Nigeria owes World Bank, AfDB $5.34bn

                                                  World Bank

Nigeria’s total indebtedness to the World Bank Group and African Development Bank has reached $5.34bn, our correspondent has gathered.

Information obtained from the Debt Management Office on Thursday showed that the country was indebted to the International Development Association, a lending arm of the World Bank Group, to the tune of $4.598bn.

It was also gathered that the country owed the African Development Bank Group $667.58m.

Why my music stands the test of time – Orits Wiliki

Orits Wiliki is a self-acclaimed Koleman revolutionaire who needs no introduction. He stormed the industry in the mid-80s with his album titled; Tribulation. He has gone on and on with amazing reggae sound tracks and his unique style of playing the talking drum with his songs.

The veteran reggae artiste embarked on self-imposed sabbatical spanning twenty years. He came back stronger as an artiste, a song writer, producer and performer 11 years ago and featured hip-hop artiste, Idris Abdulkareem on his ‘the Good, The Bad and The Ugly album. In this interview, he explains why his music stands the test of time among other issues raised by our reporter.

Lagos and FG’s unfolding CCTV contract scam

THE depth of corruption and incompetence that pervades Nigeria’s public service is on display once again in the unfolding Federal Government’s $430 million surveillance camera contract. Not only has the government wasted a huge sum on another failed project, it may be delaying a similar and more transparent project by the Lagos State Government. The National Assembly should not relent in its efforts to unravel the mess and bring culpable public officers to book.

David Moyes: Manchester United appoint Everton boss by 1 July on 6-year deal

Everton's David Moyes to join Man Utd from 1 July on 6-year deal, club says in statement to New York Stock Exchange

Premier League champions Manchester United have appointed Everton manager David Moyes as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Old Trafford.

Moyes, out of contract at the end of the season, leaves Everton after 11 years in charge at Goodison Park.

The 50-year-old Scot has agreed a six-year deal to replace Ferguson, who announced his retirement on Wednesday after 26 years at United.

Nigerian Civil war was unfortunate, everyone was a victim says Tinubu

Former Governor of Lagos State Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians not to take the country’s security for granted and that everyone was a victim of the Nigerian Civil War.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu made these known Thursday at the public presentation of Lest I Forget: Memoirs of a Nigerian Career Diplomat, by Ambassador Oladapo Fafowora, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos.

ACN leader, Bola Tinubu and some ACN governors

Actress Ngozi Nwosu returns to Nigeria

The actress who left Nigeria on February 26th to the UK for a life saving medical treatment is back in Nigeria. She returned on Tuesday May 7th after undergoing kidney and heart transplant in a UK hospital. Her publicist says she's doing very well and will return to the UK in a few months time for check up.

Military aircraft crashes, explodes on Airforce runway

PORT HARCOURT – A NIGERIAN Air Force Parade helicopter crashed on the runway of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Thursday.

The incident which happened at about 10am resulted in the explosion of the aircraft minutes after the crash.

“The plane regularly engages in routine flight parade in the area, but this morning it crashed on the runway and started smoking. Suddenly a spell of explosions followed”, a civilian working for a servicing firm at the NAF Base narrated.

Mayhem averted in Jos as civil defence shoots two

Mayhem was averted in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State when some officers of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps went berserk, shooting two people.

The two men identified as “Ali Abubakar, 25 years old, who was shot on his left leg and Ibrahim Abubakar, 30 years old was shot on his right arm. were said to be receiving treatment at the Air Force Military Hospital in Jos.

Our correspondent gathered that the incident happened at about 1pm on Wednesday, when the men resisted attempts by officers of the NSCDC,

Emir of Gummi dies at 75

Gusau -The Emir of Gummi in Zamfara, Alhaji Aliyu Abara, has died at the age of 75.

A statement by the Secretary to Zamfara Government, Alhaji Hassan Atto, said Abara died on Wednesday evening at Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, after a brief illness.

The statement, which was made available in Gusau on Thursday, however did not give details of the late Emir’s ailment.

Lampard keen on Mourinho return

LONDON (AFP) – Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard on Thursday welcomed speculation linking former manager Jose Mourinho with a return to Stamford Bridge and said it would be a positive move for the club.

Lampard was one of Mourinho’s key players during the Portuguese coach’s three-year spell at Chelsea, which came to an abrupt end in September 2007 when the manager left the club.

With Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez due to leave at the end of the season, Mourinho has been strongly linked with a return from Real Madrid, and Lampard says he would welcome the sight of his old mentor back at the club.

NFF rejects Keshi’s plea for assistants’ recall

                                         Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi

The Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday turned down the plea by Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi for his assistant who were relieved of their positions last month to be reinstated. Keshi’s plea was part of the discussion at the meeting held in the office of the Minister of Sports Bolaji Abdullahi with the NFF to chart a fresh course after weeks of animosity between both sides.

On Tuesday, NFF top officials, led by their president Aminu Maigari, and Keshi met for about three hours at the instant of the minister to iron out several disagreements that made huge headlines since Nigeria won the African cup in February. The PUNCH learnt

Northern elders blast Jonathan

                                         Northern Political
ABUJA—Northern Elders Forum (NEF), yesterday, examined the rift between President Jonathan and governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, and passed a verdict on the matter: Jonathan should concentrate on the enormous task of solving Nigeria’s problems and stop dissipating energy on needless war with governors.

Similarly, the Northern elders asked Jonathan to accept governors as partners in progress and desist from treating them as opponents, as they were elected to serve the diverse needs of Nigerians from their respective states, just as the President.

Pre-registered SIMs: NCC fines GSM firms N53.8m

The Nigerian Communications Commission on Wednesday announced the imposition of N53.8m fines on four mobile telecommunication operators for contravening the rules on registration of Subscriber Identification Module cards in the country.

A statement issued in Abuja by Head of Media and Public Relations, NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka, said 269 pre-registered SIM cards were either purchased or reported to it and confirmed by the operators.

David Moyes replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United

Manchester United set to announce the appointment of David Moyes as Manchester United manager in the next 24 hours. Following Alex Ferguson’s retirement on Wednesday, the club have acted swiftly to identify the Everton manager as his successor.

Although there has been no official approach to Everton, it is understood that the 50-year-old will move to Old Trafford when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

Struggling Nokia unveils next-generation smartphones

NEW DELHI (AFP) – Struggling Finnish handset giant Nokia unveiled on Thursday its next-generation of lower-end mobile smartphones as it seeks to gain traction in a market expected to be worth $15 billion by 2015.

Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop released the $99 Asha 501 touchscreen Internet-enabled model at a global launch in New Delhi that especially targets emerging market users moving up from their no-frills first mobile phones.