PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that if Nigeria as a country must make progress, the government must take the bold step and remove subsidy on petroleum products.

Contrary to reports that the federal government has finally removed fuel subsidy, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, disclosed yesterday, that Goodluck President Jonathan was sill consulting and would announce his decision on the issue at the end of the consultations.

President Goodluck Jonathan,yesterday, was silent on the issue of subsidy removal on petroleum products as he presented a budget of N4.749 trillion to the National Assembly with a deficit of N1.105 trillion. He said it would be the start of prudent financial planning.

THE Federal Government, yesterday, admitted that Police has not got to grips with challenges posed by terrorist groups like the Boko Haram insurgency blaming its failure so far in stopping the bombings on the new style adopted by the insurgents.

The people of Sapele, the center of the Nigerian timber industry, in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, were jolted from sleep at about 5.30 a.m., yesterday, by a thunderous explosion, which occurred at the main mosque in the town, leaving a Moslem critically injured and parts of the mosque shattered.

The Nigerian Red Cross yesterday confirmed that the explosion which killed seven people and injured several others last Wednesday on Ogbomoso road, Ori Apata area of Kaduna was a bomb contrary to the claim by the police that it was sparked by compressed chemical inside cylinders.

Hours after northern leaders ended their two-day parley in Kaduna on how to ensure that peace reigns in the north, the city was thrown into mourning yesterday, following an explosion which killed at least eight persons including a pregnant woman and her two children and injuring several others.

Senators were, yesterday, divided over plans by President Goodluck Jonathan to remove subsidies from petroleum products in January 2012.

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, warned the Federal Government of the possibility of having what he called “Arab spring” experience in Nigeria if the rate of “unemployment,” is not checked.

BAYELSA STATE Governor Timipre Sylva, yesterday, dared the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, when he declared that he will launch his campaign on the party’s platform on Wednesday despite the fact that he has been restrained from participating in the gubernatorial primaries last week.