Recent Police interference in peaceful protests by education unions has become a cause for concern by stakeholders in the sector. Just last weekend, protesting primary school teachers and pupils in Makurdi, Benue State, were dispersed with teargas by the state police. In the past week alone, police authorities in Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross River ordered the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, (ASUU) not to go on with their planned peaceful protests.

Nigeria gave a good account of her human rights record, when she faced other countries at the 17th session of the Universal Periodic Review, UPR of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, last week.

THE stage appears set for a major confrontation between the Federal Government and workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, tomorrow, over the planned handover of PHCN’s assets to new owners amidst alleged non-payment of severance benefits to workers, among other pending issues.

THE Senate, yesterday, hinted that it may not appropriate funds for the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, in the 2014 Budget, if ministers and heads of agencies involved in the programme fail to appear before it to defend how they have handled projects and funds allocated to the SURE-P in this year’s budget.

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, lamented that the crises in some parts of the country has slowed down economic development. He stated this while being presented with the 2013 Africa Peace Award from the United Religions Initiatives URI, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. According to the president, internal stability is essential for the development of the country saying that, “there can be no meaningful economic development where people are fighting.”