AS the oil and gas sector in the country eagerly awaits the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, the Federal Government has announced that with the passage of the bill, oil producing communities will begin to receive over $600 million as annual dividends, just as the Presidency urged the National Assembly to ensure the enactment of the PIB before the end of the present administration in May.

THE Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, yesterday constituted a 13-man committee, comprising 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, to probe allegations of corruption levelled against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami.

THE Senate has approved the N18,000 new national minimum wage for workers proposed by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The banking industry will experience the merger of 10 banks in a matter of weeks while two Islamic banks will open shop before the end of the year, says Central Bank of Nigeria.

The ongoing power tussle amongst Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidates in Ogun State, yesterday, took a new twist, as the faction loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo urged a Federal High Court in Abuja to commit both Governor Gbenga Daniel and factional chairman of the PDP, Elder Joju Fadairo, to prison over alleged contempt of court.

By the time the marriage between Finish phone maker, Nokia and the global software giant , Microsoft regarding windows 7 operating systems platform was announced at the just concluded 2011 edition of Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona, Spain, it was clear that the battle for mobile ecosystem in Windows 7 operating system platform among operators has just begun, a market scenario that is expected to bring cost of the product down.

The House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs would begin investigations into the procurement of equipment for the Nigerian Police Force in the 2010 budget, which is expected to lapse on March 31.

DELTA State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Chief Victor Otomewo, has directed that the police should hands off the prosecution of criminal cases in magistrate and lower courts in the state.

CONTROVERSY has trailed the burial of the former Chairman of the Independent National Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, slated for this weekend, as the Anglican Diocese of Benin was alleged to have refused to allow his burial in the church according to its rites and tradition.

The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation yesterday queried the Minister of Aviation, Fidelia Njeze, over an alleged non-spending of N22 billion by her ministry.