Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naturenex roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 21th December, 2024.
1. FG Budgets ₦9.4 Billion For Tinubu, Shettima’s 2025 Refreshment, Trips
A ₦9.36 billion budget has been made for domestic and international travel and refreshments for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for the upcoming year.
Naturenex reports that this information is detailed in the 2025 Appropriation Bill released by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
On Wednesday, the president presented a budget proposal amounting to ₦49.7 trillion to a joint session of the National Assembly.
The fiscal document is titled: ‘Restoration Budget, Securing Peace and Building Prosperity.’
As per the budget proposal, President Tinubu is set to spend ₦7.44 billion on travel and refreshments, while Vice President Shettima will allocate ₦1.9 billion for similar expenses.
In 2025, the president’s international travel is expected to cost ₦6.14 billion, with local trips amounting to ₦873.9 million.
Additionally, ₦431.6 million has been designated for the president’s refreshments, meals, and catering supplies.
For the vice president, international travel expenses are projected at ₦1.31 billion, with local travel costing ₦417.5 million.
The budget for refreshments, meals, and catering supplies for the vice president is set at ₦186.02 million.
2. Tinubu Gives Urgent Direction To Security Agencies Over Ibadan Funfair Tragedy
President Bola Tinubu has urgently demanded that relevant authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the Ibadan children’s funfair stampede in Oyo State, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives and left many injured.
Naturenex reports that in a statement through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu expressed sadness over the tragic incident and extended his heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Oyo State, as well as to the grieving families who have lost their beloved children.
The President also urged the Oyo State Government to take every necessary measure to prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring and called on event organisers to prioritise the safety of all attendees, especially children.
3. Yahaya Bello Released From Prison
Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has been released from the Kuje Correctional Centre after meeting the bail conditions in the case against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Naturenex gathered that Bello was released on Friday evening after meeting the ₦500m, and other bail conditions slammed against him by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, FCT Command, Adamu Duza, confirmed the development to PUNCH.
“Yahaya Bello has been released after meeting the bail conditions. He was released this evening (Friday).
“The Controller of NCoS FCT, Ajibogun Olatubosun, was on the ground to ensure his smooth release and that all protocols were observed,” Duza said.
4. It Is An Error To Include My Name Among Those Having Outstanding Payments – Speaker Abbas Reacts To Wike’s Land Revocation
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has denied reports that he owes the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) outstanding payments for land titles.
Recall that Abbas’s name was on the list of those whose lands have been revoked by the Minister of the FCTA, Nyesom Wike, for failing to pay for the Certificate of Occupancy.
Speaking on the development in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, on Friday, Abbas said he has one land allocated to him in the FCT, and has since settled his outstanding payment in October 2024, following the FCTA’s newspaper publications to that effect.
He noted that it was an error for the FCTA to include his name among those having outstanding payments, leading to the revocation of the land titles.
The lawmaker subsequently advised the FCTA to be more circumspect in handling such issues.
5. Dele Farotimi Granted ₦30 Million Bail, Barred From Media Interviews
Controversial human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi has been granted ₦30 million bail by a Magistrate court in Ekiti State.
Ado Ekiti Magistrate Court granted bail to Dele Farotimi on the following conditions:
1. ₦30 million bond
2. Two sureties (one of whom must be a property owner), submission of his passport, and
3. A prohibition on granting media interviews.
Dele Farotimi’s bail was also confirmed by human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, on his X handle on Friday.
Recall that a petition filed by a prominent lawyer and Senior Advocate in Nigeria, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), prompted Farotimi’s arrest.
He was remanded in prison custody on December 7, 2024, after being arrested on 16 counts of criminal defamation, following the publication of his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
6. Wike Issues Final Warning To Abuja Landowners Over C-Of-O
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued a fresh ultimatum to 762 plot owners in Maitama II District, Cadastral Zone A10, Abuja.
The affected landowners have been given a two-week deadline to pay for their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) or face permanent revocation of their land allocations.
This directive was conveyed on Friday through a statement from Lere Olayinka, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media.
The minister emphasized that the government’s intention is not to seize people’s land but to ensure compliance with payment obligations.
“It should be recalled that on October 5, 2024, list of 3,273 allottees/title holders that were yet to pay for their C-of-O were published. They were offered two weeks to pay their bills or lose their Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) titles. Out of the 3,273, a total of 2,511 complied, leaving 762,” the statement read.
The statement further revealed that on Thursday, a public notice was issued announcing the withdrawal of R-of-O titles for the 762 defaulters.
Following this notice, many of the affected plot owners reached out, seeking an opportunity to make payments. In response, Wike granted a two-week grace period for payment.
7. ‘You Are Destabilizing Our Country’ – Niger Republic Makes Strong Allegations Against Nigeria, Summons Embassy Official
Nigeria has been accused by its neighbouring nation, Niger Republic, of destabilizing the country by offering help to foreign countries and officials of the former regime in Niger.
The allegation was made by the foreign minister of junta-ruled Niger, Bakary Yaou Sangare, in a statement read on national television late Thursday, as learnt by Naturenex on Friday.
Sangare accused Nigeria of providing refuge to some foreign powers and officials of the ousted regime of President Mohamed Bazoum.
Niger’s Foreign Minister said despite attempts to smoothen relations with Nigeria, such efforts have not yielded desired results.
The junta leadership in Niger has therefore summoned the charge d’affaires at the Nigerian embassy to answer the allegations.
“Despite efforts to normalise relations, we regret that Nigeria has not given up on serving as a rear base for the destabilisation of Niger with the complicity of some foreign powers and officials of the former regime, to whom it offers refuge,” Sangare said in a statement read on national television late Thursday.
It would be recalled that the relationship between Nigeria and Niger has been tense since a military coup in 2023 led to the ouster of President Bazoum.
8. Poverty In Nigeria Responsible For Ibadan Funfair Tragedy – PDP
The Southwest chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has attributed the harsh economic situation in the country to the tragic stampede at a children’s Christmas funfair in Ibadan, which claimed the lives of 40 children and left many injured.
Naturenex reports that the stampede occurred on Wednesday at an event offering free festivities for children, drawing a massive crowd that led to the unfortunate incident.
In a statement issued on Friday in Ado Ekiti, the PDP Southwest Publicity Secretary, Sanya Atofarati, sympathised with the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, and the affected families and prayed for divine comfort.
Atofarati claimed that poverty in the nation pushed families to seek free entertainment for their children.
He lauded the swift intervention of the Makinde and the rescue efforts, which saved the lives of some of the children who sustained injuries and the probing of the incident.
9. Oil Marketers Cut Petrol Price To ₦939.50 Per Litre
Oil marketers lifting Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery have reduced the price of the product by 11.8%, bringing it down from ₦1,060 to ₦939.50 per litre.
As of yesterday, petrol was still being sold at ₦1,060 per litre, as observed in Lagos and its surrounding areas.
However, fresh checks today by Vanguard revealed that major marketers, including MRS, have now revised their pump prices to reflect the change.
While Alhaji Sayyu Idris Dantata, Chairman of MRS, declined to comment on the matter, a visit to the company’s filling station in Ojota, Lagos, confirmed that MRS has begun selling petrol at ₦939.50 per litre.
In a related development, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery reduced the ex-pump price of its petrol from ₦970 to ₦899.50 per litre.
This move is aimed at easing the financial strain on Nigerians, especially as the holiday season approaches.
10. How Goodluck Jonathan Helped Me Become A Member Of The House Of Rep – Gov Diri
The Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri has disclosed how former President Goodluck Jonathan successfully impacted his political journey to the National Assembly and eventually his present office.
Diri recounted how the former president’s decision altered his political ambition at some point but became a blessing in disguise.
He made the disclosure in Yenegoa, at the service of songs in honour of late Madam Ani-Gunn Rhoda Ikiogha, mother of a former Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha.
He stated that Ikiogha and himself had been political sons of Jonathan even before he became president and worked together until their political interests failed to align.
According to him, “I have come a long way with Chief Ikiogha. We worked together at some point when he was Chief of Staff, Government House and I was Deputy Chief of Staff. We have been in politics over this period mostly working together.
“But there was a time he left me because we had a conflict of interest. We were very clear on what we wanted, and then our leader was in Abuja as president. So we plotted our political graph with the former governor, Senator Dickson, who was our boss here.
“We agreed that I should go to the Senate and Chief Ikiogha to the House of Reps. We even bought our party’s nomination forms. But we knew that our boss in Abuja will have his own agenda, which we cannot stop and can only collapse ours into his plan.
“Eventually the former president came with his agenda and it consumed all of us. We had agenda number two and that was when my friend, Ikiogha, disagreed with me and for the very first time we parted ways.
“That agenda was what paved the way for me to be elected as a member of the House of Reps (in 2015) by virtue of the Senate position being zoned to Yenagoa, and Ikiogha could not get the ticket.“
