THE resident doctor of the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Dr. Edeawe Osahogie, who was abducted on August 12, 2013 while returning home from the hospital has been released by his abductors.

NGOZI Okonjo-Iweala has two designations. She is Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy. Without intending to be perverse, I wonder what the differences are between both titles. What would a Finance Minister of a country such as ours be doing if she is not responsible (call it coordinating, managing, overseeing or whatever) for the entire economy?

CHIEF Ishola Filani is the South West caretaker committee chairman of the People’s Democratic
Party, PDP. In this interview with Vanguard, Chief Filani lampooned former Deputy National Chairman, South, of the PDP, Chief Olabode George, describing him as the major problem of the party who has singularly impeded the party’s chances of election victory in Lagos State. Excerpts:

MAKURDI —Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, has described the newly registered All Progressives Congress, APC, as an amalgamation of diverse interests that have nothing to offer Nigerians insisting that the party lacks the capacity to dethrone the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

ABUJA—The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Tuesday, said the country was in dire need of appropriate legal framework that will trigger credible, free and fair election in 2015.

I HAVE taken extreme liberties with the anguished cry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s narrator in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” for good reason.

ABUJA—THE Senate said, Tuesday, it would soon release to the public accurate figure of its expenditure, saying it has nothing to hide.

BENIN—PRESIDENT of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Reverend Felix Omobude has said that Governor Adams Oshiomhole has repositioned Edo State in the forefront after many years of neglect by past administrations.

It had long been predicted that the two big fishes in the APC, Senators Chris Ngige and his predecessor in the Senate, Senator Annie Okonkwo who are the driving forces in the new party would sooner than later clash over their individual governorship ambitions.

THE root cause of the Al-Majiri in Nigeria, is due to the fact that the Nigerian Muslim intelligentsia, have failed to adopt the modernist scholars’ interpretation of Holy Koran Chapter 4 verse 3 and in preference chosen to hold on to the old orthodox school’s interpretation of the above-mentioned verse.

THIRTY-eight years after he left office as head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, last week described the Urhobo as one of the most patriotic ethnic nationalities in the country.

Travelling all the way from Lukosi area of Ogun State to Ikorodu in Lagos on a motorcycle is certainly remarkable. But more remarkable is that when the three travellers stopped beside a new generation bank last Friday, this did not immediately arouse any curiosity or suspicion, especially as their mission was unknown to those who saw them. That was until an alarm was suddenly raised, prompting some members of the public as well as security operatives to go after these three jolly good friends.

International Finance Corporation, IFC said it has invested 25 per cent, about N60 billion of its 2012 total investment in Nigeria on infrastructure.

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, directed the two Federal Government committees negotiating requests by Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to take immediate measures towards ending the ongoing strike.

…Says only 10 banks sound in Nigeria
ABUJA—DESPITE claims that the nation’s 24 banks are strong and posting huge profit, fraudulent practises have continued among operators with no fewer than 3, 380 cases involving N17. 97 billion recorded last year.