LET me place it on record that the decision to invite Your Royal Highnesses and other stakeholders to this crucial meeting was the collective decision of all the 19 Governors under our forum and was borne out of the recognition of the fundamental – if not indispensable – position and role the traditional institution occupy in the grand scheme of things in Nigeria, particularly in the Northern region. For us in Northern Nigeria, our royal fathers are, for the most part, custodians of both our cultural and religious values, highly revered and hold their traditional offices in virtual perpetuity.

Bauchi—About seven people were confirmed dead, while five others were injured in a motor accident attributed to over-speeding by one of the drivers in Bauchi State, yesterday.

ENUGU — RESIDENTS of Coal Camp Ogbete Enugu and other passers-by will soon heave a sigh of relief as the coal camp motor spare parts market that had caused congestion in the old Enugu settlement would soon be relocated to the 9th Mile Corner in the outskirts of Enugu metropolis.

Last December, the Nigerian Army demanded a retraction of the what it described as the “unwarranted and serial provocative, unauthorized, libelous and defamatory publications against the person of Lt. Gen. T.Y. Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff and Nigerian Army counter insurgency operations in the North East” from the publisher of the Premium Times, an online medium. Convinced that the publication could not be justified the Army threatened to sue for libel. In a detailed reply to the letter the counsel to the Premium Times, Mr. Jiti Ogunye, called off the bluff of the Army. Apart from rejecting the demand for a retraction he asked the Chief of Army Staff to apologise for threatening to violate the constitutional rights of his client’s staff to life and freedom of expression.

Attempts by Suicide Bombers to attack a mosque and a security post in Borno State were foiled by vigilant security men and volunteers.

NSUKKA—A 70 year old herbalist, Simon Odo Okoro a.k.a Onuwa, has divorced his 57 wives. The herbalist who vowed not to marry again has accused some of his children of allegedly sleeping with some of them. However, Onuwa, who calls himself King of Satan broke his vow not marry again by quickly remarrying one of the youngest of his divorced wives, an 18 year old Chidinma.

The Senate has summoned the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Lawal Daura, to shed light on the agency’s indictment of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as an unfit person to head the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’s Forum, Mr Ayodele Fayose, in the early morning on Wednesday foiled an attempt by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) from arresting Apostle Johnson Suleiman of The Omega Fire Ministries World wide in Ado Ekiti.

The eight students and two staff of the Nigeria Turkish International School, Isheri, Ogun State, who were abducted on January 13, 2017, have regained their freedom.

ENUGU — A rice farmer at Ezinator- Ohofia, Oduma in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, Mr Simon Chukwu, has relived his ugly experiences in the hands of Fulani herdsmen during the last Christmas season, explaining that he escaped death through the skin of the teeth.

President Muhammadu Buhari and two others have been dragged before a Federal High Court siting in Abuja over alleged budget proposal to purchase vehicle for former Presidents, Heads of state and their Deputies at the cost of N400 million.

Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun will be 59 years today. In this interview, his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Adejuwon Soyinka, speaks on why the governor has embarked on numerous ambitious projects and how he intends to complete them before leaving office in 2019.

An estranged wife, Toyin Ogunminiyi, yesterday, urged a customary court sitting in Ikole-Ekiti to help effect the release of six pairs of her panties in her husband’s possession.

No less than 2.3 million Nigerians living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus are not on any form of treatment even as health experts have raised alarm over the growing incidence of resistance to Anti-retroviral drugs in the country.

There are several units within the FGN that appear to be working hard. Sadly, most of them are working in “silos” and solving fringe problems