ABUJA—Wrong application of Federal Character principle by the Federal Government and its agencies is drawing Nigeria backwards rather than propelling it to grow and make progress in the comity of nations.

THE most flagrant display of the conqueror’s attitude to the wealth of the people is the case of the Police Pension Funds.

CHIEF O’tega Emerhor is an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the vacant Delta Central Senatorial seat occasioned by the death of Senator Pius Ewherido. An insurance expert, he is chairman of Standard Alliance Group, Lagos, Emerhor spoke on the political situation in Delta Central, the state and the country in general. He also opened up on his prospects and plans to win the bye-election. Excerpts:

THE Federal government has finalised plans to link up the six geo-political zones of the country with dual carriageways.

I share the mindset of some people in the market decrying the current level of market knowledge of majority of the Nigerian minority shareholders. And that is where enlightenment exercise should come in because our people need to be educated.

Why should there be any opposition to the enactment of a law with strong powers of enforcement to protect consumers from exploitation by electricity companies, and other purveyors of the Nigerian consumer?

NIPCO Plc,a downstream player in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector said it has stepped up its human capital development initiatives to boost manpower development in line with the Local Content Act (2010, which harps on effective harnessing of indigenous capacity in the nation’s hydrocarbon industry.

The country’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, yesterday, said that she should be left out of the political crisis rocking Rivers State.

A statement by her Director of Information, Mrs. Ayo Adesugba, said “the attention of the First Lady has been drawn to reports carried in some sections of the media, alleging that top officials of the Rivers State Government, including the deputy governor, Mr. Tele Ikuru, who came to receive the First Lady, were shielded from Dame Jonathan on her arrival at Port Harcourt International Airport, Sunday.

Motorists and other road users plying the Jakande/Ejigbo/Ikotun route presently have cause to sigh in relief with the on-going rehabilitation and reconstruction of the failed and flood-prone road intersection at Iyana Ejigbo that has been notorious for frequent traffic bottlenecks, a nightmare for several years. More heartening, according to residents and road users, is the current effort to fix the drainage challenge believed to be responsible for the frequent flooding of the place any time it rains.

AS the National AIDS Control Agency, NACA, steps up its HIV/AIDS behavioural change campaign with the development of a comprehensive communication plan, a media team has been inaugurated to ensure that Nigerians are regularly presented with adequate and balanced information about HIV/AIDS prevention and control with the aim of promoting effective behavioural and attitudinal change communication.

ONE of the major challenges of public health in Africa is the increasing prevalence of Non-Communicale Diseases, NCDs such as Cardiovascular, CV, diseases. To address the trend, Pfizer Nigeria & East Africa Region, NEAR, held the 6th CV Summit in Lagos recently. In a chat with SOLA OGUNDIPE, Country Manager, Pfizer NEAR, Mr Carl Engleman, identifies the best way forward for Nigeria.

•Says its a duplication of FMBN’s functions
THE proposed Mortgage Refinance Company slated for inauguration by President Goodluck Jonathan between now and the end of September, may not be what Nigeria requires to reduce the housing deficit currently put at a staggering 16 million units.

Cooperatives are risky and have limitations. But the long term benefits are very rewarding for the individual, the group and the nation. If you and some other people have decided to form one (everybody should be encouraged to belong to a cooperative group), the following tips would help you avoid or reduce to barest minimum, the risk and limitations of investment through a cooperative.

Chevron Nigeria Limited and its host communities have expressed divergent views on a gas leak reported at Chevron’s offshore gas field in the Atlantic Ocean located off Bayelsa coastline.

The Federal Government has said that it would commit the majority of about $1.6 billion proceeds to be realized from the sale of the National Integrated Power Projects, NIPP, to tackle the problem of transmission in the country.