Jega: I can’t guarantee polls’ll hold on March 28

                            Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday, reiterated his preparedness to conduct the   general elections as scheduled but maintained that only the military could guarantee the sanctity of the March 28 and April 11 dates. 

                Jega, who appeared before the Senate to explain the level of INEC’s preparedness for the elections, however, stunned many of the lawmakers when he revealed that one million Permanent Voter Cards had yet to be received by the commission from the manufacturers.

The Senators had thoroughly grilled him after he made about three-hour presentation and demonstrated how the card readers work.

FEC approves postal reform bill

               Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson

Plans to reform the Nigerian postal sector and to restructure the Nigerian Postal Service have received a boost with the approval of the Nigeria Postal Commission Bill 2014 by the Federal Executive Council.

The Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, stated this on Monday.

The bill, our correspondent also learnt, would be forwarded to the legislature to be passed into law.

Prior to the development, observers had said that the postal sector in Nigeria had grown over time with more than 1,200 post offices owned by government, close to 2,000 postal agency outfits managed by individuals, and over 290-registered private courier companies.

‘Nigeria needs 7,500 French teachers’

                                                                 Minister of Education, Mr. Ibrahim Shekarau

The French Consular General in Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Perez, has said that about 7,500 French teachers are needed to teach the language in the country.

Perez stated this at a briefing in Lagos to announce the 2015 French Education Fair. The fair is to hold next week in Abuja and Lagos.

Perez said the programme, in its second year, would expose Nigerians interested in international education to French higher institutions offering quality and competitive degrees.

NDLEA arrests pastor, recovers N609m drugs

                                                                                              Raji with the drug

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, has apprehended a pastor, Prophet Michael Raji, for drug trafficking.

Our correspondent learnt that Raji, a pastor of a white garment church at the Ikotun area of Lagos, was arrested at about 12pm on Monday while he was trying to smuggle 174 kilogrammes of narcotic drugs to South Africa.

The agency said three  passports bearing different names were also recovered from the pastor.

It’s tough being a king and writer – Igwe Iweka

                                                                                   Igwe Iweka

For His Royal Highness, Igwe Chidubem Iweka III, writing novels and kingship are two different tasks that must be fulfilled, CHUX OHAI writes

Like Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike, who is the Eze of Ndikelionwu in Anambra State, Igwe Chidubem Iweka III of Obosi – in the same state – is fully involved in creative writing.

The monarch is not only enthusiastic about literary production, he has published some books and regularly attends the annual international convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors.

“I started writing when I was in Form Two in secondary school. This was in the early 1970s. I started by writing short stories,” he says, in an interview with our correspondent.