Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naturenex roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Thursday, 19th September, 2024
1. ‘Tinubu May Reshuffle Cabinet Before Oct 1’
President Bola Tinubu is reportedly preparing to reshuffle his cabinet in anticipation of Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations on October 1.
Sources within the presidency revealed to BusinessDay that this decision is a direct response to growing criticisms regarding the administration’s handling of the economy.
Reliable insiders indicated that several key ministries are likely to be affected by the upcoming reshuffle, including the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Environment, and Ministry of Defense.
Discontent has been brewing within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding the current administration’s performance, with party members expressing concerns that without significant changes in economic management, the party may struggle to retain power in the 2027 elections.
A chieftain of the APC, speaking on the condition of anonymity, voiced dissatisfaction with President Tinubu’s economic policies, highlighting the urgent need for improvement to regain public confidence.
2. Yahaya Bello Is Not In Our Custody, He Remains A Wanted Man – EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) has denied having the embattled former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, in its custody.
According to a statement on Wednesday by the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, Bello is not in the custody of the anti-graft agency and remains a wanted man.
The EFCC added that the subsisting warrant of arrest for Bello over an alleged ₦80.2billion money laundering charges remains in place.
“Media reports today that a former Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello is in the holding facility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is incorrect. The Commission wishes to state that Bello is not in its custody.
“Bello, already declared wanted by the Commission for alleged N80.2billion money laundering charges, remains wanted with a subsisting warrant for his arrest,” Oyewale said.
The position of the anti-graft agency differs from an earlier statement from Bello’s media office, which claims the former Governor honoured the EFCC invitation after consulting with his family, legal team, and political allies, asserting that he has “nothing to hide.”
3. Strike Looms As SSANU, NASU Issue Fresh Ultimatum To FG
The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have threatened that its members would embark on strike unless their demands are met.
The university unions threatened to embark on a fresh strike in three weeks’ time unless the government meets their demands.
In a statement jointly signed by SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, and NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, the unions noted that an initial 10-day grace period given to the government to meet their demands expired on 26th July, 2024, and the government failed to take action.
They added that six weeks after the grace period elapsed, the government has yet to fulfill this obligation.
The unions, therefore, threatened that if the federal government fails to act within the new grace period, they’ll be left with no choice but to shut down universities and inter-university centres.
The unions are demanding, among other things, the payment of four months’ withheld salaries, improved remuneration, earned allowances, and the implementation of the 2009 agreements with the government.
4. INEC Punishing Us For Defending Peter Obi, Alex Otti In 2023 Election – Abure
Julius Abure’s faction of the Labour Party has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is specifically punishing the party because of its defense of its Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia Governor, Alex Otti, during the 2023 elections.
Speaking through the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, at a press conference held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, Abure expressed deep frustration with both Obi and Otti.
He accused them of betraying the Labour Party’s core principles by aligning themselves with INEC, the very body accused of undermining the will of the people during the election.
The party raised concerns about a recent INEC counter-affidavit, which questioned the validity of the Labour Party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and refused to recognize the outcome of the party’s March 2024 National Convention, which saw the re-election of Abure as chairman.
According to Ifoh, Obi and Otti convened a controversial stakeholders’ meeting in Umuahia, where they handpicked a caretaker committee in an attempt to overthrow the party’s current leadership.
They reportedly informed INEC of an alleged internal leadership crisis, further fuelling the dispute.
5. CBN To Re-introduce Controversial Cybersecurity Levy
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed its intention to re-introduce and enforce the payment of the controversial Cybersecurity Levy on electronic transactions by Nigerians.
The CBN made this known in its Monetary, Credit, Foreign Trade, and Exchange Policy Guidelines for Fiscal Years 2024-2025 document released on Tuesday.
Naturenex, however, observed, according to the document, that the levy has been reduced from the 0.5% earlier announced in May 2024 to 0.005% in the new guidelines.
The document read: “The CBN shall continue to enforce the payment of the mandatory levy of 0.005 per cent on all electronic transactions by banks and other financial institutions, in accordance with the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.”
This move is in line with the provisions of the recently amended Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2024, and is aimed at bolstering the nation’s cyber security infrastructure.
The commercial banks and other financial institutions operating in the country are expected to deduct the levy from all electronic transactions by customers.
However, the CBN is yet to announce a date for the re-commencement of the charges.
6. ‘Any Politician Demarketing Nigeria Does Not Deserve To Be President’ — AGF Fagbemi
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, has stated that any politician speaking ill of Nigeria deserves no chance to lead the nation.
Fagbemi, who spoke at the Abuja Social Media Summit, themed ‘Harnessing the Power of Social Media for National Development,’ faulted politicians who are fond of “demarketing” Nigeria on social media, asserting that such individuals are unfit to aspire for any leadership position in the country.
The AGF emphasized the necessity for collective efforts to elevate Nigeria into a more prosperous nation, free from discord.
He affirmed that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is dedicated to guiding the country towards a brighter future.
Fagbemi, represented at the event by his spokesperson Kamarudeen Ogundele, emphasized that utilizing social media for national development entails capitalizing on these platforms to drive economic advancement, enhance governance, increase civic participation, and promote societal progress.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice stated that social media facilitates transparency and accountability, encourages citizen involvement and engagement, aids in public service announcements and information sharing, and provides feedback and complaint resolution mechanisms.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that despite the numerous benefits of social media, there are significant challenges and limitations, including the digital divide and inequality, the spread of misinformation and disinformation, cybersecurity threats, and concerns regarding privacy.
7. Yahaya Bello’s Media Team Insists He Was At EFCC Amid Conflicting Statements
The media team of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has reiterated that he was present at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters, despite conflicting statements from the anti-graft agency.
Earlier, Bello’s team claimed that the ex-governor honoured the EFCC’s invitation following consultations with his legal team and political associates.
However, EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale denied that Bello was in their custody, asserting that he remains a wanted individual.
In a subsequent statement, the Director of Bello’s Media Office, Ohiare Michael, clarified that the former governor was indeed at the EFCC office, accompanied by his successor, Usman Ododo.
Michael stated that the EFCC did not interrogate Bello during the visit and informed him that he was free to leave.
8. ‘We Know The Bandits, Where They Live, Their Parents, Why They Can’t Be Killed Is Million Dollar Question’ – Gov Lawal
The Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, has said the bandits terrorizing communities in the state and across the Northern region are known to the government.
Governor Dauda Lawal said his government and the federal government know who the bandits are, where they live and the parents of the bandits.
He regretted that his administration had yet to find out the ideology behind the bandits’ actions.
He stated that while Niger Delta militants fought for recognition on economic stance, Boko Haram is fighting for their religion but the bandits have not leaned their terror act to any ideology.
Speaking with Arise TV on Tuesday, Lawal noted that the bandits also do not attack the government but poor farming communities.
Speaking on the efforts of the federal government to help address the issue of banditry in the state, Lawal stated that the federal government through the security agencies is doing its best.
The Zamfara Governor noted that the bandits are well known, however, the reason why actions have not been taken to arrest them remains an unanswered question.
9. Earth Tremors: NGSA Assures Abuja Residents Of Safety
Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have been encouraged not to panic following reports of earth tremor in the country’s capital city.
This important admonition was issued in a statement released on Wednesday by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA).
The NGSA Director-General, Professor Olusegun Ige, noted that the agency has been monitoring these tremors and has determined that they are of low intensity and do not pose any environmental threat.
He further stated that the Monitoring Station (NGSA-5) in Katampe has detected several notable ground movements with significant moment magnitudes (Mw) over the past five days, from September 13, 2024, to the present.
It was also mentioned that only one minor event was recorded on September 13th.
10. Why We Allowed NNPC To Determine Price Of Petrol From Dangote Refinery – NMDPRA
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has denied suggestions that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has been allowed to usurp its powers by determining the price of petrol coming from Dangote Refinery.
The NMDPRA maintained that the deal between Dangote Refinery and NNPCL was based on a willing seller and willing buyer relationship.
The Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA, Engr. Farouk Ahmed, who made the submission, said in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021, the interaction of market forces is what determines the price of petrol in the country since the government has deregulated the sector.
He added that the role of the NMDPRA is not to allow anyone to go overboard by exploiting the market or the final consumers.
Naturenex recalls after lifting petrol from Dangote Refinery as the sole buyer of products from the facility, the NNPCL released a price template which indicates ₦950.22 as the average price of a litre in Lagos State, and ₦1, 019.22 per litre for Borno State, the longest and extreme end of the supply route.
This development raised concerns among stakeholders and industry watchers, with insinuations that the NNPCL had taken over one of the key functions of the NMDPRA.
But speaking in a chat with Daily Trust on Tuesday, Engr. Ahmed said the controversy generated by the action is needless.
He submitted that the pump price announced by the NNPCL was meant for its outlets across the country, and other marketers are not bound by the prices.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naturenex. See you again tomorrow.
