The new Osun State Elections Petitions tribunal sitting in Osogbo, yesterday dismissed four applications brought
by Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the petition filed by Mr Rauf Aregbesola of the Action Congress (AC).

Ahead of the broadcast on the state of the finances of Ondo State by Governor Olusegun Mimiko, the state
government yesterday alleged that it has discovered that the immediate past administration operated some secret
accounts.

AS the Lagos State Government continues on its massive infrastructure renewal in the state, it has disclosed its intention to continually borrow money to take care of its capital projects in the interest of the general populace.

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, adjourned till 22 July, 2009, further hearing in the trial of the Chief Executive Office of Barewa Pharmaceutical Ltd, makers of killer My Pikin Baby Teething Mixture, which killed over 80 children in the country, Kola Gbadegbesin Okunlola. Adeyemo Abiodun and Egbele Eiomosele are also standing trial alongside Okunlola.

Barely six months after they were separated by an Ikeja High Court, Gbenga Obasanjo, son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his former wife, Mojisola, are yet to settle over who should have the custody of their children.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has approved the award of prototype block of the redevelopment of Oshodi Market.

Amnesty International yesterday dismissed as misplaced priority the amnesty package offered by the Federal Government to the Niger Delta militants.

THE Executive Assistant to Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala on Administration, Mr. Richard Fagbemi, was kidnapped on his way from Abuja on Sunday.

Ominous cloud shadowed President Umaru Yar‘Adua’s electoral reform proposal yesterday when the Senate President, Chief David Mark, faulted the insincerity of the implementers of the 1999 Constitution.

The Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB) has condemned in totality the publication by The Africa Report, a bi-monthly published by Paris-based Groupe Jeune Afrique which was quoted by The Punch, a Nigerian daily, classifying Nigerian banks into an unknown and unacceptable ratings.

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday extended the deadline for banks to redeploy their off-site ATMs by two months to August 31.

“We are looking at reviving tourism in Edo state. We are actually looking at how we can set up a commission; we are also looking at how we can bring back the corpse of Oba Ovariamen to Benin and build a tourist industry around it.
“We have a total package that we will like to sit with the state Commissioner for Tourism to discuss,” Osawaru said.

He also assured that his committee would look at some of the critical issues raised at the forum for it to work with.
Earlier, founding president of the Ijaw Youth Council, Dr Felix Tuodolor expressed dissatisfaction with the composition of the committee which he said did not have enough Niger Deltans. He also said there were fears in the region that the committee had more of security operatives.

By Ise-Oluwa Ige ABUJA—The Supreme Court, yesterday, suspended, indefinitely, hearing in multiple lawsuits instituted by 20 state governments, challenging the Federal Government over what they called “illegal diversion” of huge sums of monies in excess of N4 trillion from the Federation Account. The decision of the Supreme Court followed a request by the governments of […]

By Emmanuel Aziken & Inalegwu Shaibu ABUJA—The Minister of Education, Dr Sam Egwu and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) were yesterday accused themselves of deception over agreement between both parties and funding of universities. Egwu nevertheless, said government would give a definite pronouncement on the face-off with ASUU at the end of the […]