Governor Timipre Sylva weekend presented N228bn as Bayelsa State 2012 appropriation bill to the House of Assembly for approval.

The role of the press in deepening this democracy?
The power of the media in shaping society, setting agenda for public discourse and moulding public opinion is long-standing and legendary. That, I guess, was why the third President of the United States and principal author of its Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), once said: “The press is the best instrument for enlightening the mind of man, and improving him as a rational, moral and social being.”

At a time when almost all Nigerians have lost hope in Nigeria’s ability to occupy her rightful place in the comity of nations of the world, one man that has repeatedly sounded optimistic that despite the socio-economic and political woes is President Goodluck Jonathan.

A group under the aegis of the Dynamic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (DYON) on Saturday commended the Federal Government for the low-key celebration of the nation’s 51st independence anniversary.

About 50 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers were yesterday afternoon paraded in Dan Anyiam Stadium Complex, Owerri, by the security agencies operating in Imo State.

AS the twin evils of bad governance and corruption continue to bedevil Nigeria’s underdevelopment, President Goodluck Jonathan, on the country’s 51st Independence Anniversary, declared that he has hard decision to improve governance to ensure greater transparency, probity, and accountability at all levels.

Chief Ayo Adebanjo, 83-year-old chieftain of the Pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, is not in high spirits talking about Nigeria at 51.

The first impression you get from Group Captain Salaudeen Latinwo, former military governor of Kwara State, is of a capable individual. At home, he works physically side by side with his domestic staff- answering the door, serving guests and even working the generator.

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, yesterday, ordered a 10-man team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria who are representing President Goodluck Jonathan over the petition filed by the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, to return to the court on October 4 to adduce further evidence showing that the April 16 Presidential election was not rigged in favour of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

AGAINST the backdrop of plans by the Boko Haram sect to hit some government’s targets (National Assets) on or before today (October 1, 2011), military authorities in Abuja who got cracking following the groups’ threat to dent the nation’s 51st anniversary celebrations, have arrested about 950 suspects made up mostly of foreign national from Niger, Chad and Sudan.

FOLLOWING the threat by the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) to disrupt today’s celebration of Nigeria’s 51st Independence anniversary, Police Authorities have intensified aerial and ground patrols in the Federal Capital Territory FCT and its environs.

IT all started like a joke a few days to the celebrations of Nigeria ’s 50th independence and golden jubilee in 2010. MEND, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta had issued a warning online, that they would detonate bombs in pursuance of their agitation and the security people said they took the matter serious but concentrated their checks only on a 1, 000 meters radius in and around the Eagle Square.

Samson Osagie is the Minority Whip in the House of Representatives. In this interview with GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE in Benin, he describes the call by former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the resignation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tambuwal from his position as the ranting of an ant.

Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Spain, Ambassador Yusuf Mamman in this interview, talks about the Boko Haram controversy, blaming it on extra judicial killings by the police. He opines also that if policemen were not careless in spraying innocent citizens who were not carrying any weapons with bullets, as shown on Al Jazeera TV, the problem would not have got out of control.

AS Nigeria marks 51 years of independence and the National Assembly begins another round of constitution amendment, President of the Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), Evangelist Elliot Uko, has called for restructuring of the polity into a true federal state to address the myriad of socio-economic, political and development problems plaguing the country, saying government must begin the urgent processes to rebuild the country after 51 years of missed opportunities.