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Gov. Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State has congratulated the Christian community on the successful completion of the Lenten period that culminated in the Easter celebration.

``The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the reason for the celebration, is one of the greatest events in the history of Christendom and humanity,’’ Al-makura said in a statement.

The statement was signed by the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Danjuma Joseph and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

The governor, in the statement, therefore, urged Christian faithful to use the opportunity of the ``wonderful'' season to reflect on the lessons of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He also admonished Christians to use this memorable event, which he described as the basis of the Christian faith, to preach and promote peace, as a prerequisite for the development of Nasarawa State and the country at large.

he described the significance of the celebration to mankind was multi-dimensional and urged Christians to reflect on it in their relationship with one another and people of other faiths, to ensure peace and stability in the state.

He also used the occasion to call on thepeople of Nasarawa State to be their brothers’ keeper, noting that that was the only sure way of promoting peace and development in the state.

Members of the various PDP factions in Ogun on Monday, held a closed-door reconciliatory meeting at the hilltop residence of former Olusegun Obasanjo, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Obasanjo was also the immediate past Chairman of the party's Board of Trustees (BOT).

NAN reports that those who attended the four-hour meeting were Chief Segun Oni, a former PDP National Vice-Chairman, South-West, Sen Jubril Martins Kuye, a former Minister of State for Finance and Chief Sarafa Ishola, a former Minister for Mines and Steel Development.

Some of the party chieftains who addressed newsmen described the meeting as fruitful.

Kuye told newsmen that the development was part of the moves to reposition the party ahead of the 2015 General Elections.

He said that the intra-party crises had caused a lot of setbacks to the party in the state, adding that it was necessary for elders of the party to come together and "mend broken fences", to move the party forward.

He hinged the choice of Obasanjo's residence on the fact that ``the former president is an embodiment of peace and a rallying point of the party both in the South-West and at the national level.''

Kuye said that series of such meetings would be held at regular intervals to ensure that the party was united and focused ahead of the 2015 General Elections.

Also speaking, Ishola expressed optimism that the initiative would bring to an end the crisis which had polarised the party and denied it of victory at the 2011 gubernatorial elections in the state.

He called on other aggrieved members of the party to return saying: "There is no end to reconciliation. All channels of communications would be kept open."

The former minister gave the assurance that the party remained a formidable family and members were ready to sacrifice personal interests for the overall good of the party.

The Catholic Bishop of Ilorin Diocese, the Most Rev. Ayo-Maria Atoyebi, has urged the three tiers of government to do more for the citizenry to ensure their well-being. Atoyebi made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Mo...

An Italian oil firm, Eni,  on Monday shut down its activities in the swampy oil fields located in Bayelsa over theft.

The firm, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Monday, attributed the frequent spills to oil theft by vandals and said that it had decided to shut down operations to prevent further damages to the environment.

Eni, which operates in Nigeria as Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), said it authorised the suspension of operations on March 22 and subsequently declared ‘Force Majeure’ on its oil output from the facility on March 23.

`Force Majeure' is a legal notice that absolves an oil firm of liabilities for failure to meet supply obligations to crude buyers due to circumstances beyond the firm’s control

“Eni confirms that during the night between 21 and 22 March, the company has declared force majeure and ordered the closure of its onshore activities in the Swamp Area, located in Bayelsa State in Nigeria.

“The decision was made due to the intensified bunkering, consisting in the sabotage of pipelines and the theft of crude oil, which has recently reached unsustainable levels regarding both personal safety and damage to the environment.

“Sustainability is for Eni a priority in Nigeria, as in all the countries in which it operates, the statement said.

According to the statement, the firm produced about 40,000 barrels of crude oil equivalent daily from the shut facilities.

 It espressed regret about 7,000 barrels of its daily crude production  was lost to oil thieves in Bayelsa, a development the firm described as unsustainable and compelled it to shut down.

The Senate met Nigeria’s security chiefs last Wednesday in an executive session. Of course, the increased terror campaigns recorded in most parts of the country’s north as well as fresh terror threats in other regions topped the agenda. EDE...

Special Adviser on Communications to Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Isa Umar Gusau, had a chat recently in Abuja with journalists, responding to views which were in sharp contrast with those of his boss on the issue of dialogue and amnesty fo...