That the Executive and the National Assembly should cooperate as partners to put in place an enabling law that should lead to a successful and hitch-free National Conference. In that context the Committee recommends that the President should send an Executive Bill for the purpose of the National Conference to the National Assembly, which shall enact it into the enabling law. The Committee is convinced that, on balance of probability, it is safer to have such an enabling law, than to assume it is not needed.

In our Friday edition, we published the strategies adopted by the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue in the execution of its assignment. Today we publish the fourth installment.

THE leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in the South-west has accepted a challenge of mobilizing the Church to put an end to Islamic intolerance in the nation.
Chairman of CAN South-west also declared a 31-day fasting and prayers programme for the persecuted Church in Nigeria with effect from January 14.

Barely four weeks after university lecturers under the auspices of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) called-off their five months strike, lecturers of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, have threatened a showdown with the university Management over issues bordering on welfare, facilities and tuition fees.

* Conference to be managed by 13-member secretariat under Executive secretary with two members from each geo-political zone

* Majority of delegates to be elected directly on the principles of universal adult suffrage

Archbishop Christian Aggrey Ovwoma Apena of Bethseda Church International, close to tears, tells the story of how he parted ways with the late Archbishop of Church of God Mission, Benson Idahosa, and the Anglican Church. Apena’s father was the first pastor in Isoko land, having been ordained on December 31, 1931. Following in his father’s footsteps, he was close to being ordained an Anglican Church pastor before he was enmeshed in a crisis that led to his exit from the church. “I left the Anglican Church because I had the Pentecostal spirit that they didn’t have. I don’t blame them. I was the first Pentecostal reverend in Delta Province, I was the first Pentecostal bishop in Delta and I’m the first Pentecostal archbishop. I’m the one making bishops now,” said the retired school principal.

As a politician of northern extraction, I urge my people to give President Jonathan their complete support to get second term in the spirit of upholding the 60years of unbroken political alliance between the North and South/South initiated and consummated by our founding fathers- Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Festus Okotie Eboh, Chief Melforf Okilo; and consolidated in the 2nd Republic by President Shehu Shagari, Chief Joseph Wayas, Alhaji Maitama Sule, Chief Melford Okilo, Chief Edwin Clark, and currently sustained by the dual mandates of the late President Yar’Adua, President Jonathan & co.

Does this government or indeed the Supervisory Minister of Education, Mr Nyeson Wike, take delight in allowing things to get out of hand before paying attention to it. This question is pertinent because similar bungling on the part of government was witnessed during the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and it seems to be happening now in University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). During the ASUU strike Wike talked down on the teachers and even threatened to sack all of them. President Goodluck Jonathan was said to have apologised to ASUU officials at a meeting, leading to the end of the strike.

After spending most of the day dancing round the carnival routes in Calabar at the weekend with band members, Governor of Cross Rivers State, Senator Liyel Imoke, did not show sign of fatigue as he took time out at about 2 am to chat with journalists on the Calabar Festival.
He shared the vision of his administration for tourism, adding that he has come to terms with the fact the state cannot possibly survive depending on oil revenues.

ON the front burner of Nigeria is kerosene, its subsidy and availability. Asking an intricate question, is kerosene the best thing for Nigeria at this time? Do we really need subsidy for kerosene?