President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr Nnia Nwodo, has alleged that illegal tax was being collected from South-East travellers through Point of Sale Machine on the highways. He also alleged that the illegal tax was being paid to personal accounts. Nwodo commended South-West Governors for the bold step they have taken to defend the people of the region by launching Operation Amotekun. The Ohanaeze President General, who stated this in a statement he issued on Friday through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Emeka Attamah, noted that what “we have in Nigeria today is an ethnic controlled Armed force.” Nwodo…

Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari says the state has 996,000 out-of-school children. Quoting the statistics from a United Nations report while fielding questions from journalists on Friday, the governor, however, said most of the affected children were not Nigerians. “Since they are now in Nigeria, they become part of our responsibility, and the government is doing what it can to make sure that it addresses the issue of Almajiris roaming the streets.” The governor also said the state would incorporate Qur’anic education system into the school feeding programme as part of measures to integrate the system into western education. He…

Renowned author and professor, Mr Chukwuemeka Ike, is dead. He was 88. According to a family source, he died on Thursday at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, after a brief illness. He was born on April 28, 1931. Ike was a former Registrar of the West African Examination Council (WAEC). Among his popular novels are “The Naked Gods” and “The Bottled Leopard.” Daily Trust

Governments, and ultimately people, can reverse the alarming trends of 2019. But 2020 will be another year of living dangerously if short-term policies continue to be pursued at the expense of long-term vision. The year 2019 has ended with widespread demonstrations, rising inequality, and a crisis of representation in many countries. The world is sleepwalking toward recession and a new crisis, while depleting the environment. Governments, and ultimately people, can reverse these alarming trends in 2020. 61 countries will have presidential or parliamentary elections in 2020. Many citizens are tired of conventional orthodox policies; they want change, and they will…