Following the recent spate of bomb blasts in the country, the Rapid Response Squad, yesterday, embarked on evacuation of all abandoned vehicles within the premises of the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, yesterday, said the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, has recommended 165 candidates to the National Judicial Council, NJC, for appointment as judges into federal courts across the country, since its inception in 1999.

ON Friday, June 10 former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Malam Nasir el Rufai, wrote an article on the back page of Thisday newspapers with the title: “Jonathan’s Tough Choices”. If the headline of this article suggested an objective analysis, criticism and suggestions on the best way forward, the body did not reflect it.

Anxiety is mounting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital over the state of health of the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

The situation is further heightened by the absence of Mr Aregbesola from state functions for the past three weeks.

PROMISES raise our hope, increase our confidence, and change our attitude to situations. Our reactions to promises depend on who made them and the circumstances that produced them.

The MTN Group yesterday announced that despite increased competition, it has added about 7.4 million new subscribers, raking its subscriber base above 150 million across its 21 operations, at the moment. It described the development as a mark of great subscriber loyalty to its brands.

It was thrills and frills at the 2011 DSTV Final 8 basketball championships at the Indoor Sports Hall of the national stadium, Lagos Wednesday, as underdogs Yelwa Hawks caused a major upset with a 74-73 points victory over the defending champions, Kano Pillars. The victory over Pillars has put a dent in Pillars’ title defence bid.

HAVE you ever been embarrassed beyond measure? Don’t ever pray for it. That is exactly what happens when you invite say 500 people to a party and only about 50 reluctantly turn up.

AS most Nigerian newspapers reported last Friday, Nigeria crossed the Rubicon on Thursday, with the first ‘suicide bombing’ [I have doubts it really was!] in our national history!

Chief Ikedi Ohakim’s running mate in the last gubernatorial election in Imo State, Professor Viola Onwuliri, has turned down her nomination as a commissioner by Governor Rochas Okorocha.

WORKERS in Ondo State Public Service have rejected the state government offer to pay N13, 000 as against the N18.000 new Minimum Wage signed into law by President Jonathan in March, 2011 and are billed to commence indefinite strike today.

In defining the demons of boxing in this column last week, I was only scratching the surface of a crucial universal issue that is either never given consideration, or totally neglected at the appropriate moment.

GOVERNOR Theodore Orji of Abia State has challenged judges to impose stiff penalties, including death sentence, on convicted kidnappers as a way of putting a stop to the menace. The governor said setting kidnappers free will only harden them.

THE Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim’s job may be on the line as President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, officially asked him to explain what he called ‘intelligence failure’ that made it possible for the Force Headquarters, in Abuja to be bombed.

Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, Engr. Emeka Ezeh, yesterday, identified National Assembly’s late passage of the country’s annual budget as a major factor militating against effective procurement policy in Nigeria.