One of the reasons some old ministers in the President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet who worked assiduously in the one and a half years of the government faced hard times in getting back on board was as a result of their perceived loyalty towards the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua.

Rivers State is poised to deliver a magnificent opening ceremony of the 17th National Sports Festival that will certainly hold all spell-bound and remain evergreen in their memory for a long time to come.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday disappointed lobbyists for portfolios in the Federal Executive Council, FEC, as he returned all the reappointed ministers to their former offices.

In this chance interview with Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, he tackles the twin issue of minimum wage and the big money paid out annually in the name of petroleum products’ subsidy. According to Gov. Amaechi, Nigerians should be forward looking about development and concludes that for as long as billions of naira is wasted on subsidy that a few Nigerians pocket, industrialisation and development would continue to elude the nation.
He also speaks on his chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the sports festival that kicks off today and how far he has taken up the challenge of developing Rivers State.

The Yenagoa branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was on Friday gutted by fire.

IN what appears to be a confirmation of media reports that the Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Guardian Newspapers, Mr Reuben Abati,is to replace the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Ima Niboro, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday asked his spokesman to prepare for a handover to another appointee yet to be named.

Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Friday reiterated the commitment of his administration to reducing, to its barest minimum, the number of medical cases taken abroad from the state for treatment, saying the capital flight resulting from such foreign treatments was not good for the state.

DELTA State Director of Code of Conduct Bureau, Chief Anthony Onyeibe, has asked all the newly appointed commissioners who were confirmed few days ago by members of the state House of Assembly to declare their assets before subscribing to the oath of office in order to save themselves from breaching the Constitution.

Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Udaughan, has ordered the immediate closure of a maternity home at Cable Point, Asaba.

Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and chieftain of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has been arrested by the State Security Service, SSS over alleged “inciting, inflammatory and grossly misleading” claims.