FOLLOWING the transmission of the 2020 Federal Appropriation Bill from the National Assembly to President Muhammadu Buhari and its assent into law by the latter, we wish to commend the Executive and Legislative arms for effectively restoring the January to December budget cycle which was fractured as a result of irresponsibility by public officials.

EXAMINATION malpractice has been a major challenge in Nigeria’s education sector for more than five decades.

THE Kogi State Command of the Nigerian Police on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 paraded six young men suspected to have murdered the Woman Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mrs. Salome Abuh, after the violent governorship elections in Ochadamu, Ofu Local Government Area of the State.

THOUGH most observers believe that the recent Federal Government’s launch of the Financial Transparency Policy and Portal, FTPP, is populist, we would like to focus on its merits and support efforts which must be made to realise the objectives.

ZAMFARA, one of the last six states created in Nigeria, October 1, 1996 by the late General Sani Abacha, stands out, but not always for happy reasons.

DEMOCRACIES thrive on checks and balances. In the absence of formidable opposition a multi-party democracy can transform into a one party-dominated state, which is a prelude to misgovernance, civilian dictatorship and instability.

THE Federal Character Commission was established through Act No. 34 of 1996 “to promote, monitor and enforce compliance with the principles of the proportional sharing of all the bureaucratic, economic, media and political posts at all levels of government”.

ANOTHER round of tension is brewing in the polity following the announcement by the Federal Government that it is remodelling “grazing areas” throughout the country into ranches.

THE setting up of the Creative Industry Financing Initiative, CIFI, by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee to improve access to long-term low-cost financing to entrepreneurs and investors in the Nigerian Creative and Information Technology sub-sector, is both timely and a step in the right direction.

UNSUBSTANTIATED claims of potency of some medicines, both orthodox and traditional, to snare gullible buyers, have been proliferating in our society. The regulatory authorities, since the exit of the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, appear to have gone to sleep in their duties regarding this danger.

THIS year’s World AIDS Day was marked on Sunday, December 1, 2019 with the theme: “Communities Make The Difference”.

TOWARDS the end of the October 2019 deadline for all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, of the Federal Government to ensure their staff were enrolled in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari, the battle line got drawn between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

IN other countries the news that “trillions” of naira were wasted in the past ten to twenty years on the so-called “constituency projects” of the National Assembly should have brought outraged and angry citizens to the streets. But in Nigeria, massive public sector corruption is no longer news, which is very sad!

AFTER the brief burst of optimism for the future of Nigeria’s democracy which trailed the 2015 general elections the sense of gloom seems to have returned.

SINCE the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in association with the Bankers’ Committee announced plans to revive the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu Lagos, and make it a creative hub for harnessing of the abundant creative talents of our young people, all manners of opposition have been raised against this commendable initiative.