ALL Progressive Congress, the political party that was cobbled together from at least four other major parties, is the opposition answer to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, behemoth in a Nigeria where the idea of independent candidacy is yet to gain sound footing however desirable.

SPEAKING at last of her hitherto ultra-secret six-week “rest” in Germany, Mrs Patience Jonathan, not known for nuance or circumspection, made a direct comparison to the Biblical Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. “I am not Lazarus,” she said, then added “but my experience was similar to his.”

The congregation of local and international guests that gathered at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State last Friday for the public lecture was the unusual lot. Seated in the university hall were distinguished men and women from varied professions, arguably the most urbane congregation the university had received in recent years.

THE Federal Government has been called upon, as a matter of urgent national importance, to initiate a policy of subsidy of computer ownership for students at various levels of education in the country.

The Executive Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke is top of the list of personalities to be honoured at the first-ever Night of Stars, preceding the inaugural Nigeria Pitch Awards, which hold at the Conference Hall of Tinapa Lakeside Hotel and Resort, Calabar on Saturday, March 23.

THE National Identity Management Commission NIMC is gearing up to kick start a data collection exercise which would put the country among the top information managers in the world.

ABUJA—THERE was a sharp split in the Senate, Tuesday, between the Southern and Northern Senators, when discussions on the new Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, commenced on the floor of the Senate.

…C’ttee recommends amnesty, compensation
LAGOS—The recent split in the ranks of the Islamist insurgent group, Boko Haram, leading to a division over a ceasefire, has been traced to a recent peace initiative spearheaded by the Northern States Governors Forum, NSGF.

In Nigeria, it is compulsory to have motor insurance before using or keeping a motor vehicle on public roads. However, since most Nigerians buy insurance just to get cleared from law enforcement agents on the roads, they choose to go for third party motor insurance which is a lot cheaper than comprehensive policy.

ABUJA—Acting Director-General, DG, of Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, has warned that he would not bend the privatisation guidelines for any prospective investor with respect to selling the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Plc and the Afam Power Plc to private operators.

About 238 Nigerian students in public tertiary institutions in the Northern zone, were recently presented with N200,000 scholarship awards, each, by the MTN foundation.

UMUAHIA — ABIA State Government has dismissed as a hoax reported shooting at the gate of the country home of former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, last weekend, saying it was part of the orchestrated mudslinging to smear the image of the state.

The news that the Abia State University, ABSU withdrew the university degree awarded the immediate past governor of the state, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu was not surprising to many. For some folks, it was a logical step in the continuing mutual war of attrition between the incumbent governor, Chief Theodore Orji and Kalu.

BARELY 17 hours after the assassination of Mobile Police Training Camp, MPTC, commandant and a traditional ruler, gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect attacked the Gwoza Divisional Police Station and Mainstreet Bank, killing the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Abubakar Digire Ahamdu, his deputy; and eight civilians caught up in the crossfire on Monday.

LAGOS—Alex Okoh, arraigned alongside lawyer and businessman, Dr Wale Babalakin was Tuesday, granted leave to travel abroad by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of an Ikeja High court on medical ground.