It has for years been the subject of political gist in Calabar, the Cross River capital. It is the alleged agreement of Mr. Donald Duke, Senator Liyel Imoke and Gershom Bassey to among them, rule the state for twenty four years.

However, midpoint into the so far successful scheme, the plot seems to be unraveling with associates of the first beneficiary seemingly aiming to scupper the arrangement.

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday approved the constitution of a Special Committee to undertake a holistic review of the United Nations Environmental Programme, UNEP, Report on oil pollution in Ogoniland and make recommendations to the Federal Government on immediate and long term remedial actions.

NATIONAL Pension Commission, PenCom, yesterday, announced immediate takeover of First Guarantee Pension Limited, FGPL, citing “incessant shareholders squabbles and several issues of adverse corporate governance in the Pension Fund Administrator, PFA.

STUDENTS of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, yesterday staged a violent protest against the suspension of the former Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Moshood Nassar and three other principal officials by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

The Labour Party candidate for the Yenagoa-Kolokuma-Opokuma Federal Consti-tuency election, Mr. Udengs Eradiri was, yesterday, arraigned before a Yenagoa Magistrate Court over alleged perjury.

ONDO State Government yesterday denied insinuations from the Federal Ministry of Works that it threatened to sack the contractor handling the failed portions on the Sagamu/Benin Expressway in Ondo State.

ERSTWHILE Chief of General Staff in the Ibrahim Babangida regime, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu who won a reputation for loyalty to a regime that brought him to national reckoning died, yesterday, evening on the 70th birthday of his boss. He passed away in his Apapa, Lagos residence after a prolonged sickness. He was aged 72.

National Vice-Chairman of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in charge of South-East, Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday, denied the allegation of forgery and stealing of funds belonging to the party, stressing that those making the allegation were merely witch-hunting him.

Chairman of the Police Service Commission, DIG Parry Osayande (rtd), disclosed yesterday that the decision of the Commission to order the trial of seven Police officers accused of extra-judicial killing of the leader of the Boko Haram, Mallam Mohammed Yusuf in 2009, was based on the fact the Commission was very serious about issues concerning human rights abuses.

IN a fresh move to boost its internally generated revenue, owners of private universities in Ekiti State will hence forth pay N5million registration fee and N750,000 renewal fee annually.

Contrary to reports that the abductors of father of Mikel Obi have made contact with the family, his wife and mother of the footballer, Mrs. Rose Obi, said nobody has contacted the family. But she confirmed the recovery of the c

EBONYI State Government, yesterday, called on opposition political parties to cooperate with it for the state to move forward.

The government asked opposition parties to forget events during the last general election, cooperate with the administration for the sustenance of democracy in the state.

COMMERCIAL activities were, yesterday, grounded at the popular electronics market in Onitsha, Anambra State, during a protest by market touts who were protesting alleged killing of a colleague by the police.

Emu-Ebendo indigenes in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State, under the auspices of Emu-Ebendo Community Association, yesterday, said it did not stop the proposed drilling contract of Energia Limited, operators of Emu-Ebendo oil well in Oil Mining Lease, OML, 56.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) released results of the May/June 2011 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Abeokuta, Ogun State with Head of the Nigeria National Office, WAEC, Dr. Uyi Uwadiae declaring that candidates have not done badly in Mathematics and English Language this time around.