Jonathan’s foreign trips gulp N3.3bn …travelled 20 times in 2012

Billions of naira of taxpayers’ money have been expended on the foreign trips of President Goodluck Jonathan despite his January promise to cut down on such trips.
This newspaper’s findings show that the President and his entourage have spent not less than N3.354bn on foreign trips since 2010.
Our correspondent learnt that in the first 11 months of 2012, the President had travelled out of the country at least 20 times, including his trip to Sierra Leone in October and the D8 Summit he attended in Pakistan in November.

Ebonyi varsity expels 33, suspends 88 over exam malpractice, others

ABAKALIKI—EBONYI State University, EBSU, Abakaliki, Thursday, expelled 33 students of the institution and suspended 88 others over alleged misconduct, examination malpractice and admission racketeering.
In a statement by the Registrar and Secretary of Senate, Mr. Egwu Sam, the Senate of the institution had at its 22nd emergency meeting, held on Thursday, August 23rd, 2012, decided to make public the offences of all the affected students.

2015: Gowon Advocates Adoption of Electoral College System

Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has called for the adoption of electoral college system in the conduct of the 2015 presidential election in the country.
Gowon, whose administration was the first to balkanise Nigeria into 12 states, also urged the National Assembly to stop the agitation by various interest groups for the creation of new states, saying additional states will not solve the problems facing the country.

Mrs Folorunsho Alakija is the richest black woman in the world

Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, a Nigerian billionaire oil tycoon, Fashion designer and philanthropist is now the richest black woman in the word, according to report published by Ventures Africa, an African business magazine and news services.
Alakija, 61, is worth at least $3.3 billion- contrary to a recent Forbes Magazine ranking which pegs her net worth at only $600 million. She is $500 million richer than media mogul, Oprah Winfrey, whose wealth estimated at $2.7 billion in September.

Veteran actor, Enebeli Elebuwa, dies in Indian hospital

Veteran Nollywood actor, Enebeli Elebuwa, has died in an Indian hospital.
Elebuwa, who died on Tuesday night, had been battling the effects of a stroke for sometime and undergone treatment at some hospitals in Nigeria before being moved abroad.
The illness had kept him bedridden for sometime.

Ojukwu’s firm rejects Bianca as director

 

A Director of Ojukwu Transport Company Limited has said the wife of the late Biafran leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu, Bianca, has no place on the directorship or trusteeship of the company.
Director, Mr. Ifeukwu Ojukwu, said on Monday that since OTL was owned by the late Sir Louis Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the late Biafran warlord could not dictate who the trustees or directors of the company should be.
Ojukwu, who was the Ikemba of Nnewi, had directed, in his Will, that Bianca, should replace him as a trustee of OTL.
Ifeukwu said, “Bianca is neither a trustee member nor a Director of OTL and it is good to note that OTL is a different property from the things the late Ikemba Ojukwu had and the directorship cannot be transferred through a Will.”

Finance Ministry Releases N170 billion for Q4 2012 Budget

The Finance Ministry has revealed that the government has released  N170 billion to cash back the portion of the budget appropriated for the fourth quarter.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said the government had disbursed N170 billion as cash backing for the fourth quarter of Budget 2012.
“On the issue of cash backing for the fourth quarter; as you know, we released N300 billion last quarter for a total of N1.01 trillion in releases and it was said that we have not cash-backed the fourth quarter
“This is not correct; we have cash-backed N170bn of the fourth quarter release. About N111billion of that has gone straight into the accounts of Ministries, Department, and Agencies as cash.”
At the end of October, 71 per cent had been used, 20 per cent is yet to be used, she said.