ABUJA—THE federal government, yesterday, disclosed that plans had been concluded to move from the present position of power generation of 4,500 to 10,000 megawatts by December. Speaking when she appeared before the Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy, led by Senator Phillip Adudua, PDP, FCT, Minister of State for Power, Hajia Zainab Kuchi, told the senators that the federal government had completed the process of privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. Kuchi, who disclosed that N347 billion was required for increase in transmission of megawatts, said the generating and transmission companies could not be handed over yet as the ministry was poised to ensure that they were in good shape before their hand over to the successor companies. She raised alarm that the handover had been hampered by lack of fund, adding that the ministry had been running on zero allocation. The minister noted that…

A network of Islamic organizations led by Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has urged the Federal Government to look beyond declaration of state of emergency in tackling the security challenges facing the country.  It said holistic measure at resolving some other grey areas regarding the socio-economic segments of Nigerian public life was more imperative. The network, whose text read by Director of MURIC and university don, Prof. Is-haq Lakin Akintola in Lagos Thursday, also questioned the rationale behind the Lagos State government banning the use of hijab in public schools in the centre of excellence. It chided the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, over a comment credited to her speech communicating the government’s decision where she remarked that Muslim parents desiring the use of hijab in schools should take their daughters to Muslim private schools, adding that by so doing, the commissioner had declared war on Muslims in Lagos…

FORBES released its annual list of The World’s Most Powerful Women and Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, ranks 83rd. According to Forbes, the list is made up of 100 women who made the most impact. They include top politicians and CEOs, activist billionaires and celebrities.

Seven suspects arrested in Borno Northern govs seek justice for victims   The death toll of policemen killed by members of the Ombatse cult in Nasarawa State has climbed to 72 following the discovery of the bodies of 25 policemen that had been hitherto declared missing in a mass grave in an unnamed village in the state. Security authorities had earlier confirmed 57 operatives, comprising 47 policemen and 10 agents of the State Security Service (SSS), killed in the attack that took place on May 7 when they were on a rescue mission to a village in Nasarawa State.   The police, which launched a manhunt for the killers, had declared the 25 policemen missing because their bodies could not be found to confirm if they were dead or alive and nobody knew their whereabouts. The manhunt for the killers however yielded fruit yesterday as seven of the suspected Ombatse…

The Federal Government on Wednesday in Abuja said it had allocated $60m for the prevention and procurement of cancer treatment machines through the National Cancer Control Project. The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Fatima Bamidele, said at a press briefing to mark this year’s international cancer week that the measure was aimed at reducing the burden associated with the disease. Bamidele said government was committed to pursuing the fight against the disease by adopting the strategies in the nation’s cancer control project. 

A bill seeking to scrap the Independent Corrupt Practices and other-related Offences Commission on the floor the Senate on Wednesday. Sponsor of the bill, Senator Ita Enang, who was forced to withdraw the bill last week for typographical errors noticed by senators, did the same thing on Wednesday when he  sensed that  his colleagues might  put an end to it (bill) if put to vote. Once a bill is shot down on the floor, it will not be reintroduced until after six months. Enang, while leading the debate for the bill’s second reading, said it  (bill) was to amend the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2004 by transferring to and vesting certain and some of the functions of the ICPC in the EFCC and to accordingly repeal the ICPC Act.

Stephen Keshi has appreciated the call of a member of the Executive Committee of the Football Federation to appoint him Technical Director but said he would prefer to be “a field man than an office man”. Keshi spoke from his California home: “I read Vanguard Newspaper online this morning and I appreciate the feeling of the member who wants me to be Technical Director. But I would prefer to be in the field working than to be an office man. I believe that I have got a lot to give as a coach and I would like to remain a coach at least for now.”

ABUJA—THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwwal, yesterday revealed why the House of Representatives rejected President Jonathan’s request to alter the approved 2011 budget three months to the end of the fiscal year 2011. Giving reasons why the federal lawmakers stepped down President Goodluck Jonathan’s N98.4bn virement bid, he said that the proposal was more of an amendment than virement. Tambuwwal offered this explanation while fielding questions from State House correspondents during his visit to the seat of power, Aso Rock. In financial language, Virement is the transfer of funds already allocated from one sub heading to which it has been allocated, to another. This is usually the case when more pressing issues arise in the cause of implementing a budget that required financial provisions and the government is not in the financial position to ask for a supplementary appropriation to meet those areas of challenge.

Fifty-four days after the bomb blast at the United Nations House, Abuja, that killed 23 members of staff of the world body, one more victim of the incident, Mr. Sunday Nwachukwu, has lost the battle to stay alive. The UN in a statement said Nwachukwu, an employee of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), died on October 9 in South Africa where he was flown in an air ambulance following the critical state of his health as a result of injuries he sustained from the blast.

Aliko Dangote, the Nigeria business magnate, has expressed determination to commence production of cement in Cote D 'Ivoire as part of expansion plans for the cement factory. Dangote stated this at the request of Alassane Ouattara, Cote D 'Ivoire president, who at an interactive meting with cream of Nigerian businessmen in Abuja, posited that investment outside Nigeria will boost the country foreign earnings through repatriation of proceeds.