WERE subsidy to be a man or woman, Nigerians, most Nigerians, would have stoned it to death. But subsidy is neither a man nor woman. It is an evil – as contrived by Nigerians.

The year 2012 started with the evil of subsidy and is about ending with same – what with all the fuel queues across the country.

GOVERNOR Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State, yesterday, called on Nigerians from all walks of life to embrace the New Year with optimism and courage, not minding the numerous socio-economic and security challenges that plagued 2012.

GOVERNOR Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State yesterday presented the 2013 appropriation bill estimate of N151bn to the state House of Assembly for approval.

A Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, local government aspirant in Delta State, has dragged the state government before a Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, seeking to halt further disbursement of federal allocation to local government areas in the state, which are currently run by caretaker committee chairmen, pending when democratically-elected chairmen come on board.

Landlords in Lagos Island have begun verification exercise of goods sold by traders and shop owners in their houses as efforts to rid the area of illegal goods and firecrackers intensifies.

TODAY, New Year day, is supposed to be a happy one. Last week was Christmas which was expected to be merry. But many of our countrymen were weary and in excruciating grief as we celebrated Christmas. Many went to Church—if they did—with their hearts in their mouths because of terror bombers. And for sure, the demons with who we share a country sent many to their graves and their relations into mourning. Instead of singing soul lifting carols, many sang elegies to loved ones. Many donned black cloths as they lowered to mother earth loved ones who should have been sitting at lunch and dinner tables with them. Instead of passing the salt across lunch tables, many passed shovels of sand for the dust-to-dust rites!

NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has vowed to step up its campaign against casualisation of workers as well as other unfair labour practices by employers in the nation’s petroleum industry.

From January 1, 2013, any underwriting firm that provides insurance cover without collecting the premium would be liable to a penalty of N500, 000 or lose its license, the Commissioner for Insurance Fola Daniel, has warned.

The Federal Government made many promises, which gave rise to greater expectations from the business community, especially as the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was expected to prove its mettle as a duly elected regime, and not one inherited from a predecessor. However, from the beginning of the year till the end, there were operating challenges all the way such that hardly any of the promises made could be fulfilled.

For the second time in two years, the Nigerian Society of Engineers,NSE, has declared that its general election recently was successfully conducted through the deployment of electronic voting,e-voting system designed and produced locally by Nigerian Communications Satellite, NIGCOMSAT Limited.