-The Federal Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday in Abuja that it would only make subsidy payments to those marketers whose claims had been verified as genuine.

The protest trailing the renaming of University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University by the Federal Governmet yesterday has entered its second day as students of the university have barricaded the popular Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, thereby causing serious traffic gridlock on both sides of the bridge.

BARRING last minute suspension, Imo State workers will today commence an indefinite industrial action over unresolved industrial dispute with the state government.

POLITICIANS patronise tokenism. They have easy solutions for challenges, no matter how deeply rooted they may be. The attitude is to get obstacles out of the way, even if they re-surface.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared, yesterday, that though the country was facing some challenges, especially in the area of security, he would discharge his responsibility in accordance with his oath of office and ensure that the life and property of every Nigerian is protected.

The Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, yesterday, condemned the purported reinstatement of 34 sacked doctors by the state government, saying, it is mere ”government propaganda.”

A 25-man delegation of Namibia will arrive in Lagos on Thursday evening aboard a Lufthansa Airline flight from Frankfurt, Germany.

…flags off BRT franchise scheme
IKEJA—Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, urged the sacked striking doctors in the state to channel their appeal through the Health Service Commission, to clear any issue that might have led to their sack, if they were still interested in getting reinstated and put an end to the crisis in the health sector.

THE anti-kidnap squad of Enugu State Police Command has rescued a 96-year-old Mrs. Theresa Okafor, who was abducted from her Imezi Owa village in Ezeagu local government area of Enugu State last Wednesday.

Outrage and kudos, yesterday, greeted the announcement by President Goodluck Jonathan renaming the University of Lagos as Moshood Abiola University, Lagos. In a national broadcast to mark his one year in office, President Jonathan said: “The Federal Government has decided that late Chief M.K.O. Abiola be honoured, for making the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of justice and truth.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State said his administration faced a lot of challenges, but he was able to overcome them by the power of God.

Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state police command to pay it N334.95 as damages for allegedly disrupting its planned democracy day rally in Awka yesterday.

THE dust is yet to settle on the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye-led committee set up by the Federal Government on the rationalization of federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies with a view to cutting costs of governance, as leaders of the Nigerian IT industry under the umbrella of Nigerian Computer Society, (NCS) rose in stout defence of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), urging government to retain it as a development agency for Information Technology.

A seven- man robbery gang, which had terrorised residents of Benin City, Edo State, in the past one week, met their waterloo, yesterday, when they were intercepted by battle ready policemen, who laid siege to them.

MAKURDI—alleged threat by an Islamic sect to bomb Makurdi, Benue State capital, yesterday, stalled Democracy Day celebration in the city as the state government unofficially cancelled events.