The Chairman of Governing Council of National Human Rights Commission, HNRC, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, has called on the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, to cancel its annual conference slated for Owerri, Imo State over the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD outbreak in the country.

The Federal Government, weekend, defended its decision to sack 16,000 resident doctors across the country, saying the move was to allow the government appraise the training programme, even as the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Lagos State Branch, dismissed the action describing it as ‘ ahuge joke.’

All is still not well between Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State and majority of the members of the state House of Assembly, despite escaping the first round of impeachment two weeks ago.

Lagos—One person was yesterday confirmed dead, several others injured, as another passenger boat exploded in Lagos at the weekend.
Aside the deceased who was identified as Emmanuel Onu, Vanguard gathered that another passenger of the ill-fated boat was still in coma two days after the explosion.
It was gathered that the passengers were coming from Lekki axis of the state before the boat engine exploded at Capital Oil Jetty at Victoria Island.
Sources said that aside Onu who died in the explosion, other passengers who sustained varying degrees of injury were immediately rescued and taken to different hospitals in Lagos island.
A relative to the decease, Mr. Sunday Ezugha, who spoke to Vanguard, explained that the decease left home at the early hours on Friday to work. But two days after, his whereabouts was yet to be known.
Ezugha, tearfully said; “We have been fasting and praying since Friday night when we called his phone and he did not pick. Also, when we called those we knew could be aware of his whereabouts and their answers were negative.”
Confirming the incident, the information officer of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, South-West, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye said the body of the deceased was recovered at about 10:00 am yesterday.
Explaining the accident, the information officer said “The boat which was said to belong to Aquitien Oil and Gas, took off from V-Craft Jetty, Lekki Phase One, and while trying to refill gasoline at Capital Oil Jetty at Victoria Island, the engine exploded.
According to him, “A relative, Sunday Ezugha, of one of the missing passengers Emmanuel Onu called and narrated that the owner of the boat Aquitien Oil and Gas could not be reached since the incident occurred.”
Farinloye lamented that the information of the disaster came too late, saying; “If the emergency team were alerted earlier, the number of passengers affected would have been minimal.”

Following the fears of spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) through international air and seaports, including border land outposts of Nigerian Immigration Serives (NIS) in the Northeast sub-region of country, Cameroon has closed its borders with Nigeria and suspended all flights to and from Nigeria.

THE dastardly “importation” of the dreaded Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) into Nigeria by the late Patrick Sawyer almost a month ago, has brought out the best in the government and people of Nigeria, surprisingly.

Lawyer, journalist, and former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju was one of two governors elected in 1999, who failed to win a second term. In this interview, he traces the conspiracies he claims aborted his second term dreams, and for that reason, strongly rejects what he claims are similar conspiracies against President Goodluck Jonathan. He also reviews the proceedings and conclusions of the recent National Conference and dismisses the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, as a pack of troublemakers for the polity

POLITICIANS in Oyo State weekend faulted the just-concluded distribution of permanent voter’s card, PVC in the state, claiming the exercise was fraught with crass irregularities.

Leaders of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of colluding with All Progressives Congress, APC to deny members of their PVC.

The South East zone of All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, reiterated it was not opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan running for the Presidency in 2015, saying he had the constitutional right to seek re-election.

In a related development, the Lagos State Government has warned against environmental pollution such as defecating and urinating in the public, and urged people to embrace proper environmental hygiene standards as a way of curbing the spread of EVD.

MORE facts emerged, yesterday, on the recent defection of four members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with the national chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh accusing the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, of instigating the action.

As part of his preparations for the 2015 presidential race, former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, is about to begin a national peace tour that will take him to major decision-makers, opinion moulders and groups across the country.

ABUJA — AHEAD his formal declaration for his re -election bid come 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan has pleaded with Nigerians, especially his pro- campaign groups to be patient with him as a decision which would be favourable to them will be taken soon, just as he declared that he will not let Nigerians down.

The eldest son of the former Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammad, Alhaji Abba Risqua, yesterday revealed that he was under intense pressure to vie for the gubernatorial seat in 2015.

SENATE President, Senator David Mark; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Steve Oru; former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, deputy governor of the state, Prof Amos Utuama, SAN, and other notable Deltans, yesterday, mourned the late President General of Urhobo Progressive Union, UPU, General Patrick Aziza (rtd), who died on Saturday in Abuja from cancer. He was aged 67.