FORMER Senate Chief Whip and leader of Action Congress, AC, in Edo State, Senator Rowland Owie, yesterday, described as untrue reports that he had dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to assist former President Ibrahim Babangida achieve his presidential ambition in the South-South.

The Action Congress, AC, gubernatorial candidate in 25 April 2009 guberna-torial election re-run in Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said he would not be intimidated by real or perceived threats by his opponents, nor run away from the country.

THERE was a dramatic twist to the lingering crisis in the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday as the National Chairman of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, suspended former Senate presidents, Ken Nnamani, Adolphus Wabara, ex-Speaker Bello Masari and the immediate past National Secretary of the party, Bernard Eze.

MOST Kenyans like many Africans might not know about Iceland or where to locate it on the map. I do not know if there would be a handful of Kenyans who would have heard of the jaw breaking name, Eyjafjalljokull volcano.

The Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Remi Babalola, made this known at the opening session of the 11th Edition of the National Council on Finance and Economic Development (NACOFED) Conference in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State.
He listed the fundamentals as increased lending by the banks, restoration of confidence in the financial system, and creation of more jobs.

Vanguard was led into the compound by one of the Oghara youth leaders but our photographers were disallowed from taking photographs on the grounds that “the purpose we brought you in is for you to see that there are no militants inside here. All of us are youths of Oghara and we also want you to know that nobody is stopping anybody from coming to see Ibori but not when they come in a violent manner.” Vanguard’s request to speak to the ex-governor was rebuffed.

I CANNOT claim to know what informed the decision of Sports Minister Ibrahim Bio to convene a sports summit. What we cannot deny however, is that if the man has chosen that line of action in the little time that he would spend around sports to let us talk, we should permit him.

ACTING President Goodluck Jonathan, Thursday, signed into law a N 4.6 trillion budget for 2010, with more than a third earmarked for the development of roads, power and the Niger Delta.

Popular Nigerian hip-hop star Dagrin , born Olayitan Olanipekun Oladapo, is dead. The rising act who has been dubbed Nigeria’ 50Cents died from complications arising from injuries he sustained in a ghastly motor accident last week Wednesday when he ran into a stationary truck around 3am at Mushin in Lagos. Sources say he died yesterday at the Lagos University Teaching Hopital, LUTH.

Residents in Lagos, especially those residing around Okota and Itire areas of the state would soon heave a sigh of relief from the traffic congestion that afflicts that axis, leading to loss of precious man hours daily.