Also included in the approved funding for the executive is the evacuation of refuse from the state capital, the building of the state park, the sand filling of Niger Delta University (NDU), the proper funding of the three football clubs in the state, Bayelsa United, Ocean Boys and Bayelsa Queens and the clearing of all drains in the state capital, Yenagoa

The Fitch report shows that no agency-rated bank is expected to breach its minimum regulatory capital requirements, based on the agency’s calculations in a capital-sensitivity test for Fitch-rated banks and assuming a 50 per cent provision for estimated exposures. Given the present operating environment, Fitch expects that Nigerian banks will need to manage their costs and overhead structures more closely going forward.

“We want to stress that no NUT official or school has a right to deny school children access to their classrooms for learning, and government will not sit back and allow its programmes for the education sector to suffer unjustly,” the statement added.

By  Chidi Nkwopara OWERRI—Imo State Command of the State Security Service (SSS) has arrested three persons, who claim to be students of Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri, while they were negotiating for money to assassinate a lady.

He also blamed the landlords of demolished structures, including completed residential buildings, for remaining adamant to the earlier warning issued by his office.

His words: “We are aware that the staffing position of DESOPADEC had been a problem, I am putting up a structure that will look into the staff, those that are really required to run the outfit properly and those that are not required, we found that the place is over bloated with staff, staff that really don’t have any job function.

The House of Representatives has accused the NNPC of manipulating the prices of part of the 45,000 barrels of crude oil per day allocated it for its three refineries. The Reps said the NNPC sold part of the unrefined crude to some foreign companies yet to be identified at a discount, thus making the country to lose not less than N280 billion ($1.87 billion) between 2004 and 2007.

THE Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) has berated the President Umaru Yar’Adua administration on the distribution of political appointments.

By Demola Akinyemi Ilorin — THE Kwara State government, in partnership with Bank of Industry (BoI), has secured a loan of N750m to create job opportunities and generate massive employment for residents in the state.

“Let me tell you, some people will think that I am betraying the struggle, but, it is not so, I know the reason I have decided to accept amnesty.

OWERRI—Imo State government has revoked the appointment of Mr. Steve Onu, who until Wednesday, was the General Manager of Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO).

By Chidi Nkwopara OWERRI—The member representing Njaba Local Government Area in Imo State House of Assembly, Mr. Josephat Emenaha, says resource control remains the recipe for ending the on-going crisis in the Niger Delta region.

By  Daniel Idonor AS a special session of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting is to be held today to consider what government said were crucial memos from the Ministry of Power.  FEC yesterday, after a prolonged meeting, approved various agriculture projects worth over N64 billion, the first of its kind in the last […]

The Econom-ic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday docked the Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Nicholas Ugbane, his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Dr. Abdulahi Aliyu, before an Abuja Federal High Court over alleged perpetration of monumental fraud.

By Tony Edike ENUGU—ELECTRICITY consumers in the five states of South East zone of the country, have protested what they called fraudulent and crazy billing by Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in the zone.