KIDNAPPED ARMY COLONEL FOUND DEAD
A statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said, “The Nigerian Army wishes to regrettably inform the public that colonel Samaila Inusa who was kidnapped on Sunday 27th March, 2016, was found dead yesterday at about 6.00pm. Preliminary investigation revealed that most likely the senior officer was killed same day he was kidnapped by his abductors because the body was found already decomposing around Ajyaita village off Eastern Bypass Kaduna, Kaduna state.
“Arrangements are in progress to move the body to 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.”
The statement added, “Whoever is behind his abduction and murder would be fished out to face the full wrath of the law.
I WON’T RESIGN, SAYS KACHIKWU
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, said on Tuesday in Abuja that he would not resign as he still had a lot of work to do. The minister said this as part of his opening remarks while briefing the senate committee on petroleum (upstream) on the lingering scarcity of petroleum products across the country.
According to him, he did not accept to be minister of petroleum in order to create scarcity. The minister assured that he would work hard to find lasting solutions to the problems in the industry. Kachikwu said that he was pained as much as many Nigerians were that the country still suffered petroleum scarcity in spite of being one of the largest producers of crude oil in the world.
He promised that petrol will be widely available by first week of April.
EDO GUBER: WHY I WANT TO SUCCEED OSHIOMHOLE, BY OBASEKI, APC GUBER ASPIRANT
All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant in Edo state Mr. Godwin Obaseki has said that he wants to be the next governor of the state, so that, he can consolidate on the achievements of the Adams Oshiomhole’s administration.
Obaseki who is also the chairman of the Edo State Economic, told journalists recently that contrary to speculations that the governor wants to foist him on the state, he is contesting for the governorship seat based on his personal conviction that he has a lot to offer to the development of the state.
S/WEST: RIPPLES OVER PDP CHAIRMANSHIP
In recent times, the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the south west have not hidden their desire to produce the next national chairman of the party. But that desire may just remain a dream as the leaders of the party are no longer in one accord on the project.
Indications that there is a crack within the south west PDP on its quest to produce the next national chairman of the party emerged recently when the senator representing Ogun east senatorial district led some leaders of the party on a solidarity visit to the national chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
NIGERIANS ACTUALISED MY BIRTHDAY WISH BY VOTING OUT PDP, TINUBU
Former Lagos state governor and leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said Nigerians fulfilled his birthday wish last year with the victory of his party in the March 28, 2015 presidential election.
Speaking at the 8th edition of the colloquium to mark his 64th birthday in Abuja yesterday, Tinubu said his only wish this last year was for the then opposition party to defeat the erstwhile ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and enthrone Muhammadu Buhari as president. He described PDP as a party of the past and stressed that those criticizing the government and programmes of Buhari belonged to the past.
BUHARI, SANUSI WADE INTO KWANKWASO, GANDUJE’S FACE-OFF
President Muhammadu Buhari and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II has waded into the political feud between the governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his predecessor in office, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Also playing a key role in the ongoing quest for a solution to the bitter confrontation are the governors of the North-West states.
The chairman of the House of Representatives committee on appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin confirmed these interventions, describing the feud as unfortunate and one that was capable of undermining the party in the state and beyond.
SCARCITY: EX-DEPOT PRICE OF PETROL HITS N128
There seems to be no end in sight to the current fuel scarcity as the ex-depot price of petrol rose to an all time high of N128 yesterday from the official N76 per litre, as marketers made desperate moves to source the product to service their clients. The hike in ex-depot price followed pressures from independent marketers to get allocations to sell to consumers who are willing to pay any price for fuel to keep their vehicles on the road.
According to Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) pricing template, ex-depot price as at yesterday remained N76. A source, however, said that there was no way depots would sell petrol at the official ex-depot price of N76 because it was simply impossible to do so. It is regretted that products coming in were being sourced by government at exorbitant rate, all in a bid to douse the tension created by the scarcity, which has apparently crippled businesses and other commercial activities.
UNDP BOOSTS NIGERIA’S AGRIC SYSTEM REFORM
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has explained that expanding the sources of growth and ensuring it is pro-poor remains key elements for reducing the levels of poverty in Nigeria.
Speaking during a breakfast meeting with the media, the new Head of the United Nation’s System and UNDP was providing strategic support to the government of Nigeria in two key areas that will help expand growth, including support to interventions aimed at transforming the country’s agricultural sector and strengthening the solid minerals sector.
LAGOS AT 50: GROUP DEFENDS AMBODE’S CHOICE OF SOYINKA
Coalition of Ibile professionals yesterday defended the choice of Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka as co-chair of the Lagos at 50 celebration committee. In a statement by its General Secretary, Alhaji Wasiu Hassan, the group described members of Eko foundation as rabble-rousers and noise makers seeking cheap publicity and attention for relevance.
He condemned insinuations that indigenes has been marginalized just because some Eko foundation members, who are exclusively from the Island division, lost out in appointments. Wasiu in a statement said, “We should be grateful for having Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi and Prof. Soyinka appointed by a governor who has recognized their qualities to add glamour and depth to an international event for the celebration of a cosmopolitan city like Lagos”.