Sadly, CBN and our Economic Management Teams have never been able to construct the appropriate foundation which supports low cost of funds (3-6%), low inflation rate (1-3%) and a liberalised forex market to drive the elusive quest for economic diversification

FOR any economist worthy of the name it must have appeared like fiction or fairy tales. Who would have thought that a President of any nation, even a Banana Republic, said to be a Ph.D holder would in one day sign off N289 million to a security outfit without authority from the National Assembly, NASS, and have the funds withdrawn illegally from a government agency? Saul Bellow has pointed to how power destroys the sanity of most people. But, power allied with stupidity amounts to a double curse on the people led by such individuals. As German philosopher Frederick Von Schiller, 1759-1805 (VBQ p 235) has advised us “Against stupidity [of the leaders] the gods themselves struggle in vain.”

THERE are indications that the Senate and the House of Representatives are working at cross-purposes on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, pending in both chambers.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resource, Dr Ibe Kachikwu and that of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, have said President Muhammadu Buhari will probably win the 2019 presidential election

NIGERIA Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and United Labour Congress, ULC, will today task federal and state governments on review of minimum wage, good governance, improved security, payment of backlog of salaries, unemployment and corruption, as they join their counterparts worldwide to mark May Day, otherwise known as Workers Day.

President Muhammadu Buhari has further extended the tenure of embattled Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, Jamila Shu’ara, to 2018.

The recurring problem of presiding officers of the National Assembly being in conflict with governors of their home states is being played out in the persisting faceoff between Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives and Governor Mohammed Abubakar. The problem was first brought to national attention after three local government chairmen from the speaker’s constituency were suspended after paying a courtesy call on the speaker in Abuja.

Over 1000 golfers, both professionals and up-coming from Lagos, Jos the capital of Plateaus state, Kaduna and other parts of the country have converged at the Gongila Valley Golf Court, Ashaka Cement Factory in Gombe state for the maiden edition of the Gombe Talba Open Golf tournament held from the 28th to 30th of April, 2017.

RIVERS State All Progressive Congress, APC, has dismissed the alarm raised by the state governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, alleging plot by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to frame him, describing the allegation as a ploy to blackmail the Police.

ANTHONY JOSHUA has been likened to the greatest boxer of all time Muhammad Ali after a picture of two strikingly similar knockouts went viral.

It promises to be a bumper harvest of tennis action in Nigeria for the next five weeks as the Tombim Tennis Futures 1 serves off today in Abuja, with seven Nigerians competing in the singles draw of 32.

Governor Okowa of Delta State has called on the Federal Government to do something urgent to address the menace of Funali herdsmen in the country.

DELTA State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has summoned Chevron Nigeria Limited and Kokodiagbene community, in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state, which threatened, last week, to occupy Otunana Flow Station, operated by the oil multinational, following its alleged failure to extend electricity to the host riverine settlement, to the State Security Council meeting, scheduled for Wednesday in Asaba.

No fewer than 30 traditional rulers were among the large gathering of Anioma people that witnessed the 14th edition of Anioma Cultural Festival at Anglican Girls Grammar School, Asaba, Delta State.

WLADIMIR Klitschko has called for an instant Anthony Joshua rematch after losing the boxing classic at Wembley last night.