The UN operations in Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday in Abidjan, said legislative elections in the country were peaceful in most parts of the country in spite of low turn out of voters.

The Special Task Force (STF) on Sunday banned commercial motorcycles, known as `Okada’, from operating in Jos beyond 7p. m, following the bomb blasts that occurred in some parts of the city on Saturday night.

CHAIRMAN of the Nigeria Media Merit Award, NMMA, Hadj Alade Odunewu, weekend said the political class in the country have bled the country to suffocation.

ABUJA- IN a move to prevent the non-academic staff in the nation’s universities from joining the ongoing strike by the academic staff, the Federal Government has directed vice-chancellors to stop retrenching non-academic staff of universities at the age of 60 pending passage of the bill by the National Assembly and assent by the President.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun state, is contemplating sanctioning its governorship candidate in April election, Adetunji Olurin, for attending the recent 2012 Budget presentation by Governor Ibikunle Amosu of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, to the state House of Assembly.

THERE is fresh tension in Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Edo State, following alleged plot by the former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, business mogul, Captain Hosa Okunbor and the South-South Vice-Chairman of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to scuttle Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s second term bid if he fails to drop his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu, by the end of this month.

SOME leaders of thought in the country, yesterday, reviewed the rising wave of instability and insecurity in the country, government’s insistence on removing fuel subsidy as well as the delay in restructuring the polity and returned a damning verdict: anarchy looms!

As the administrative panel set up by Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to look into the legality and fairness of the compensation fine slammed on British carriers commences work, one of the airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, declared, yesterday, it committed no offence to warrant such treatment.

The Federal Government has been dragged before a Federal High Court sitting in Ikeja over alleged failure to release information and documents on the spending of recovered stolen funds.

THE National Sports Commission (NSC) has said it was ready for any probe by the National Assembly since the Commission had no skeleton in its cupboard.

As Christians prepare for the Christmas celebration, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has reassured his people of his administration’s readiness to clamp down on armed robbers and put an end to the recent surge in criminality in the state capital, Port Harcourt and environs.

ABUJA- Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Lawal Gunmi, has summoned Mr. Efa Imoke, younger brother to Governor of Cross River State, to appear before him tomorrow sequel to a N40 million suit instituted against him by an Abuja-based business consultant, Alhaji Sambo Lawan.

Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has expressed readiness to appear in court at the next adjourned date, January 17, 2012.

OWERRI- Imo State government has appealed to former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, to champion the last honour to his departed colleague, Chief Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Bolyn Constructions Company Limited, makers of low-cost housing equipment based in Lagos with offices in Kaduna and Abuja, Elder Rufus Bamgbola Akinrolabu, in a recent chat with Vanguard, said Nigeria’s housing problem can become a thing of the past if only the government and people will look inwards and use the local materials that God has blessed them with. Excerpts: