FUEL SCARCITY LOOMS AS NNPC MAJOR DEPOT RUNS DRY.

In what seems a baptism of fire for President Muhammadu Buhari in his first week as Minister of Petroleum Resources, pockets of queues in filling stations in some major cities across the country appear to have stretched as the fuel scarcity worsened on Friday.

In spite of assurances by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, industry operators remain sceptical that these were ominous signs the country may be heading for a big mess in the run up to the coming yuletide season.

The operators’ scepticism is fuelled by reports that stock of petroleum products at NNPC facilities across the country was grossly insufficient, with supply from local refineries incapable of supporting imports.

PARIS ATTACK MARKS A MAJOR SHIFT IN ISIL - AL QAEDA RELATIONS.

At least 128 people have been killed in a series of coordinated terror attacks in Paris carried out by ISIL extremists. Francois Hollande, the French president, has called the attacks an “act of war”.

An event of this magnitude undoubtedly took months of planning. This is a far cry from the “lone-wolf” attacks in the West previously attributed to ISIL. The extremist group is thus firmly in the global mass murder business. It is striking not only at regional “enemies” such as Saudi Arabia or Hizbollah-related targets in Lebanon, but now also at the West.

ISIL would have preferred to defer this. Unlike Al Qaeda and other “salafist-jihadist” fanatics, ISIL prioritised seizing and controlling territory, and building its organisational capacity, “state” and “caliphate”.

WE ARE NOT SURE NNAMDI KANU IS ALIVE, HIS PARENTS LAMENT.

Parents of detained promoter of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu have urged the Federal Government to order the release their son from detention.

His father, the monarch of Isiama Afaraukwu in Umuahia North Council Area of Abia State said he was surprised at the prolonged detention of his son.

Addressing journalists at his Ome Udo Palace, Eze Israel Kanu, flanked by his wife, Ugoeze Nnenne Kanu, said that they were worried at the ordeal their first son has been passing through.

HORROR IN PARIS AS TERRORIST KILL NOT LESS THAN 120 PEOPLE.

Gunmen and bombers attacked restaurants, a concert hall and a sports stadium at locations across Paris on Friday, killing at least 120 people in a deadly rampage that a shaken President Francois Hollande called an unprecedented terrorist attack.

A Paris city hall official said four gunmen systematically slaughtered at least 87 young people attending a rock concert at the Bataclan music hall. Anti-terrorist commandos eventually launched an assault on the building. The gunmen detonated explosive belts and dozens of shocked survivors were rescued.

Some 40 more people were killed in five other attacks in the Paris region, the city hall official said, including an apparent double suicide bombing outside the national stadium, where Hollande and the German foreign minister were watching a friendly soccer international. Some 200 people were injured.

SUPER MINISTERS AND OTHER STORIES BY REUBEN ABATI.

“Have you congratulated our new Ministers?”

“I am still thinking about it, actually. I don’t know whether to congratulate them or to commiserate or to pity some of them. They have merged Ministries that need not be merged. Some Permanent Secretaries are now floating. Six months and this is it?”

“What kind of talk is that? You have come again oh.”

GOVERNOR FAYOSE CONGRATULATES FAYEMI ON HIS APPOINTMENT AS MINISTER OF SOLID MINERALS.

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has congratulated the former Governor of the State, Dr Kayode Fayemi over his appointment as Minister of Solid Mineral, urging him to use his position for the commercial exploitation of the abundant solid mineral resources in the State.

In a statement by the spokesman for the Governor, Mr Lere Olayinka, Mr Fayose said that President Mohammadu Buhari must have considered the need for commercial exploitation of the solid minerals spread across towns and villages in Ekiti State before arriving at the choice of Fayemi as Solid Minerals Minister.

SUPREME COURT HALTS HEARING OF BUKOLA SARAKI'S CODE OF CONDUCT TRIBUNAL TRIAL.

The Supreme Court, this morning, stayed further hearing on the 13-count criminal charge pending against ‎the Senate President, Dr. Olubukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

The apex court, in a ruling today, directed the Justice Danladi Umar-led tribunal to suspend the trial to enable it to hear and determine the substantive appeal that Saraki lodged before it.

This was even as the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, entered ‎an undertaking before the apex court that “no unusual step will be taken by the federal government”, in relation to the matter.

HOW I WAS RAPED 43,200 TIMES. #SAYNOTORAPE.

Karla Jacinto is sitting in a serene garden. She looks at the ordinary sights of flowers and can hear people beyond the garden walls, walking and talking in Mexico City.

She looks straight into my eyes, her voice cracking slightly, as she tells me the number she wants me to remember 43,200.

By her own estimate, 43,200 is the number of times she was raped after falling into the hands of human traffickers.

LIST OF MINISTERS AND THEIR PORTFOLIOS. #MinisterialInauguration

Abubakar Malami- Minister of Justice

Geoffrey Onyeama- Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mohammed Dan Ali- Minister of Defence

Adamu Adamu- Minister of Education

Anthony Anwuka- State minister of Education

Kemi Adeosun- Minister of Finance

See full list after the cut...................

FIELDING JONATHAN FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS A COSTLY MISTAKE BY PDP - RAYMOND DOKPESI.

Fielding the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, in the 2011 and 2015 presidential elections was a costly mistake by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Chairman of the party’s national conference organising committee, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, has said.

Dokpesi, who spoke at a media briefing in Abuja, Tuesday, said the imposition of Jonathan by the PDP might have been responsible for the party’s loss of the presidency in the last general election.

He said the zoning formula put in place by the party’s founding fathers was jettisoned by its leadership at the time.

MASSOB GIVES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 1 WEEK TO RELEASE NNAMDI KANU OR FACE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES.

A faction of the separatist group, Move­ment for the Ac­tualization of the Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB) has issued a one week ultimatum to the Fed­eral Government to imme­diately release the detained Director of Radio Biafra and Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, or face severe sanctions.

The group gave the ultimatum, in a state­ment signed by its director of Information, Comrade Uche Madu, in which he said, at the expiration of ultimatum, MASSOB would “unleash the potency of non-violence which includes civil disobe­dience, civil unrest, non-cooperation, civil /massive boycott as was done during the emancipation struggle of Ghandi of India & Martin Luther King junior”.

Madu affirmed that the action is sequel to the na­tionwide protest embarked by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Friday, demanding for the release of Kanu and pledged full support to the protest by the IPOB, stressing that they would not relent till their agitation is actualized.

CBN SLAMS N4BILLION FINE ON SKYE BANK PLC.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has imposed a N4 billion fine on Skye Bank Plc for failing to render appropriate returns on accounts of some government institutions and agencies.

This is contained in a statement by Skye Bank to the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

The bank said the fine imposed by the apex bank was misdirected since it did not conceal any information of the accounts from the central bank.

PRESIDENT BUHARI SACKS EFCC BOSS IBRAHIM LAMORDE.

President Muhammadu Buhari has relieved the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, of his appointment.

A top government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not the spokesman for government, confirmed the development to our correspondent on Monday.

“It is true that the man has been asked to go,” the source simply said.

(VIDEO) THE TEN RECORD BREAKING GOALS AT 2015 FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP BY VICTOR OSIMHEN.

VICTOR OSIMHEN

Golden eaglets striker, Victor Osimhen broke the record for scoring the highest number of goals in the history of Fifa U-17 tournament when he banged in 10 goals in the recently concluded age group tournament in Chile.

Nigeria became the 2nd side after Brazil to have successfully defended the title won in 2013 at U.A.E. Victor is definitely set for glory.

MTN CEO RESIGNS OVER N1.4TN FINE IMPOSED BY NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISION.

Sifiso Dabengwa, the Group Chief Executive Officer of telecom company, MTN, has resigned following the massive N1.04 trillion ($5.2 billion) fine imposed on the company by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC.

MTN was sanctioned by the Nigerian government for failing to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered subscribers.

Non-Executive Chairman, Phuthuma Nhleko, will act as executive chairman for a maximum period of six months while the company identifies a successor to Mr. Dabengwa, MTN said in a statement issued in Johannesburg on Monday

KELECHI NWAKALI EMERGES GOLDEN BALL WINNER AS VICTOR OSIMHEN BECOMES HIGHEST GOAL SCORER EVER IN #FIFAU17WC.

With an outstanding team packed with talented players, Nigeria successfully defended their crown at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015. Furthermore, the west Africans took centre stage when it came to the individual honours too. 

Top scorer Victor Osimhen and captain Kelechi Nwakali both made their mark on the competition, and after winning the adidas Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, the latter followed in the footsteps of Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos, who are now key members of the senior sides with their respective national teams. Osimhen set a new U-17 World Cup goalscoring record, while Mali’s Samuel Diarra and Ecuador’s example of Fair Play were also recognised in the honour’s list established and overseen by FIFA’s Technical Study Group (TSG).

(VIDEO) NIGERIA SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP.

Nigeria became only the second side to retain the FIFA U-17 World Cup with a 2-0 win against Mali in Vina Del Mar. Victor Osimhen stole the show once again thanks to his record-breaking tenth goal of the tournament, with Funsho Bamgboye adding a second moments later. Samuel Diarra had saved an early Osinachi Ebere penalty as the Malians played their part in an entertaining finale to Chile 2015.

The penalty came as both sides were just finding their rhythm in the opening exchanges, Chato the culprit with a handball. Ebere saw his low effort saved brilliantly by Diarra, the No17's follow up header hit the bar before a third bite of the cherry was blocked by the Malian defence.

Both sides had chances in a tense opening period, with Golden Eaglets skipper Kelechi Nwakali hitting just wide and Boubacar Traore seeing his glancing header tipped over by Akpan Udoh.

(HIGHLIGHTS) Liverpool 1 Crystal Palace 2.

LIV 1 CYP 2

(HIGHLIGHTS) MANCHESTER UNITED 2 WEST BROM 0.

MAN U 2 WEST BROM 0.

(HIGHLIGHTS) Barcelona 3 Villarreal 0.

BAR 3 VIL 0