MRS. Vero Paul lived in a dilapidated building near the canal that links Amukoko and Sari-Iganmu, two slummy neighbourhoods in Lagos. She had earnestly prayed to raise enough funds to enable the family move out of the flood-prone ghetto, but her efforts yielded little or no dividend.

On Tuesday, March 6, we published the first part of our visit to Koluama communities, which we said would be continued. We apologize for not continuing with the concluding part on Wednesday, March 7. The report ends today, March 8, with our findings at Temazau, Kaleweiama , Koluama I and other communities in Koluama clan, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa state.

WHEN Vanguard visited Koluama I, Koluama 2, Temazau, Ebidouama and other communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, which were affected by the January 16, 2012 explosion of a gas rig, K.S Endeavour (Panama), near the North Apoi platform/field, west of the Funiwa field, on Wednesday, February 22, it was observed that neither the Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, operator of the rig nor the Federal Government, had undoubtedly evaluated the environmental, health and economic implications of the disaster on the people.

ACCORDING to official figures, the leading oil producing state, Rivers, received N1,053 billion between 1999 and 2008 in federal allocations. By contrast the North-eastern states of Yobe and Borno, where the Boko Haram sect was created, received N175bn and N213bn respectively. Broken down on a per capita basis, the contrast is even starker. In 2008 the 18.97m people who lived in the six states in the north-east received on average N1,156 per person.

It was like any other Sunday in the Plateau State capital in the recent past. Unknown to many, however, what appeared to be a serene day with bright morning sun emerging from the clouds was to be blighted by a blast which opened another chapter in the chronicle of crises and the search for peace in Jos.