Between December 29 and 30, 2016, the Abia State House of Assembly was the centre of intrigues as the legislators first impeached their speaker of 18 months, Mr. Martins Azubuike and elected Mr. Kennedy Njoku in his stead. But within 24 hours, Njoku himself resigned paving the way for the election of Mr. Chikwendu Kalu as his replacement. Interestingly, the change occurred on a day the State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu presented the 2017 budget estimates to the Assembly. Vanguard sought explanations on the developments from a key player in the drama, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Cosmos Ndukwe. Excerpts:

The leader of the Northern Inter-Faith and Religious Organizations for Peace, Bishop Musa Fomson has predicted that 2017 would be a year of victory and realization for Nigerians even as he urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow a few citizens of the country hold the larger population hostage.

Seventeen years after the entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria, the dividends are still being awaited, particularly in healthcare. The health sector has continued to struggle for desired change from inadequate budgetary allocations, industrial disharmony, and resurgence of infectious diseases among others.

San Leon Energy Plc, the AIM-listed company focused on oil and gas development and appraisal in Africa and Europe, said reperforation operations at wells in Oil Mining Lease, OML, 18 onshore Nigeria, increased production to about 61,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd).

Prior to the commencement of this year’s edition of Internet Governance Forum, IGF, which held in Guadalajara, Mexico, Nigeria’s Communication Minister, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu stoked a fire of controversy.

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, through its subsidiary, the Pipeline and Product Marketing Company, PPMC, earned N981.35 billion from the sale of white petroleum products between January and October 2016.

The Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, CRRAN, has appealed to the Enugu State government to re-open the Enugu Goat Market popularly known as the New Artisan Market to ease the sufferings of 10,000 traders in the market and other residents.

SIXTY-TWO stocks, representing 35 per cent of the stocks currently listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, recorded no price movement in 2016. Out of the 62, stocks from the financial services sector dominated the list with 27, services follow closely with 10 while ICT and oil and gas both have five each.

Six people lost their lives while many others sustained injuries in separate auto accidents in Sagamu, Ogun State and Malumfashi-Funtua Road in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, yesterday.

The Federal Government should provide enabling environment for entrepreneurs to establish modular refineries, so as to meet the nation’s refining capacity, Emmanuel Ihenacho, Chairman, Integrated Oil and Gas Limited, said.

GENERAL Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, MFM, Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya has sounded a stern warning to corrupt people, saying they will reap whirlwind this year.

LIFE underwriters paid about N74.24 million claims to the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, for onward remittance to families of deceased officers in 2014 under the compulsory group life scheme for federal government workers.

THE board of Rangers International of Enugu will meet this morning to take a decision on the possible sale of their star forward, Chisom Egbuchulam to Tunisian suitors, Club Africaine.

IMMEDIATE past Chairman of Nestle Foods Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, has criticised the Code of Corporate Governance released by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, FRCN, saying the code is unfriendly to businesses.

A PROFESSOR of Reproductive Endocrinology and Joint Pioneer of IVF in Nigeria and West Africa, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru has called for the setting up of regional centres of intellect as a way of improving access to qualitative healthcare services in Nigeria.