Cloud computing illustration
| credits: 
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
| credits: File copy
The Federal Government believes it has no compelling reason to prepare a supplementary appropriation for petroleum subsidy payments because the fund earmarked for that purpose in the 2012 budget should be enough, MARTIN AYANKOLA writes.
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said the N888bn allocated for subsidy payments in the 2012 budget should
Sheila, widow of the late social critic, Tai Solarin, died on Sunday aged 82.
Sheila, who co-founded Mayflower School, Ikenne, Ogun State with her late husband, passed on around 4.30p.m.
Her two children were at her bedside when she died at the Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State.
She was reportedly hospitalised and underwent surgery for a broken hip some months ago after sustaining a fall.
Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday congratulated Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, on his victory in the October 20, 2012 governorship election in the state.
The message, contained in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, PDP also congratulated the party’s candidate, Olusola Oke; the Independent National Electoral Commission and the security agencies for the peaceful conduct of the polls and urged them to learn from any observed loopholes so as to continue improving in future elections.
The party said it was happy that Mimiko of the Labour Party and not Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the Action Congress of Nigeria won.
The PDP slammed ACN for running a campaign based on “tribalism and narrow political adventurism.”
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| Plenty to smile about; Preacher David Oyedepo of the Winners Chapel movement aboard one of his private jets. He also owns a Rolls Royce Phantom |
Mr Ezenwa Nwanga, the Chairman, Partners for Electoral Reforms, has called on INEC to address some of the country’s perennial election problems such as late arrival of voting materials.
Nwanga also suggested in Akure that some electoral units be split into two or three to allow the presiding officers cope with the large number of voters on the queue.
He spoke at a meeting between INEC officials and domestic observers under the aegis of the Nigeria Civil Society Election Situation Rooms.
Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko, has won the October 20, 2012 governorship election in the state.
According to the summary figures declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Chief Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Biyi Daramola of Federal University of Technology, Akure, in a live telecast at the state office of the agency, Mimiko scored a total of 260 199 votes.
Daramola, who read the results for five minutes, said Mimiko was followed by Mr. Olusola Oke of the Peoples Democratic Party, with 155961 votes; and Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of the Action Congress of Nigeria, with 143512 votes.
More details later.
LP’s Mimiko being accredited for the election
Less than 24hrs to the governorship election in Ondo State, commercial activities in Akure, the state capital, and major towns across the state, intensified as people made a last-minute rush to stock their homes with household needs.
Checks by our correspondent on some hotels in Akure, Ondo, Owo, and Okitipupa showed an increase in bookings by lodgers.
The investigation showed that a cross-section of the lodgers included security operatives, independent election monitors, Independent National Electoral Commission employees, journalists, among other groups of lodgers.
Some popular hotels in Akure, which included Flourish Hotel and Suites, Bliss World Hotels and Suites, RafTeju Hotel and Ade Super Hotel, witnessed increase in patronage.
Meanwhile, banks within the three senatorial districts of Ondo witnessed increased activities with customers thronging their halls to make last-minute transactions.
Findings showed that some of the banks witnessed massive cash withdrawals from politicians, even as some banks informed their customers that they would close at 3 pm on Friday.
The tempo of buying and selling in popular markets across the state with people visiting markets to stock household needs such as food, drinks, kerosene and petrol.
Most filling stations in Akure were closed; along the Oyemekun-Ilesa Garage road, a few that had fuel sold above the N97 official pump price.
Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina
