The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo has ordered the interrogation of two Police officers, a Mobile Police personnel and a Regular officer (names with-held), who are said to be conspirators and are involved in all the kidnappings in Anambra State.

FORMER Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Prof Charles Soludo, has said that calls for electoral reforms must accommodate modified Option A4 electoral system, saying that it would help in producing acceptable results in 2011 general election.

FORMER Military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and ex- Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, said that without the lessons from June 12, credible elections might elude the country in 2011.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, sought the leave of an Abuja high court sitting in Gudu, to tender fresh incriminating evidence against the former governor of Taraba State, Reverend Jolly Nyame.

EMIR of Gwandu, Major-General Muhammad Bashar (rtd), also the Chancellor of Federal University of Petroleum Resources, yesterday in Asaba, pleaded with the Delta State government to put pressure on the Federal Government to pay particular attention to the institution because of its place in the growth and development of the country.

In a bid to curb the rising number of diabetic cases in Bayelsa State, the state government has intensified research on the efficacy of the miracle plant (Thaumatoccocus danielii), as a substitute for sugar and the need to encourage its planting.

Mr Ibrahim Mark is the General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA. In this interview, he spoke on many national issues, including zoning adopted by some political parties, which has been described by some people as unconstitutional. According to him, “zoning is done to give everybody a sense of belonging. When it is understood in this wise, the heated debate will not arise or will abate.”On the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, chair, Mark said that the appointor of the INEC chair will not determine the effectiveness of the appointee, but other issues, such as the quality of the person appointed, the laws guiding his actions and how the commission is funded. He, however, counseled the new INEC boss to be guided by good conscience in line with the dictates of his office, extant law and to be just and do justice to all manner of people, the candidates, the electorate and the country.

Thus eleven years of democratic rule have given Nigerians that unique advantage of shouting hoarse without being heard or of knocking without being answered. Afterall, it is our wish at all times that we prefer freedom with danger to servitude in tranquility. Many people might think that what we are getting at the moment might not resemble rich dividends we deserve or desire, but the opposite of what Nigerians (except the wealthy few) prefer.

THE World Bank said, yesterday, that Nigeria needed to develop at more than three times its present rate if it hoped to become one of the most industrialized economies in the world by 2020.

THE stage is set for the biggest sports show on earth and world attention is focused on South Africa as the one-month soccer fiesta kicks off this afternoon at the Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg.

The Minority Leader of the House of Represtantives, Alhaji Ali Ndume (ANPP/Borno), yesterday, lampooned the anti-Speaker Dimeji Bankole representatives for asking the speaker to resign within seven days or be disgraced out of office. He said they have a chance to “repent” or face the wrath of the House.

This was even more profound given the fact that the rival National Republican Convention (NRC) had a more balanced ticket of Alhaji Bashir Tofa as presidential candidate and Dr Sylvester Ugoh as his running mate. Abiola won in all parts of the country, which indicated that Nigerians also eschewed ethnic, tribal and religious sentiments in making their choice.

A COUPLE of months ago – while Yar’Adua was still alive – an unknown person or group decided to paste “Jonathan For 2011” campaign posters all over Abuja.

MEMBERS of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Reform Forum, said, yesterday, that they were in total support of the adoption of Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo as the next national chairman of the party by the National Caucus and the Board of Trustees.

OFFICERS of the Nigerian Navy, NNS Delta, Warri, yesterday, arrested two suspected oil thieves with crude worth over N100 million in a Cotonou boat at Elekebo village in Burutu Local Government Area of the state.