Chief Patrick Ogbu, the immediate past Chairman of the board of directors of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, a grassroots politician, and director in the Senator David Mark’s re-election campaign organization. In this interview he spoke about external forces against Senator Mark, why these forces are urging and supporting Daniel Onjeh to run against Mark in the coming Benue South senatorial rerun election and how the PDP would bounce back in 2019 among other issues.

IN the United States, there is an entire movement based on the rehabilitation of prisoners (rather than their incarceration) as studies show two-thirds of prisoners reoffend within barely two years of leaving prison, often in a more violent way than whatever offence they were previously convicted of.

THE Olu of Warri, HRM Ogiame Ikenwoli, yesterday, visited the Akugbene Mein Kingdom in Bomadi Local Government Area, Pere S. P. Luke Kalanama VIII and the Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom, HRM Wilson Ojakovo, in Ughelli North Local Government Area, both of Delta State, in furtherance of his resolve to foster peaceful coexistence between the Itsekiri nation and neighbouring communities.

Senator Ben Murray-Bruce is unarguably one of the most respected serving Senators in Nigeria today. As a successful Entrepreneur with welfarist ideology and love for Country, he came with one mission; To take Nigeria out of the woods into a more creative and productive Country. And he seems to be in hurry to achieve this, the Senator currently has close to ten bills aside motions in the National Assembly in less than seven months. These are not just ordinary Bills and motions but very historic ones indeed.

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said, yesterday, that President Muhammadu Buhari sacked heads of 27 federal parastatals on Monday because they were compromised by the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The cancellation of the election of the immediate past senate president, Senator David Mark in Benue south senatorial zone by the Appeal Court has created serious political curiosity and tension in the state. While it is obvious that David Mark was not the only senator who probably lost an election, the reverberation from the annulment is a clear indication that the embattled Mark is a big factor in Benue politics.

Factfile on Roma and Real Madrid ahead of the Champions League last 16, first leg between the clubs at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday:

WHEN President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2016 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on 22 December 2015, he couldn’t have envisaged the type of controversy that has since trailed it. No, Buhari couldn’t have anticipated that what was initially praised as a budget of great promise would turn out to be the non starter that it is fast turning out to be- except somebody takes the bold step necessary to salvage it from imminent asphyxiation.

An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, witness, Mr Emeka Emenalo, yesterday, told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos that he withdrew several sums of money from his company’s account within the period his account was credited by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.

The Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria, IBMN, is set to hold its third distinguished honourary award/ induction of associates at the LCCI Conference Centre.

NSUKKA—The people of Aji community in Enugu-Ezike, Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, are grumbling over the poor condition of their community secondary school buildings. The Aji High School, which was built through communal effort in the 70s, is in ruins as all the six buildings in the compound are dilapidated and not conducive for learning.

ENUGU—The Enugu State House of Assembly, Tuesday last week, threw out the Equal Rights and Opportunities for men and women and Other Matters Related Thereto Bill sponsored by a female legislator, claiming that the bill was another way of introducing gay marriage in the state. The bill, sponsored by Dame Lydia Nkechi Omeje-Ogbu (Nsukka West Constituency) and House Committee Chairman on Gender Affairs, had scaled the first reading before suffering a setback as most members kicked viciously against it.

Former Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

UMUAHIA—IT was a pitiable sight watching little Miss Chinaemerem Ochinihu Ikeri lay painfully on her hospital bed at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Umuahia, Abia State. She could not talk, but only stared and gnashed her teeth continually. Chinaemerem, a pupil of Ubakala Community Primary School II, who hails from Oyimo in Ubakala, Umuahia South Council Area was said to have been knocked down by an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in the state, who later abandoned her in hospital over eight months ago.

TENSION built up in Oporoza, Okerenkoko and other Gbaramatu-Ijaw riverine communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, yesterday, following the announcement by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday that government had deployed more troops to the Niger Delta region to tackle pipeline vandals.