Few weeks after resolving its differences with teachers after the closure of primary schools for eight months, Benue State is in trouble again.

By now, the All Progressives Congress, APC, would have been rattled to the reality of the fact that all is indeed not well with the party especially with the recent decampment of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. This defection from the All Progressives Congress, APC, despite being the 2011 presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN ,was upon his conviction that the 2015 presidential ticket of the APC was out of his reach. It was reported that Ribadu was few weeks ago told to forget about running for the 2015 presidency and concentrate on running for Adamawa governorship.

In what many are describing as a gambit with the potential for dangerous and unimaginable consequences, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, led by Professor Attahiru Jega, may have set itself up for opprobrium from a section of the Nigerian nation. Its recently announced 30,000 new Polling Units, PUs, has been distributed across the country. Yet, in a curious twist of logic, the cleaning of the Voter Register, VR, which has seen many states in the northern part of Nigeria lose ‘GHOST VOTERS’ in their millions, have been allocated a whopping 21,615 (twenty one thousand, six hundred and fifteen) PUs, as against a meagrely 8,412 (eight thousand, four hundred and twelve).

NIGERIA is set to take on the rest of the world with the “9jaBOLT” Eaglemobile, a state-of-the-art prototype, and solar-powered racing automobile that is designed and built in Nigeria by Nigerians. History was made recently when Nigeria secured Africa’s sole entry to compete with its revolutionary prototype in the next edition of the prestigious World Solar Challenge, coming up in October 2015 in Adelaide, Australia.

IT came like a thief in the night, unannounced but deadly. And since its stealthy arrival, death has been stalking the land, leaving tears, sorrow and fear in its wake.
At the last check, the death toll has hit the 1,145 mark, according to the World Health Organisation, WHO. Indeed the world has known no peace but fear since an outbreak of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, went out of control, ravaging West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

WHAT was supposed to have elicited enthusiasm across Nigeria, only produced mixed feelings, as many doubted if it held any promise for the country. Indeed it was confounding that a Nigerian company venturing into vehicle manufacturing business with the prospects of redefining car ownership in the country, was not enough to inspire excitement

”You are no doubt cognisant of the on-going and serious security challenges which the nation is facing, as typified by the Boko Haram terrorist threat. This is an issue that we have discussed at various times. I would like to bring to your attention, the urgent need to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of our Armed Forces and Security services to enable them more forcefully confront this serious threat

Oruh Ugonna Mary is the African Coordinator of The Life Changers Group, a non-governmental organization that gives succor to the less privileged, particularly abandoned children. In this interview, the Abia-born graduate of Economic and Statistics from the University of Benin talks about the organization and her challenges so far as the regional head of the international organization floated in Nigeria in November 2012.

Oba Josiah Olanrewaju Ilemobade Aina, JPs (Jerusalem Pilgrim/Justice of Peace), is the Oloto of Oto-Awori and the Kuyamiku 1. In this interview, he speaks on the position of Lagos State obas as fathers of politicians, life as a politician, and as ‘son’ of the paramount ruler of Lagos State, Oba Rilwan Akiolu

WHEN Yemi woke up Thursday morning and remembered that he had an appointment at 12 noon with his Shipping company in Apapa, he became apprehensive. Two weeks earlier, he had kept a similar appointment at Apapa and the harrowing experience of that trip to the Port town, is better forgotten than re-lived. He thought of going through Ijora but quickly jettisoned the idea because “if you are trapped in the traffic in that axis, you may stay there throughout that day”

Prince Bola Ajao, a former chairman of Ifelodun local government, between 2004 and 2007, is the current publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State. He reveals why his party’s standard-bearer in the August 9 governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, will defeat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who is also the incumbent governor, the lapses of the APC government in the state, among other issues.

It was not until August 4, last year, when he turned 80 that many Nigerians got to know, through publications in the print media, about the humble beginning, indeed, the grass-to-grace narrative of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Anthony Akhakon Anenih, Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) and the Iyasele (Prime Minister) of Esanland

Some call him “the Game Changer”.
Others say he is the “Asiwaju of Nigeria’s democracy.” Yet, not a few view him a “master strategist,” as a political titan of no mean measure. These are but a few epaulets that adorn the shoulder of this dogged fighter who, today, stands on a high moral ground to speak on Nigeria’s democratic dispensation – its norms, mores, codes, evolution, development and sustenance. But why, you may ask?

Mr Lawal Charanchi is the coordinator of the Service to Humanity Foundation, a non- governmental organization set up by the First Lady of Katsina State, Dr. Fatima Ibrahim Shema, to empower women and the vulnerable. In this interview, he explains how foundation has done so far in complementing the state government efforts to reduce poverty in the state

They were 35 pick up trucks in all – 35. The vehicles had no number plates; therefore, there was no way on earth you could identify the owners in the event of a road mishap – even for the good of the occupants.