Ten years after the commencement of the marginal fields programme, the objectives of the federal government concerning the programme are yet to be met. This is because marginal fields’ operators are currently struggling to meet up with the expectations in terms of production target and contribution to the country’s energy sector.

BARRING any last minutes change, the newly registered All Progressives Congress, APC, will hold its national convention to elect substantive national officers and state executives by January, 2014.

AS the spate of building collapse continues in Lagos State, it has become a source of worry not only to the government but also residents.

OWERRI—Fears have been expressed that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, may disintegrate before 2015, if the multiplicity of internal problems bedeviling the party was not quickly addressed.

The Department of Petro-leum Resources, DPR, yesterday, said it was handicapped in stemming the rising incident of pipeline vandalisation and crude theft in Nigeria, raising concerns that the trend may continue unabated in the next couple of months.

The Rivers State Police command, yesterday, paraded 14 robbery suspects arrested at various Police operations. Six AK 47 rifles, three laptops and about 15 mobile handsets were among items recovered from the robbers.

WARRI—MUSLIM leaders in the South-South region have expressed concern that entrepreneurs were moving their industries from Nigeria to other African countries, especially to Ghana, because of poor power supply in the region and urged the Federal Government to quickly address the drift.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) are organizsing a Nigerian Bond Market Conference on Wednesday 7th August 2013 in Lagos. The event is coming at a time of increasing realisation by the international investor community of the immense potential that the Nigerian bond market offers following a series of reforms and initiatives aimed at enhancing the regulatory framework and increasing market depth and liquidity. “This conference provides our market a unique opportunity to leverage the IFC’s wealth of experience in both developed and developing markets to boost capacity while highlighting some of our key achievements and challenges within the last few years.”

THE Registrar of an Abuja High Court (name withheld) is facing investigation following alleged complicity in the controversial release of an original Right of Ownership, R of O, in the custody of the court over a disputed plot of land to one of the claimants.

The sum of $143.5 billion was the total financial flow to the federation and other government entities from 2009 to 2011, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, report assessing and reconciling financial flows within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry stated.

A former President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, NITP, Mr..Moses Olubunmi Ajayi has faulted the design of some Nigerian cities without taking the culture of the people into cognisance. He particularly faulted the design of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja, saying that it didn’t take public transportation into consideration.

Mr Sunday Ekosin is the President of Progressive Miners Association of Nigeria, which has been in the vanguard of enthroning best mining practices in the country. In this interview, he expresses confidence that with the right polices and personal intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan in the industry, mining would take the centre-stage of the nation’s economy.

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday, said the commission was handicapped over adoption of the electronic mode of voting for future elections in the country.

Embattled Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Chidi Lloyd who was arrested for allegedly hitting an anti-Amaechi lawmaker with a fake mace may be in for more trouble as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday stormed the state capital, Port Harcourt to quiz him and other lawmakers for undisclosed financial crimes.

The family of Seyi Fasere, a student of Ekiti State University who was killed in Oye Ekiti by yet to be identified persons has demanded the setting up of a coroner inquest to unveil the circumstances behind the demise of their son.