Former Vice President in the second republic, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, yesterday expressed concern over the escalating numbers of children out of schools in Nigeria, vowing to lead a lobby group to encourage government to increase funding of the sector.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has called for greater indigenous private sector participation in the downstream activities of the oil and gas industry so as to accelerate the attainment of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s aspiration for the sector.

THE Order of Knights of Saint John International, KSJ, Nigeria Temple has appealed to the Senate to emulate the House of Representatives by equally passing the Freedom of Information, FoI, Bill without delay, saying those who are opposed to the Bill have skeletons in their cupboards.

THERE was pandemonium, yesterday, at the10th national delegates congress of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Abuja, following rumours of government’s attempts to impose leaders on the apex labour centre and take control of its day-to-day running indirectly.

At least 1,000 youths, drawn from across Kwara State, are to benefit from the Career Development Seminar and Workshop being organised by the Mohammed Dele Belgore, MDB, crew.

Following the indefinite strike embarked upon by medical doctors in Bauchi State fory days ago, , the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has sought the help of the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Muhammadu Rilwanu Suleimanu Adamu, over detention of their colleague by security operatives in Jos, Plateau state.

National chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, Lisa Olu Akerele, has expressed regret at the recent utterance by Obasanjo during the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential rally in Lagos where the former President was quoted as saying that he would resist if PDP did not win the April elections.

President Goodluck Jonathan has assured the people of the country that the moribund rail system would commence operation before the end of the month.

The Contract Review Committee set up by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, led government in Ekiti State has uncovered irregularities in the award of contracts carried out by the ousted government led by Engr Segun Oni.

No fewer than 10 persons were feared dead in a bomb explosion in Suleja in Niger, minutes after Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger addressed his party faithful.

The House of Representatives Thursday, threatened to suspend the entire 2011 budget if 31 non-remitting agencies did not present their budget proposal in one week.

Cote D’ivoire, Egypt and Libya have in the last weeks been embroiled in conflict, resulting mainly from sit tight rulers refusing to shift base.

Yenagoa – No fewer than 130 students from host communities in Sagbama and Ekeremor local government areas of Bayelsa in secondary and tertiary institutions were yesterday awarded scholarships under the Global Memorandum of Understanding entered between their communities and the Anglo Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

Vice President Namadi Sambo has said that PDP would win the April 2011 general elections in the North-West in spite of claims to the contrary by the opposition.

The Borno Police Command has confirmed the killing of two of its officers by suspected Boko Haram militants on Wednesday in Maiduguri.