Elder statesmen and politi-cians drawn from the 6 geo-political zones of the country, yesterday, announ-ced the near completion of the report on the review of the 1999 Constitution, announcing that the meeting of the group, the National Think-Tank in Gombe State, would finalise report on the Constitution.

Trust CNN to stay with bad news. Since Thierry Henry used his hand to help Gallas score that goal, the world has not rested. What fascinates me in the whole story is the news that the French captain admitted that he told the referee it was hand ball.

PORT HARCOURT —   OVER four hundred pipelines have been ruptured in the Niger Delta within the last two years. Chairman, Pipeline Profes-sionals’ Association of Nigeria (PLAN), Dr Joseph Dorgu, who made this known in Port Harcourt, said the vandalism was caused by those he termed third expressionist group, otherwise known as militants in the region.

GOVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has charged oil multinationals operating in the Niger Delta to emulate Chevron Nigeria Limited in the quest for accelerated development of oil bearing communities.

President Umaru Yar’Adua has summoned the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives — David Mark and Oladimeji Bankole — over the 2010 budget presentation row which has pitched the two legislative chambers against each other.

Indications emerged at the weekend that the 10 troubled banks will cut staff salaries across the board as a cost-saving measure to strengthen the survival path charted for them by the Central Bank, CBN.
The troubled banks are: Intercontinental Bank Plc, Oceanic Bank Plc, Unity Bank Plc, Bank PHB, Union Bank Plc, Afribank Plc, Finbank Plc, Wema Bank Plc, Spring Bank Plc and Equitorial Trust Bank.

Currently, the CBN is annually responsible for about 70% of all dollar revenue that enters into the domestic forex market. The balance 30% or less is supplied by oil companies and a few exporters outside the oil sector! While these private dollar suppliers are legally permitted to approach the banks directly for the exchange of their dollars to naira, the owners of public sector dollar revenue in our reserves are not so lucky!

THE National Assembly is taking the rivalry that started last year to newer and more dangerous grounds. Disputes over who would lead the joint committee of the National Assembly to review the Constitution resulted in both houses holding separate reviews.

POLITICAL office holders in Delta State have been urged to key into the vision of Governor Emma-nuel Uduaghan for the state.

Many of them would rather pay N20 transport to Ikotun and its environs, where power supply is better, for their hairdo. We have not realised one tenth of the amount invested to open this shop and the year is almost running to an end. We end up running the business at a loss,” she complained with bitterness.