Gist Arena

A marathon meeting between Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government ended about 4am Friday with new agreement that may lead to the striking varsity teachers calling off their industrial action. The parties agreed that government would immediately commence payment of salary shortfalls as well as the quarterly revitalization funds for universities. ASUU is to communicate decisions to its National Executive Council (NEC) and revert to government within one week with a view to calling of the strike. The strike has entered its fourth week. Source: Sun Newspaper

T he Nigeria Army is to launch “Operation Ogbu Eke II’’ – “Python Dance II’’, in the South East between September 15 and October 14, to check violent criminals, agitators and other forms of criminalities. The Chief of Training and Operations, David Ahmadu, a major general, announced this at a news conference on Friday in Abuja. He said Operation Python Dance was launched between November 27 and December 27, 2016 in the zone to tackle kidnapping, armed banditry and other crimes. He added that the second phase of operation would focus on raids, cordon and search, patrol road blocks, as well as “show of force’’ to deal with suspected criminals. Mr. Ahmadu recalled that the aim of the first phase of the operation was to effectively contain kidnapping and other vices common in the South East during Yuletide. He added that “the effect of that exercise yielded tremendous results and law abiding citizens celebrated 2016 Christmas in safer environment than what it use...

T he Anambra State Police Command on Thursday, paraded suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and cultists arrested in various parts of the state. Briefing newsmen at the headquarters in Awka, the Commissioner of Police, CP Garba Baba Umar reiterated the command's mandate of protecting the lives and properties of the people of the State. Below are details of the arrests... ARREST OF ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECTS AND RECOVERY OF AMMUNITION. On 31/08/2017 a gang of armed robbers using two motorcycles led by one Kenneth Chimezie ‘m’ age 42 yrs was arrested. Following a painstaking investigation and intelligence reports the said suspect Kenneth Chimezie led the team of Police Operatives from the Command to their trainer’s hideout where he was apprehended. Police investigation revealed that the trainer One Ebeje Nnamdi ‘m’ 26yrs is a deserter from 20 mechanized Battalion Taraba State in 2014.Also arrested are: Peter Onyebuchi Ali ’m’ 26 yrs Ugwuokpe Nnaemeka ‘m’ 26 yr...

C hairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption, PACAC, Professor Itse Sagay, has reacted to a statement against him by the Senate. He mocked the federal lawmakers, saying Nigerians buy clothes they wear. Sagay further advised them to learn how to take criticisms in good faith. Sagay insisted that he would not stop criticizing members of the National Assembly for their expenditure, which he said was adversely affecting the economy. His words: “I criticize them for the huge amount of money they are taking out of the country. “They are creating a situation in which Nigeria does not have enough funds; we have kidnapping, there is Boko Haram, we have militants, armed robbery and so on. “That is basically what I said. I spoke the truth. They have wardrobe allowance, in other words, we are the ones buying clothes for them to wear. “When they arrived Abuja, were they naked? What is their problem?” The legal luminary had lamented tha...

T he Senate has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to rein in the chairman of the Presidential Action Committee on Anti-Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay who it accused of spreading falsehood and making hate speeches against the National Assembly. In a statement by its spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate stated that Sagay was fond of using every opportunity he has to make public speeches to disparage the Federal Legislature by using uncouth and unprintable words to describe the legislators and the institution they represent. He noted that Sagay had been one of the few divisive elements in the Buhari administration who believe their relevance is enhanced only when they create constant tension between the legislature and the executive while also setting members of the executives against each other. Abdullahi noted that while the legislators had ignored past statements made by the Professor of law, his recent speech at a public lecture in Lagos orga...

T wo persons have been arrested in connection with the death of Catholic Priest, Rev Fr Cyriacus Onunkwo. Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, confirmed the arrest of the suspects while speaking at the Government House in Owerri, Imo State. Onunkwo was kidnapped by gunmen, last week Friday, from his vehicle in Orlu town, Orlu Local Government Area. His body, according to the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Chris Ezike, was discovered the following day in a bush in Omuma Village, Oru East Local Government Area. “The suspects are already making reasonable confession that can help police in further investigations,” he said.

T he Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer, National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Yemi Kale has warned that the effect of Nigeria coming out of recession will not be felt immediately by citizens. Kale, who issued the warning yesterday while speaking at a press conference in Abuja, stressed that recession is not about the price of your goods, or whether unemployment is going up or down but it’s purely dependent on the Gross Domestic Product, GDP. He also debunked reports in certain quarters that the announcement of the economy exiting recession was politically motivated. According to Kale, “There is a different stage Nigeria must go through before the masses will feel the effects of going out of recession. Out of recession is the first step which is very important then the country can talk of economic recovery which is going back to where Nigeria was before the recession. “Recession is just a technical word; we are comparing 2017 and 201...