Michael Ojuroye Initiative (Ngo)

The Federal Government is to hire independent forensic auditors to examine the books of the  Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,  with a view to ascertaining whether or not it has failed to remit  oil revenues to the Federation Account, as alleged by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday, after appearing before the Senate Committee on Finance which is investigating the alleged unremitted fund. At a public hearing in the Senate last week, the CBN Governor revealed that records available to the bank showed that the total amount generated from crude oil sales was $67.8 billion while records of remittance to the Federation Account by the NNPC was $47.8 billion with a shortfall of $20 billion not accounted for. Mallam Sanusi, who also appeared before the committee was, however, not convinced by the explanations put forw...

AS Nigerians today join the rest of the world to mark Valentine’s Day season of love activities, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, has called for caution against activities that could heighten the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections, STIs. Making the call in Abuja, Director General of the Agency, Professor John Idoko, recognised Valentine Day as a period where gratitude of love is demonstrated between individuals through gestures of affection such as flowers, perfumes, cloths among other gift items. His words: “Valentine Day as good as it may be, has however, brought up a worrisome aspect festering this celebration of love season. This is the high rate of indiscriminate sexual and other negative activities which are perpetrated on this day leading to uninformed decision making among adolescents. “In our quest to actualise a generation free from HIV/AIDS, NACA is advising that at this season of love, Nigerians should make informed de...

TWO-time governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, arguably, belongs to the echelon of vastly experienced politicians. At the dawn of the Fourth Republic, he joined the All People’s Party  (APP), which later became All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and now APC. He was elected governor in 1999 and re-elected in 2003 on the banner of the APP. He ran for the presidency in 2007 on the plank of the Democratic People’s Party  (DPP) he helped to found. In this interview with select journalists in his Sokoto residence, shortly after being welcomed into the PDP by President Goodluck Jonathan and other leaders of the party, he shares his thoughts on his mission, vision and ability to deliver in the PDP. Excerpts: BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR What prompted your defection to the PDP? Joining PDP was not my decision it was the decision of my people. In joining PDP, we are looking for a change for the better. I was in the opposition to protest against injustices...