Tears flowed freely, yesterday, at Okpara Auditorium, Government House, Umuahia, Abia State, as the remains of Mr. Michael Obinna Okpokiri, one of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, members killed in Bauchi in the wake of the post-election riot, were brought there for people to pay their last respect.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, who was recently re-elected for a second term in office, on his experience in running for two governorship elections within four months, said he was made to suffer as a guinea pig in the process.

A vessel, MT Lina, yesterday exploded and went up in flames at the Lagos anchorage (about 30 minutes boat ride from the Lagos port) killing a crew member as three others suffered various degree of burns and recuperating at the Lagoon Hospital in Apapa.

A weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, session presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo Wednesday ratified the contracts for the upgrading and reconstruction of terminal buildings in some of Nigeria’s airports.

BARELY 24 hours after the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, joined the President-elect, President Goodluck Jonathan, at the Pristine Obudu Mountain Ranch Resort to confer with him, Senate President David Mark also joined them yesterday as part the intense lobby for political positions.

Lagos to run on deficit budgeting till 2013.

Trading on the Nigerian Stock Exchange resumed Tuesday on a bullish note, after a one day public holiday declared by the Federal Government to commemorate Workers’ day.

Nigeria will today begin her defence of the West African Football Union Nations Cup trophy she won last year against the Eagles of Mali in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital. Incidentally, it was the same venue the Super Eagles lifted the trophy last year under coach Daniel Omokachi whose side had just been knocked out of the African Nations Championship qualifiers by Niger.

Following the inconclusive Imo State governorship election, a prominent indigene of the state and Chief Executive Officer of American Automotives Limited, Mr. Celes Ejimkonye, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan not to interfere in the state politics as any attempt to do so would rub him of people’s goodwill.

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, yesterday has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to begin the de-registering of political parties that performed woefully in the 2011 general elections.

A GANG of assassins, operating on motorcycles, yesterday, shot dead a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Anthony Udom, in broad daylight.

Outgoing Lagos State Deputy Governor, Princess Adebisi Sosan, has broken her silence on not returning with Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN, for a second term in office, saying “there is no regret.”

Interbank interest rate open the week rising in response to persistent scarcity of funds.
Interest rate on Call lending rose to 11.04 from 10.96, while 7-Days lending closed at 11.46, up from 11.29 per cent.

The global economy is expected to consolidate on its recovery from the global economic meltdown says International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Director, African Department Mr.Saul Lizondo said this during the launch of IMF’s Semi-Annual Sub-Saharan African Regional Economic Outlook held in Lagos.

The planned arraignment of the former Managing Director of the Intercontinental bank Plc, Dr. Erastus Akingbola before a Lagos High Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was, yesterday, stalled as virtually all judges in the state High Court were absent.