FORMER Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, erstwhile Minister of Foreign Affairs, Major General Ike Nwachukwu, and the presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM, Dr. Mike Okonkwo, were unanimous, yesterday, that absence of good governance, equitable and just distribution of national income and the rule of law were factors responsible for the growing insecurity in parts of the country.

WARRI—SHELL Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited, SNEPCo, has said that multinational oil companies do not collude with oil thieves to steal crude oil at loading terminals.

Nigeria dropped five places from last year’s 115th position to 120th.

…As candidates prepare to sell their tickets…
THE Federal High Court, Port Harcourt has vacated its order compelling the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to recognize Senator Andy Uba as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the forthcoming elections in Anambra State.

The Edo State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin, has declared the councillorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Nakis Alasa, the winner of the Owan East Local Government Area election held on April 20.

Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke is representing Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. He is one of the members who defected to the Abubarkar Baraje’s led faction of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP). In this telephone interview with Vanguard, he explained the idea behind their decision and said it will be a mass exodus from the old PDP to the new PDP. Excerpts:

No fewer than 20 people were feared dead, while several others sustained injuries, yesterday, when suspected Boko Haram terrorists launched separate attacks on Gajiram, the council headquarters of Nganzai and Bulabulin Ngawra Village of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.

Guaranty Trust Bank and Standard Chartered Bank led nine other local and international commercial banks in the provision of a loan facility to Dangote lndustries Ltd to the tune of $3.3billion for the purpose of constructing the biggest Petroleum Oil Refinery & Petrochemical/ Fertilizer Plants in Nigeria.

MINISTER of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, has said the Federal Government will not be deterred by the security challenges in some parts of the country, but will remain focused on implementing its transformation agenda to grow the economy and create wealth and employment.

Offa, the hotbed of political opposition in Kwara State is again manifesting itself following the release of local government election results which the opposition claims were rigged.

WATCHING the PDP fall apart is like watching a car crash in slow motion. At the  time of writing, 26 senators and 57 House of Representatives members have decided to defect to the “New PDP” splinter group that was formed last weekend and is headed by Alhajis Atiku Abubakar and Abubakar Kawu Baraje.

…as UNWTO places emphasis on youth tourism
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke has called on countries around the world to accord greater respect to Nigerians, who travel around the world for several legitimate reasons, describing them as high net worth tourists.

KADUNA—AFRICAN region of Industrial Global Union, has commended the Dangote Group for the $9 billion loan agreement signed, Wednesday, to set up an oil refinery/petrochemical and fertilizer complex in Nigeria, saying its job creation potentials are very gratifying.

Benson Okonkwo is a rising actor who has arrived the scene like a fast train with bounty of goodies to offer. Since his foray into the industry, the Enugu-based sexy actor has had honours looming about him just as controversies would not steer clear enough from him. No thanks, to the gay role he played in one of his most successful movies till date “Pregnant Hawkers”

THE greatest service President Goodluck Jonathan will render to the peoples of Nigeria is to be the first president to give them a constitution deriving its source of authority, as supreme law, directly from them, otherwise known as a “people’s constitution.”