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In a shocking and annoying move by the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, working without a cabinet, he has ordered the closure of Edo State Library at Sapele Road, Benin City and directed that the library should be relocated to a store room in the dilapidated Ministry of Education at Iyaro or Forestry in Benin City. In a directive signed by for Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, the governor who directly oversees all the ministries in Edo State, having no Civil Commissioners, directed strict compliance to this bizarre directive. The Edo State Library Board was ordered to be relocated from it’s present befitting location at Sapele Road in Benin City to an unknown location. But investigation by Urhokpota Reporters indicate that the new location was either the Ministry of Education at Forestry Road or at Iyaro in Benin City, both ministries are in advanced stages of dilapidation owing to deliberate arson and abandonment. Further investigation revealed tha...

The branches of the multinational company, Kentucky Fried Chicken, KFC has closed down in Lagos State following incidents of low patronage and profitability. Lagos residents have expressed their displeasure following the recent development that popular fast food chain, KFC, will shut down operations across the State. It was learnt that all KFC outlets in Lagos will shut down operations from Monday, February 20, 2017, except the ones operative in shopping malls due to low patronage and high cost of power. As a result, KFC Outlets in popular areas such as Ilupeju, Sabo, Ikeja, Ogba and other parts of Lagos metropolis will effectively close with residents unable to have their favourite meal at the outlets.  While one can’t rule out the current economic downturn in the country as a factor leading to the decision by the company, this development has however led to a myriad of Lagosians condemning the economic policies of the present administration in the country...

The recently declared National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) , Senator Ali Modu Sherrif, has said that he is not interested in leading the embattled party any longer. He made this revelation Sunday evening from Abuja at a Channels Television live interview. Senator Senator Sheriff explained that his next plans are no longer about leading the party but helping to organise convention that will replace him. “My next step is to move to the party Secretariat. Second is to carry out consultation. Third is to agree on timetable for a quick convention. I am not interested in leading the party any longer. But since the responsibility to lead the party was vested in me, I must do a credible election.” The national leader who appeared conciliatory in his speech, called on all members of the party to unite and dismissed the insinuation that he was a mole in the PDP. “I will hold a Congress and step aside for the party” he said. The Court of Appeal ...

. A petition signed by civil rights activists, Bishop Dr. Osadolor Ochie and Marxist Kola Edokpayi has been addressed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing the immediate past governor of Edo state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of defrauding the State to the tune of over N50 billion while in office as governor. According to the petitioners, who also forwarded copies of the petition to the president, Mohammadu Buhari and the senate president, Bukola Saraki, they said 80% of contracts executed during the Oshiomhole administration were never advertised. “Throughout Oshiomhole’s tenure, over 80% of contracts that were awarded were never advertised or made public, and the costs were inflated. The scheme used was called “virement,” and this approach allowed the governor to approve new contracts as additional work to the tune of N99 million without advertising such contracts or seeking the approval of the state executive council,” the petitioners alleged. T...

Abuja – Petrol subsidy is back. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has been offsetting for months the difference between the landing costs of petrol and the pump price. In series of interviews with knowledgeable players in the sector, NAN can report authoritatively that the landing costs per litre of petrol is higher than the price Nigerians pay at the pump. According to a source, who is a staff of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, government being a listening one has been quietly bearing the differential. “The landing costs hovers around N160 to N165. The marketers buy from us and so the government bears it because it feels it will be unfair to make the consumer pay the difference. “With the current recession, the government will not want to burden the people with a price hike,’’ the source said. Both the NNPC and the government are also concerned by the recent smuggling of petrol across the porous Nigerian borders to Chad and Niger, where a litre of petr...

The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt will today deliver judgment on the leadership crisis that has almost torn the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) apart since May last year. After several court rulings on the crisis some of which contradicted each other, the matter was referred to the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt for adjudication. The Appeal Court in Port Harcourt after hearing the submissions  in the appeal filed by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff against the judgment of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, which sacked him as the party’s National Chairman, reserved judgment till February 17, 2017. Today’s judgment is regarded a major decider which might lead to the resolution of the nine-month crisis. The Port Harcourt case will also go a long way in deciding where the pendulum would swing in another case before an Appeal Court in Abuja under Justice Ibrahim Saulawa. To pave the way for the make or mar judgment, the Sheriff faction last January withdrew the p...

The minister for Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed was intensely questioned by the senate within some hours ago over poor revenues generated from the culture and entertainment industry. At a budget defence session with the minister and other officials of the ministry, the Senate committee on Culture and Tourism declared that it was unfortunate that the ministry presented only N620,000 as total revenue generated in 2016. Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, noted that the budget should not only be about expenditure but also about revenue profile. He said the Senate was displeased with the paltry revenue. Senator Urhoghide said: “Budget is not just about expenditure. No one is talking about revenue. We need revenue profile. Each time you come, only expenditure is mentioned. How can you say is N620,000.00 that was raised by your ministry from the culture sector?  “We must exhaust all the avenues to generate funds...