BANKS in Ikare towns in Ondo State have refused to open their doors to customers in the last five months after robbery attacks which claimed no fewer than 23 lives.

“Everybody should have a choice of where they want to take their cargoes to. The government concessioned the ports, all of them (concessionaires) signed the same documents. Why do you have to force people to take their cargo to Intels…so that they can charge them in dollars, and not only that, their charges are 300 times more than regular charges in other ports.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has stopped publishing how much banks are making by lacing their excess liquidity as deposit via its Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) This follows Vanguard Newspaper’s report, on the huge amount of money banks made placing deposit with the apex bank. Banks access the SLF to borrow from the CBN while they access the SDF to place deposit with the CBN. Presently the CBN charges 15 percent as interest rate on loans to banks through the SLF while it pays 11 percent as interest on deposit placement through the SDF.

CRISIS is brewing in the oil industry as staff of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, in Benin City, Edo State, commenced the shut down of oil facilities in the Niger Delta in protest over the alleged illegal sale of OML 42, one of the company’s priced oil blocs by the Federal Government.

THIRTY six members of the House of Representatives from the North-East geo-political zone have pledged to support Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives if the office is zoned to his South-West geopolitical zone.

A Niger Delta group, Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, PDI, weekend, warned the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, against terminating contracts for surveillance of oil pipelines in the Niger Delta awarded by the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan administration, saying that such an action would be counter productive.

THE prospects of a reconciliation of the two factions of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, earlier fixed for today were on shaky grounds last night.

The Comptroller, Ogun State area command, Nigeria Customs Service, Haruna Mamudu, has said the Service had to enforce the anti-smuggling law of the land, which explains why it turned down the request by the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun to release the ankara stock his command seized from textile traders.

THE lingering territorial dispute between residents of Delta Steel Town Housing Estate of Delta Steel Company, DSC, and host Orhuwhorun in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, escalated over the weekend with three persons bathed with acid.

AS Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the HIV Vaccine Awareness Day today, an Associate Professor of Paediatric Dentistry and Consultant at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, Dr. Morenike Ukpong, has called for all hands to be on deck to ensure that all available HIV prevention methods reach people who need them.

Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi has urged all Nigerians to support and pray for the team as they prepare for the 2017 African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Chad Republic next month.

LAGOS—THE Federal Government weekend commenced the the construction of the N142.6billion Lekki deep sea port in the Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos. Speaking at the issuance of notice to proceed ceremony on Saturday, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Ado Bayero said that the commencement of the port’s construction is government’s commitment to making the project a reality.

The last Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in the life of the present government holding today will largely shy away from key economic issues threatening the nation’s economy, due to transition uncertainties. In order to facilitate the attainment of the objective of price stability and to support the economic policy of the Federal Government, a committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) referred to as MPC is in place made up of the CBN Governor as the Chairman with the four Deputy Governors of the Bank, two members of the Board of Directors of the Bank as well as three members appointed by the President and two members appointed by the Governor.

Abakaliki—Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State has said that allowing people to exercise their basic rights and freedom was his greatest legacy in the eight years of his administration. Elechi made the statement, yesterday, at a Thanksgiving Mass, at Government House Catholic Chapel, Abakaliki, officiated by the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Michael Okoro. “Ensuring that the people freely exercised the freedom to be themselves in all situations, criticise government without fear or favour, gave me the greatest joy as governor.

OWERRI—The Federal Government has said it appointed 38 varsity chancellors from outside the geographical location of each chancellor to cross-fertilize diverse cultural backgrounds and ensure synergy among them. The Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, disclosed this at the Palace of Eze Cletus Ilomuanya in Obinugwu, Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, during the formal presentation of the Monarch’s appointment letter as Chancellor, Federal University, Bernin Kebbi, Kebbi State.