The declaration of a state of emergency by the President in the three states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa is a welcome development. Although, in actual fact, it is overdue, but it is never too late. Considering the number of people who have died in the hands of the Boko Haram insurgents, nothing is too much to bring peace to these affected states, and for that matter, the whole country.

A female official (names withheld) of Imo State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, was, at the weekend, crushed by a tipper lorry, just as Governor Rochas Okorocha expressed deep shock over the tragedy that befell Umudagu, Ihitte Isi Mbieri community in Mbaitoli local council area, on Thursday night.

CHAIRMAN, Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka branch, Dr. Emmanuel Mordi, at the weekend, said at least 20 lecturers, their spouses and relations, had been kidnapped in the last two years by gunmen.

Felix Akiojano is a former football defender from Nigeria. He played for Pedro FC in Sapele, Concord FC Abeokuta and now coach of Jaipur football club of India. In this interview with Sports Extravaganza, he revealed how he rose from grass to grace, his sojourn in India and why Nigeria needs to lay more emphasis on football academy. Excerpts:

The Lagos State Chess Association has invited 15 players to commence camping preparatory to the 2014 National Sports Festival to be hosted by Cross River State in Calabar.. The camp opened yesterday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium and officials of the LSCA say they are embarking on early preparations to improve on the Team Lagos Chess performance at the last festival hosted by the State.

Since the rumour that Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State is nursing an ambition to be the next vice president to a northern presidential candidate in 2015 started circulating, many disturbing developments have occurred. Whether this rumoured ambition is true or not, it is totally irrelevant. The truth is that every Nigerian over the age of 40 is entitled to aspire to be president or vice president of Nigeria.

Ganiyu Balogun, 42, could hardly do anything on his own. He was assisted to Vanguard Headquarters to share his story. To him, life is cruel as it has turned once a promising young man with great dreams, into a bedridden chap on the verge of death within a short space of time after a diagnosis revealing the presence of acute kidney failure, or what is termed as ‘end stage kidney disease.’

Comrade Joseph Evah, coordinator, Ijaw Monitoring Group (MIG) and former Publicity Secretary, Ijaw National Congress (INC), in this interview, speaks on the state of the nation. Excerpts:

There is a call by the House of Representatives that Kingsley Kuku and Asari Dokubo should be probed for threatening Nigeria’s unity?
They are only following similar comments in the past from the North. Since there was no sanctions for the previous threat, they felt it is’ a normal thing. So we want the House of Representatives to invite all those that made similar comments since independence in 1960.

BY FEYI BANKOLE He is popular for his proclamation, “Nigeria has no business being poor!”. Christened Patrick Okedinachi Utomi but largely known as Pat Utomi, our inspirational guest is a passionate entrepreneur and social activist. After a brief career in journalism, Patrick was appointed a Special Assistant on Political Affairs in Alhaji Shehu Shagari’s administration […]

If reports from the researches of a team of medical practitioners at the Washington University School of Medicine, USA, and the testimony of an Ibadan-based apitherapist are anything to go by, perhaps the world should get ready to heave a sigh of relief from AIDS and cancer.