UCH gets new facility

A LEADING Turnkey medical equipment solutions company in the country, JNC International Limited (JNCI) has congratulated the Chief Medical Director (CMD) at University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Prof. Temitope Alonge, on the commissioning today of the first state–of-the-art Cardiovascular Centre in Nigeria by the Minister of Health, Prof. Christian Onyebuchi.

FG signs N2b road contract

THE Federal Government has signed a N2.2 billion contract for the construction of 14 kilometres Ada-Okere-Ukoni-Amedokhian road in Edo state.

Court voids sack of Imo judicial panel

AN Owerri High Court on Wednesday declared null and void the sack of the four-member Imo Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

Stolen crude trigger crisis in Bayelsa Communities

OPERATIVES of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) yesterday averted a bloody communal clash between the youths of the Odogwuama and Tamana communities of Oporoma in the Southern Ijaw Local Council area of Bayelsa State over alleged disagreement on the proceeds from stolen crude oil and illegally refined products.

Cross River plans new housing policy

POISED to make accommodation available for all in the next few years, Cross State government is putting in place a new housing policy.

African tourism ministers seek common visa regime

TO shore up its performance in global tourism and encourage intra-travel in the region, African tourism ministers have called for a common visa regime.

Daniel sues Amosun, others for alleged defamation

IMMEDIATE past Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel has sued his successor Ibikunle Amosun and some of his aides before an Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta for alleged defamation of character.

Imo, U.S. group unite against drug abuse

THE Imo State government has said it would partner a United States (U.S.) based non- governmental organisation (NGO), Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), to tackle drug abuse, criminality, violence, excessive alcohol intake and cultism among youths and peer groups.

‘Heavy rain will persist till July’

ALTHOUGH many Nigerians seek respite from the heavy downpour that continues to hit some states in the Federation, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has asked the citizenry to brace up for more rains in the coming days, forecasting that the rains might not subside until the third week of July.

ICPC arrests pensions task force official, Maina faults Senate

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested an official in the office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HoS), Mr. John Agabi Emmanuel, for corruptly enriching himself with pension funds. Agabi works directly with the Pensions Reform Task Team.

NSG tasks govt on insecurity, corruption

A GROUP of prominent Nigerians under the platform of the National Summit Group (NSG) has called on the Federal Government and the security agencies to use the carrot and stick approach on the Boko Haram insurgency.

Nigerian Embassy’s account in US not frozen - Bank

OFFICIALS of the Manufacturers and Traders Trust Bank (M & T Bank), United States (US), on Tuesday, disclosed that bank accounts of the Nigerian embassy were at no time frozen, adding that the accounts of the embassy was only closed to allow them meet up with the new government’s regulations on money arriving from abroad.

Oil theft probe: Reps threaten to arrest Petinrin, Ibrahim •As DPR boss calls for stiffer penalty for oil thieves

THE House of Representatives panel probing the upsurge of illegal oil bunkering activities in Nigeria’s coastal region, on Wednesday, threatened to wield the big sticks over the failure of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin and the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ola Saad Ibrahim, to appear before it.

FCMB launches “Committed to Green” campaign in Ibadan

FIRST City Monument Bank (FCMB) Oyo Zone, on Thursday, launched a Corporate Social Responsibility programme tagged: ‘C2G- Committed to Green’ campaign in Ibadan, aimed at endorsing the theme of the World Environment Day, cleaning major roads in Ibadan metropolis.

Kaduna curfew: Kerosene scarcity hits Abuja

The Abuja NNPC mega station, on Thursday, said it had no kerosene to sell because of the curfew imposed in Kaduna State following the recent attacks on churches and reprisals by Christian youths.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the station has had no stock of the product for almost a week now.

Court dismisses suit against cash-less policy

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit instituted against the cash-less policy initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Nigeria loses N455bn annually to poor sanitation - UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Thursday, has said that hundreds of Nigerians dye yearly due to poor sanitation in Nigeria, adding that the nation has been losing over N455 billion annually to the ugly trend.

Pastor runs mad while praying for mad man

PEOPLE living at Oke-Ado area of Ibadan, Oyo State, as well as shop owners and automobile dealers along Molete road in the town, on Thursday, watched a drama involving a pastor and a mad man.

Reps worry over lack of proper alignment between gas, power sectors

The House of Representatives Committee on Gas Resource has expressed concern over the lack of proper alignment between the gas and power sectors of the economy which it said may make the National Integrated Power Plant (NIPP) to run into a hitch.

4 Operation Burst members die in auto crash in Ibadan

FOUR men of the Oyo State Joint Security Patrol Squad, codenamed Operation Burst, lost their lives with five others critically injured on Thursday morning, in an accident involving a patrol van of the security outfit with number OB-11, a space bus and a motorcycle with registration numbers Lagos MH 226 KJA and OYO KEH 196 QA.

Gunmen kill Plateau PDP chief, wife, child

SUSPECTED Fulani herdsmen at Gwarim in Rim Village yesterday killed the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Sharubutu Ward in Bachit District of Riyom Local Council of Plateau State, Mr. John Baren, his wife and their child.

Reps order Dana Air to pay families of crash victims

THE House of Representatives has ordered the authorities of Dana Air to commence the immediate payment of the required compensation to families of the victims of the aircraft that crashed in Lagos on June 3, 2012, killing 153 on board.

Reps oil subsidy probe report: Culprits won’t go unpunished - Jonathan

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has given a strong indication that those indicted in the report of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee which probed subsidy regime will not go unpunished as the Federal Government is in the process of building a water-tight case against them.

Reps’ panel grills Lawan, summons Femi Otedola

THE House of Representatives’ Committee on Ethics and Privileges yesterday began an investigation into the $620,000 bribery allegation that resulted from the petroleum products’ subsidy management probe. The investigation, however, fell short of public expectation as the Gambo Musa-led Ethics Committee suddenly decided to conduct the hearing behind closed doors.