Below are the headlines found on The Punch Online Newspaper for today, Sunday, 20 August, 2017.

Nigeria's woeful outing at London 2017
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
NIGERIAN athletics is in tatters. To cap it all, the country's 17-man contingent to the 2017 World Athletics Championships returned home without winning any medal. Not even Blessing Okagbare could save Nigeria's blushes as the world's best gathered in London, England for the biennial event organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. For a []
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Don't take anti-Hausa, Yoruba agitators in N'Delta seriously 'PANDEF
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
The Coordinating Secretary, Pan Niger Delta Forum, Dr. Alfred Mulade, speaks with OVIE OKPARE on the recent October 1 ultimatum given by the Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators to Yoruba and northerners living in the region, among other issues Some Niger Delta agitators in the South-South have ordered Yoruba and Hausa living in the region []
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5,000 fighters ready to evict Hausa, Yoruba 'Niger Delta agitators
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
The leader of the Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators, John Duku, tells CHUKWUDI AKASIKE why his group issued a notice to quit to Yoruba and northerners in the oil-rich region, among other issues Why did the Coalition of the Niger Delta Agitators choose October 1 as the deadline for Yoruba and Hausa to leave the []
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I've not spoken to Sheriff after Supreme Court judgment 'Makarfi
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
The Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, speaks with TOLUWANI ENIOLA on the outcome of the party's recent convention, corruption allegations against former President Goodluck Jonathan, zoning structure of the party and the 2019 polls Why was your tenure as caretaker committee chairman extended by four extra months' []
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Police identify six suspects in Bayelsa APC secretariat attack
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
Simon Utebor and Chidiebube Okeoma The police in Bayelsa State have identified six suspects in connection with the attack on the state Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress that led to the death of two persons and left many injured. The APC secretariat came under attack on Friday morning when some armed thugs allegedly hired []
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I regret not joining politics earlier ' Otti
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
Renowned banker and politician, Dr. Alex Otti, speaks to TOFARATI IGE, about his banking and political career Why did you leave banking for politics' There comes a time when one looks beyond one's personal comfort and interest in taking decisions. For me, that time was in 2014. I had spent over 25 years in the []
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One dies as Chidoka wins Anambra UPP gov primary
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
Tony Okafor One person was on Saturday confirmed dead in the primary election of the United Progressives Party in Anambra State. The police spokesperson in the state, Nkeiru Nwode, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with our correspondent. Nwode said the man slumped and died following a fracas that ensued during the primary. She []
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Ex-speaker removed to move Edo forward ' New Speaker
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
The new Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Kabiru Adjoto, who was allegedly injured during the dramatic removal of the former Speaker, Justin Okonoboh, tells ALEXANDER OKERE why there was a change in the House leadership The impeached Speaker has described his removal as illegal. How would you react to that' I []
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Divergent views from manufacturers, others over tax holiday
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
In this piece by IFEANYI ONUBA, stakeholders examine the possible impact of the newly announced Pioneer Incentive Scheme (which seeks to grant tax holidays to 27 industries) on the economy By every standard, Nigeria has the potential to become a major player in the global economy by virtue of its human and natural resource endowments. []
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We'll regularly conduct health test on telecoms operators ' Dare
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
Executive Commissioner, Nigerian Communications Commission, Mr. Sunday Dare, speaks to OZIOMA UBABUKOH on the loss of 10 million active lines, call-masking fraud, among other issues What is the level of progress being made in the area of collaboration with state governments towards addressing cases of indiscriminate closure of base stations' Let me start by acknowledging []
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A closer look at ICT training by government
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
The rapidly expanding skills gap in the Information and Communications Technology industry is becoming worrisome and it is high time we started questioning the effectiveness of various ICT trainings claimed to be offered by the government in partnership with some technology firms. It is interesting to note that the telecom industry is valued at about []
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82 die in electricity accidents in seven months
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
Okechukwu Nnodim A total of 82 persons including employees of electricity distribution companies, Transmission Company of Nigeria, as well as power consumers lost their lives in various accidents in Nigeria's power sector between January and July this year. According to the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, 14 employees of both TCN and the Discos, and []
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60% forex allocation saved manufacturing sector ' Report
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
Anna Okon Although the Central Bank of Nigeria's preferential allocation of foreign exchange to the manufacturing sector was short-lived and fraught with controversies, a report has emerged showing that the initiative registered a huge impact and lent a boost to the manufacturing sector during the period. The initiative, which commenced in August 2016, came to []
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Power generation tumbles 18 months after 5,074MW peak
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
Femi Asu The nation's power generation has been struggling to stay above the 3,000 megawatts mark more than a year after it hit a peak of 5,074.70MW, despite the reported increase in gas supply to power plants. Electricity generation in the country has continued to hover between 2,000MW and 4,000MW in recent months. The nation []
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Nigeria's oil exports to slip in October
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
Nigeria's total exports are set to slip in October, possibly to a five-month low, according to loading programmes. Export plans for most grades were showing levels of roughly 1.72 million bpd, compared with 1.88 million bpd in September, according to a Reuters' report. While some cargoes would likely be added, the current plan stands at []
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Lack of NIN denies Nigerians business loans
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
Ozioma Ubabukoh The National Identity Management Commission has said many Nigerians are denied access to credit by financial institutions because they have no national identification number. The Director-General, NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, stated this in an interview with our correspondent on Friday. He said that any Nigerian without the NIN issued by the commission would soon []
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FG considers fresh measures to check illegal recruitment
Sun, 20 Aug 2017
Ifeanyi Onuba The Federal Government is considering a bouquet of new measures to check the increasing rate of illegal recruitment among the ministries, departments and agencies of government. The measures to be rolled out soon, it was learnt, would put to an end the practice by the agencies of government of conducting recruitment without recourse []
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