As the 48-hour ultimatum given to residents of about six villages in Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas in Plateau State to vacate their homes expired last night, the villagers were seen massively relocating yesterday.

The Defence Headquarters on Monday said that the planned military operation in four villages surrounded by mountains in the Riyom and Barking Local Government Areas of Plateau State would not last more than two weeks.

Jos— Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has disagreed with his Niger State counterpart, Governor Babangida Aliyu, over the quit order to residents of the troubled areas of the state by the Special Task Force, STF, saying he must have spoken for himself and not for Northern governors.

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday told chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party that democracy would have collapsed in the country without their party.

The remains of the late Dantong being carried by pallbearers after the valedictory session at the National Assembly... yesterday

Nigeria Governors’ Forum met in Abuja Monday night to discuss the security problems facing the country, particulary in Yobe, Plateau and Borno states.

The Federal Government on Wednesday ended the State of Emergency declared in 15 local governments areas in 2011 at the peak of the violence unleashed on the northern part of the country by members of Boko Haram sect.

THE Senate, on Tuesday, disagreed with the executive over implementation of the 2012 Appropriation Act, as it insisted that the budget has only been implemented up to 21.5 per cent.

The 11 electricity distribution companies up for privatisation have received bids from 54 investors.
The firms are part of the 18 successor companies created from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in preparation for privatisation.

Southern governors have taken a swipe at their northern counterparts for making a U-turn on their call for state police.

AHEAD of her visit to Nigeria today, Human Rights Watch, HRW, has urged US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton to encourage President Goodluck Jonathan to address increasingly deadly violence in northern and central parts of the country.

THE Federal Government is expected to spend the sum of N4.929 trillion under the 2013 budget, though it is projecting a revenue of N3.891 trillion for the same period.

THE Hausa/Fulani elders in Plateau State have rejected demand for the implementation of reports of previous commissions set up on the lingering crisis in the state, which had claimed hundreds of lives.

President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the release of N34 billion to off-set the outstanding accrued rights of retirees and death benefits of deceased employees of the Federal Government under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

KADUNA—The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oristejiafor, has written a letter to the visiting American Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, expressing CAN’s reservation on the manner the issues of Boko Haram and related violence by Islamist groups against Nigerian Christians are being treated by the United States.

BUILDING on his meeting with Berom leaders, President Goodluck Jonathan has continued his consultations with representatives of the Hausa/ Fulani groups in a bid to find an enduring solution to the Plateau crisis.

Power generation has attained a new high - hitting 4,477.7 megawatts - the highest ever generated in the country. Out of the volume, 170MW is being kept as reserve.

Advocates of state police have got a key supporter.

Former military leader Gen. Ibrahim Babangida says the fears of opponents of state police are unfounded.

Former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of making Nigeria difficult to stabilise because of what he calls its penchant for rigging elections.

The Presidency bowing to public pressure, may have dropped the idea of a seven-year single tenure, The Nation learnt yesterday.
But the government is determined to create one or two states “to ensure some balance and equity”, a source said, pleading not to be named.