I UNDERSTAND what you are going through right now. No sooner did the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, declare a state of emergency in your state last week Tuesday, May 14, 2013, than the powers of the Nigerian State were unleashed on your area.

PROFESSOR Albert Chinualumogu Achebe (1930-2013) would have quickly reminded us that there was a country.

THE Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, said, yesterday, that soldiers who leaked information to terrorists about the movement of troops to Mali for AFISMA operations, thereby leading to the ambush and killing of two soldiers along the Okene-Lokoja road, have been arrested and are to face a military court martial.

The cyclone of cupboard cleansing currently permeating the Nigerian Judiciary, recorded fresh victims last week, as the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, in a decisive move, handed life ban to four legal practitioners.

The crisis ridden Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has apparently run out of options in finding neutral political mediators to resolve its decade long crisis. As a last resort, party elders have beckoned on a retired judge to help out.

Asaba—ACTING Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Prof. Charles Onocha, said in Asaba, Delta State, Wednesday, that specific interventions geared towards broadening access and ensuring functional learning for Nigerian citizens were being initiated to address the issue of the large number of out-of-school children estimated at 10 million.

Yenagoa—Bayelsa State governor, Mr Seriake Dickson, has raised alarm over alleged plot by some persons to destabilise the state.

BENIN—EDO State governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, has directed that protesting students of Idogbo Secondary School, in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state, who destroyed the school’s property while protesting the death in an accident, of one their colleagues, to pay for the vandalised property.

WITH globalisation, the world of work witnessed a new trend in employer- employee relationship. Out-sourcing became a new trend with employers outsourcing jobs which they consider not to crucial to their core business. From the perspective of organised labour, it was seen as the employers way of reducing the cost of labour.

…vow to prosecute operators
The National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) have commenced their joint operation to crack down on illegal degree-awarding institutions in the country. Already, 41 illegal universities have been closed nationwide .

Some shareholder groups said that they boycotted a meeting called by the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, to resolve issues on the e-dividend payment because they were not involved in the proposals. The groups told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that they were also aggrieved because the Commission failed to protect their interest during the downturn in the capital market.

The Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, has said some awaiting trial inmates would be released from prison before the end of next month.

UMUAHIA—ABIA State House of Assembly has directed the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and one of its host communities, Amaoba Ime, to steer clear of the disputed land between them, pending the resolution of the matter

As Nigeria prepares to celebrate yet another Children’s Day on Monday, May 27, there is an increased need for proper management of the country’s resources to ensure that the over 10.5 million out-of-school (OOS) children are absorbed into the school system.

AWKA, the capital of Anambra State stood still, yesterday, as the body of the literary icon, Professor Chinua Achebe arrived the state for its final journey to Ogidi, his home town, in Idemili North Local Government Area. His remains will be interred later today.