The 2017 Diary: March

March 1. Senate confirms Chief Justice (CJN). Justice Walter Onnoghen was confirmed by the Senate as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and so became the 15th person to occupy the exalted seat after Nigeria’s Independence in 1960.

March 2. Obasanjo chides police for lateness, storms out of meeting. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo chided the Nigeria Police for keeping him waiting at an event organized by the security agency in Lagos. He was the special guest of honour at the maiden yearly special training and capacity development, and advised them to be ready when in future they invited him to any event.

March 3. Osinbajo laments Southern Kaduna crisis. Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo met with stakeholders in Southern Kaduna over the attacks and killing, lamenting that the violence in the area could not be put to an end in a hurry.

March 4. Obasanjo Presidential library, first in Africa commissioned. Nigeria made history with the commissioning of the first Presidential Library in the African continent. It was located in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital. The commissioning was part of the activities to mark the 80th birthday of Obasanjo.

March 5. CBN, police clamp down on new note vendors in Lagos. In a first bid to end the abuse of currency in the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with the police, began a major onslaught against Naira abuses , arresting no fewer than 12 vendors in Lagos.

March 6. Court jails Adamawa ex-governor, Ngillari, for fraud. A former Governor of Adamawa State, James Bala Ngillari, was sentenced to five years in prison by a Yola High Court for fraud that he committed while in office.

March 7. Yemi Osinbajo opens Lagos-Kano rail project, to create 500,000 jobs. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo inaugurated the Lagos end of the Lagos-Ibadan-Kano railway project, promising that it would be delivered on or before December, 2018.

March 8. Western State ex-governor, Adebayo dies at 89. Former Governor of old Western State of Nigeria, Gen Adeyinka Adebayo, passed on in his residence at Ikeja Government Reservation Area (GRA), Lagos.

March 9. Ohanaeze, other flay judge’s verdict on killing of Igbo traders. A High Court of the Federal Territory (FCT) sentenced two police officers to death for killing two of six Igbo traders in Apo, Abuja, on June 8, 2005. But the apex Igbo Socio-Cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said that there was nothing to cheer about in the judgment.

March 10. I have never been this sick, says Buhari, as he arrives home. President Muhammadu Buhari arrived the country after 49-days of undergoing medical treatment in the United Kingdom (UK). The Air Force plane that conveyed the President, with number N5 FGT, Landed at the Air Force Base tarmac at expertly 7.47 am.

March 11. No future for Biafra, says French envoy. The French government ruled out any support for those agitating for the secession of any part of the country, particularly Biafra. France’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Denys Gauen in an interview noted that his home country would not in any way work with any group agitating for the dismemberment of the nation.

March 13. NBC revokes 54 television, radio licences. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) revoked 54 televisions and radio licenses, while another 120 licenses were processed for revocation.

March 14. Inflation drops to 17.8% on falling food prices, others. After 15 months of persistent rise in inflation, the main drivers of the adverse economic trend-food and non-food items-moderated in February, bringing the rate down to 17.78 percent.

March 15. Govt reverses self, okays helicopter services at Abuja airport. The Federal Government approved the operation of private and commercial helicopter services at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

March 18. Magu: Senators insist on his replacement. Senator’s second time rejection of the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu might endanger improved relations between the Presidency and the National Assembly. This was because of the decision of some in the Presidency to stick to Magu as the substantive head to the anti-graft agency, while it was a closed matter for Senators.

*Policemen beat nursing mother in Ekiti. Five policemen at a checkpoint in Ado Ekiti allegedly brutalized a nursing mother, Mrs. Toyin Adeyeye, her two-month-old baby, Heritage and her younger brother Adeniyi and detained them for refusing to give bribe to the policemen.

March 20. Police confirm 46 Killed in Ile-Ife violence, parade 20 suspects. Twenty suspects allegedly involved in the Ile-Ife, Osun State crisis, were paraded at the Nigeria police headquarters, Abuja, over alleged involvement in the killing of 46 persons.

March 21. Adeosun wants N’ Assembly to cut CBN governor’s powers. The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun asked for the reduction of the powers of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

March 22. Senate declares customs’ CG Ali unfit for public office. The face-off between the Senate and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) took a turn for the worse as the lawmakers unanimously declared him outfit to hold any public office.

March 27. CBN pegs N 360 to one dollar at retail market. The central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) approved an exchange rate of N 360 to the United States dollar in line with its liberalization policy for the retail segment unveiled five weeks earlier.

March 29. Nigeria loses crude oil destination to US. Nigeria was fast losing its favorite oil export destination to the united State (US), the country’s biggest importer of crude blend. China, Japan stopped importing crude oil from Nigeria.