The Amnesty Office, yesterday, expressed concern over the magnitude of destruction inflicted on Niger Delta by the recent flood, saying the greatest challenge facing the region would be how to manage the disaster caused by the deluge.

THE International Monetary Fund, IMF, yesterday, cautioned Nigeria against expansionary fiscal policies, given the uncertainty that still pervades the global economic scene just as the Nuhu Ribadu Task Force set up by the Federal Government to review the oil industry has found that the use of crude oil traders was contrary to the global best practice and trend wherein national oil companies develop their own trading arms.

A strategic consideration in the transformation of the cocoa sector involving the use of improved genetic stocks (newly released CRINc1 – 8, WACRI 11 Hybrids & F3-Amazon) and phased replacement of old unproductive stocks with new high yielding stocks got a boost last week at Owena, near Akure in Ondo State.

First Academy foundation school in order to develop the First Bank workforce has said it would combine the tenets of corporate training with the intellectual discipline and rigour that underpin academic learning.

Chief Jus-tice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, will administer oath of office on 12 newly-appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal, Monday.

Food security in Africa will remain elusive with isolated successes, fuelling a sense of false optimism in an otherwise dismal situation unless decisive actions are taken to assist small-scale farmers to grow more and more valuable crops, according to the Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Nteranya Sanginga.

MOBILl Producing Nigeria Unlimited and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, EEPNL, both ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria, have donated N80 million to the Nigerian Red Cross Society, NRCS, in aid of victims of the recent flood disaster that affected 24 states in the country.

DELTA State Police Command, yesterday, charged two persons to Akwukwu-Igbo Magistrate court, in Oshimili North Local Government Area, for allegedly assaulting the Administrative Manager of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Victor Gotevbe.

HUNDREDS of customers of First Bank Plc in Benin City, Edo State, yesterday went home disappointed as they could not access their accounts, following the sealing of the bank’s branches by Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, BIR, over alleged tax default.

SECRETARY to the Edo State Government,SSG, Dr Simon Imuekemhe, yesterday, declared the determination of the state Government in ensuring that the health and educational sectors are effective in service delivery to the people of the state.

Following the recent disclosure by the Benue State Commissioner for Health Dr. Oduen Abunku that over 600,000 persons were currently living with the dreaded HIV/AIDS in the state, the Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Dr Mathias Oyigeya has canvassed the conversion of the present site of the hospital to an infectious disease control centre.

The President has condoled with the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah over the death of his wife and former First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Allison Attah.

Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has stated that the participation of the electorate in decision making process was a major ingredient of democracy, even as he regretted the magnitude of problems inherited from the last administration.

Leadership of Jama’atul Ahlis Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, also called Boko Haram, has named the former Head of State and presidential candidate of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), among six prominent northerners, to mediate between the group and the Federal Government.

Unidentified gunmen suspected to be armed robbers driving in a jeep allegedly opened fire on three policemen killing two of them along Azikoro-Agbura road in the outskirts of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.