Sokoto—Barely a week after the release of N1,245,889,678.85 to pay outstanding gratuities of retired local government officers by Sokoto State government, the Ministry of Local Government has commenced payment of the gratuities.

As part of his 80th birthday celebrations, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday donated 12 tortoise story books written by him to some public and private schools in Ifo Local Government area of Ogun State.

BUT for the timely intervention of the police and Abia State House of Assembly, blood would have flowed freely in Amaiyi Okpo Ihechiowa community of Arochukwu Council area of Abia State, following a land dispute between the Catholic Church and some members of the community.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, yesterday blew the lid off activities of unscrupulous individuals engaged in the forgery of the Agency’s documents, production of counterfeit alcoholic beverages, water for injection and sales of suspected counterfeit Peak Milk.

FOLLOWING his selection as one of MTV Base’s artistes to watch this year, Indigenous Hip Hop Artiste, Terry Apala, has declared that he is not under any form of pressure to switch from his genre of music. Terry who has just released his first single in 2017, a thumping mid tempo song titled Social Media, boasted in a chat with Showtime that like artistes doing other genres of music, he is ready and would take Apala music to the world in 2017. He believes that with his talent and stage craft he can grab international award nominations and possible wins with his Apala music. “I’m not under any kind of pressure to change my kind of music