Chaiirman, First Bank of Nigeria PLC, Mr. Oba Otudeko and three non-executive directors retired from the bank yesterday. Otudeko’s retirement came after he replaced Dr. Umaru Mutallab.

Ahead of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship primaries, former Nigerian Ambassador to Senegal and North Korea, Ambassador Sule Baba, has endorsed the candidature of incumbent Kaduna State governor, Mr. Patrick Yakowa, describing him as the best material for the state in next year’s election

MEMBERS of the Delta State House of Assembly may have for the first time fallen apart with the Acting Governor, Prince Sam Obi, who was the Speaker of the House before taking up the acting governorship appointment following, their refusal to confirm a Commissioner nominee sent by the Acting Governor.

YET again, we are about to say “goodbye” to an old year that will soon give way to a new year. And it seems appropriate to inflict a handful of random thoughts about 2010 events on Vanguard readers, the first being recent Wikileaks revelations about Shell’s alleged influence within our corridors of power.

AS Africans, we face lots of challenges in the new year. But the womb of 2011 also carries what the scan shows as the continent’s newest baby: the independent Republic of Southern Sudan. A January 9, 2011 referendum is expected to give birth to the new baby which would be weaned as a separate country six months later.

National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) president, Harrison Jalla is gearing up for a fresh court battle against the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over its decision to annul the May 2010 Nigeria Premier League (NPL) chairmanship elections, which produced Davidson Owumi as chairman.

ANOTHER year is 24 hours away and people are full of expectations as they look forward to fulfilment of their dreams. It is an annual ritual that keeps the failures of the past year at bay. The beginning of every year affords people deep reflections on the past as they plan.

IT will not be long before the furore over the death of Emmanuel Ogoli of Bayelsa United is forgotten. Soon he will become only a reference when another league death occurs. There are precedents, too numerous to recount.

Mr Timi Alaibe has declared his interest to contest for Bayelsa State governorship under Labour Party just as he has renounced his membership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party for the Nigerian Labour Party.

The leader of the alleged robbery suspect who had been terrorising the people of Ido Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government area of Ekiti State, Mr Kenneth George, yesterday insisted that one of the aides of the ousted governor of the state, Engr Segun Oni actually supplied arms in his possession during the 2009 governorship election re-run.

The war of words between the Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola and the Senate President, Chief David Mark, escalated yesterday as the Senate president asked the Osun State governor to resign his position if he cannot provide leadership for the people of the state.

For the second time Eagles’ midfield star, John Obi Mikel is coming under fire for the loss of another game by Premier League champions Chelsea.

As the January 2011 deadline given to the 121 microfinance banks (MFBs) with provisional licenses to meet the specific requirements by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) draws nearer, speculations are rife that some may not get CBN’s nod to carry out microfinance banking services in 2011.

Customs Area Controller of Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Maitama Kura has decried the absence of examination bay at the Command. He said the absence of an examination bay is not only affecting smooth operations but also puts the lives of officers and men of the Service at risk.

UNDOUBTEDLY, these are critical times for the electorate in Delta State. Unless any of the eligible candidates for the governorship re-run ordered by the Court of Appeal in Benin, on November 9, 2010, secures an injunction from the court, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, (REC), in Delta State, Dr. Gabriel Adaku, will conduct the gubernatorial re-run on Thursday, January 6, 2011.