A litre of petrol jumped by 116% yesterday to N141 after the Federal Government sanctioned the removal of the controversial subsidy on the price of petrol.

“The newest member of the UN family was born today,” Mr. Ban told the Assembly after it passed the resolution setting up the new UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. “This is truly a watershed day,” he declared.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has signed the 2012 Appropriation Bill, totalling N407.8 billion into law.

A FEW weeks ago, the relative cordiality that has existed between the Federal and State governments was punctured and the citizens’ attention drawn, albeit temporarily away from the robust debates that has been generated over the future of the country.

THE Labour Party in Ondo State may have commenced the recall of the Senator representing Ondo North, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, who dumped the party for the Action Congress of Nigeria ACN.

Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi said that Blackburn striker Yakubu Ayegbeni, will be recalled to the national team to prove himself. The 29-year-old has not been called by Nigeria since his horror miss against South Korea at the 2010 World Cup.

No fewer than 13 erring policemen in Ekiti State were dismissed from the service in the year 2011 for alleged involvement in crime related offences.

From tomorrow, Lagosians would not be able to cash cheques above N150,000. They must pay such cheques into their accounts. This is because tomorrow marks the commencement of the pilot scheme of the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Securities & Exchange Commission and the Nigerian Stock Exchange have approved the bid by the Ondo State Government to raise fresh funds through its N50billion Debt Issuance Programme under which the State intends to issue a first tranche of N27 billion.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio declares open the maiden Capital Market Committee (CMC) Retreat held in Uyo recently. The Governor spoke on his administration’s target to industrialise the state as well as Nigeria’s Vision 2020 target. He also revealed his administration’s intention to approach the Nigerian capital market for bond issuance. Excerpts:

Non shareholders of Union Bank Nigeria (UBN) Plc can participate in the Bank’s ongoing rights issue. The Executive Director, Corporate, Int’l & Investment Banking & Treasury, Union Bank Nigeria Plc, Mr. Philip Ikeazor, who disclosed this, weekend, in Lagos, explained that the non shareholders can participate in the rights issue through the secondary market.

THE interpretation given to section 26 of the electoral Act 2010 (As amended) by the Imo guber tribunal has given judicial endorsement of staggerred elections by INEC. It is therefore, a recipe for electioneering disaster.

OPERATORS in the Nigerian industrial sector have described 2011 as a year of recurrent unstable, hostile operating environment.

DOES anyone still remember that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, is on strike? The strike is almost a month old. All public universities are shut. Nobody is talking to ASUU, nor is ASUU shifting.

Nigeria midfielder, Rabiu Ibrahim is reportedly in the searchlight of English Premier League side, Sunderland. The 20-year-old playmaker, who parted ways mutually with PSV Eindhoven is a transfer target of Sunderland manager, Martin O’Neill.