THE corruption charges preferred against former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, suffered setback, yesterday, as the state High Court declared illegal the appearance of a private counsel who stood in for the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Chief Godwin Oblah.

Ex-international, Garba Lawal and former Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Fanny Amun have thumbed up for Eagles in their friendly match against Peru Thursday morning.

BENIN – COALITION for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa, CGGEJA, has faulted media reports credited to President Goodluck Jonathan, that “intelligence reports from different security agencies submitted to him suggested that Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will win the July 14 governorship election in Edo State.”

VICE President of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, said yesterday, that the major problem militating against good governance in Nigeria was not necessarily the leaders, but mainly the masses

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, reiterated the commitment of his administration to changing the country’s educational system from the primary school to the tertiary level in order to provide a pool of trained personnel for the transformation of the country.

GIVEN the bitter exchange of brick bats and allegations of graft between the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh, and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and other Institutions, Hon Herman Hembe, on March 15, it was obvious that the matter would end in the law court.

Atletico Belares’ of Spain midfielder, Raheem Lawal, was one of the few players in the Nigerian squad that spoke perfect Spanish, which is the lingua franca here in Peru, and he spoke plenty of it after the slim 1-0 loss to Peru by the Super Eagles on Wednesday night.

Adesegun Ajibola (SAN) is a son of retired Judge of the International Court of Justice, at The Hague and former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN). Segun is the Principal Partner, Bola Ajibola & Co and a Member of Board of Trustees of the Islamic Movement for Africa (IMA). He spoke with Vanguard’s Facing the Kaaba on Islam and good character. Excerpts:

Warri Wolves Chairman, Godwin Abigor, is not in any way asking Coach Stephen Keshi to shut the door against foreign-based players in Eagles.

ACTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South-West, yesterday, traded words over the refusal of President Goodluck Jonathan to reinstate Justice Ayo Salami as the President of the Court of Appeal after recommendations by the National Judicial Council, NJC.

Homeboys Ayo ‘Wizkid‘ Balogun and Panshak ‘Ice Prince‘ Zamani have been recognized by the 2012 BET Awards.

Apparently piqued by the level of insecurity in the North, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, is contemplating changing this year’s annual delegates conference in July billed for Kaduna State to a less volatile state.

GLOBAL youth unemployment including Nigerians between aged 15 and 24, the International Labour Organisation, ILO, has said, is now over 75 million.

Jos – Former Minister of State for Information and Communication under late President Umaru Yar’Adua, Alhaji Ibrahim Nakande, has said the excesses of state governors must be checked for democracy to take a firm root in the country.

ANYONE who has flown low over Nigeria’s coastline, or plied the creeks and rivers of the Niger Delta in a boat, must surely have been struck by ubiquitous stilted-root trees, with slim trunks and evergreen crests, thickly lining the waterways.