Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naturenex roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 1st November, 2024
1. Tax Reform Bill Not Against The North – Tinubu
The Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration has stated that the proposed tax reform bills is not against the north, adding that the bill will benefit all states.
Naturenex reports that this was made known in a statement on Thursday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Recall that Governors of 19 Northern States of Nigeria, under the platform of the Northern Governors’ Forum, at their meeting on Monday, October 28, 2024, expressed their opposition to the new derivation-based model for Value-Added Tax (VAT) distribution in the new tax reform bills before the National Assembly.
Chairman of the forum, Governor Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, read the communiqué.
The Northern Governors’ Forum meeting also had traditional rulers from the region, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, in attendance.
2. ‘It’s An Aberration For Nigeria To Be Importing Fuel’ – Governors
Governors of the 36 states of the federation have condemned Nigeria’s continued dependence on the importation of petroleum to meet its local demands of fuel consumption.
The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, who spoke to newsmen on behalf of his colleagues after the meeting of the Governors, which also had in attendance the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, said it is an aberration for Nigeria as an oil-producing country to be importing fuel.
The Governors called for the repair of the refineries in the country to make petroleum products more available and affordable to Nigerians and alleviate the suffering in the land.
They also called for support for Dangote Refinery.
The Governors supported the move to purchase petroleum products in naira, adding that local refining of petroleum products would open an avalanche of opportunities for the citizens and boost the country’s economy through employment and other benefits.
3. NEC Recommends Withdrawal Of Tax Reform Bills
In the wake of the controversies surrounding the tax reform bill already at the National Assembly, the National Economic Council (NEC) has recommended its withdrawal.
Naija News reports that NEC, headed by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, has governors as members.
Speaking with state House journalists after the NEC meeting on Thursday, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said following the controversies that arose due to the bills, NEC recommended its withdrawal so that stakeholders would be better carried along.
Makinde stated that this decision was made for the benefit of the country and emphasized the need for further consultations regarding the bills.
4. Japa: You Cannot Refuse To Pay Us Decent Wages And Insist On Forcefully Keeping Us – Ajaero Tells FG
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, has criticized the federal government for attempting to limit workers’ opportunities to seek employment abroad, despite poor working conditions and low wages at home.
Speaking at the 8th Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in Abuja, Ajaero condemned the government’s actions as “another shape of slavery,” asserting that workers have a right to pursue better job opportunities globally.
Ajaero commended NANNM’s leadership for their response to the federal government’s temporary closure of the certificate verification portal, which he claimed was an attempt to prevent healthcare workers from accessing jobs abroad.
He also used the opportunity to emphasize the importance of safeguarding the unity they’ve achieved, along with the peace and stability now present in their union.
Reflecting on the current economic challenges, Ajaero highlighted the high cost of electricity, fuel, and transportation, which has intensified food scarcity and hunger nationwide.
5. ‘Tinubu’s Administration Will Turn Stone To Bread’ – David Umahi
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has reaffirmed the dedication of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to ensure it maintains the quality of roads throughout all 36 states of the federation.
Umahi said his ministry was not distracted by the challenges before it, adding that the incumbent government was committed to turning its ‘stone to bread.’
Naturenex reports that Umahi made these remarks during a town hall meeting and stakeholders’ engagement organized by the Federal Ministry of Works, focusing on the alignment of the 63-kilometre segment of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, on Thursday.
He emphasized that the coastal highway plays a crucial role in the economic advancement of the states it traverses and the nation as a whole.
The former Governor of Ebonyi State also acknowledged his accountability for the inadequacies in federal road infrastructure across the nation.
6. We Know There Is Hardship In The Country But Appreciate Tinubu’s Reforms – 36 Governors
Thirty-six Governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) have acknowledged the hardship plaguing Nigerians.
The governors said they were aware that people are hungry.
Rising from a meeting in Abuja that lasted from Wednesday night to the early hours of Thursday, the Governors sympathized with Nigerians, but praised the reforms being carried out by President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking with journalists, the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, disclosed that it was the prayer of the governors that relief would come to the masses.
7. Appeal Court Reserves Judgment On IPOB’s Appeal Against Terrorist Proscription
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved its judgment in the appeal filed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to contest its proscription as a terrorist organization by the Federal Government.
The three-member panel, led by Justice Hamma Barka, set the date for judgment after both parties presented their final arguments.
During Thursday’s session, Mr. Oyilade Koleosho from the Federal Ministry of Justice represented the government, while IPOB’s legal team was led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Chukwuma-Machukwu Umeh.
IPOB is seeking to overturn a 2017 ruling by the late Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Abdu-Kafarati, which classified its activities as illegal and designated the group as a terrorist organization.
IPOB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who remains detained, had earlier applied to join the appeal as an interested party in the case, marked FHC/CA/A/214/2018.
The proscription order originated from an ex-parte motion filed by then Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, on behalf of the Federal Government, resulting in the declaration of IPOB’s activities as unlawful, particularly in the South-East and South-South regions.
8. Don’t Reduce Nigerian Youths To Taxi Drivers – Atiku’s Aide Blasts Wike
The Media Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has berated the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the empowerment given to some youths in Abuja as commercial vehicle drivers.
Ibe, in a post via his account on the X platform (formerly Twitter), cautioned the federal government against reducing Nigerian youths to mere taxi drivers.
He pointed out that most youths engaged in the business of commercial driving are not doing it out of their free will but due to the unconducive economic environment and the need to survive.
The position of Ibe follows an earlier statement by Wike on Thursday while giving out cars to some youths in the FCT to use for commercial driving.
In his speech, the Minister encouraged the beneficiaries not to be ashamed that they are being empowered to be taxi drivers, saying that many Nigerians who reject taxi driving jobs at home gladly embrace such when they travel abroad.
The aide of Atiku, however, disagreed with the submission by Wike and urged the government to stop denying Nigerians and the youths, in particular, the opportunity to enjoy a better life due to wrong government policies.
9. I Told Tinubu To Stop This Mess – Wabara Fumes Over Court Order Stopping Rivers’ Allocation
Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has expressed disappointment over the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which ordered the seizure of statutory allocations to Rivers State Government.
Naturenex reported on Wednesday that Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Abuja Federal High Court declared that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly contradicted Constitutional provisions.
She criticized Fubara’s ongoing receipt and use of monthly federal allocations since January, calling it a Constitutional violation that cannot be permitted.
Justice Abdulmalik further ruled that the implementation of an unauthorized budget by Fubara amounted to a severe breach of the 1999 Constitution.
Reacting, Wabara, in an interview with Vanguard, described the judgment as judicial insensitivity and an invitation to anarchy, saying that the judges have gone haywire and the judiciary has failed Nigeria.
Wabara recalled how he told President Bola Tinubu about intervening in the Rivers State Political crisis, noting that if not stopped, it could consume Nigeria.
The former Senate President also stated that the Rivers allocation is meant for the development of the state and not for Governor Fubara, adding that with the court judgement, youths in the state might be tempted to return to the creeks in response.
10. Tinubu Not Against The North, All Nigerians Voted For Him – Adelabu Tells Kano State Governor
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, declared on Thursday that President Bola Tinubu is not against the northern region of the country or any other region.
He discarded reports in certain quarters claiming President Tinubu is discriminating against the northern region in particular.
Adelabu, who spoke during a courtesy call to the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, said all Nigerians voted for Tinubu, hence no reason for discrimination.
Speaking against the recent blackout, which affected some states in the north, the Power Minister emphasized that what happened was not intentional and that repair works are almost complete.
Adelabu further revealed that he was in Kano on a working visit to physically inspect the power installations and other infrastructure in the region, and to interact with the state government on the way forward.
