Member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Action Congress (AC), SENATOR ROLAND OWIE in this interview, blames the nations level of under-development on the lack of agenda on the part of past political leaders, coupled with their failure to follow and implement the manifestoes of their parties. The former Senate Whip, who spoke to our Correspondent, Osaigbovomwan Iguobaro in Benin, also identifies free and fair elections as the only means of selecting credible and purposeful leaders who will represent the interest of the masses. Excerpts: 

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scored another success with the peaceful conduct of elections into the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Saturday.  Our correspondents who covered the elections report that the exercise was held in a peaceful and orderly manner, though with pockets of skirmishes in a few areas. There were reports of voters' low turn-out in some areas, though voters' turnout was high in many other areas. By Yusuf Ozi-Usman, Kayode Kolade, Mohammed Isa, Musa Adamu, Josephine Ella. 

From Auwal Ahmad, Gombe 

 Gombe state government says that it does not interfere with the finances of its local government councils. 

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi 

The Bauchi state police commissioner Ibrahim Sabo Ringim has been commended for intensifying effort to provide adequate security measures and impede the menace of political thugs in the state.