ABUJA—SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said that the National Assembly was handicapped in stopping monthly allocations to local government councils without democratically elected chairmen.

The immediate past Leader of the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, in this interview ahead of his 60th birthday tomorrow, speaks of his life experiences.

Lagos—Chairman of the Hausa traders at Mile 12 market, Alhaji Haruna Muhammed hs appealed to Lagos State chapter of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, to prevail on the state government to re-open the market, disclosing that perishable goods worth more than N500 million was lost to the closure.

SOME senators said yesterday that there were no moves to shop for a successor for Senate President, Bukola Saraki, just as they stressed that there was no need for such plot.

Former Super Eagles coach Johannes Bonfrere has argued that it was only Coach Stephen Keshi that had what it took to coach the national team.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, weekend, said it has reopened the Port Harcourt refinery, about six weeks after it was shut down, while it also disclosed that it has stepped up efforts to bring the fuel scarcity currently witnessed across the country to an end.

THE Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has vowed to drag Zenith General Insurance, Intercontinental Life Assurance Company, Leadway Assurance to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over their failure to settle indemnity claims to affected staff involved in the administration’s Group Life Assurance Scheme.

Ado-Ekiti—Following the alleged invasion and arrest of four members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Friday evening by the operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS), Governor Ayodele Fayose has declared that he cannot be intimidated by any show of force by the Federal Government.

AFTER years of planning, tinkering and preparation, the first Igbo language newspaper, Ikoro, is ready.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its Article IV report on Nigeria released last recently said it will support the federal government’s ongoing efforts at promoting targeted and core infrastructure in the areas of power, integrated transport network and housing. It also gave it nod to government’s effort at reducing business costs through greater transparency and accountability, and applauds plans for massive employment of the youth and female populations.

Although the guidelines clearly state the investment criteria, Financial Vanguard’s findings showed that the National Pension Commission, (PenCom) ensures that interested investors abide strictly by the law. PenCom ensures that in the case of infrastructural investment, there must be a competitive bidding process for any contract, the bidders must be qualified to carry out the contract, there must be a time limit for completion of the contract, there must be a monitoring team to monitor the progress or otherwise of the contract, there must be experts to ascertain that the quality of products the investors purport to buy are up to standard.

lagos—Following the recent mayhem at Mile 12 where some people lost their lives and properties destroyed, Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday, during plenary, called for the relocation of both Mile 12 and Owode Onirin markets from their current locations.

HOPE has been rekindled for provision of holistic cancer care and management in Nigeria following the coming together of eminient Nigerian philanthropists to tackle the menace of the disorder.

THE Nigerian female wrestlers have continued to give a good account of themselves in far away Alexandria, Egypyt as they have won the female team title at the 2016 Senior African Wrestling Championship which was concluded yesterday in Egypt.

I am quite happy with the outcome of events. In terms of technical content, I think it was successful. The different units and organisations that made presentations at the conference demonstrated a clear understanding of the different sectors of agriculture. They also proposed adopted and tested solutions to challenges in agriculture in the country. I am really impressed with the presentations made at the conference, particularly the way the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, tackled the issues in the agricultural sector. I am quite convinced that the minister has a good idea of the direction the agricultural sector in Nigeria is headed.