PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has fulfilled his campaign promise to Ndigbo of the South Eastern zone of the country by approving the take off an international airport and the proposed establishment of a Free Trade Zone in Enugu to boost the economy of the zone.

Former federal permanent secretary, governor of Anambra State, and presidential adviser, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife in this interview with Vanguard responds to issues arising from the Boko Haram insurgency, the 2015 presidential contest among others. Excerpts:

NAN: Some financial experts have expressed divergent views on the Federal Government’s stance that the country was still solvent enough to take more loans to develop the economy. Nigeria’s total debt stock now stands at N8.7 trillion out of which N6.85 trillion is the domestic debt stock.

The value of equities listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, appreciated by N284.53 billion last week occasioned by impressive first quarter financial reports released by various companies.

Foreign investors took $2.74 billion out of Nigeria in the first three months of 2013. This was indicated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in its economic report for the first quarter of 2013. According to the report, foreign exchange outflow from the economy in the first was $6.54 billion.

Intel Corporation last week charged the University of Lagos, UNILAG students to learn how to create their tomorrow, today by adopting the usage of computer technology in every aspect of their academic and social activities.

MINISTER of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has charged the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State to reconcile with aggrieved members of the party.

Egyptian officials have given firm assurances that necessary precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of the 700 delegates before, during and after the 40th African Insurance organisation national assembly/conference. The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, LOC and also the chairman of Insurance Federation of Egypt, Mr. Abdel Raouf Kotb speaks on the safety and well being of Nigerians, and other delegates in this interview.

Former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Anthony Kojo-Williams has condemned the Nigeria Football Federation for dropping five players from the Flying Eagles squad to next month’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, without the consent of Coach John Obuh.

Lately, the Federal Government’s enthusiasm for further national debt accumulation has become more strident, especially after the IMF’s suggestion that Nigeria is currently under-borrowed, and therefore recommended increasing the borrowing threshold of 20% of gross domestic product to about 56% of GDP.

THE lingering crisis between the executive and legislature has deepened, with the Senate boasting that it was not in a hurry to pass the 2013 budget amendment Bill currently before the National Assembly.

For Nigerian farmers, a new revolution is in the offing as the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and Cellulant of Kenya sign a deal to provide mobile banking services to Nigerian farmers in a fresh push for financial inclusion among the rural populace.

“Nigerian economic statistics reveal a puzzling contrast between rapid economic growth and quite minimal welfare improvements for much of the population. Annual growth rates that averaged over seven percent in official data during the last decade place Nigeria among the fastest growing economies in the world”. World Bank Report.

Despite 66.7 percent decline in its profit after tax for the year ended 31st December, 2013, the board of directors, MRS Oil Nigeria plc said they are prepared to pay N23.34 kobo dividend to shareholders for their investment in the company.

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, thanked Nigerians for the overwhelming support they gave to the state of emergency which he declared last week in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.