Members of the Jaamatus Ahlus Sunnah Lid Daawatis Wal Jihad, a.k.a. Boko Haram yesterday celebrated the inability of the Federal Government to celebrate the nation’s 51st independence anniversary at the Eagle Square owing to threats by the group and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), to bomb the nation’s capital city if the celebration went ahead.

MIRRED in socio-economic and development cesspool and engulfed by recurring ethno-religious crisis and insecurity, some eminent Nigerians and groups, yesterday, said the country was yet to realise the visions of her founding fathers, 51 years after independence.

Former handler of the national team and member of the Nigeria Football Federation technical committee, Christian Chukwu has appealed to Nigerians, particularly the sporting media not to give too much hype to this weekend’s crucial 2013 Africa Cup of Nations lest the players be put under undue pressure.

ERSTWHILE Director – General of NYSC, Brig. Gen. MI Tsiga, rtd, along with other prominent Nigerians, was honoured with the highest membership status by the Nigeria Institute of Management, NIM, on Monday, September 26, 2011. He was awarded the Fellow of the institute, the first NYSC DG to be so awarded.

Some members of Cross River State executive council, including commissioners, special advisers and special assistants, were, Saturday, barred from sitting at the state box at the U. J. Esuene Stadium Calabar, venue for the 51st independence anniversary celebration for coming to the event an hour late.

Hundreds of Niger Delta youths, weekend, stormed the premises of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in protest over what they called deliberate move on the part of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, Chief Pius Anyim to frustrate the smooth operations of the commission.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET, has commended the initiative of Osun State Government in using the seasonal rainfall forecast from NIMET for its planning purposes to ensure the safety of lives and property in the state.

Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi has challenged women in the parliament to focus on responsive governance and gender issues, even as a university lecturer, Professor Akin Oyebode said the world was looking for a time women would assume the highest position in all facets of life.

Imo State Government has suspended the traditional ruler of Lagwa Okwuato autonomous community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, Eze Cosmas Onyeneke, following the shocking discovery that his factory premises had been turned into a safe haven for kidnappers.

ABIA State Oil Producing Communities Development Commission, ASOPADEC, is to establish an oil pollution research institute as a way of tackling the ugly incidence of oil spills in oil producing communities in the South-South and South-East parts of the country.