18 wards declared in its favour by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC). The protest, which started from the party secretariat at Ikeja, went through major streets, terminating at the ever-busy Maryland.....

Having a larger end has always been important for political leaders all over the world. But whether the choices they are faced with every day are in the best national interest or the result of self-interest, is something many Presidents will dispute. Clearly, what distorts their judgment is something neuroscience has taken keen interest in. Whether a President insists that the key decisions he makes is in the best national interest governance is likely to be the first casualty, especially when the issue at stake is as controversial as the current plan by President Jonathan to remove fuel subsidy, effective January, next year. This was the concern of this column last week. From the responses received in the last one week, it is clear where Nigerians stand on this matter: .....

orget everything you’ve been told about the ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) strike before now. Forget the accusation about ASUU members and its executives trying to bring down the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, trying to bring about a revolution, bloodless or bloody. Fact is, President Jonathan, was once, and still is, an ASUU member. Thus said Temi Akporhonor, a professor of Chemistry, Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, and, until recently, the Rector, Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara, Delta State. In fact, he completed his four year tenure in August before proceeding on his sabbatical. But the professor of Chemistry who spoke with Daily Sun in an exclusive interview at his Agbarho residence has accused the President of playing a double game: of bei.....

As a land speculator, Pastor Desmond Igbokwe, peeled off some N500,000 of his hard-earned money to invest in a piece of land, said to be about three standard plots. He had hoped to resell as soon as the value of the property appreciated. No sooner had the value appreciated, however, than other people also developed interest in the land. It meant trouble. Trouble for the peace-loving pastor. Trouble from which he would not come out alive. Tears flowed freely from the eyes of villagers at Nnemere Mpam Ekwerazu in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, when Daily Sun visited the community, to investigate the alleged kidnap and murder of one of their own. The Igbokwes screamed and cried profusely immediately this reporter introduced himself. They rained curses on the .....

An Islamic cleric was shot dead in Maiduguri over the weekend by gunmen suspected to be of Boko Haram sect, even as an early morning bomb blast targeted against the Joint Task Force (JTF) men rocked the city yesterday. Some gunmen were said to have stormed the residence of the Islamic cleric, Ali Gana at Kaleri ward on Saturday at about 7.15pm and shot him severally, leaving him in his pool of blood. Daily Sun also learnt that the early morning bomb blast occurred at a check point at Bulabulin Ngarnam ward within the metropolis at about 7.30 am yesterday, a development which made many residents to panic. However, no life was lost in the blast. Confirming the blast and assassination of the Maiduguri cleric, Operation Officer of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Col. Victor E.....

For former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, removal of fuel subsidy would correct distortions in the economy. But former Justice Minister, Prince Bola Ajibola disagreed, saying the removal is an explosive issue that must be handled with utmost care and caution. Chief Anyaoku told shareholders of Orient Petroleum Resources Plc, during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Awka, Anambra State, at weekend, that it would reduce pressure on the exchange rate. As Anyaoku spoke, vice-chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Arthur Okowa said subsidy on kerosene would go in 2014. Speaking with Daily Sun in Abuja, Okowa, who is also a member of the Committee on Gas, said Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, told a panel at an interactive session that .....

Senate has summoned Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration, Senator Bala Mohammed and the Due Process Office over the award of some road contracts in Abuja in foreign currency. Similarly, Senate may also summon the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Dikko Abdullahi, over his refusal to submit the service’s staff nominal roll showing a breakdown of its senior cadre of staff and their states of origin. The directive was handed down to Abdullahi when the Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs Committee visited the NCS on an oversight duty last Wednesday. Abdullahi pledged to make the staff nominal roll available to the committee the following day. Sources close to the committee told Daily Sun that “the NCS was given up to clo.....

Governors under the aegis of Nigeria Governors Forum, (NGF) on Monday night gave indication that they were ready to continue their agitation for sound fiscal federalism in the country. At the end of their meeting, which was held at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, the governors resolved not to receive any allocation from the Federal Government, which fell short of compliance with the Appropriation Act. The governors had since directed the finance commissioners of their respective states, “to reject any allocation that is not in accordance with the Appropriation Act, 2011.” The forum also rejected all illegal deductions that amounted to N1.079 trillion for nine months in excess of the budgeted sum of N240 billion for oil subsidy for the year in clear v.....

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has revealed how a former state governor, who was arrested and arraigned for alleged misappropriation of public funds, parted with a whopping N3 billion to a syndicate of fraudsters in a bid to avert his trial. Three ex-governors, a senator and some members of the House of Representatives involved in cases handled by the anti-graft commission have also lost huge sums of money amounting to over N100 million in some instances to the same syndicate allegedly led by a high profile personality who, however, was not named. EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi, who declined revealing the identities of the four ex-governors and other victims of the syndicate, said yesterday that three suspects who claimed to be acting on behalf of so.....

The sun set yesterday for Mrs. Ifeoma Egeonu, 27, who was set ablaze by her husband, Alexander, along with her two children, Udochukwu and Emmanuel, 6, as she passed on at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, where she had been receiving treatment since the tragic incident occurred on October 1. Daily Sun had reported yesterday that Mrs. Egonu was in a critical condition after she was delivered of a premature baby as a result of the incident. The baby who was delivered at seven months and kept in incubator died on Sunday, October 23 at the National Orthopaedic Hospital. The unfortunate housewife had earlier lost her son, Udochukwu, on October 21 in the same hospital, while doctors battled to save her from severe burns inflicted by her husband. Ifeoma who .....

Cold war is brewing within the Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as some chieftains are said to be fighting dirty over who controls and takes custody the membership cards. Daily Sun investigations revealed that the leadership of the party has been factionalised into two following moves by Ambassador Soni Abang, Nigeria’s envoy to Mali, to contest against the incumbent, Governor Liyel Imoke, in the pending 2012 governorship race. It was learnt that since the rumour started making the rounds that Ambassador Abang, the former PDP state chairman, was gearing up to throw his hat into the ring, there had been subterranean moves to ease out his supporters from the party before the congresses to possibly pave way for the incumbent’s smooth sa.....

Despite Akwa Ibom State government release of the sum of N5.5 billion for the payment of the new minimum wage and to take its arrears from April 201, the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state is not amused. To them, strike is the only language the state government understands as they have vowed to proceed on an indefinite strike on October 28, 2011, unless the minimum wage palaver in the state is corrected. The state commissioner for information and communications, Mr Aniekan Umanah had addressed the press in the evening of Tuesday announcing that release of the funds which he described as “unprecedented in the annals of democratic governance in the country and indeed a further demonstration of the present administration’s good gesture to workers in the state.” Lab.....

Rev. Anuli stated that It is not an appropriate thing to do at the moment because it is akin to endorsing promiscuity, immorality and a debasement of womanhood. “ Every woman has virtues to protect and prostitution is not a virtue to be promoted in women. The primary aim of the government now is to create an enabling environment and a level playing field for women in all areas of endeavour. In work places and the business world, women should be protected and given the same platform to excel like their male counterparts rather than debase them the more by making prostitution legal in the country. Women should be highly considered in areas such as financial, intellectual, marital and emotional aspects. The senate should make women empowerment a core issue, create laws th.....

Having a larger end has always been important for political leaders all over the world. But whether the choices they are faced with every day are in the best national interest or the result of self-interest, is something many Presidents will dispute. Clearly, what distorts their judgment is something neuroscience has taken keen interest in. Whether a President insists that the key decisions he makes is in the best national interest governance is likely to be the first casualty, especially when the issue at stake is as controversial as the current plan by President Jonathan to remove fuel subsidy, effective January, next year. This was the concern of this column last week. From the responses received in the last one week, it is clear where Nigerians stand on this matter: .....

A tragic situation! That was what organisers of the African Handball Championship had over the weekend in Kaduna, as the competition went underway at the Murtala Mohammed Square. A day after the commencement of the championship, the President of Handball Federation of Cameroon, Jules Bemtille, slumped and died while jogging in his hotel. The death, which was confirmed by the President of Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Mallam Yusuf Dauda, has since taken its toll on the competition which attracted teams from over 15 countries. Dauda, while confirming the ugly development in a telephone chat with Daily Sunsports, said it has virtually spoilt his fun while throwing the handball fiesta into a crisis situation. “What we have here is a big crisis as a result of t.....

The Jama’atu Ahlus Sunnati Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram said that they were responsible for the killing of Zakariyya Isa, a reporter with the Nigerian Television Authority’s (NTA) Maiduguri Network Centre. The group has also claimed responsibility for Saturday night’s multiple attacks on a police station and banks in Saminaka, Kaduna State as well as last week’s attack on a Mopol barracks in Kwami, Gombe State. The group said Zakariyya was killed because he was “an informant of security agencies.” Spokesman of the group, Abul-Qaqa in a telephone conversation with huhuonline.com, said, “Zakariyya was not killed in error. We killed him because he was spying on us.” There were earlier speculations that Zakariyya was a victim of “mista.....

For Enugu housewife, Mrs. Ifeoma Egeonu, this is not the best of times as fate is dealing a cruel blow on her after being set ablaze by her husband on October 1. She was carrying a seven-month pregnancy at the time her hubby, Alexander Ndubuisi, popularly called Sagay, sprinkled petrol on her and her two children, aged three and six, set them ablaze and fled the scene. Last Friday, Mrs. Egeonu delivered a premature baby, who died shortly after. Her son that suffered severe burns also died at the weekend. It was a harvest of tragedies for the Enugu housewife, as she battles to stay alive. Apart from her burns, she had to cope with the loss of her pregnancy and her son. Ifeoma had told Daily Sun on her hospital bed that she could not tell what might have pushed her husban.....

Journalists in Borno State were thrown into shock and mourning yesterday following the killing at the weekend of their colleague, Zakari Isa of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Maiduguri network centre by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram. The gunmen numbering about three, had stormed the residence of the reporter at Gomari Airport ward at about 8 p.m on Saturday and shot him severally in the presence of his family. Words went round immediately to journalists in the city to be watchful as the Boko Haram men might have turned to the media men as their next target. The state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abba Kakami, described the development as sad, adding that journalists were mediator in the Boko Haram crisis and harmless professionals who s.....

BEFORE the first ballot is cast in today’s election into 20 Local Councils, 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) and 376 wards in Lagos, the stage had been prepared for litigations. Midwife of the polls, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) as at Thursday night had not published the list of candidates contrary to the guidelines it issued for the election. LASIEC’s amended guidelines for the elections issued on September 3 and signed by the Chairman, Justice Abdul Fatai Afolabi Adeyinka (rtd) stated that list of candidates would be published on October 15. This guideline was not adhered to, as it were. The leading parties have been engulfed by allegations and counter-allegations of substitution and imposition of candidates, which LASIEC’s pub.....

An Abuja high court sitting at Apo, yesterday, declined to quash the 17-count criminal charge that was preferred against the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole and his erstwhile Deputy, Usman Nafada Bayero, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The court okayed the duo for trial on the premise that the proof of evidence tendered against them by the anti-graft agency, established a nexus between them and the offence they were alleged to have committed. Ruling on two separate preliminary objections raised against the trial, the presiding judge in the matter, Justice Suleiman Belgore, yesterday, said he was convinced that the accused persons have explanations to give pertaining to an alleged N40 billion loan scam that culmina.....

Dear scholars, As-salamu `alaykum. Can I enter ihram (state of consecration) at Jeddah airport or do I have to enter ihram at my home in Karachi? The total journey time is about 9 to 10 hours, including 2 hours to the airport, 4 hours from Karachi to Jeddah, 2 hours at Jeddah airport, plus 2 hours to Makkah. Frankly speaking, I am concerned about the cleanliness of the ihram attire after a 10-hour journey. I think I should put on the ihram at Jeddah airport to ensure it is clean on arrival at Al-Masjid Al-Haram. Jazakum Allah khayran. Wa `alaykum Salam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. Thank you for your question, which shows yo.....

ust as was predicted and expected, it was indeed a night to remember by the congregants that gathered at the Lekki Light Centre (LLC) parish of Illumination Assembly last Friday night as world acclaimed gospel star, Ron Kenoly led thousands of worshippers in praise and worship till the wee hours of the morning in celebrating the 51st anniversary of Nigeria as a nation. Organized by the Bishop Isaac Idalosa-led Illumination Assembly (God First Ministries), the festival of Praise tagged, Nite of Splendour also featured different gospel entertainers such as Sam Rock, KC Brown, MC Galaxy, Illumination Assembly mass choir, among others. In consonance with the theme of this year’s edition: There shall be no Loss, the ‘kaboitic’ pastor also a gospel act with three albums to.....

In the beginning In the Nigerian Constitution, there are only 774 recognised Local governments with Lagos State having 20 out of the lot. But piqued by the lopsidedness in the number of the council areas allocated Lagos State to some states, the administration of former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu created 37 additional council areas to bring the number to 57. Example cited was of Kano State, which has almost the same population with Lagos State but has 44 Local Governments as against Lagos with 20. Relying on some relevant sections of the same constitution that places the administration of Local Governments directly under the state government, the state went ahead to carry out the exercise following all the laid down procedures towards the realisation of the object.....

After five months of legal fireworks, the Presidential Election Tribunal on Thursday in Abuja rounded up its sittings. The tribunal however, reserved judgment on the petition filed by the Congress for Progressive Change [CPC] against the declaration of President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] as winners of the April 16, 2011 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). For the first time since the maiden sitting of the tribunal under the chairmanship of the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami on May 17, 2011, the presidential candidate of the CPC, General Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Pastor Tunde Bakare, were there yesterday. They were accompanied by for.....

With the raging controversy over Federal Government’s plan to remove fuel subsidy as from next January, former Chairman, Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief Ajibola Ogunsola, yesterday described the proposal as a fall-out of fraud and mismanagement of public funds. He said that government’s insensitivity to the fight against alleged corruption in the downstream sector of the oil industry has bedeviled efforts at making the refineries functional. According to the former Chairman, Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), “it is because of this line of reasoning that many people are saying that there is no subsidy to be removed that what constitutes subsidy now is the consequence of government corruption, mismanagement and fraud which has prevented the local refinery from b.....

The Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole yesterday in Abuja stated in definite words that the only thing that would save the nation is a revolution. But he however, qualified the revolution as that of infrastructure and the manner and attitude of the public sector in handling the management of the nation. Oshiomhole made the remarks in his speech at the opening of the 41st Annual Accountants Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. He questioned the rationale behind government’s insistence that things have to change in the way the nation was being managed only in words or policies pronouncements but refusing to make sure at implementation or action, things were done differently. I.....

The battle line was drawn yesterday between the Federal Government and the states with the launch of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) by the Presidency in Abuja. The states kicked against setting up the fund, which replaced the Excess Crude Account (ECA) created by the Obasanjo administration in 2004. The National Assembly pronounced ECA illegal. Addressing newsmen during the launch in Abuja, the Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy and the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo –Iweala, explained that the $1 billion earlier made available for the fund would remain and more money would be moved into the account from ECA later, adding that this was encapsulated in the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) Act. According to her, the government had launched the im.....

I am sure many people were like me on that day - October 1, 2011. At all levels, our seeming governmental or administrative foreplay lingers with all of its somewhat robotic fingers which now inflict itches than they administer caresses. October 1, 2011 came. For one, I high-hoped to receive an encouraging romance from our Goodluck President and I am sure many people were like me on that day. Now I do not want to hear anything again. I want to have. We need to have. Imagine, I waited, like a woman for a trusted lover. Radio, Paper, TV, I waited, like you and you. Finally the broadcast covered the screen of my Plasma TV. I smiled. But the smile died like that of a woman whose man's manhood lost power while they still prepared to have their mouths meet in a kiss. Every sou.....

MAKURDI—No fewer than 15 persons have been reported killed with over 60 houses burnt in a politically-motivated violence that rocked Ugba, in the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State. Eyewitness told Vanguard that crisis erupted last night in Ugba following the murder of a money lender and tipper owner in the town (names withheld) by unknown armed men. It was gathered that while the police were investigating the matter, some youths suspected to be supporters of the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the town, allegedly mobilised themselves and went on a reprisal attack on the paramount ruler of the town and notable PDP members from the town. The rampaging youths, it was learnt, were said to have killed pregnant women, toddlers and the elderly, amo.....

ENUGU— OVER 20 communities in Awgu and Oji-River Local Government Areas of Enugu State have been thrown into serious difficulties, following a major landslide which cut off a portion of the Awgu-Achi-Oji River federal road. The landslide on the road now under rehabilitation, reportedly occurred at Egu-Agbo Ifitte Mmaku end last Friday after a heavy rainfall. The rehabilitation project was awarded by the Federal Government last year as a constituency project of the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, and work had progressed steadily before the unfortunate disaster which has rendered the road impassable. A farmer at Mmaku, Mrs. Nwamaka Ekwe, told reporters who visited the area yesterday that the incident was like an earthquake, lamenting that economic act.....

National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bisi Akande and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu yesterday condemned the moves by the Federal Government to withdraw fuel subsidy, describing it as a move to “subsidise” corruption. Tinubu, while speaking at the first anniversary of Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration in Ado-Ekiti, described the proposal as misplacement of priority, asking the Federal Government to review federal allocation to states first before thinking of removing oil subsidy. Akande in his contribution described the Federal Government as a government that did not believe in transparency. He recalled that right from the outset some people in government had been feeding fat on oil subsidy. The ACN leaders sai.....

The Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, Dr. Bukola Saraki at the weekend said the Federal Government might spend a whopping N1.5 trillion on fuel subsidy this year. He added that government expended N600 billion in 2010 alone in subsidising the same products. Saraki, who is the chairman, Senate Committee on the Environment, spoke with newsmen at the weekend in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, added that N1.5 trillion was “even more than the entire capital expenditure.” The immediate past governor of Kwara State therefore threw his weight behind the Federal Government’s proposed fuel subsidy withdrawal, urging government to win the confidence of Nigerians. He added that “spending N1.5 trillion annually on fuel subsidy is not sustainable. Government mus.....

Fresh facts have emerged on the illegal N1.5 trillion spent on oil subsidy by the Presidency as against N240 billion approved for the same purpose by the National Assembly for the 2011 fiscal year. Senator Bukola Saraki had raised the alarm in a motion approved by the Senate last Thursday. He said that the Presidency had spent over N1.5 trillion on oil subsidy as at August this year, contrary to budgetary provisions by the National Assembly. By that decision, the Presidency contravened Sections 80, 81 of the 1999 constitution. He, therefore, called for an investigation into the matter. Consequently, the Senate mandated its Committees on Finance, Appropriations and Petroleum Resources (downstream) to investigate the management of the current oil subsidy fund by the Presi.....

The socio-economic revolution sweeping across the Arab nations, particularly Libya, has not only brought to the fore what Nigerians living in Libya are going through, but also their experiences in the desert when they were travelling to Libya. Since Libya was enmeshed in crisis, there have been mixed tales of hardships Nigerians and other black nationals in that country are going through. Various African governments, including Nigeria, have had to rescue her citizens living in Libya. The United Nations has also played a tremendous role in evacuating foreigners trapped in the war-torn Arab country. When our correspondent spoke with Chairman of the Nigerian Community in Sahba, Libya, Zacharia Saleh Abdalla, over the phone penultimate Friday, he painted a gloomy picture of .....

Comrade Shehu Sani has said that no amount force could bring Boko Haram to its knees, insisting that dialogue remains the best option. He spoke exclusively with the Sunday Sun team in Kaduna recently, where he also revealed how the visit to Maiduguri with former President Obasanjo was planned, and why he chose Obasanjo as the lead arbiter, ahead of former Nigeria leaders of northern extraction among other issues, adding that “well, I virtually don’t know any person from the side of the government that I could actually talk to. So I thought of so many things and I thought the best person I should go to is someone who has the ears of the government and someone who has integrity and repute and it was then I thought of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.” Excerpts: L.....

According to the ‘Guinness World Book of Records,’ Ziad Fazah, a 40-year-old Lebanese immigrant living in Brazil, is the world’s greatest living polyglot. He is fluent in 56 foreign languages, 54 of which he taught himself, without having to visit the native countries of those languages. Pope Benedict XVI and Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid FC manager are also on the list of great polyglots, although not directly after Fazah. Pope Benedict XVI, who is fluent in nine foreign languages is well travelled, having worked as a priest in many countries, and Mourinho. He’s proficient in five foreign languages as he worked in Spain, Italy, England, France and Portugal. However, ahead of Mourinho and the Pope, is Kogi-born Victor Moody, a final year medical student at the University C.....

Former Petroleum Minister, Prof-Tam David West, has warned the Federal Government to back out of the plan to remove petroleum subsidy. According to him, government would be courting instability of a grave dimension, if it goes ahead with the controversial move, which he said is sure to overburden Nigerians already suffering harsh economic adversities. David West, who served as oil minister in the Gen. Muhammadu Buhari regime, in the 1980s, dismissed official claim of an oil subsidy, accusing the Federal Government of angling to satisfy “the suicidal conditionality of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, at the expense of its moral and humanistic obligation to its citizenry.” He observed that the commoners, who had been at the receiving end of the mism.....

Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon Kingsley Kuku, has threatened to withdraw former agitators being trained by multinational oil firms in the Niger Delta under the post-amnesty programme. Kuku stated this in Paris at a conference on Niger Delta held at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), just as he faulted the travel advice issued by countries in the European Union (EU) to their nationals on the security situation in Nigeria, particularly the Niger Delta. He expressed disappointment that the oil firms, most of which have their headquarters in Europe, sent some of the youths to centres to train locally as welders, tailors and some vocations that had been rejected by his office. He said h.....

Reprieve came the way of the former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, as an Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta granted his bail application to the tune of N500 million. This is coming at a time when the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) has raided the Victoria Island, Lagos office of the Mr. Wale Ajisebutu, managing director of 21st Century Technology Limited and a close associate of Daniel. The former governor, who is standing trial on a 16-count charge of converted public land into personal use and failure to declare his assets was granted bail on self-recognition. The Presiding Judge, Justice Olanrewaju Mabekoje, having listened to the arguments of the two counsels for and against the bail application, asked for a stand down at 11.50 a.m., for.....

The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Thursday evening witnessed another explosion, as three buildings, in the highbrow Maitama District were partially damaged. In the explosion, residences of General Lawrence Onoja, a former Principal General Staff Officer (PGSO) to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha and ex-director general of the defunct National Security Organisation (NSO), Alhaji Umaru Ali Shinkafi, on Lahn Crescent, Maitama District, Abuja, were affected. The third building affected is located at No.3 of the street, which is barely 500 metres away from the official residence of the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Hafiz Ringim. Expectedly, the incident created panic among residents and security agents within the vicinity where the official residences of .....

Medical scientists at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin-City, Nigeria, have recorded a major scientific breakthrough in having a successful stem cell transplant on a patient with sickle cell anemia. This is, indeed, good news for sickle cell patients and others that require regenerative medicine for a cure. The feat, which was performed on a seven-year old sickle cell anemia patient, who had suffered stroke, was the first of its kind in the country and third in Africa. It came on the heels of earlier ones carried out in Egypt and South Africa. The breakthrough was achieved through a one-year training collaboration of selected workers of the hospital led by Dr. Nosakhare Bazuaye with the University of Basel, Switzerland. Briefing newsmen on t.....

Dear scholars, As-salamu `alaykum. Can I enter ihram (state of consecration) at Jeddah airport or do I have to enter ihram at my home in Karachi? The total journey time is about 9 to 10 hours, including 2 hours to the airport, 4 hours from Karachi to Jeddah, 2 hours at Jeddah airport, plus 2 hours to Makkah. Frankly speaking, I am concerned about the cleanliness of the ihram attire after a 10-hour journey. I think I should put on the ihram at Jeddah airport to ensure it is clean on arrival at Al-Masjid Al-Haram. Jazakum Allah khayran. Wa `alaykum Salam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. Thank you for your question, which shows yo.....

In a political system, registration of new members and revalidation of old members are necessary to entrench durable democratic culture. It is a tradition, therefore, that a political party or association must endeavour to educate its members on the need to be faithful and perhaps be qualified to aspire to elective position as well as benefit from the party’s programmes. It is in the light of the above that the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, nationwide decided in line with the party’s Constitution, (2009 as amended), to carry out registration and revalidation of exercise of its members. Accordingly, the National Executive Committee, NEC, at its 56th meeting held on July 28, 2011 approved membership registration for new members and revalidation for ex.....

Justice Moshood Abass of the Oyo State High Court, Ring-Road, Ibadan, yesterday, granted bail to the former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and two other accused persons, being prosecuted along with him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Akala, Deputy Senate Chief Whip, Senator Hosea Agboola, who was also the former Commissioner for Local Government and Chief Matters and Chairman of Pentagon Engineering Services, Olufemi Babalola, were arraigned Tuesday on 11-count charge of conspiracy, awarding contract without budget provision, obtaining contract by false pretence, acquiring property with money derived from illegal acts, as well as concealing the genuine nature of the ownership of property. Babalola was the contractor in all local g.....

For daring the Delta State government and persisting in the strike embarked upon by doctors in the state over a month ago, 15 of the doctors have been shown the exit door by the government, the state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara has revealed. The doctors under the aegis of Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners went on strike over tax-related issues and the demand to redeploy the Permanent Secretary of the state Health Management Board, Mrs. Caroline Ajuya over alleged high handedness. Dr. Otumara had warned them to call-off the strike and resume at their duty posts or risk being sacked. He described the strike by the workers as an abuse of industrial process, saying the issues had earlier been resolved. At the weekly post.....

The Lagos chapter of the National Association of Microfinance Banks says the 198 microfinance banks in the area are being owed ₦34.6 billion by customers. The chairman of the chapter, Olufemi Babajide, said in Lagos on Monday that ₦10 billion of the debts had gone bad. Mr Babajide said that there was the need for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to set up a company that would take over some of the debts. “We want the CBN to set up a company like AMCON that will finance our debts over a period of 10 years. “This will encourage microfinance banks’ commitment to rehabilitating the active poor and enhance economic activities in the country. “There is the need for the CBN and the federal government to speed up all necessary funding windows fo.....

The Seme Border Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated ₦635.9 million revenue in the month of September. Sadiq Sahabi, area comptroller of Customs, said in Seme on Wednesday that the amount represented total receipts during the month. He said that the revenue was generated from duties, taxes, levies, fines and Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed on goods imported through the border. Mr Sahabi said that 22 seizures, whose Duty Paid Value was estimated at ₦92.4 million, were made during the period. He said that the two suspects that were arrested during the month had been convicted for smuggling. The command had already surpassed its revenue target of ₦6 billion for 2011.

A Romanian diplomat, Mr. Mavrodin Eduard, is currently on the run over alleged financial scandal to the tune of N7.6 million. Eduard who is a staffer of the Embassy in Abuja is alleged to have borrowed N1million from a Nigerian friend and businessman, Mr. Nicholas Uzor, of The Basement Lounge, Wuse II, Abuja, on September 16, 2009, with the promise to repay it, with interest, by December 31st of same year. The money was allegedly to enable Eduard to facilitate the clearing of his car at Apapa Wharf. The diplomat, who deposited his Romanian Passport (No: 059653) with the businessman as collateral, also undertook to pay Mr. Uzor a monthly interest of N150, 000 for the three months that the loan would last. Eduard, who collected the money via United Bank for Africa (UBA) cheq.....

Accused “underwear bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab surprised United States federal courtroom during the second day of his terrorism trial Wednesday by pleading guilty to all charges. His plea to eight charges came after he returned from a 45-minute recess, ending the most high-profile terrorism case in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The 25-year-old Nigerian and self-proclaimed al-Qaida operative faced up to life on the charges that include attempted murder, attempted use of weapons of mass destruction and conspiracy to commit terrorism, for his attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. Abdulmutallab said Wednesday he tried to bomb the plane in retaliation for U.S. support of Israel an.....

A 70-year-old man, simply identified as Baba Sunday has been arrested by the police for allegedly defiling an eight-year-old girl in Lagos. The old man, who is currently facing interrogation at the Ilaje Police Station, was said to have taken the girl to a popular hotel (name withheld) in Bariga where he defiled the girl. The suspect was said to have booked the hotel room for N10,000 before luring the girl to the place. The hotel managers did not suspect foul play when they initially saw the little girl going inside the room with the man, who is old enough to be her great grand parent. The receptionist in the hotel was said to have become worried when she checked the time and later discovered that the time was far spent and there was no mature girl that came with the m.....

The protracted crises in the Lagos chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set for the worst, as some leaders of the party have been penciled down for de-registration, a notorious euphemism for expulsion. The post election crises in the party, which peaked with the defection of its Publicity Secretary, Dr. Wale Ahmed and others to the rival Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), has since defied redress. The leadership of the party in exasperation may have decided to wield the big stick on some errant members, who are accused of “anti-party activities.” Daily Sun learnt that a former minister of works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, and the party’s governorship candidate in the last election, Dr. Shamsideen Ade-Dosunmu, among others, would likely be affected in the put.....

Saturday October 9, 2011, Bauchi was agog as the Vice Chancellor of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, Professor Hamisu Mohammed Hamisu gave out his daughter in marriage. Samira, a final year Accounting student of ATBU wedded Suleiman Abubakar, a businessman in style. The well-attended marriage attracted several dignitaries including Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Sagir Aminu Saleh, Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Energy and Director General Energy Service Commission, Professor Abubakar Sambo. Others included Alhaji Mohammed Bello Kirfi, Wazirin Bauchi and former Minister of Special Duties, former deputy governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Abdulmalik Mahmood, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) gubernatorial candidate, Senator B.....

The House of Representatives has added another twist to the raging debate over the future of Coach Samson Siasia as the Super Eagles’ chief coach, when they emphatically stated that the team needs a world-class tactician to handle it. Chairman, House Committee on Sports, Hon. Godfrey Gaya, who dropped the hint while fielding questions from Daily Sunsports in Abuja shortly after Nigeria failed to pick the 2012 Africa Nations Cup, noted that there was a clear indication that the current handler lacks the technical and tactical knowhow and competence to handle the team. Although Hon. Gaya completely dismissed the complexion of who should handle the team, he, however, maintained that it’s time we set aside sentiments in hiring who takes charge of what he described as nationa.....

A popular Jehovah’s Witness faithful in Oza-Nisi congregation, Orhionmwon Local Government Council of Edo State has reportedly killed two village elders, shortly after he was said to have delivered a message to the gathering. The double tragedy, it was gathered, has thrown the community into mourning, following the bizarre manner the victims, an old man and woman were murdered. The suspect who gave his name as Oghenovo from Ovu village of Delta State, was brought in handcuffs from the Abudu Police Division to the State Police Command headquarters, Benin City, yesterday. Sources said the suspect was overpowered by some neighbours while allegedly butchering an old woman inside her kitchen. The 75-year-old victim, Mrs. Lucy Omofumwan, was said to be sweeping her kitchen .....

Expectedly, artistes proved their mettle as worthy celebrators of Nigeria’s 51st independence anniversary as they performed at different venues to mark the nation’s birthday with their talents. It was a huge season of celebration for the artistes despite the low profile outing by the Federal Government to commemorate Nigeria’s 51st year in FCT Abuja. In Lagos, the independence anniversary train was set in motion by the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN), which staged Akpaturo-Summary at the National Theatre. The show, which was choreographed by Arnold Udoka had six dance pieces commenting symbolically on Nigeria’s social, political and cultural lives. The dancers made vocal statements on diverse issues of leadership, followership, environment, democracy and corruption, as they al.....

Mr. Chike Nwanze, Vice Chairman/CEO, ICON STOCK BROKERS, believes that the measures being carried out by regulators in Capital market to turn it around will not yield much if a greater effort is not exerted to revive the entire economy. He told Daily Sun that the infrastructural deficiency in the economy is a cog in the drive to revive the economy. His words: “Until we address the issue of infrastructure, it is going to be difficult to revive the economy.” Mr. Nwanze who is the immediate past President of the Institute of Directors says while investors' confidence is gradually returning in the capital market, government must get the politics right because you cannot divorce politics from economics. Excerpt Regulators have been trying to revive the market (capital .....

Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha recently had an interaction with some journalists in Lagos, where he bared his mind on salient national issues and issues affecting his state. The governor also gave account of his first 100 days in office. NDUBUISI ORJI, who was there, brings the details You just clocked 100 days in office, how has it been I came into seat of governance in Imo State as the governor through what I call a controversial election that was acknowledged world wide as the best democracy in the Nigeria has ever produced. It was all about the people and the governed. In that case we came out victorious. And since then they have huge expectation from the government. So much expectation from the people. I expected so too. The challenges we had at fir.....

Ahead of the October 22 local government election date in Lagos State, the entire members of the Executive Committee of one of the opposition parties in the state, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), have defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), along with their supporters. The defection was announced at a rally organised by the ACN at the Onikan Stadium yesterday to mobilise the electorate to vote enmasse for its candidates across the 57 council arrangements in the state. The state Chairman of the ANPP, Chief Tunji Oyebolu, who led his members to the well attended rally said “we decided to team up with a performing party to develop the state,” adding that “Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola’s performance in the state has made the ACN an irresistible party.” T.....

Justice Mashood Abass of the Oyo State High Court 12, yesterday reserved ruling on the bail applications brought by former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala , Senator Hosea Agboola and Chief Olufemi Babalola till 12noon today. The three are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an 11-count charge of conspiracy, awarding contract without budget provision, obtaining contract by false pretence, acquiring property with money derived from illegal act, as well as concealing the genuine nature of the ownership of property. Justice Abass at yesterday’s sitting also warned all those who might want to influence him to tilt the course of justice in their favour to be very careful, saying “Let me warn everybody concerned in this matter .....

Senate yesterday formally mandated its committees on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Appropriation and Finance to investigate the operation of the fuel subsidy scheme, which had so far gulped N1.5 trillion. The Presidency and the National Assembly approved N240 billion as oil subsidy in the 2011 Appropriation Act. Senators were also calling for the prosecution of all those involved in the extra-budgetary spending which they insisted flouted sections 80 (3&4) and 81 (4)of the 1999 Constitution. Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance Minister, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala admitted that oil subsidy had risen to N1. 5 trillion during the Monday parley between the Presidency and the National Assembly. Senate Deputy Leader Abdul Ningi said this during debate on .....

The arraignment of the immediate past governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, yesterday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over alleged mismanagement of N58 billion has revealed how the former governor allegedly fleeced the state. Daniel who was arrested last Thursday alongside the former governors of Oyo and Nasarawa states, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, and Aliyu Akwe-Doma by the anti-graft agency was arraigned in an Ogun State High Court, Isabo- Abeokuta, on a 16-count charge of stealing, fraud, illegal deduction of local government funds and failure to declare assets. Holding a book he authored and entitled “Daniel in the Lion’s Den’’, the former governor in company with his wife, Olufunke, was led to Court 4 where Hon. Justice Olanrewaju Mab.....

ABEOKUTA—OSTENSIBLY jolted by the reality of his arraignment, the immediate past governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, yesterday, arrived High Court 4 around 9;10 am and headed straight to the toilet within the court premises. Arriving in a Toyota Hiace, marked Abuja BR737 BWR flanked by stern-looking EFCC men and his wife, Daniel clad in a cream Agbada with black cap and eye glasses entered the court hall at 9:12 am and held a secret meeting with his counsel; Taiwo Osipintan, SAN; Taiwo Oyetibo, SAN; and Yemi Oke for ten minutes. He was docked at 9:17 am at the court presided over by Justice Olanrewaju Mabekoje for 16 count charges, ranging from stealing to failure to declare assets and fraudulent conversion of public fund through trustees. Reading the case file.....

Four suspected killers of a security guard, maiguard have been arrested by the military-led Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno even as the Army maintained they are not Boko Haram members. JTF spokesman, Lt Colonel Hassan Ifijeh Mohammed who paraded the four suspects before journalists yesterday at the 21 Armored Bridgade Headquarters in Maiduguri said investigations by the task force indicated that the suspects were robbers and not Boko Haram men. He said rather, the men were robbers who broke into a residence, butchered the security guard and threw the deceased, Malam Ibrahim Lawal into a river within the metropolis. “This is another version of the security challenge in Borno to indicate that some other persons are using the Boko Haram faceless posture to perpetrate other c.....

Fifteen years after he was involved in an auto crash, succour has come the way of 48-year-old Mr Godwin Okafor as GEANCO Foundation has promised to replace the damaged bone in his hip. Okafor who limps as a result of the accident had leapt for joy when he learnt from his parish priest that some humanitarians were about to operate on some patients, who had been suffering from bone injuries. His dreams were fulfilled as he was successfully operated upon and his 15 years nightmare was permanently removed. Narrating his story to Daily Sun, Okafor recounted how he met his deformity a decade and half ago. “It was on my way to a function when I had the accident that gave me this limp. After the accident, I discovered I could only walk this way. I married with it and had all m.....

Encomiums poured in torrents for the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives and former National Chairman, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke yesterday as his remains lay in the hallowed chambers during the valedictory session. However, one of his successors, Ghali Umar Na’Abba at the session organized by the House, lamented that Ezeoke died an unhappy man. President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim opened the floodgate of eulogies, followed by that of the chairman of the National Assembly and President of the Senate Senator David Mark and capped it with the speech of the Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. Others who paid tributes to the late Second Re.....

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Orumba South LGA, Bonti Onuigbo, has threatened to leave the PDP with Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, Senatorial aspirant by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and failure of the PDP to stand by him to enable him realise his mandate, he and Ukachukwu loyalists will leave the party According to him, it would amount to betrayal by the PDP to give Ukachukwu a Senatorial ticket and at the same time recognise Chief Andy Uba for the same slot. Onuigbo said the refusal of the party to abide by the principle of internal democracy has continued to make the party suffer electoral defeat in the state. According to him, without Ukachukwu, the party should forget the state in 2014. As he puts it: “The shortchange of Ukachukwu by.....

Certain statements emanating from President Goodluck Jonathan of late paint the image of a young, naïve impressionable and starry-eyed youth. Just two examples will suffice. The 51st anniversary of Nigeria provided a platform for Nigerians to assess the performance of the president. The verdicts returned differed, depending on who did the assessment. They ranged from the extreme, such as that by the politician and medical doctor, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, who virtually crossed the bar of treason in a newspaper interview last week when he called for a revolution to oust the present government, to that of the president’s men, who rate his performance in government as above average. But, in the midst of all the reviews of Nigeria’s journey, and Jonathan’s efforts in improving .....

History was made recently, at Onicha-Uku town in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. It was on the day St Michael’s Catholic Church, an edifice built by Hon. Godwin Ndudi Elumelu, representing Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency of Delta State was formally declared opened. The edifice, which boasts of some state of the art equipment, was built in fulfillment of Hon. Elumelu’s promise to his people. The celebration, which started with a special dedication and thanksgiving mass, had all the paraphernalia of a high profile event. It was a convergence of the top echelon of federal and state government functionaries as well as people from other walks of life. The newly commissioned Asaba International Airport probably saw the first surge of travelers on ac.....

Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance Minister, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has come under fire from the National Assembly over proposals by the Presidency to remove oil subsidy in 2012. Leadership of the National Assembly, led by Senate President David Mark and committee chairmen in both chambers pointedly refused to commit to the proposal to remove oil subsidy as from next year. Rather, the lawmakers demanded details of the proposed removal of oil subsidy from the Finance Minister at a meeting between the Presidency and the National Assembly on Monday night. Against the backdrop of public outcry against the removal, the Presidency commenced lobby of the National Assembly in a bid to ensure that the 2012 Appropriation Bill does not run into a hitch. President.....

The State Security Service (SSS) said yesterday that the unnamed banker currently in its custody, facilitated the transfer of funds for the October 1, 2010 bombings near the Abuja Eagle Square that claimed several lives. The SSS Spokes person, Mrs. Marylyn Ogar, told journalists in Abuja that the banker, alongside two other masterminds of the blasts, was acting at the behest of Henry Okah, the acclaimed leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), who is currently facing charges in South Africa for alleged terrorism. While the banker is being held for handling Henry Okah’s transactions and transferring funds to other suspects to facilitate their gunrunning activities in the creeks and the numerous bombings, the other two suspects were alleged to be res.....

Former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala was yesterday arraigned in an Oyo State High Court sitting at Ring Road area over allegation of mismanaging over N25 billion while in office. But the coast remains unclear for the duo of Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Alhaji Aliyu Akwe-Doma, former governors of Ogun and Nasarawa states as they could not be arraigned, yesterday. Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arrested the three former governors last week over alleged misappropriation of public funds totalling N101 billion. Yesterday, EFCC arraigned Akala alongside Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Hosea Agboola who was commissioner for local government and chieftaincy matters in his administration. Also docked was the Chairman of Pentagon .....

Former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, has said that the Sheikh Ahmed Lemu-led panel on the violence which erupted after the April 2011, presidential poll, did not in any way indict him. Buhari said that the panel exonerated him rather than the perceived indictment arising from the statement that he asked people to protect their votes. Sequel to the crisis, there were calls from some quarters that Buhari who was the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the April 2011, presidential election should be arrested. Those who made the calls, alleged that Buhari’s statement during the election campaign, triggered the violence that led to loss of lives in some parts of the country. President Goodluck Jonathan, in the wake of the .....

The industrial action embarked upon by the civil servants in Anambra State took another dimension yesterday when a group of unemployed youths stormed Government House, Awka demanding for the sack of the striking workers and their jobs. This is coming just as the state government disclosed its intention to match force with force against the organized labour following the latter’s insistence on the ongoing strike. Also, yesterday, a group of women, under the umbrella of Anambra State Association of Town Unions, Women’s Wing held a prayer rally, where they called on both government and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to dialogue and end the strike. The jobless youths, who also marched peacefully to the government house, condemned NLC for refusing to call off the strike and .....

Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is headed for crisis as the Green Movement (GM) has endorsed Henry Seriake Dickson, a member of the House of Representatives, as its governorship candidate for the 2012 governorship poll. Seriake’s endorsement as the governorship candidate of the GM of Bayelsa State was reportedly concluded at a meeting in Abuja at the weekend. Dickson, a former attorney general of Bayelsa State, is a second-term member of the House of Representatives where he represents the Sagbama Constituency. He has chaired the House Committee on Justice and now leads the Special Duties Committee. The GM urged all lovers of Bayelsa State to support the lofty project. In a signed communique issued in Abuja yesterday by the GM Chairman, Dr......

There was panic at the Bayelsa State liaison office in Abuja over a text message warning people to evacuate the area before a bomb allegedly planted within the vicinity would be detonated and like a wild fire, what started like a rumour spread across the city attracting the presence of security operatives and fire fighting vehicles to the area Vendors and other hawkers around the building scampered for safety while some others tucked themselves in places considered safe. When Daily Sun visited the area, scores of people were seen at the entrance gate discussing the issue while others were moving freely inside the building. Among them were security personnel from the State Security Service (SSS), Navy and Police, who came in two operation vehicles , including a fire fight.....

In life, which bounced off on Monday night August 2, 2011 in an Indian hospital, he cut the donnish figure of a dream prince in the Achebean world, whose kernel was cracked by a benevolent god. From a lightless and unremarkable birth in the South-East backwoods of Amichi, but with royal descent, his sojourn in politics exuded a portrait that sweet-faint hearts never got their due in this world; that success entailed that one must be as ready as a hawk, cunning as a viper, and as indifferent as a stone. His last few days reportedly had been sleepless, and irritable. And before he was placed on a life support machine, the figure of his dream we were told, was a tenacious beast, laughing and driving his mind from uncertainties to an anchored shore. Edwin-Ume-Ezeoke will be committed to m.....

Senator Etang Umoyo, a chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State is happy that the seventh National Assembly is geared towards further amendment to the 1999 constitution. He is of the opinion that further amendments to the constitution would deepen democracy and strengthen institutions. He, however, says Nigerians still need to meet at a Sovereign National Conference to discuss how they want to live. Our correspondent in Akwa Ibom, JOE EFFIONG, presents excerpts of a chat with Umoyo, a former commissioner in two ministries in the old Cross River State. The National Assembly is set to further amend the 1999 constitution; could you highlight the provisions of the current constitution you think should be amended? I want to most sincerely thank th.....

It is two years since the then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua offered amnesty to restive militant groups in the Niger Delta area of the country, asking them to lay down their arms and embrace peaceful resolution of the issues at stake. A 60-day disarmament period had commenced on August 6, 2009, and ended on October 4, of the same year. Initially greeted with cynicism and scepticism, the amnesty deal eventually succeeded, with a total of 20,192 ex-militants embracing the offer. Before the presidency extended the olive branch, insurgency had wreaked enormous havoc on the country’s economy, particularly in the area of oil prospecting. Crude oil production had dropped to as low as 700,000 barrels per day, and Nigeria stood the risk of financial strangulation on all fron.....

ABUJA—Crisis is brewing in the House of Representatives over the sale of the official residence of the Speaker to the immediate past occupant of the office, Dimeji Bankole for a N45 million. It was learnt that there is a move to let out the same house to the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwa at a scandalous N40 million per annum. Vanguard gathered that at the last Executive Session of the House of Representatives, members expressed outrage that the official residence of the speaker which they described as a ‘national monument’ would be sold off even when the monetization policy of the government does not capture such houses. the Chairman of the House Committee on Media, Hon. Zakari Mohammed told Vanguard that a decision on.....

Debt rating agencies had the knives out for some of Europe's weakened banks on Friday, highlighting the pressure for decisive government action in support for the industry. Moody's Investors Service downgraded its ratings on nine Portuguese banks, citing the increased asset risk linked to their holdings of Portuguese government debt and the sovereign downgrade of Portugal in July. The same agency also cut the ratings of two top British banks, citing a likelihood of less state support in a future crisis as Britain sought to reassure investors the sector was well capitalized. Meanwhile Standard and Poor's downgraded the core banks of Franco-Belgian financial group Dexia -- the bank which has come to epitomize the European debt crisis through its unusually l.....

The Senator representing Ebonyi South Senatorial District and Vice Chairman Senate committee on appropriation, Sonni Ogbuoji has criticized the sale of the legislative Quarters to legislators which has put the incoming legislators in a precarious accommodation condition. He noted that the minimum wage has never improved the living conditions of average workers in Nigeria as he recalled what happened during the Udorji award that later skyrocketed inflation in Nigeria. He speaks more on other national issues. GODDY OSUJI presents the excerpts Solution The succeeding government has already started doing something about it; they said that they are going to build new places and these new places will be given to legislators who want to also buy. So, if the legislators com.....

Mindful of its role as a centre for capital formation, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has instituted significant changes aimed at creating capital for productive sector of the economy. Before now, capital formation at the Exchange had always tilted in favour of the commercial services sector of the economy, which is why commercial services companies have largely dominated the Nigerian economy, some of them listed on the Exchange. But in this exclusive interview with Daily Sun, NSE Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oscar Onyema, disclosed that The Exchange had formed new business development areas anchored in three new departments whose primary job is not only to attract new companies for listings but also help those that want to raise capital and at the same time offer service.....

Former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje arrived Abuja last night, saying he was ready to face the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) this morning. Goje’s statement came on the heels of preparations by the EFCC to arraign three former governors of Ogun, Oyo and Nasarawa states in court today. Former governors Gbenga Daniel, Adebayo Alao-Akala and Aliyu Akwe-Doma were last week arrested by the operatives of the anti-graft agency. The three former state executives were alleged to have mismanaged a sum of N101 billion while in office. The agency also declared Goje wanted for allegedly diverting the sum of N52 billion belonging to the state. But reacting to a statement by the EFCC that he was evading arrest, Goje, speaking through one of his .....

The plot to make Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State ineligible to contest elections for a second term may have received the backing of close associates of President Goodluck Jonathan who hails from the state, according to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sources in both the state capital, Yenagoa and Abuja. This is creating tensions between PDP stalwarts residing in Bayelsa State who are loyal to the governor and those in Abuja who are believed to be close to the president. Sources indicated that the president’s loyalists, most of who operate from the nation’s capital, are working to perfect plans to neutralise Governor Sylva’s plans to retain the party ticket by a set of strategies, which include lining up a number of alternative candidates believed to be friendly to.....

South East Governors Forum rose from its meeting in Enugu yesterday demanding for the creation of two new states in the zone. Anambra State Governor and Chairman of the forum, Mr. Peter Obi who fielded questions from newsmen after the meeting said the issue of additional state was the only issue discussed by the governors. Said he: “Basically today, we discussed only one item, the issue of constitutional amendment, especially as it concerns creation of additional state for the South-east, to have same number of states with other zones. That is basically what we discussed.” Obi, who was answering questions from reporters shortly after the meeting at Government House, Enugu, stated that the meeting was a single item meeting. He explained that what the forum was demand.....

ABUJA—Crisis is brewing in the House of Representatives over the sale of the official residence of the Speaker to the immediate past occupant of the office, Dimeji Bankole for a N45 million. It was learnt that there is a move to let out the same house to the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwa at a scandalous N40 million per annum. Vanguard gathered that at the last Executive Session of the House of Representatives, members expressed outrage that the official residence of the speaker which they described as a ‘national monument’ would be sold off even when the monetization policy of the government does not capture such houses. But the Chairman of the House Committee on Media, Hon. Zakari Mohammed told Vanguard that a decision on.....

IKEJA—The Lagos State Police Command, weekend, stormed a building in Igando area of the state, used as kidnappers’ den, rescuing three victims, among them a medical doctor and a United States-based Nigerian. Recovered at the end of the operation which led to a shoot-out between one of the kidnappers and a team of Mobile policemen attached to MOPOL 2, Keffi, led by the Squad Commander, Mr. Patrick Ejedawe, were three rocket launchers and three rockets, eight AK 47 magazines fully-loaded with 3,240 rounds of ammunition, four dynamites and assorted charms.

LAGOS—BARRING last minute hitches, three former Governors, Alao Akala (Oyo State), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun) and Aliyu Akwe-Doma (Nasarawa) will today appear before a Federal High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to answer to criminal charges that will be preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The ex-governors, who were arrested by operatives of the anti-graft agency last Thursday spent their weekend in EFCC detention cells, explaining themselves over allegations that they pilfered over N101 billion from the public treasury while they were in office. They will be answering to criminal charges bothering on alleged financial recklessness, breach of public trust and misappropriation of state funds. Meanwhile, former Go.....

They are strong indications that many former governors are on the run following intelligence reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will pick more of them in the coming days. This came as EFCC declared former governor of Gombe state, Alhaji Danjuma Goje, wanted over allegations of mismanagement and diversion of over N52 billion state funds. Saturday Vanguard had learnt that some of the former governors who had earlier besieged Abuja for various reasons have hurriedly left the city. It was learnt that some of the governors were there in solidarity with their arrested colleagues but left town yesterday immediately they leanrt that the EFCC will arrest six more ex-governors who vacated office on May 29. The EFCC source had said that,.....

Fresh facts have emerged on the story of a Nigerian woman who died years ago in Nigeria, resurfaced in Benin Republic, where she died again this year as a university lecturer has identified one Mr. Ekundayo Essien Audifferen, who appeared in a group photograph published alongside the story as one of the late woman’s son. Nigerian woman dies twice. Buried in Nigeria, resurfaces in Benin Republic, dies again. The story was run from Page 29 to 31. For the second time, the woman died on May 2, 2011 and her remains were immediately deposited at Morgue Le Pardon in Djeregbe, which is about 10 minutes drive from Porto Novo, capital of Benin Republic. Her corpse has been in the mortuary since then and nobody has come forward to claim it. As at August 31, Daily Sun learnt, the c.....

The second session of the first synod of the Idoani Diocese of the Anglican Communion held at St. Mark’s Church, Owani-Idoani in Ose, Local Government area of Ondo State, gave members opportunity to ruminate over the high level of insecurity in the country. The event which came few days to the nation’s 51st Independence anniversary, gave members of the church ample opportunity to discuss other issues of national interest. The Bishop, Rt. Revd Ezekiel Dahunsi, was not happy with the way the Federal Government failed to address the challenges posed by insecurity of live and property. He said the incessant bombings across the country allegedly by Islamic sect, Boko Haram were unwarranted and barbaric. Besides, the cleric condemned the violence that greeted the April 16,.....

Dr. Ngama was recently in the state since his appointment to gauge the extent of the crisis that has ocked the PDP in the state and has frustrated the party from clinching power since 1999. Considering his scholarly background as a former university lecturer, a successful banker and manager of both human and material resources he told journalists in Damaturu that the PDP despite its failure to grab power over these years remained the most populous party in the state. He said those who were thinking that the party was dead in the state were in for a big surprise as the party would, for the first time in history, rise to capture the seat of power by 2015. The party has been fragmented, following grievances that trailed its activities during the party’s gubernatorial pri.....

Still smarting from the clampdown of its hangout, Unique Gentleman’s club, barely two years ago by the State, the club’s chairman, Chief Tony Ojo is currently battling to come to terms with the fact that he has been swindled by a society lady to the tune of N28m. According to Ojo, the woman who allegedly swindled him goes by the names of Felicia Chidi, Felicia Emenike aka First Lady and hails from Enugu State approached him in 2008 with a property offer which situates adjacent to the club. “Her reason as she said for wanting to sell the property was because she needed money urgently to travel abroad for medical treatment. It was on this ground that I accepted to purchase the property with the aim of commencing the expansion program me of my Club. I got my lawyers and N12Mill.....

Allah Ta’ala says in the Noble Qur’aan: “And pilgrimage to the house (of Allah) is a duty man owes to Allah - upon those who can afford the journey, and for him who disbelieves, then indeed Allah is independent of His creation.” (Aali Imraan 97) Hadith one: Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said “Whoever performs Hajj for the pleasure of Allah and therein utters no word of evil, nor commits any evil deed, shall return from it free from sin as the day on which his mother gave birth to him.” (MISHKAT). Hadith Two: Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that Rasullulah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: “Verily there shall be no reward for a righteous Hajj except Jannah.” (MISHKAT). Hadith thr.....

For Apostle Lawrence Achudume, the General Overseer of Victory Life Bible Church, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria at 51 is a country still far from realizing the dreams of her founding fathers. According to him, because of many security challenges, many Nigerians are not proud of the country, even 51 years after her independence: “At 50, America has crossed where Nigeria was at 50 and where she is currently at 51 and probably where we will be in many years to come because of our leadership problems. Nigeria’s problem has to do majorly with ethnicity coloration which has greatly affected the country’s fortunes and future more than at where we were at 10. “Ethnic coloration is a cankerworm that has greatly eaten deep into our socio-political life. If you look at the Bok.....

Top seed Rafa Nadal ran hard-serving Canadian Milos Raonic ragged in a 7-5 6-3 victory to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Japan Open on Thursday. The defending Tokyo champion will face Santiago Giraldo next after the Colombian beat Russia's Dmitry Tursunov 6-4 7-6 to reach the last eight of the $1.34 million hardcourt event. Nadal took a tight first set when Raonic's biggest weapon let him down, the 20-year-old double-faulting before slicing a volley long on an aggressive charge to the net. Raonic, making his return to the men's tour after hip surgery following Wimbledon, appeared sapped of strength in the second set as the afternoon shadows crept across centre court. With Nadal pulling the strings in almost every rally, Raonic gifted t.....

Esele Samuel, a medical practitioner at the National Hospital, Abuja has said that exposure to excess heat has adverse effects on sperm count. Dr. Samuel said in Abuja on Friday that people should also be careful in wearing tight underwear, saying it raises scrotal temperature thereby reducing the rate of sperm production. "Tight under-wears such as briefs, overheat the scrotum (testes cover) which increases the temperature of the testicles, thus lowering the volume of healthy sperm available for impregnation, " he stated. He explained that heat damages sperm count, motility and sperm movement as well as inhibit production, advising people to use loose fitting under wears, to allow air to circulate round their testicles. He said that people working in.....

The Chairman of Enugu South LGA, Nwabueze Okafor, has said that the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) will work for the autonomy of the third tier of government. Addressing newsmen on the sidelines of a tour of projects in his council, Okafor said that local governments, being the closest tier to the people, did not need to be tied to the aprons of any other tier of government. He said that the leverage given to local government chairmen in Enugu State by Gov. Sullivan Chime to access their allocations had shown that they could take development to their people. ``What you have seen here is akin to what is happening all over the state. People want to justify the money given to them. ``Local governments can work if they have their autonomy. .....

Senate President David Mark on Thursday appealed to the Federal Government to urgently resolve the disagreement between it and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Mark, who made the appeal while inaugurating the Senate Committee on Education, decried the instability of tertiary education in the country as a result of the dispute. ``Let me use this opportunity to appeal to this committee to please appeal to ASUU and other organisations; let us not have any more strikes. ``They may have a very genuine case but let's find a better way to resolve it and my personal appeal would be that government should also look at the problem of ASUU so that these repeated strikes don't go on. ``Already the system is bad, now you go and add strike to it, yo.....

Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday disclosed that salaries and allowances of political office holders and appointees in the state have been slashed in a deliberate attempt to save funds for infrastructural development of the state. Amosun while speaking at the 2011 World Teachers Day revealed that he had already tabled a law before the State House of Assembly to give the action the needed legal backing The governor, at the Moshood Abiola Stadium venue of the ceremony in Abeokuta noted that he initiated the move in a deliberate attempt to conserve funds to pursue his dream of massive infrastructural development of the state. He added that his government had kept faith with its workers by implementing the National Minimum Wage stressing that, "In spite of the.....

Senate Minority Whip, Ganiyu Solomon and Chairman of the Senate Services, Senator Suleiman Adokwe said yesterday that Nigerians must not be made to pay for government’s inefficiency in managing subsidy on petroleum products. Speaking against the backdrop of the Presidency’s proposal to remove oil subsidy in 2012, the senators said the Presidency should tender a breakdown of the oil subsidy to Nigerians. The duo faulted the secrecy attached to the annual budget of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as well as how it managed the oil subsidy. Speaking in separate interviews, the lawmakers faulted the NNPC Act, which made the nation’s indigenous oil agency accountable only to the President and demanded that its accounts be made public through the National Ass.....

In what appears to be a direct response to the criticism from the opposition parties and other Nigerians, over the low-keyed celebration at the State House, Abuja, instead of the traditional Eagle Square, President Goodluck Jonathan has announced that the situation will not be different until 2014. While the Federal Government considered the celebration of the nation’s Independence Day inside Aso Rock as a cost-saving measure, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and other political leaders insisted it was a serious error of judgment. They had linked the cancellation of the traditional parade and shifting of activities marking the nation’s 51st Independence anniversary from the Eagle Square to the relatively-secure Presidential Villa to threats posed by the Movement for .....

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday arrested former governors Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State, Gbenga Daniel, Ogun State, and Aliyu Akwe-Doma Nasarawa State over alleged misappropriation of public funds totaling N101 billion, while in office. Daily Sun gathered that the former governors have been moved to Abuja, where they will face gruelling interrogation by EFCC operatives. Daniel, who was picked in Lagos at about 12.05 p.m, is expected to explain how he expended a sum of N58 billion being funds allegedly meant for various projects in Ogun State while Alao-Akala would give account of how he expended N25 billion in Oyo State. In the same vein, Aliyu Doma who was arrested in Lafia, the state capital, is being held for allegedly misa.....

Nigeria's anti-corruption agency arrests three former state governors for allegedly embezzling funds amounting to $674m (£436m). The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the former governors of Ogun, Oyo and Nasarawa states faced a series of charges. They are likely to appear in court in the next few days. Correspondents say the EFCC has made high-profile arrests before but has found hard to make the charges stick. 'Abused state contracts' Former Ogun state governor Olugbenga Daniel, Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo state and Aliyu Akwe Doma of Nasarawa state were arrested Thursday, EFCC spokesman Femi Babafemi said. During their time in office, the men are alleged to have abused state contracts and diverted gov.....

The 2011 general elections may have come and gone. Some may have forgotten the elections, ut those in the North, particularly those who are witnesses to the post-election violence in some parts of the region, would not want to forget easily. For the displaced victims of the violence, agonies of the senseless crisis will apparently remain in their memory for a lifetime. In Kaduna State, the violence which claimed more lives in Zaria, Zonkwa and Kafanchan, left many families displaced and properties worth hundreds of millions of naira destroyed. This is just as the displaced victims camped at the Hajj Camp in Kaduna and other places were finding it hard to cope with their new environment. Although, assistance came from government and other non-governmental organizations, .....

Chief Ifeanyichukwu Enechukwu may not be very pronounced in today’s political scene but during his days as the Speaker of the Old Anambra State House of Assembly, he, among other things, fought the then governor, Dr. Jim Nwobodo, and the people, otherwise known as Wawa people, to a standstill. What was the fruit of the battle? It was the creation of Anambra State. He is also the coordinator of Anambra State Founding Fathers Forum, which he said was made up of people, who fought relentlessly for the emancipation of the people of “Ijekebee” (as it was then called) from the Wawas of Old Anambra State. War with Jim Nwobodo and labour In those days, teachers went on strike and Governor Jim Nwobodo said he would sack any teacher who did not report to duty. The leader of th.....

Chairman of the Benue State Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, Mr. Andrew Ayabam, said that the state government has made judicious use of its internally generated revenue for infrastructural development of the state and the provision of basic social amenities for citizens. He also said that already BIRS has hit its revenue target of about N11 billion in the ninth month of the year. Speaking in an interview, in his office, he said the state was embarked on awareness exercise to enhance its potential for tax collection. “ Yes, infrastructure like I’ve said has raised obviously awareness with regards to property development and also enhanced our potential for tax. Now the projections with regards to the Ministry of Lands are also contained in the budget document. We’re also working .....

Pa Samuel Egbowugwu, 107, was said to have lost his family (Umuewoukwu) land 35 years ago, after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of his opponents, Umunnesi family, from Amaechi in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State. “It has remained a painful experience to my family because it was a large expanse of land, spanning over 300 plots, which was rightly ours,” he bemoaned. Pa Samuel also narrated how his son, Afamefuna, in a bid to find out why they lost the case, stumbled on information, which suggested that there was falsification or forgery of documents, which would have cost them the land. Consequently, Afamefuna petitioned the police commissioner, through the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) about his discovery. “After investigations, the matter was cha.....

After over seven years of illegally operating the Excess Crude Account (ECA), the Presidency has finally bowed to the National Assembly’s pressure to scrap the account. The ECA, which was created in 2004, during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, with a whopping $9.4billion, was said to contravene section 80 of the 1999 constitution. The section of the constitution recognizes only the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF). In its stead, the Presidency is going ahead with the proposed Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), which the governors are kicking against. In 2008, the Federal Government proposed the National Sovereign Wealth Fund (NSWF) to replace ECA. In the 2012-2015 Medium Term Fiscal Framework (Medium-term revenue framework and medium-term expenditure frame.....

Dare-devil robbers yesterday stormed the Lagos residence of Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia state in Victoria Island and shot dead one of his domestic staff, Michael Ogbonna, and carted away N2 million. The robbers were said to have trailed the deceased and two others, who had gone to the Adeola Odeku branch of Diamond bank, to withdraw some money. Narrating the incident, an eye witness, Mr. Emenike Iguh said that the trio went to the bank at about 3.30 pm to withdraw some money and came back at about 4pm to meet strange faces. “After collecting the money, we came back to the house, only to find two men standing near the compound. As we alighted from the vehicle, one of them came from behind and we suspected them and inquired about his identity and mission.....

Purported move by the Federal Government to remove fuel subsidy has come under virulent criticisms from prominent Nigerians who told government not to try it. Condemning the plan, former Governor of old Kadiuna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa said the decision would aggravate the poverty in the land. His view was coming even as the former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, founder, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Faseun, and human rights activist and President, West African Bar Association, Mr Femi Falana said the planned removal was unwise and would compound the hardship being faced by the common man. Meanwhile, oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of.....

FOLLOWING the Federal Government’s plan to begin the withdrawal of fuel subsidy from next year, stakeholders have called for a probe of the handling of funds appropriated for fuel subsidies. President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday forwarded to the Senate a 2012-2015 medium term Fiscal Framework, MTFF and 2012 Fiscal Strategy Paper, FSP, with plans to begin subsidy withdrawal, which will free up up about N1.2 trillion in savings, next year. With divergent views trailing the plan, there calls to probe how past subsidies were spent. Indeed, immediate past Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, recently initiated a motion in the Senate, seeking an investigation into the N240 billion budgeted in the 2011 Appropriate Act for fuel subsidy. It had been suggested in .....

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP, Abia Central is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs. Abaribe, a ranking Senator first elected into the Senate in 2007, served as Abia State Deputy Governor between 1999-2003. In this interview, he bares his mind among others on expectations from the lawmakers, Nigeria at 51, the nation’s challenges and how Nigerians see the Senate. Excerpts: After 51 years as an independent nation are Nigerians truly united? The nation called Nigeria is a work in progress. As much as we know, we have not blended the way that we ought to. Actually there is a different feeling by some people that we were closer in the past than we are today because we know that at a particular time Mallam Altine was the Mayor of Enugu even though he w.....

IKOYI—Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Wednesday, commissioned the N2.5 billion Falomo On–Ramp Bridge. At the commissioning of the 115-metres long bridge, Fashola explained that the project, executed in collaboration with Lekki Concession Company, LCC, under a Public Private Partnership, was aimed at easing traffic gridlock in Lagos Island. Falomo-bridge He said the project, which was constructed by LCC, was the first of such magnitude and specification to be built anywhere in the country. Fashola said: ”This is a deliverable of the 30-year PPP in 2006, pursuant to which the company is already rehabilitating and upgrading approximately 50 kilometres of the Eti-Osa Lekki–Epe Expressway and will also construct 20 kilometres of the Coastal Road.....

LAGOS—The planned subsidy removal by the federal government next year has sparked off mixed reactions from Labour, Organised Private Sector and the Central Bank of NIgeria (CBN). While some operators in the organised private sector welcomed the development saying it is long over due, Labour on its part said it will hurt the economy and vowed to resist the move. Those who are for the removal have said that subsidy has caused a lot of distortion in the Nigerian economy and has denied the nation the needed investment in refineries. CBN Governor had in Washington said that subsidy removal will pose a challenge to monetary policy authority due to its inflationary impact in the short run. He said “though the Ministry of Finance has plans to rein in government spending, it can .....

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday summoned the management of Airtel, a telecommunication company, to appear before it on October 11 to explain the alleged sack of about 1,000 Nigerians and their replacement with foreigners. The lawmakers made the call during their plenary session after Mr Lanre Oshun, (ACN - Lagos Mainland II) had under a matter of urgent public importance, called the attention of the House to the mass sack. Oshun said that about 1,000 Nigerians were sacked and replaced with Indian nationals who were invited to the country.He said that the House should investigate the criteria used for the downsizing and recruitment. The lawmaker said that the Indians, who replaced the Nigerians, were placed on higher salaries and said there was a need .....

The Ekiti Justice Group (EJG) has blamed the state governor, Kayode Fayemi for the incessant clashes by drivers union in the state, saying; “the only way Fayemi can exonerate himself from the criminal act is for him to make sure that Rotimi Joseph aka Mentilo and his boys are made to face the full wrath of the law, since it was the Fayemi-led government that frustrated their trial over their involvement in the murder of Adeleye Awolumate on November 18, 2010.” The group said the chairman of the state chapter of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Rotimi Joseph aka Mentilo, who is behind the bloody clash is a known ally of Governor Fayemi and his boys are the ones responsible for various acts of violence acts in the state. EJG said in a statement signed b.....

Nigeria will use it position as UN Security Council President in October to highlight importance of security sector reforms, particularly in African countries, once conflict has come to an end. Nigeria’s envoy to the UN and Council president for the month, Mrs Joy Ogwu is expected to unveil the month-long programme on Tuesday to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York. The programme has three open debates on the Council’s agenda this month, the UN Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. The debates are on Security Sector Reform (SSR) on October 12, the situation in Middle East on October 24 and four days later the 15-member Council will assess efforts made to implement Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. According.....

President Goodluck Jonathan, will today Wednesday, leave Nigeria for Kigali, the Rwandan capital on a two day working visit. Mr Jonathan last visited Rwanda in September last year for the inauguration and swearing in of President Paul Kagame. While in Rwanda, the president will visit the genocide memorial centre which is also the genocide museum where he will lay wreath in honour of the 1994 genocide victims. He will also hold will hold bilateral talk with the Rwandan president at Urugwiro village on Thursday. The two heads of state will, during this time, discuss strengthening links between Nigeria and Rwanda, as well as African and global issues and thereafter hold a joint press conference. Rwanda and Nigeria enjoy good and established relations, which was enfor.....

Farouk Abdulmutallab, who attempted to blow up a Detroit-bound plane using explosives sewn into his underwear has made another courtroom outburst. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 24, shouted “Anwar is alive” during jury selection for his trial at the court in Detroit. Abdulmutallab, a well-educated Nigerian from an upper-class family, was directed by al-Awlaki and wanted to become a martyr when he boarded Northwest Airlines Flight 253 in Amsterdam on Christmas 2009, according to the government. He was apparently referring to Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born al-Qaeda recruiter killed in a drone strike last week. Mr Abdulmutallab is defending himself after firing his court-appointed lawyers. In a September pre-trial hearing, the accused called out “Osama’s alive”, and refused .....

Former governor of Zamfara State now Senator, Ahmed Sani Yarima Bakura has lamented that Nigeria at 51 is not yet good enough. He advised that if urgent steps are not taken to address certain issues, he foresees revolution in the country. Senator Sani while speaking in an interview on Monday in Gusau said if no urgent attention is taken on some issues, Nigeria would be heading to what happened in countries like Asia, Egypt and Yemen. “Nigeria at 51, I will say so far so good, but we are not good enough, I believe the way we are going, if urgent steps are not taken to change the situation in this country, there may be a revolution.” According to him, there was a time he had a meeting with Mr. President where he advised him to address the issue of power in the country. .....

There was confusion in Enugu yesterday morning over the position of the strike, which was reportedly suspended last weekend following the intervention of the Anglican and Catholic bishops of Enugu Dioceses alongside traditional leaders in the state. Most workers actually did not go to work following a statement issued by the workers forum that workers should neglect the bishops and NLC directive to resume work, stating that workers would be addressed on Tuesday afternoon on the true position of things. It took the intervention of the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, which sent a representative to urge workers to respect the decision to suspend the strike after Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma of the Enugu Anglican Church was booed by the workers at the NLC off.....

The former state chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Aniekan Akpan has denied being coerced or induced to congratulate Goverenor Godswill Akpabio when the latter was declared winner in the last gubernatorial election. Akpan caused a stir in the state when he and some other party leaders trooped to Government House, Uyo, to congratulate Akpabio even when his party (ACN) was locked in a fierce legal battle to get the verdict of the electoral commission nullified. Akpan never stopped at paying the congratulatory visit to the governor, which was copiously publicised in the state media; he went a step further by buying pages in the national papers to publish his congratulatory message to the governor. The ACN in the state suspended him base.....

The weekly rally of workers under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Anambra State over minimum wage, yesterday witnessed a drama when a female worker slumped at the rally ground. The woman, (names withheld) who is said to be with the state Ministry of Health, was however, resuscitated by fellow workers. This was happening just as the NLC has accused the state government and members of the Anambra State Elders’ Advisory Council of insincerity in the effort to end the lingering strike in the state which has lasted two weeks. Labour’s accusation followed the call by the Elders Council for the organized labour in state to call off the ongoing industrial action and return to the negotiating table in the interest of the state. However, at the Freedom .....

The Bayelsa State Director of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Andrew Iorkyar has offered reasons why the SSS refused to cave to pressure to arrest the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice- President Atiku Abubakar over allegations of sponsoring violence in the country. Iorkyar admitted that the security service faced pressure from politicians and a section of the public to arrest Buhari and Atiku over their comments before, during and after the 2011 elections which allegedly incited people in the North to protest the outcome of the election. He however explained that SSS had to rely on facts and provisions of the laws of the land to establish their culpability in the violence for them to be considered susp.....

The Association of Good Leadership Advocates Peace, Development, Lagos, (AGLAPDL) has frowned at the arrest of the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji and prosecution of Asiwaju Tinubu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives. In a statement made available to the press in Lagos, it described the arrest as very embarrassing to the state, since the EFCC had not announced it’s conclusion on any investigation carried out against the Speaker nor had they concluded that he had case to answer. According to the group, in the statement signed by its secretary, Mr Titus Ayoko, it believed the harassment was political because the alleged petition did not emanate from members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the real owners of th.....

It was cheers and feeling of ease for the President of Benin Republic Thomas Boni Yayi as the Nigerian Navy combat vessel, the NNS Nwamba, arrived Cotonou to begin a joint patrol of the country’s territorial waters in search of sea pirates. President Boni Yayi had cried out to Nigeria over the activities of pirates, operating between the West African coast, which he said had almost crippled the economy of the country, whose survival is dependent on resources at sea. Shipping, Daily Sun learnt, was not the economic mainstay of the country; the economy of country is largely dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production and regional trade. Cotton, it was learnt had accounted for 40 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and roughly 80 per cent of official ex.....

National Publicity Secretary of the (PDP)Peoples’ Democracy Party, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali has said the recent declaration of President Goodluck Jonathan to create strong institutions was not an empty platitude, but an expression of his commitment to sustain the nation’s fragile democracy. Speaking with journalists at the party national secretariat, Alkali disagreed with the journalists inquisition that the President recent diatribe against those criticizing his leadership style was an expression of his frustration. “I don’t think frustration is the word. There is no reason why he should be frustrated because he believes in democracy; he believes in Nigeria; he believes in the people; he believes in the process of doing things based on fairness. I don’t think there .....

The Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District in the Senate, Dr Andy Uba from mere physical appearance has the look of a humble and peace loving man. No wonder the first major challenge in his constituency that attracted his attention is the violent crisis that engulfed two brotherly communities of Obunka and Owerre-Ezukala in Orumba South Local Government of Anambra State. The crisis has already claimed lives and many property including two schools, one in each of the warring community and was taking a more dangerous situation before Senator Uba waded into it. In a record time, he has visited and met with the communities two times, visits keen watchers of events in the area see as going to yield the most needed reconciliation and peace to the two communi.....

For Alhaji Baba Mallam, an Hausa man from Kano State, who has lived in Onitsha, Anambra State for 81 years, his people enjoyed the commercial city in the past than they do presently. Alhaji Mallam who says he has full Igbo identity, having spent 81 years of his 86-year sojourn on earth in Onitsha and speaks Igbo fluently, said in the past, the Hausas in Onitsha had attended the Ofalla festival with the natives and had formed bulk of the people, who attended the annual festival. As a little child, Mallam who was coming with his parents to transact business in Onitsha and later travelled back to Kano had after six years of the journey settled down in Onitsha and had since continued to live in the town. Alhaji Mallam whose wife hails from Ojoja in the old Eastern Region got 12.....

When the fortunes of a political party begins to nosedive, tactical politicians begin to resist uncoordinated strategies. This is more so when the party is enjoying majority acceptance among the electorate and, therefore, steps must be taken to avoid being overrun by ‘smaller parties’ in elections. This aptly describes the situation the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), finds itself in the oil-rich Delta State. It is no longer at ease for the once united PDP family in the Big Heart state. There is lack of cohesion among key political players. For the PDP stalwarts, things have since fallen apart and the centre, apparently, can no longer hold. PAUL OSUYI writes In the beginning (1999), the party had a landslide victory at the polls that ushered-in Chief James Onanefe Ibori .....

This is a nation and a people; a people of south-east Nigeria, who are persecuted wherever they pitch their tent to sell their goods and services. They are the Igbo people of Africa. They are Jews of Africa. Among them was the great Zik of Africa, they are his people. They are the migrant masses and the pilgrimage people; a people found in every nook and cranny of a country, a continent, and a cosmos. Though of the Diaspora, they are not in exile. Though strangers, they are not refugees. Though oppressed, they are not captives. Though independent, they are not sovereign. They are part of Nigeria. They are Nigerians, scattered all over the body of this African giant. Their homecoming is an exodus, but they are not led. They have no Moses to lead them through the wilderness of Ni.....

It was a special night – a gathering of the crème de la creme. They were captains of industry and commerce, high profile managers, net worth players in their respective fields. For over three hours, they kept the upscale Civic Centre on Victoria Island bubbling with life and excitement. It was an occasion the Nigerian Institute of Directors (IoD) chose to mark its 2011 Fellows’ Night and investiture of its new crop of fellows. Members of the institute, the inductees and their friends, and family members were present. Everyone was full of great expectations. The biggest of the personalities of the night was His Excellency, Chief Ernest Shonekan, former head of state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Chief Shonekan who served as head of state during the short-lived inte.....

Policemen attached to the Lagos State Command were shocked to the marrows yesterday, as they came back from the public holidays declared by the Federal Government to mark the country’s 51st independence anniversary, only to discover that money meant for their September salary had vanished from the vault of a microfinance bank. Ironically, the bank is located inside the Police College, Ikeja. The discovery was said to have sparked pockets of protest from the shocked and disenchanted officers, who rushed to the bank yesterday morning but were sent back. The money, N11.7 million was said to have been paid into the bank, which is behind the commandant’s office last Friday. It was gathered that some officers, who went to the bank the same Friday to withdraw some money for the.....

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshall Oluseyi Petirin, has said that there was no cause for alarm over the insurgency of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram. Since 2009, members of Islamist sect, which translates to ‘western education is sin’, has held the northeastern state of Borno at the jugular, paralyzing economic and social activities. Apart from Borno, the sect has also launched attacks on police formations, religious centres and government buildings in Kaduna and Bauchi States. Of recent, it claimed responsibility for the June 16 and August 26, 2011 bombings of Police headquarters and United Nations (UN) building in Abuja. But Petirin, who doubles as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff.....

Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has denied writing President Goodluck Jonathan to sack the executive secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and four other directors of the agency. Obasanjo, who drove into the presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos yesterday morning to board a private jet to an undisclosed destination, also threatened to sue The Nation newspapers for the report. According to him, the management and staff of The Nation newspapers could best be described as insane, threatening to take the matter to court for justice. The former president said he had not written Jonathan since his May 29 inauguration, adding that the last time he wrote the president was last year when he suggested those that merited natio.....

ABUJA—HOUSE of Representatives, yesterday, queried the Executive arm of government on the poor implementation of the 2011 budget. It, therefore, summoned the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo_Iweala; Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, BOF, Dr. Bright Okogwu; and Minister and Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Shamsudeen Usman, to explain the alleged selective implementation of the budget. Apparently worried by the poor implementation of the budget, the House in an unanimous motion said the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo_Iweala, Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF), Dr. Bright Okogwu and Minister and Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Shamsudeen Usman should explain the alleged selective implem.....

Three Nigerian immigrants allegedly fighting alongside Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's soldiers, have been reportedly killed by the National Transition Council (NTC) forces at Sirte, the hometown of the ousted Libyan leader. According to Hamada Radio International monitored in Kaduna yesterday, those killed were Ugochukwu Okafor, aged 33; Emeka Aloysius Mohammed, 33 and Braimoh Robinson Garba, 30. About two weeks ago, President, Goodluck Jonathan gave recognition to the Libyan NTC and appealed to the African Union to assist the NTC in bringing an end to the conflict in the Libyan country. But the attacks on black African have continued to persist as the rebel forces consider them a threat.

MORE revelations emerged, Monday,in the on-going investigation over the gruesome murder of a Lagos business man, Mr. Kazeem Ademoye,as the principal suspect who incidentally, is the victim’s wife, Mrs. Ngozi Ademoye, disowned her earlier assertion that she used an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) electrical gadget to murder her husband. She reportedly admitted that she actually hired people to kill her husband. The Delta State-born mother of three who was said to be popular among her numerous customers under the Anthony Village bridge along Ikorodu Road, where she sold local gin (Ogogoro) before she was introduced to Mr. Kazeem, 10 years ago, was quoted as saying that she was being hunted by her late husband’s ghost to confess the murder. Earlier claim Impeccable .....

LAGOS— Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, said the Federal Government committed a serious error of judgment by cancelling the traditional parade and shifting activities marking the nation’s 51st independence anniversary from Eagle Square to the relatively-secured Presidential Villa, apparently following threats by MEND and Boko Haram. In a statement in Lagos, yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the government missed a rare opportunity to show Nigerians that it cannot be intimidated by such threats from the groups and that it is capable of tackling the security challenges facing the nation. It said by scurrying away from Eagle Square, ostensibly to cut costs in celebrating the independence anniversary, the government had witti.....

LAGOS— Protesters in Lagos, yesterday, defied an early morning downpour to protest nominations by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, for the forthcoming local government elections. Yesterday’s demonstrations centred on Shomolu which followed earlier protests in Apapa, Amuwo Odofin, Ejigbo, Oriade, Isolo, Lagos Island and at the state party secretariat at Ogba. LAGOS— Protesters in Lagos, yesterday, defied an early morning downpour to protest nominations by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, for the forthcoming local government elections. Yesterday’s demonstrations centred on Shomolu which followed earlier protests in Apapa, Amuwo Odofin, Ejigbo, Oriade, Isolo, Lagos Island and at the state party secretariat at Ogba. The protests were inspired by cri.....

Senator Abubakar Umar Gada, represented Sokoto East in the 6th Senate. He became a federal lawmaker in 2007 and was Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Downstream Petroleum, at the last dispensation. Ahead of the January gubernatorial election in the state, Gada is seeking the Peoples’ Democratic Party, (PDP) governorship ticket. He told journalists in Abuja last Friday that the seat of caliphate is in a pitiable shape, as a result of bad leadership. While expressing confidence that the national leadership of the party would conduct transparent primary, Gada warned that any attempt to foist Wammako on the party faithful would spell doom for the party at the January election. Excerpts: The incumbent Governor Wammako came to office on the platform of your .....

Odia Ofeimun, journalist, political scientist and poet is unarguably one of the leading literary lights in the country. He was at one time the Private Secretary to Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Ahead of the nation’s 51st independence anniversary he spoke in an interview on the challenges that have faced Nigeria and the options for the country. Excerpts: How do you assess Nigeria at 51? May be I could start by saying that something has happened to this nation in the past two years to provide an environment for something different, not necessarily something better but something different to happen. The story we have had to tell up till this moment is the story of great dreams that were dashed. I feel like going back to that great day when all of us as children, I was ten y.....

Senator Abubakar Umar Gada, represented Sokoto East in the 6th Senate. He became a federal lawmaker in 2007 and was Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Downstream Petroleum, at the last dispensation. Ahead of the January gubernatorial election in the state, Gada is seeking the Peoples’ Democratic Party, (PDP) governorship ticket. He told journalists in Abuja last Friday that the seat of caliphate is in a pitiable shape, as a result of bad leadership. While expressing confidence that the national leadership of the party would conduct transparent primary, Gada warned that any attempt to foist Wammako on the party faithful would spell doom for the party at the January election. Excerpts: The incumbent Governor Wammako came to office on the platform of your .....

When he made the pledge at the peak of the electioneering campaigns early this year, not a few people took his words with a pinch of salt. To them, the promise of an affordable housing policy for millions of residents of the nation’s commercial capital by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola was nothing but an empty boast delivered by a man desperate for victory at the impending polls. Indeed, you would be pardoned if you aligned with such sceptics. Since the collapse of the second republic during which the Lateef Jakande administration constructed low-cost housing estates in many parts of Lagos, no government has been able to meet the people’s housing needs in Lagos. Yet it isn’t that there have been no housing schemes in Lagos since the Jakande days. Several housing units i.....

Her personal burden and love for young people led to the establishment of an NGO that focuses solely on teaching youths to discover and understand their own individual uniqueness, so they can stand out as true role models in life. Rev. Janet Japhet, the founder of Youth Ablaze Network (YAN) told Daily Sun in a recent interview that most talented Nigerian youths lack focus in life and exist without hope because of the foundation laid for them by past generations. She also challenged parents to rise up to their unique responsibility of becoming a source of positive influence for their children. Excerpts: What is Youth Ablaze Network all about? Youth Ablaze Network (YAN) is a non-denominational Youth Outreach Ministry which started in November, 2002 with a vision to rai.....

Presidences are defined in part by the challenges that confront them. And the kind of legacy every president bequeaths is largely a function of the issues or challenges he chooses to address and find solutions to them. Every president must take responsibility (and that ought to be the case), settling on the heart of his message should be the justification that must not be taken out of context. The same message of personal responsibility must resonate with honesty and clarity of purpose wherever the president goes , whether at home or abroad. It matters that presidential performance has always been a major concern for citizens in a country practicing democracy. It is so because the president is not just the symbol of democracy, he is also the spirit of leadership that in.....

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) said the Federal Government committed a serious error of judgement by cancelling the traditional parade and shifting activities marking the nation’s 51st independence anniversary from the Eagle Square to the relatively-secure presidential villa, apparently following threats posed by MEND and Boko Haram. In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the government missed a rare opportunity to show Nigerians that it could not be intimidated by such threats from the groups and that it was capable of tackling the security challenges facing the nation. It said by scurrying away from the Eagle Square, ostensibly to cut costs in celebrating the independence anniversary, the .....

Members of the Boko Haram, yesterday gave conditions for negotiations with the Federal Government. The Islamist sect insisted that the release of its detained members remained the first condition for dialogue. The pronouncement came even as three people were killed in renewed attacks in Maiduguri, Borno State, yesterday. Restating its position for negotiation with government, spokesman for the sect, Abu Qaqa said in a statement, “our position remains the establishment of Shariah Law in all Muslim states in Nigeria. But as a temporary measure for peace, we will accept to talk with government only when all our members in captivity all over the states are released.“ He added that the sect had the records of its members arrested either by the police, the State Security Serv.....

Mrs. Ifeoma Egeonu, the pregnant mother of two, who was set ablaze by her husband, last Saturday, has recounted the sad experience even as she expressed her readiness to forgive the offending husband. Ifeoma and her two children were set ablaze by her hubby, Mr. Alexander Ndubuisi Egeonu, popularly called Sagay, inside his container-shop for undisclosed reason. The husband had been on the run since the incident happened. Speaking to Daily Sun on her hospital bed at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, where she was transferred to from the Eastern Nigeria Medical Centre, Ifeoma expressed shock and surprise about the action of her husband. Also on admission at the hospital were her first son, Emmanuel, who was crying continuously obviously because of the pain he was s.....

MORE revelations emerged, Monday,in the on-going investigation over the gruesome murder of a Lagos business man, Mr. Kazeem Ademoye,as the principal suspect who incidentally, is the victim’s wife, Mrs. Ngozi Ademoye, disowned her earlier assertion that she used an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) electrical gadget to murder her husband. She reportedly admitted that she actually hired people to kill her husband. The Delta State-born mother of three who was said to be popular among her numerous customers under the Anthony Village bridge along Ikorodu Road, where she sold local gin (Ogogoro) before she was introduced to Mr. Kazeem, 10 years ago, was quoted as saying that she was being hunted by her late husband’s ghost to confess the murder. Earlier claim Impeccable .....

Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala recently unveiled a blue print on how she intends to manage the nation’s economy. The Minister was also in Washington, DC, United States of America where she led the Nigerian delegation to the just concluded World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual General Meetings. Specifically, the minister and her team had asked the World Bank to assist Nigeria in its job creating efforts, infrastructure development and most importantly, the building of the controversial second River Niger Bridge. Okonjo-Iweala spoke to Nigerian journalists on the way forward for the economy. Excerpts. What we achieved at the World Bank/IMF AGM We came to this meeting wanting to share Mr Presiden.....

The future of electricity in Nigeria is very bright; we are confident of generating 5,000megawatts before the end of December 2011 and this will ultimately result in improved power supply for consumers of electricity in the country.These were the words of Prof. Barth Nnaji, few weeks after being sworn in as Minister of Power by President Goodluck Jonathan. Nnaji had based his assumption on investments in the various ongoing power generating plants as well as in the transmission and distribution infrastructure, some of them, awaiting completion and commissioning. However Nnaji was mistaken. A recent audit exercise, which he conducted with a team of other experts and stakeholders, even personally visiting the various electricity facilities in the country, revealed a rot t.....

At the moment, Pa Ekpe Onuoha, 90, and his wife, Veronica Ekpe, 75, are unhappy fellows. The couple who hails from Isiala Autonomous Community in Bende LGA of Abia State is daily assailed by a strong wave of sorrow and sadness. They are devastated by news of their son, Captain Dennis Ekpe’s abduction by suspected kidnappers since July 31. Till now, he is yet to be rescued. The old man and his wife are unanimous in alleging that the authorities are not doing enough to find their son. “If my son is dead, they should tell us so that we can give him a befitting burial instead of raising rumours that he has been released,” the nonagenarian said with a tone full of sentiments of pain and disappointment. Lamenting the disappearance of his son, Pa Ekpe regretted that he h.....

Yenagoa – Peremabiri community in the Boma clan in the Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State is on the throes of being washed away erosion as a large portion of the community is already submerged. Only last week two persons, one of them a graduate of the state owned Niger Delta University, identified as Ikioudo Abel and a secondar school leaver, Stanley Dominic reportedly lost their lives when a landslide hit a section of the community waterfront. Indiegenes of the community who are host to the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Diebu Creek oil facility and the multi billion naira moribund Peremabiri Rice Farm have launched fresh appeal to the federal government to save their community from extinction. Several homes are already under water i.....

ABUJA—The Chairman of the House of Representatives committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Hon. Herman Hembe has disclosed that his committee will investigate the on going recapitalization of the eight rescued banks in the country, saying that from reports received so far, there are indications that the process has been largely flawed and the laws, rules and procedures guiding the exercise have not been followed. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, has washed its hands off the N5 billion of public funds trapped in eleven failed banks liquidated after the consolidation exercise in 2006, noting that it was the responsibility of the Federal Inland Revenue Service to go after such funds. A Civil Society watchdog in the nation’s extractive indust.....

LAGOS—Oil prices are heading for further drop to the 2008 low levels as investors speculated that global economic growth will slow and curb fuel demand amid rising supplies.This has serious implication for the 2012 budget which is being predicated on $75 per barrel. If prices of crude tumble as a result of slow down in global economy, Nigeria may face serious financing gap for the economic transformation agenda of the President. It would mean that Minister of Finance and Coordinator of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s plan to reduce budget deficit may not be realised. Oil prices in New York, weekend, headed for its biggest quarterly drop since 2008. Crude stockpiles rose 1.92 million barrels last week, the U.S. Energy Department said. Morgan Stanley cut its .....

Patients in the various state hospitals in Kaduna State are in danger as the state government at the weekend drafted student-nurses and midwives from health institutions in the state to take over hospital, following an indefinite strike embarked upon by the health workers. This is just as the Kaduna State Health Workers Consultative Forum (KSHWC) threatened to draw the attention of the Nursing and Midwives Council of Nigerian to the development with a view to sanctioning the health institution that released unqualified persons to the hospitals. the health workers declared strike on Friday following what they described as breach of agreement by the state government over the implementation of 80 per cent of Consolidated Health Workers Salary Structure (CONHESS). Mea.....

Ahead of 2015 elections, Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) has commenced mending of its cracked wall. Daily Sun authoritatively gathered that two committees, recently inaugurated by the leadership of the party, have started meeting with aggrieved party leaders and members in a bid to rebuild the party, which disintegrated preparatory to the last April polls. The committees, Truth and Reconciliation Committee headed by retired ace broadcaster, Chief Yemi Farounbi and Task Force on Membership Drive, led by the former Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief (MD/EIC) of the defunct Monitor Newspapers, Hadj Liad Tella, were said to have started talking with members of the party, who had either decamped to other parties or distanced themselves from activities o.....

Striking Enugu workers will tomorrow return to work following the call-off of their two-week-old strike. The workers had embarked on indefinite strike to press the state government to implement the new N18,000 minimum wage using the labour chart. But the government, in August paid the new wage based on its own chart with arrears from April and insisted that it could not pay anything more. As the workers disagreed with the government, labour leaders, led by the National Labour Congress (NLC) President, Abdulwaheed Omar, stormed the state and declared an endefinite strike in the coal city, which paralysed economic activities for two weeks. But on Saturday, the striking workers agreed to suspend their strike following the intervention of concerned elders and traditional .....

Kidnappers once again struck yesterday in Akwa Ibom State abducting, Elder Edward Ekong, the father of Cpt. Iniobong Ekong, who is the special assistant on security to Governor Godswill Akpabio. Daily Sun learnt that the incident happened by 12.30 pm as the septuagenarian was about to drive home in his red Toyota Corolla packed by the side of The Lutheran Church of Nigeria (LCN), Ikot Akpafuk, Ndiya in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area. The unpleasant drama happened in the presence of other church members including the wife of the victim, Deaconess Edoabasi and their eldest daughter, Ekaette. Ekaette told Daily Sun that the young men who came in a black Mazda salon car, forced her father, into the boot of the car after firing several shots into the air to scare away peo.....

Foremost religious leader and Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto State, Monsignor Matthew Hassan Kukah has enjoined Nigerians to believe in President’s Goodluck Jonathan’s plans and strategies in the war aginst the activities of the dreaded Islamic insurgent, Boko Haram. Speaking to journalists yesterday at a press parley organized to mark the conclusion of the 2nd National Missions Congress of Nigeria held at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Ibadan, Bishop Kukah also called on Nigerians to conquer fear and desist from activities that create more fear and confusion through bomb scares and unguided statements. His words: “Everybody has become an expert in conversions regarding Boko Haram without realizing that we are playing into the hands of very dangerous elements. They have suc.....

As mixed reactions trail Nigeria’s 51st Independence Anniversary celebrations, leading opposition party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), yesterday said the country has little or nothing to celebrate. The ACN view which was contained in a release issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed came even as the Vice President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Issa Aremu slammed the Federal Government for shifting the venue of the independence ceremonies from the Eagles Square, Abuja, to the Presidential Villa. According to the ACN spokesman, all hope is not lost, provided the leadership and the citizenry will roll up their sleeves and put their shoulder to the wheel. “There is so much work to be done if we are to even begin the journey t.....

Not satisfied with the manner in which it was handling the issue of the implementation of the new national minimum wage, some aggrieved workers of Benue State have passed a vote of no confidence on the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). This is just as the state Chairman of NLC Simon Anchaver described their move as an illegality stressing that the only organ that can pass a vote of no confidence on the leadership of NLC is the coalition of Chairmen of all the 37 industrial unions in the state. The aggrieved workers at the weekend in a press release made available to newsmen, expressed sadness that while they were trying to embark on an indefinite strike action which had been called by the NLC to press home its demands, some of its members led by the NLC s.....

No fewer than 99,000 pilgrims would be airlifted in 200 flights from 12 centres, across the country, for hajj, it has been disclosed. This is even as the Federal Government has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for raising the standard of hajj operations since coming on board in 2007. Vice President, Namadi Sambo was told this at the flag-off of the inaugural flight of the year 2011 hajj operations, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. He said: “We note with delight, the modest transformations that have been recorded generally in hajj operations, the impact of which has gone a long way in facilitating smoother hajj experience for the average Nigerian pilgrim.” The vice president, while urging the commission to consolidate on the.....

Nigeria’s 51 years of Independence and President Goodluck Jonathan’s 100 days in office fell one month apart and both held certain significance for the leaders and the governed alike. Nigeria, as a nation, celebrated her 51st independence anniversary on Saturday October 1, no doubt a great reminder that the country has really come of age, but in what? At 51, is Nigeria really an enigma or a state or both? At 51, is Nigeria really celebrating independence or her unrivalled history of national corruption, political and developmental backwardness? Nigeria, at 51, is still battling to resolve the basic questions of statehood which undermine the struggle of Nigeria’s past heroes, who put down their lives for the unity of this nation. Did those heroes labour that Nigeri.....

Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, a former coach of the Super Eagles, has observed that there’s no football club in the country with credible board, saying they’re all parastatals. Onigbinde, also a one-time coach with Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan, disclosed this to newsmen at 3SC's public forum and stakeholders meeting last week. According to him, a club with a credible board must go into election to elect officers that would serve on the club and not appointed people by club's owners. “If clubs go into election, you agree with me that they will make sure that they elect people who have relevant football experience, and it is these people that are selected at the club level that will now go to the local government level to elect the local FA,'' he ad.....

The Federal Government has said it has begun the process of laying out a plan to restrict government officials from travelling abroad for medical treatment. The Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, told newsmen that a policy is in the offing to compel every public official to get medical attention here in Nigeria if government was going to foot such bills. He, however, said only conditions that had been proven treatment could not be taken care of in Nigeria would such officials be allowed to travel abroad. The issue of government officials seeking medical attention abroad has been a contentious one for a long time as Nigerians blame the incessant resort to overseas countries for medicare by government officials for government’s neglect of the nation’s health facilit.....

Dare-devil armed robbers went on rampage on Saturday in Zamfara State, killing no fewer than 19 people at Lingyado village, in Dansadau Emirate of Maru Local Government area of the state. The incident, which took place in the early hours of the day, left women, children and family heads dead while four persons were presently on admission at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gusau, arising from injuries sustained during the attack. The suspected armed robbers were said to have attacked the village at about 5a.m and ransacked the village using sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles. The attack was alleged to be a retaliatory move by the armed robbers who recently lost some of their gang members in the village. Daily Sun gathered that about two months ago, a simil.....

Dare-devil armed robbers went on rampage on Saturday in Zamfara State, killing no fewer than 19 people at Lingyado village, in Dansadau Emirate of Maru Local Government area of the state. The incident, which took place in the early hours of the day, left women, children and family heads dead while four persons were presently on admission at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gusau, arising from injuries sustained during the attack. The suspected armed robbers were said to have attacked the village at about 5a.m and ransacked the village using sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles. The attack was alleged to be a retaliatory move by the armed robbers who recently lost some of their gang members in the village. Daily Sun gathered that about two months ago, a simil.....

Her story reads like a thriller: the type only a great novelist could spin. However, the somewhat grace-to-grass context and the many twists and turns of her life’s tale could make some of the classic tragedies spun by dramatist extraordinaire Sophocles of ancient Greece appear less calamitous. First she died in Nigeria, was properly buried and forgotten, then suddenly she appeared in Benin Republic with a new life. Now she’s dead again. And then the real dead end. To be candid, ruminating on this woman’s chequered sojourn on earth invoked Figure it out for yourself, the title of one of scores of crime thrillers by James Hardley Chase; for, at the end of series of fragmetary sequences; you are still left wondering, if you got this one right. Initially, telephon.....

Nigerians have been urged to place the Nigerian project ahead of partisan politics by giving President Goodluck Jonathan the much needed support and confidence he needs to enable him realize his developmental programmes for the good of the country. Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomhole who made this plea noted that the severe criticism that trail President Jonathan's 100 days in office was uncalled for, just as he recalled that such criticisms were also the hallmark of his first hundred days in office as governor of Edo State. Oshiomhole who spoke in an interview with newsmen after an interactive session with Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)'s Secretary General/Treasurer, Yusuff Hassan in Benin City, however urged President Jonathan not to despair with such critici.....

At least 19 people have been shot or hacked to death in a brutal attack in a village in north-west Nigeria, police say. Eyewitnesses said about 150 people raided the village of Lingyado, in Zamfara state close to the border with Niger, with guns and machetes. A police spokesman said it appeared to be a reprisal attack in response to a similar incident in August. Security forces have been sent to the area to restore order. Police spokesman Sunusi Amiru said six others were wounded in the attack and were receiving medical attention. "We are on top of the situation, we are on the trail of the suspects, we have deployed more men to the trouble spots," he told Reuters news agency. The BBC's Nigeria correspondent Jonah Fisher says the victi.....

Amid downpour and tight security, members of the armed forces, the police, para-military agencies, voluntary organisations, school children as well as Lagos State residents trooped to Police College, Ikeja,yesterday, to commemorate the nation’s 51st independence anniversary. Governor Babatunde Fashola, in his address after the march pass by various groups, expressed great optimism about Nigeria’s future, saying better days lie ahead. He said: “In the course of the 51st anniversary address, I had cause to assert that Nigeria’s good days are ahead of us and not behind us. “Today, inspite of the challenges that we face, my belief is unshaken; that our better days lie ahead of us, but it is important to also say that we must earn it by working hard, probably harde.....

NOTWITHSTANDING the socio-economic and political challenges confronting Nigeria, former President Shehu Shagari says the mere fact that she overcomes crises and has thus far survived as an entity was enough reason to celebrate her 51st independence anniversary. Shagari was full of hope that Nigeria will emerge stronger from her challenges. According to him, having overcome several challenges in the past, Nigeria has the capacity to tackle current and future challenges. “I disagree with those who say we have nothing to celebrate. It is not easy to attain 51 years of age. Mr. President has now garnered a lot of experience. Since experience, they say, is the best teacher, we cannot solve problems without good experience and now Nigeria is not now to these pr.....

The Federal Government has said it will constitute a special Team to oversee an all-out effort targeted at the total eradication of polio from Nigeria within twenty-four months. This was disclosed by President Goodluck Jonathan at an audience with one of the world's richest men, Bill Gates and a team from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Jonathan said that the Special Team will work with the Foundation, states and local Governments as well as traditional rulers to sustain the reduction rate in polio cases until the disease is completely eradicated from Nigeria. "I can assure you that we will work very hard on polio with the objective of eradicating it in the next twenty-four months. It is now limited to about six states and eradicating it within our te.....

The Federal Government has said the decision to have a low-keyed celebration of this year's national Independence anniversary has nothing to do with fears over the threat of bombing by either the Movement for and Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND ) or the Boko Haram sect. Speaking with journalists at the State House, Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, accused the Nigerian media of unbalanced reporting and for trying to heat up the polity while reporting security issues of the country. He was speaking in reference to publications in some national dailies which attributed the option of a quiet celebration of the country's independence to government's unease over threats that the usual venue of Eagle Square in Abuja or some other plac.....

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) is currently meeting in Kaduna to proffer solutions to the Federal government on how to end the activitiesof Boko Haram in the country. The meeting which had in attendance prominent members of the forum, it was gathered was also unhappy with the reoccurring killings in Jos, Plateau State as a result of religious violence in the state. According to the ACF spokesperson, Mr. Anthony Sani, “it is an emergency meeting aimed at arresting the insecurity in the North, which has to do with Jos crisis, Boko Haram, kidnapping.” Sani, however declined further comment, saying that, “a communique will be made available to the press at the end of the emergency meeting.

Chairman, Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Chief Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, on Tuesday escaped assassination attempt along Ibadan/Iwo Road after gunmen, numbering eight, allegedly laid ambush for him. He was said to be going for a political meeting around 9 p.m with one of his political aides, Alhaji Nureni Atanda, when the incident occurred. Tuesday’s attack was the third attempt on his life. Ali was the chief of staff to former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasidi Ladoja before his defection to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) preparatory to the April polls. He was attacked in 2006 at the peak of the illegal impeachment of his boss, Ladoja, when gunmen swooped on his house, over-powered his security guards before heading for his room. He missed death by the whisk.....

Controversy over the perjury charge against the suspended President of the Court of Appeal (PCA) Justice Ayo Salami, deepened yesterday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeks his prosecution over the alleged offence. The party’s demand is the fall-out of the face-off between the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu and the former PCA over the Sokoto State governorship election petition. But yesterday, the Ekiti and Osun State chapters of the PDP said they had written to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF)/Justice Minister Mohammed Adoke (SAN), for his permission to sue Justice Salami for alleged perjury and abuse of office. The two states lost the governorship seats to the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (.....

Amb.Oladapo Fafowora delivered this paper at the All Nigeria Editors Conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Benin City last week Geography, Power, and Politics in Nigeria NIGERIA is a state of wide cultural diversity consisting of several distinct ethnic groups. What role do these ethnic ethnic groups play in Nigerian politics and what impact do they have on political developments in Nigeria? The issue involved here is whether or not the Nigerian federation is being hobbled by the centrifugal tendencies and activities of these ethnic groups. Nigeria developed over time, under British colonial rule, as a federal state consisting of various ethnic groups. The British colonial power recognized the ethnic diversity of Nigeria and, with the support of the various Nig.....

On October 1, 2011, The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) intends to place bombs within and in the immediate vicinity of Eagle square, venue for the proposed 2011 independence anniversary celebrations. After fifty one years of independence, Nigerians still have nothing to celebrate. The general public is strongly advised to consider this as a first and final warning. No additional warnings will be issued subsequent to deployment or detonation of these devices which will be novel in nature.

Nigeria cannot truly celebrate its forthcoming independence anniversary because the most Nigerians are still not free from official high-handedness and insecurity, a judicial activist group, the Access to Justice has said. The group, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Joseph Otteh, said although Nigeria's will celebrate its 51st independence anniversary by this weekend, many Nigerians, particularly those without privileges of wealth, power and influence, continue to suffer untold abuses by the failure of Nigeria's government to guarantee them a life of security, dignity and opportunity. "Fifty one years after independence, the blessings of political liberty still ring hollow for several millions of Nigerians who continue to endure grueling exploita.....

The Minister of Youth Development, Mr Bolaji Abdullahi, has expressed government's concern over the spate of rape cases in the country. Speaking at the annual National Youth Transformation Summit tagged ``Unleashing Change Agents,`` in Abuja on Thursday, he said effective measures must be put in place to check the menace. ``There is an epidemic of rape going on in the country, and if not addressed immediately, the situation may be perceived as normal. One of the most difficult things to do is to train people on morality.'' Abdullahi said that unless the youth were re-oriented, their condition would remain the same, and urged them to engage in meaningful ventures so as not to give room for ``unscrupulous elements'' willing to use them to perpetrate h.....

The Ogun chapter of the National Association of General Medical and Dental Practitioners of Nigeria has given Gov. Ibikunle Amosun a 21-day ultimatum to reverse what it described as a ``killing'' tax. The decision was reached at the end of the association's meeting in Abeokuta on Thursday, just as it said that the imposition of the tax was capable of dampening the morale of the doctors. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that public servants in the state had last week also threatened to declare a trade dispute with the government on the same issue. The Chairman of the association, Dr Ayoola Saheed, who spoke with newsmen after their meeting, also accused the state government of insensitivity to the plight of the association's members. Sahe.....

ABUJA—With 24 hours to Nigeria’s 51st Independence anniversary celebrations, the Federal Government is taking no chances on the security threat posed by Boko Haram sect and Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, as the Nigeria Airforce and the Nigeria Police have deployed helicopters to commence air patrols of the Federal Capital Territory while night patrol by the Army, Navy, Airforce and Mobile Police personnel in the city is now round the clock. Already all security agencies including para-military agencies have been directed to commence the evacuation of all broken down or abandoned vehicles in all the roads in Abuja while more cordons are being erected on possible and suspicious spots that might be utilized by hoodlums. Following the threat issued last .....

ABUJA-FORMER Governor of Lagos State, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Thursday said the embattled former President of Appeal Court, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, was sacrificed to instil fears in other judges to do the bidding of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. This came as former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, predicted that Nigeria’s democracy might collapse if Nigerians allowed the judicial arm of government to become completely compromised. Speaking at the annual award ceremony of the Leadership newspapers, tagged: “2011 Elections: How credible,” where he was conferred with the Leadership Man of the Year award, Tinubu said the post-election crises that enveloped the judiciary called for a lot of thinking as democracy was fast eroding in Nigeria. He sai.....

MEMBERS of the National Assembly have been urged to raise the bar on quality legislation and oversight functions to win the confidence of the citizenry, diffuse strident criticisms and steer the nation to the path of development. Making the charge Thursday, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE; Chief Joseph Daudu (SAN), President, Nigeria Bar Association, NBA; Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), former NBA President; and Mr. Yomi Ogunbiyi, former Clerk of the National Assembly, said the legislature had a major role in transforming the country. They all spoke at the inauguration of the 89 Special and Standing Committees of the House of Representatives at the National Assembly, Abuja. NGE President and Editor-in-chief of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr......

No fewer than 100 MASSOB members were yesterday beaten up and arrested at the entrance gate of Abakaliki Township Stadium during the Igbo Day celebration by the police in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State Four of them who were wounded during the police action were later rushed to an undisclosed private hospital in Abakaliki for medical attention. The National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ralph Uwechue had stated that no matter how big or small, people should be allowed free-play and equitable access to the country’s resources and strategic political posts, including the presidency. According to the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP John Eluu, who confirmed the arrest, they were arrested to avoid breach of peace at the venue. Though those arrested at the stadiu.....

ABUJA-FORMER Governor of Lagos State, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Thursday said the embattled former President of Appeal Court, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, was sacrificed to instil fears in other judges to do the bidding of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. This came as former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, predicted that Nigeria’s democracy might collapse if Nigerians allowed the judicial arm of government to become completely compromised. Speaking at the annual award ceremony of the Leadership newspapers, tagged: “2011 Elections: How credible,” where he was conferred with the Leadership Man of the Year award, Tinubu said the post-election crises that enveloped the judiciary called for a lot of thinking as democracy was fast eroding in Nigeria. He sai.....

Terrorism in Nigeria is a direct consequence of the people’s deep dissatisfaction with their government, said participants at the fifth policing executive forum held recently in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, which dwelt on responding to the emerging trends of terrorism in the country. A lecturer of Mass Communications at the University of Maiduguri, Abubakar Mu’azu, while tracing the antecedents of several dissenting groups along Nigeria’s geographical lines, including the Niger Delta militants in the South South; the Oodu’a People’s Congress in the South West; the Bakassi Boys and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra in the South East, and the Jama’atu Ahlus Sunnah Lid Da’awati Wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram, in the North, said Niger.....

LAGOS—NIGERIANS who failed to beat National Communications Commission,NCC’s, deadline for the registration of their Subscriber Identification Module,SIM, cards, Wednesday , have been handed a 24-hour window to do so or forget about their lines. Ruling out extension for the exercise, NCC said it would begin to collate the registration data today and subscribers, who were yet to be listed could do so before the end of the collation and harmonisation in the afternoon. In a statement by Mr. Reuben Muoka (Head, Media & Public Relations), NCC said: “The commission is fully aware of the clamour by many interested stakeholders, and organisations, for extension of the registration of existing SIM cards. ”However, the commission believes that the six months period provi.....

First Lady Patience Jonathan says she will assist the women of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in realising their dream for peace and the liberation of their country. Jonathan made the pledge in Abuja on Tuesday at a dinner she hosted for her counterpart from SADR, Hajiya Khadija Hamdi. According to her, women need to rise up and fight for peace on the continent. ``Many countries in Africa, including Libya and Sudan, have been plagued by conflicts, so women need to rise and be united to fight for peace on the continent. ``When I heard about the Saharawi women, I was eager to meet them. I promise that we will work together to achieve peace and liberation for the Saharawi people.'' The SADR, regarded as Africa's last colony, is be.....

ABUJA— President Goodluck Jonathan will today defend his mandate before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, and canvass reasons why the April 16 general election that brought him to power, should not be nullified. A five-man panel of justices hearing the petition against him, yesterday, gave President Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo five days, from today, to adduce reasons why they should not be sacked from office on the strength of the petition before it by Congress for Progressive Change, challenging the outcome of the said presidential poll. The order was handed to the respondents on a day the Justice Kumai Baayan Akaahs-led panel declined to summon INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to appear in court and explain why he refused to .....

MAIDUGURI: Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima said yesterday, that a top commander of the deadly sect, Boko Haram has been arrested alongside five other members. With the arrest, a relieved Governor Shettima who confirmed it to the Associated Press said, “I believe the worst is over”. Governor Shettima told The Associated Press in an interview at his heavily guarded office that officials believe a negotiated peace can be reached with the sect now. He, however, warned that members of the group who still continue sectarian campaign of assassinations and bombings will be hunted down by the increasing military and police presence in Borno state. “I believe the worst is over,” Shettima said, adding that five others were also arrested and are being detained. The governor di.....

Thirteen Action Congress of Nigeria stalwarts who are coordinators of Markus Gundiri campaign organization from thirteen local government council areas of Adamawa state led by Umaru Inuwa Girei, on Tuesday switched allegiance to the Peoples' Democratic Party gubernatorial aspirant, Murtala Nyako. Mr. Girei who led the decampees to the PDP said their switch to the ruling party in the state was motivated by the good works of the PDP government in the state, while the director general of Nyako/Ngillari campaign organization Felix Tangwami said over 50,000 card carrying members from the opposition political party have dumped their parties and expressed support for Mr. Nyako. Mr. Tangwami who spoke to journalist after the decampees were presented to the party Executive in .....

ABUJA—THE weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday rose from a prolonged session with an approval for the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, to embark on the provision of an electronic national identity card for all Nigerians of 18 years old and above, at the cost of N30.66 billion. The FEC meeting which was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, with Vice President Namadi Sambo, said the project entails the development of a comprehensive, biometric database for all Nigerian adults. The meeting also approved the pulling together of all planning professionals and the establishment of Planning and policy analysis cadre for all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to meet up with the current expectations of the present government for ef.....

Merely seeing them shows that all is not fine. They look depressed and exasperated. The look on their faces shows that they are not in their best frame of minds. They are certainly not happy. These are Nigerians, who, after serving the federal government meritoriously for years, are now languishing in abject penury because of the shoddy and hostile treatment meted out to them by the same government they once served. Some of them could be mistaken for beggars, begging for alms to make ends meet. Some of them could not make it to the venue of the meeting as they were either in one hospital or local clinic to treat one ailment or the other. Most of them rose from level to higher levels in their respective offices. Now, their entitlements are not being paid on time. Some of.....

I was privileged to have been invited along with my wife as special guests (according to the card that I received from Eric Osagie) to witness the launching of the special anniversary publication known as Nigeria's Golden Book which has been published by our company. Although I often avoid these types of ceremonial outings this was one that promised to be both exciting and enlightening and so I happily accepted. I wanted to hear the speech of Olusegun Mimiko the fabled “Iroko” Labour Party Governor of Ondo State because I have been told that his contribution to any debate is usually unique and certainly enlightening. In the event I was not disappointed. In addition to this I had been told that a number of my old friends would be in attendance. Well apart from former.....

ABUJA— President Goodluck Jonathan will today defend his mandate before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, and canvass reasons why the April 16 general election that brought him to power, should not be nullified. A five-man panel of justices hearing the petition against him, yesterday, gave President Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo five days, from today, to adduce reasons why they should not be sacked from office on the strength of the petition before it by Congress for Progressive Change, challenging the outcome of the said presidential poll. The order was handed to the respondents on a day the Justice Kumai Baayan Akaahs-led panel declined to summon INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to appear in court and explain why he refused to .....

MAIDUGURI: Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima said yesterday, that a top commander of the deadly sect, Boko Haram has been arrested alongside five other members. With the arrest, a relieved Governor Shettima who confirmed it to the Associated Press said, “I believe the worst is over”. Governor Shettima told The Associated Press in an interview at his heavily guarded office that officials believe a negotiated peace can be reached with the sect now. He, however, warned that members of the group who still continue sectarian campaign of assassinations and bombings will be hunted down by the increasing military and police presence in Borno state. “I believe the worst is over,” Shettima said, adding that five others were also arrested and are being detained. The governor di.....

In another three days, Saturday October 1 to be precise, celebration of the nation’s independence anniversary will reach a climax in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Nigerians can expect, on that day, to listen to long boring speeches on the nation’s huge potentials and how the present government is set to fulfill the promise of the Nigerian Dream. Nigerians have, up till now, not witnessed any independence celebration in which they did not received series of promises on the nation’s long-awaited glorious future and the efforts of incumbent administrations to bring them to pass. The problem has always been with implementation, as the promises appear to fizzle out as soon as they escape the lips of our leaders. Unfortunately, long and fruitless waiting for fulfillm.....

ABUJA—MR. Richard Dowden, Director of African Society, London, yesterday, identified endemic corruption, bad politics, failed economic policies, over-dependence on oil, favoritism for appointments and the country’s bad reputation for the continued slow pace of development. Dowden, who was guest speaker at Independent Annivesary Lecture in Abuja, told a gathering of top government functionaries, including members of Federal Executive Council, led by President Goodluck Jonathan, Speaker of House of Representatives, governors and others, that the discovery of oil was a curse to Nigeria, as it had led to widespread corruption and looting of resources by corrupt government officials. President Goodluck Jonathan (right), and Guest Speaker Richard Dowden Director Royal Afr.....

September 10, 2011, will remain evergreen in the minds of Anambra State indigenes resident in Kano State under the aegis of Anambra Community Association (ACS). It was a day they rolled out the drums to honour their deserving sons. The occasion was convened in honour of Ikenga Alphonsus Osinachi Ubaneche, Chief Obi Adimora and Chief (Alhaji) Abdullahi Ndidi Obinwa, who were conferred with the honour of patrons of the association. The three men, by the estimation of members of ACS, had contributed hugely towards the wellbeing of Anambra people in the state. The event, they said, was just their own way of showing appreciation and recognition to them. Unarguably, the event was a success. It was a simple family gathering, which ended as one of the most flamboyant gatherings .....

The Federal Government is embarking on measures to check the existence of private militias and breach of peace in the country. President Goodluck Jonathan stated this in Abuja on Monday while receiving the final report of the Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the North East Zone. President Jonathan, who was represented by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, said that government had budgeted huge amount of money to address the problem of poverty and the existence of more than 9.5 million ‘Almajiris’ in the northern part of the country. According to him, ₦4 billion has already been approved for the implementation of the second phase of the Special Boarding Primary Schools for the ‘Almajiris’. “Some of the major issues you have stated regarding t.....

ABUJA—Federal Government would have lost 27 per cent of public sector funds to the crisis in the banking sector if Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, had not intervened, President Goodluck Jonathan has said. Jonathan, who said this, Tuesday, in Abuja while declaring open a two-day conference of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN, noted that measures were in place to insulate the national economy from global financial mess. Giving a breakdown of government’s fund in the banking sector during the peak of the crisis, the President said seven of the 24 deposit money banks held about 52 per cent of the total public sector fund. Of this figure, he said three of the “healthy” banks held 52 per cent of all public sector deposits, while four of the banks taken over.....

ABUJA—The Code of Conduct Bureau said, yesterday, that 15 former governors will soon be charged to court for lying in the assets declaration forms they filled while in office. Chairman of the Bureau, Mr Sam Saba, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Abuja also justified the decision of the Bureau to let some governors off the hook. He, however, insisted that former Governor of Lagos state and leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, has a case to answer before the conduct tribunal over allegations of operating foreign accounts while in office. Confirming that 15 former governors will soon be charged to court, Mr Saba said: “I want to assure you that verification of the assets of some of the ex-governors is still ongoing inc.....

Nigeria’s future and its structure yesterday reverberated amongst key political players and statesmen in Abuja. It was at the launch of Nigeria’s Golden Book in commemoration of Nigeria’s 51st independence anniversary written by The Sun Publishing Company Limited, Publishers of The Sun titles. Senate President David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, Jigawa State Governor Mallam Sule Lamido, among others, made stimulating demands for a new deal anchored on the expressed wishes of the people; even as former Head of State, who chaired the event, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar warned that no effort to re-shape the destiny of the country should be spared. Mimiko, who was the ke.....

The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal on Tuesday rejected the Action Congress of Nigeria's (ACN) forensic analysis in the case between Bunmi Olusona and Akeem Ayedun. Mr Olusona, an ACN candidate for Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency in the April 26 rescheduled National Assembly election, is challenging the declaration of Mr Ayedun of the PDP as the winner of the poll. In its ruling, the tribunal said the result sought to be tendered as document in evidence, had already been used in the dismissed application of September 20. The three-man panel noted that once a document has rejected, it would always be rejected. It therefore frowned at the move by the petitioner, describing it as an abuse of court process. It said it was irrit.....

THE Seventh All Nigeria Guild of Editors Conference (ANEC) that ended in Benin-City, Edo State last weekend was truly remarkable. The conference of newspaper and broadcast editors was aptly themed: “Deepening Our Democracy: The Role of the Editor.” The theme was indeed reflective of the editors’ stake in the nation’s democracy project. It was as such not surprising that some of the nation’s major democracy stakeholders also showed up at the event. Among those who came were Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of the House of Representatives, Governors Raji Fashola of Lagos State, Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo), Peter Obi (Anambra), who was represented and the newly appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Information, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. Also present were former Governo.....

President Goodluck Jonathan has vowed to fix public institutions, adding that strengthening the frameworks was the solution to the long years of rot and corruption that had characterised the Nigerian state. He assured that his administration would begin the process of restructuring and building institutions that would create the enabling environment for the nation’s diversification from reliance on crude oil in the next 10 years. Jonathan at a National Lecture: “Nigeria in Transformation”, to mark Nigeria’s 51st Independence Anniversary held at the International Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, stated that Nigeria, like many developed countries of the world, had the potential to grow and become great, but noted that strong institutional base was needed to .....

The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has discovered that there are some fundamental flaws in some major concession agreements entered into by the Federal Government. This was disclosed by the Chairman, Governing Board of the commission, Chief Ernest Shonekan, while presenting the ICRC's 2010 annual report and audited financial statements to President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House, Abuja, Tuesday. Shonekan stated that these flaws were discovered in 2010 when his commission took custody of some major concession agreements which were entered into before its inauguration and carried out a comprehensive review on them. He listed the flaws discovered in some of the concession agreements to include poor project preparation, inadequate definition .....

Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has reiterated the need for a forum, where stakeholders can discuss about the structure of the Nigerian federation. Delivering a paper, ‘People, Power, Good Governance and the Future of Democracy in Nigeria,’ at the public presentation of a book, Nigeria’s Golden Book, published by The Sun Publishing Limited, yesterday in Abuja, the governor noted that the continuing imbalance in the operation of the federal system is a manifest threat to good governance and enduring democracy. “On the issue of the structure of Nigeria, the point has been made yet, we have to repeat it: no other federal entity is being run as a unitary enclave like Nigeria. It is the perversion of the federal structure that has birthed the disparate distortions in the polity.....

ABUJA—MR. Richard Dowden, Director of African Society, London, yesterday, identified endemic corruption, bad politics, failed economic policies, over-dependence on oil, favoritism for appointments and the country’s bad reputation for the continued slow pace of development. Dowden, who was guest speaker at Independent Annivesary Lecture in Abuja, told a gathering of top government functionaries, including members of Federal Executive Council, led by President Goodluck Jonathan, Speaker of House of Representatives, governors and others, that the discovery of oil was a curse to Nigeria, as it had led to widespread corruption and looting of resources by corrupt government officials. The lecturer, who noted that major players in the private sector also contributed to the cou.....

ABUJA—The Code of Conduct Bureau said, yesterday, that 15 former governors will soon be charged to court for lying in the assets declaration forms they filled while in office. Chairman of the Bureau, Mr Sam Saba, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Abuja also justified the decision of the Bureau to let some governors off the hook. He, however, insisted that former Governor of Lagos state and leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, has a case to answer before the conduct tribunal over allegations of operating foreign accounts while in office. Confirming that 15 former governors will soon be charged to court, Mr Saba said: “I want to assure you that verification of the assets of some of the ex-governors is still ongoing inc.....

THE Seventh All Nigeria Guild of Editors Conference (ANEC) that ended in Benin-City, Edo State last weekend was truly remarkable. The conference of newspaper and broadcast editors was aptly themed: “Deepening Our Democracy: The Role of the Editor.” The theme was indeed reflective of the editors’ stake in the nation’s democracy project. It was as such not surprising that some of the nation’s major democracy stakeholders also showed up at the event. Among those who came were Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of the House of Representatives, Governors Raji Fashola of Lagos State, Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo), Peter Obi (Anambra), who was represented and the newly appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Information, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. Also present were former Governo.....