Eminent leaders from across Nigeria have called for a Sovereign National Conference, to discuss the pressing issues, confronting the country.

The calls were made yesterday at a two-day National Summit Dialogue on the state of the nation.

Moderator of the Dialogue, Pat Utomi said the parley become necessary in the light of the ongoing ethnic and religious hostilities in some parts of the country.

Meanwhile, elder statesman, Edwin Clark said finding a lasting solution to the problems of revenue allocation between the states and federal government is necessary to resolve the imbalance in the country.

Chief Clark also faulted some activists, who protested over the deployment of soldiers to the streets of Lagos, saying the protest was unnecessary.

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Similarly, former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode says there is no need for Federal government to dialogue with Islamic Sect, Boko Haram.

Mr Fani-Kayode lamented that the issue of Boko Haram has gone beyond dialogue, considering the level at which the sect operates.

He accused some top politicians of sponsoring the sect, just as he urged federal government to take firm actions to combat the attack by the sect on innocent Nigerians.

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Islamist group, Boko Haram yesterday bombed two police stations in Kano and a market in Maiduguri, Borno State. There were multiple bomb blasts near the Gomboru Market in Shehuri ward of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.

But a member of Joint Task Force Field Operation, Victor Ebhaleme confirmed that there were two explosions near Gomboru Market.

It will be recalled that the Gomboru Market was recently renovated by the Borno State government following an explosion within the market.

Meanwhile, Nigeria and three of her neighbors, Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic, have sealed a security pact that will help to curtail the menace of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.   

Reports say the pact requires collaborating countries placing suspects in their respective domains under surveillance.

A top security source revealed that the partnering countries would also share intelligence reports.

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Similarly, Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, has disclosed that he is one of the prominent Nigerians on the list of Boko Haram sect marked for assassination.

Prof Soyinka said he had reported this to the security agencies in the country and they confirmed the information, but he expressed disappointment that they had not taken action on the threat.

The Nobel Laureate also said he was not against dialogue, but the Boko Haram sect did not make public their demands, so that they could sit at a round table with government.

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A Nigerian lawyer, politician, diplomat and a fixture in Nigerian political affairs for more than 50 years, Matthew Mbu, is dead. Mbu died in a London hospital at the age of 82 years.

Ambassador was appointed chairman, Eastern Nigeria Public Service Commission in 1967, before he became member, constituent assembly from 1977 to 1978.
 
He was the first national vice chairman of the Nigeria People’s Party of Nigeria from 1981 to 1983.

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Suspected ex-militants yesterday bombed a hotel in Osubi, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State using high caliber dynamites.
 
This came as Delta State Police Command killed two suspected gunmen who reportedly terrorized residents of Warri and its environs in the last one month.

The former militants were said to have had a disagreement with the management of the place which had served as their temporal home for the past one year while undergoing training.

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In a related development, South Africa has reacted to threats of attacks against its companies in Nigeria by Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta, promising to investigate such threats.

MEND had threatened to attack holdings of the companies, saying South African President Jacob Zuma, was interfering in the legitimate fight for justice in the Niger River Delta region.

South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation expressed optimism that authorities in Nigeria will deal with this threat as they had always dealt with such threats.

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FOREIGN NEWS

China's state media says the body of a Chinese worker who went missing after rebels attacked a work camp in Sudan has been found. 

The worker went missing when rebels from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North seized 29 Chinese nationals in South Kordofan.

The worker, whose name or gender has not been made public, was believed to have been injured in the attack, which happened on 28 January. Reports from Sudan say the Red Cross is negotiating over the 29 workers still being held.

Rescue efforts are continuing after yesterday's powerful earthquake in the central Philippines that left at least 15 dead and 44 missing.

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Operations officer at the regional Office of Civil Defence Ver Neil Balaba said Army teams were carrying out search operations, and police have been deployed to prevent looting.

The quake hit 70km north of Dumaguete city on Negros Island.
According to the US Geological Survey, the 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck at a depth of 20km.

BUSINESS

Workers of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, Kogi State, will earn N4.584 billion as salaries this year despite the fact that the company is almost comatose.

The amount is 99.35 per cent of the N4.614bn allocated to the company in the 2012 budget. The sum is under the heading of recurrent expenditure. Only N30m is allocated for capital projects.

The firm, which was originally built to produce steel and iron rods, has the highest budgetary allocation under the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

Italy has activated emergency measures to conserve gas supplies as freezing weather continues to grip the country and much of Europe.

Italy has been receiving reduced gas imports from Russia, one of its main suppliers, at the same time as gas consumption has soared.

Some power stations will switch to oil and some industrial customers will have gas supplies cut so homes stay warm.

European Union officials deny there is an emergency caused by a drop in gas from Russia.

ENTERTAINMENT

Police say a South African man who claims to be a famous dead singer is in custody until DNA tests determine his identity.

The man says he is Khulekani Khumalo, an award-winning Zulu folk musician who apparently died in 2009.

He turned up at the family home last week, saying zombies had kidnapped him.

The family, including two wives, says he is genuine, but police say he will be charged with fraud if DNA testing shows he is lying.

SPORTS

Luis Suarez's return failed to inspire Liverpool as they were held to a goalless draw by Tottenham in a drab Anfield stalemate.

The Uruguayan returned as a second-half substitute to a thrilled reception after serving an eight-game suspension imposed by the Football Association for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

Suarez made an impact three minutes after coming on,- but only by earning a yellow card from referee Michael Oliver for a wild kick in Scott Parker's midriff that carried the risk of greater punishment.

Sir Bobby Charlton has undergone minor surgery after falling ill before a sports awards night in London.

The 74-year-old Manchester United and England legend had been suffering with a gall stone complaint.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson picked up Charlton's Lifetime Achievement Award at the Laureus Sports Awards in his place.

TODAY IN HISTORY

February 7, 1988 - Torrential rains and flooding killed 120 people and injured thousands in Rio de Janeiro

ODD SIDE OF NEWS

Police in Australia say a goat reported on the loose near the Melbourne Zoo was caught at the end of a four-hour search. Police said officers were sent to search the area around 10:20 a.m.

yesterday after the Billy goat was reported wandering near the zoo. The animal was finally located and captured at 2:30 p.m.

Melbourne Zoo spokeswoman Judith Henke said no goats are kept at the zoo. Investigators said it is unclear whether the goat was the same animal spotted wandering in the city several times in recent weeks.