The National Economic Council has asked the Federal and state governments to allocate 15 per cent of their budgets to education.

This was part of the resolutions reached during the Council’s meeting held yesterday in Abuja.

Edo state Deputy Governor, PHILIP SHAIBU who was among those who briefed reporters after the meeting revealed that NEC also called on the state governments to declare an emergency in their education sector.

He explained that the Council took the decision after it received the interim report of its ad-hoc Committee on the Revival of Education.

The Minister of State for Health, OSAGIE EHANIRE also rendered account on efforts by government to combat Polio in the country.

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has sent the name of Senate President, BUKOLA SARAKI, to the Independent National Electoral Commission as a senatorial candidate.

His name was among the list of candidates submitted to the commission in Abuja last night.

SARAKI, who represents Kwara Central District in the Senate, was among the 13 presidential aspirants of the party.

The PDP had held the senatorial primaries before that of the presidential primary.

While SARAKI paid for the Presidential nomination and expression of interest forms, it was however not clear if he paid for that of the Senate as well.

SARAKI’s name was used to replace the name of one OPE, whose name was initially filed as the PDP candidate for the senatorial district.

The State House of Assembly has ordered the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state to call the PSP operators in their areas to go back to work with immediate effect.

Speaker of the House, MUDASHIRU OBASA, who gave this directive on Thursday on behalf of the lawmakers during plenary, also ordered the Clerk of the House, AZEEZ SANNI, to invite the Commissioner for the Environment, BABATUNDE DUROSINMI-ETTI to appear before the House on the matter next week.

This followed an Urgent Matter of Public Importance raised by Hon. GBOLAHAN YISHAWU on heaps of refuse scattered all over the state.

The Speaker emphasised that the Lagos State House of Assembly does not know about Visionscape insisting the state government ought to have consulted them before they started operation.

The immediate past governor of Ekiti State, AYODELE FAYOSE has being arraigned before Justice MOJISOLA OLATOREGUN of the Federal High Court in Lagos amid tight security.

FAYOSE arrived the court in a white Toyota Hiacebus in the company of EFCC officials for his trial.

The former governor who is facing an 11-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.

FAYOSE is being defended by a former Attorney General of the Federation, KANU AGABI.

Already the anti-graft agency has assembled 22 witnesses to testify against FAYOSE, in court for an alleged fraud of N30.8bn.

Among the witnesses lined up to testify against the ex-governor is a former Minister of State for Defence, MUSILIU OBANIKORO, and a former Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc, ALEX OTTI.

Also to testify is AYOTUNDE OWOPE, said to be FAYOSE’s account officer who is alleged to have transferred funds from one account to another for him.
OBANIKORO, who was listed as the second witness, is expected to testify about how he took N2.2bn from the then National Security Adviser, SAMBO DASUKI, for delivery to FAYOSE in June 2014.

Spokesman to the former Governor, LERE OLAYINKA spoke to TAIWO OLAPADE ahead of his day in court.

Our correspondent reports that Justice MOJISOLA OLATOREGUN has adjourned the case until October 24 for the hearing of the bail application for FAYOSE.

The court also ordered that FAYOSE should be remanded in custody of the EFCC pending the hearing on his bail.