Over 421 athletes from 32 countries have so far confirmed their participation at the maiden African Athletics Youth Championships billed for March 27-31 in Warri, Delta State.

Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, returned home from London, yesterday evening, aboard a presidential jet which touched down at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport at about 6.50pm.

Nigerians may have forgiven Shola Ameobi for declining a place in the Super Eagles team that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Cup but the coach of the team from his words may give another chance to the Newcastle striker as the team starts preparation for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers in March.

THE candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last governorship election in Ondo State, Chief Olusola Oke, yesterday, opened his case before the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure challenging the Victory of Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

Federal Government said, yesterday, that the country had lost $50 billion (N8 trillion) through illegal mining and exportation of unprocessed gold to neighbouring countries in the last 24 months.

The Federal Government, yesterday, gave a boost to power supply in the country with the acquisition and installation of three units of 15 MVA (Megavolt Ampere) injection sub-stations in Lagos.

THE third phase of the battle in Mali is the democratisation process. The country’s electoral commission has announced July as the new month as opposed to April as initially agreed. This will present the challenge of healthy political process in the country when there are still conflicts in some parts of the country.

GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, described Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as amateurish party, lacking in global development and trend.

National Judicial Council, NJC, headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, last week after its emergency meeting in Abuja, recommended the retirement of two judges of the high court. The council accused Justices Charles Archibong of the Federal High Court and Thomas Naron of the Plateau State High Court for gross misconducts, contrary to their oaths of office. Specifically, they accused Justice Archibong of lacking “full grasp of the law and procedure of the court.”

THE recently announced Ministry of Agriculture’s plan to distribute 10 million mobile phones to rural farmers has generated a lot of debate and criticisms. For Many Nigerians, it is a controversial gesture and a misplacement of priorities.

Some youths in Rivers State, under the aegis of Rivers Youths Democratic Movement, RYDM, have threatened to dump Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for emergent All Progressives Congress, APC, over perceived determination by President Goodluck Jonathan to frustrate Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s ambition in 2015.

OWERRI — An Owerri High Court presided over by Justice Nonyerem Okoronkwo, has ordered the Inspector General of Police to pay a Lagos-based legal practitioner, Mr. Emeka Ozoani, N25.2 million instead of the N50 billion sought as aggravated damages for assault and humiliation.

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, might have lost N3.6 billion in the six weeks of the latest vandalism of its System 2B Pipeline at Arepo, in Ogun State. Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, gave the indication, when he visited the site of the damaged pipeline, currently undergoing repairs.

SO much hot air is being wasted on the speculated “agreement” allegedly signed by President Goodluck Jonathan promising the North he would do a single term. The Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Dr Babangida Aliyu, recently resumed commotion over the issue, without showing evidence of the pact.

HE was the “most natural” choice for the position. Chief Tony Anenih, is the “new” Chairman of the PDP’s Board of Trustees. The old dinosaur is back to where he loves the most: as the central figure, inside the smoke-filled, inner recess of PDP politics.