As the presidency gets ready to emplace the federal cabinet to face the daunting economic challenges figures from the Debt Management Office, DMO, of the federation has indicated a massive reversal of debt relief obtained nine years ago. An official of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, told Vanguard last weekend that foreign debt would hover around USD10.7 billion by end 2015, showing over 200 per cent up from USD3.5 billion recorded by the debt relief deal of 2006. DMO records show USD10.3 billion as at June this year.

IMF Africa Director, Mrs. Atoinette Sayeh recently noted at a press conference at a World Bank event in Lima, Peru, that “…those measures introduced by CBN to restrict demand and limit access to official foreign exchange for certain imports are quite detrimental to economic activities and invariably led to a lot of unhappiness in the private sector”.

Against the back-drop of intense media speculation that national U-23 team coach, Samson Siasia would be sacked soon, a member of the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ahmed Yusuf Fresh has informed that the football house has no intention of sacking the Olympic silver medal-winning coach.

The report in the NATION, October 13, 2015, page 7, titled “Fed Govt suspends quota issuance to rice millers”, brought tears to my eyes. It would be the third time in my life that the Federal Government of Nigeria would drive me to tears of frustration over the national policy on rice importation. Althogu, I no longer have any investment or involvement with the sector, it is the only sector in which personal monetary investments as well as sacrifice of well-paid job was made because of government policy announcement.

The Senate ad-hoc Committee on Works has inspected erosion sites across Ogun State, saying it had received numerous petitions on bad roads and ecological disasters across the country.

The interview, last Wednesday, was to be with Mr Ray Ekpu, one of the four co-founders of the Newswatch magazine and a member of the 2014 National Conference. However, it panned out as a conference interview of sorts with four directors of the company – Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed, Dan Agbese and Soji Akinrinade in the moderately-furnished office they share at Ikeja.

UNLESS the unexpected happens, the Federal Government appears set to convene a national conference for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the North East region of Nigeria, if, hopefully we meet the deadline of killing Boko Haram in December.

I WENT to school last Tuesday. It was a privilege walking in the midst of some of the best serving and retired ambassadors in our country. This class had Ambassador Abdul Rimdap, former Ambassador to Germany as captain.

Five months after the celebrated announcement of the clean-up of Ogoniland by President Muhammadu Buhari, youths of the area have accused the President of playing politics with the exercise

OWERRI—The three medical personnel, including the former Edo State Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Phillip Ugbodaga, who were kidnapped recently in Imo State, have regained their freedom.

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have separately gone before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, to challenge the tribunal judgment that nullified the governorship election results in 18 local government areas, LGAs, in the state.

As banks insist on barring customers from access to accounts without Biometric Verification Number, BVN, following the expiration of the deadline for registration, Bank Customers Association of Nigeria, BCAN, has threatened to challenge any action by the banks to restrict access to bank accounts on grounds of non-BVN compliance.

ELDERS and political leaders from Edo South senatorial district of Edo State, weekend, announced plans to forward the problems of Bini Kingdom, to President Muhammadu Buhari, through the state governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.

MEMBERS of Edo State House of Assembly, weekend, gave reasons why the House passed a vote of confidence on the Speaker of the House, Mr Victor Edoror, saying that after investigations the House found out that the Speaker was not involved in the alleged N36 million scam as claimed.

Nsukka—Irate youths of Umabor community in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State weekend invaded Nigeria police division in the area, smashing police vehicles over alleged indiscriminate arrests and detention of youths by officers and men of the division.