By Tordue Salem

ABUJA – The House of Representatives yesterday passed a resolution calling on the Executive to name the National Stadium in Lagos after the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential polls.

Chief Abiola died in jail in July 1998 fighting to reclaim his mandate.

The [...]

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

EFFORTS to resolve the lingering industrial dispute between the management of Addax Petroleum Nigeria Limited and its workers over severance benefits after the company was bought over  by a Chinese company, Sinopec, appears not to be yielding results as two days of meetings between the parties in Abuja have ended in deadlock.

[...]

The naira has been depreciating against the dollar at the official market since the apex bank reintroduced WDAS on Monday, July 13. Prior to the WDAS, the exchange rate was N146 to the dollar. Hence, with the increase to N149.75 yesterday, the naira has depreciated by 375 kobo under WDAS.

By Vincent Ujumadu

ENUGU – ANOTHER twist emerged yesterday in the leadership crisis in Anambra state branch of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as members of the Ifeatu Obi-Okoye group, which had been laying claim to the state leadership dissociated themselves from the decision of Obi-Okoye to discontinue the struggle.

Some members of the group [...]

By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA — Nigeria and Chinese governments yesterday signed N107.4 million contracts agreement for the construction of four rural primaries schools in four states of the federation. The benefitting states are Katsina, Kaduna and Ogun states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Minister of State for Education, Hajiya Aishatu Dukku, who [...]

By Tony Edike

Enugu – For the Chukwuka Eze family in Enugu state, it was jubilation galore yesterday, as they re-united with their only child, a seven-month-old, Chibuzor.

The baby was abducted from their home on Monday, in Enugu.

Chibuzor was in the custody of a nanny when the child’s parents went to work and [...]

…probe N1.72bn privatisation proceeds

By Tordue Salem

ABUJA – The House of Representatives yesterday directed the Federal Ministry of Commerce to withdraw the NEPZA licence granted to SIMCO Free Zone company ( Formerly Niger Dock Free Zone Enterprises ) in the “economic interest of the country”.

The Green Chamber has also embarked on the investigation [...]

The bickering was upon the call by the South-South Senators on Wednesday evening for the dismissal of Lukman from office on the basis of his alleged bias against the South-South region. TheSouth-South Senators in their press conference cited the mass reorganization in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Petroleum Industry Bill and some other decisions taken under Lukman’s watch as inimical to the interests of the region.

Awka – The Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Bioniface Egboka, has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the conduct of a free, fair and credible gubernatorial election in Anambra in 2010.

Egboka gave the challenge in Awka while speaking at a political awareness workshop on the forthcoming governorship election [...]

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — THE Israeli Government Ambassador, Moshe Ram, disclosed yesterday that the volume of trade between Nigeria and his country for 2008 and the first quarter of 2009 stands at $500 million favouring the latter, just as he stressed that the exportation of goods by Nigerians to Israel remains very negligible and [...]

By Ise-Oluwa Ige

ABUJA – A telecommunication firm, Mobitel, yesterday, requested a Federal high court sitting in Abuja to nullify the decision by the Federal Government cancelling the licensing process of National frequencies in the 2.3 GHz band by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Mobitel had fulfilled the conditions precedent to the acquisition of the [...]

Onitsha – Leaders of the Old Motor Spare Parts Market, Obosi near Onitsha in Anambra have set up modalities to check the sale of stolen vehicles and motor spare parts at the market.

Chief Obi Idemobi, the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the market, locally called “Ngbuka market’” made this known to newsmen in Obosi near [...]

By Emmanuel Aziken

Abuja – The Anambra State National and State Assembly caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has made public documents it claims are evidence that leading members of the state executive of the party in Anambra state were bona fide members of the opposing Democratic Peoples Party (DPP).

The legislators in a [...]

By Taye Obateru &   Doyin Ojosipe

Jos -  Former National Chairman of the PDP and first civilian governor of Plateau State, Chief Solomon Lar, took his turn yesterday at the Prince Bola Ajibola Commission of Inquiry into the recent Jos crisis, stressing the need for an end to the recurring disturbances in the state.

He [...]