The battle line is drawn as Nigeria seek to pick a ticket to the African U-23 championships which is a qualification tourna-ment for the Rio 2016 Olympics. Between Nigeria and this ticket is the Congolese national U-23 side handled by Frenchman Claude Le Roy.

The Ondo State Government has expressed satisfaction over the success recorded in the implementation of the Resident Card in the health sector

“Mr Lely, I desire you would use all your skill to paint my picture truly like me, and not flatter me at all; but remark all these roughnesses, pimples, warts and everything as you see me, otherwise I will never pay a farthing for it. – “ Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, to his Portrait Painter, Sir Peter Lely.

The hysterical reaction in some quarters to the visit by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike to the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) is a well-known perception management technique that seeks to, through deliberate misrepresentation and misinterpretation, cast aspersion on the integrity of a targeted individual. It is hardly surprising that the usual suspects in character assassination are in the forefront of those who have sought to discredit Wike and, in the process scoop political capital out of their reaction to a harmless undertaking by the governor.

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), has described the move by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to publish names of debtors to shame individuals and companies involved after the August 1, 2015 (yesterday) deadline, as unprofessional, calling on CBN to examine the default on case by case basis in order to avoid sweeping generalisation. The chamber also advised the apex bank to adhere to global best practice of debt recovery by giving due consideration to legal implications.

A new tune is wafting across Delta State. It is the SMART tune with a loveable chorus of “Prosperity for all Deltans”. The proponent and natural cheerleader is no other person than Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, whose passion is how to ensure that his fellow Deltans, irrespective of differences in ethnicity, gender, faith, geographical location and political persuasion, live a good life.

The Department of State Services , DSS, has arrested 28 suspected kidnappers during its nationwide operations within six days.

Though the task of combating Boko Haram has been a joint battle being prosecuted by the military, the use of air power has greatly shaped the successes recorded so far in routing the terrorists from several occupied Nigeria territories.

UMUAHIA—A Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] Board of Trustee (BoT) member from Abia State, Chief Tony Ukasoanya has called on his Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to cut down his monthly security vote which he put at “close to N1 billion”.

The immediate past Senate President, Senator David Mark, has urged improved funding for the education sector in the country in order to save the upcoming generation from oppression and manipulation.

ABUJA – The Presidency has said that governing councils of federal universities were not among the boards of federal government institutions dissolved. They are to run as constituted, at least for the time being.

On March 2012, the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was inaugurated to address unemployment in the country. Though the programme has trained over 500,000 graduates since its inauguration, the leadership of the scheme said it had not yet satisfied with its achievements. In this interview, the NYSC Director of SAED, Mrs Mary Danabia, speaks on relevance of the programme and factors militating against it.

EFFURUN- THE Police have arrested 44 suspects over last week’s fracas by members of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Uvwie chapter, near Warri, Delta State.

Stepping into octogenarian fold with grace is a journey worth celebrating. For Uncle Fred Agbeyegbe whose 80th birthday berthed some kind of theatrical carnival brings to fore a rethink – the style in which deceased are celebrated opulently, instead of luxuriant cascades for living legends. However, both deserves eulogies to inspire success quest in living beings.

Ehigie Uzamere is the immediate past senator representing Edo South. As a matter of fact, he is the only senator in the history of the district, made of the Binis, to have made it to the Senate twice (2007-2015).