Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naturenex roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 23rd October, 2024
1. Nobody Can Rewrite Supreme Court Ruling On LG Autonomy – AGF
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has affirmed that nobody can rewrite the Supreme Court’s judgement on local government autonomy.
Naturenex reports that Fagbemi’s remark comes amidst the recently enacted Anambra State Local Government Administration Law 2024, which Governor Charles Soludo argued was necessary due to the complexities surrounding absolute local government autonomy.
Speaking in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday during a media chat, Fagbemi stressed that the apex court’s decision is binding and non-negotiable.
According to him, all parties must comply with the court’s ruling, noting that the speculation of a three-month grace period for the ruling’s implementation is false.
Dismissing any attempt to amend the Supreme Court’s ruling, the AGF said. “Are they going to rewrite the judgment of the Supreme Court? Once we have the full details of their law, we will act accordingly.”
Fagbemi also warned that any state attempting to disregard the Supreme Court ruling would be in contempt.
2. The Only Thing Your Govt Is Known For Is To Increase Fuel Price – NLC President Fires Tinubu
The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has called for an immediate reversal of the latest fuel price increase in the country.
Ajaero, in a statement on Tuesday, urged President Bola Tinubu to reverse the fuel price hike, noting that the increases initiated by the current administration since coming to power have not produced any positive result or impact on the citizens.
The NLC President also called out President Tinubu, noting that his government is becoming notorious for only fuel price increases without commensurate capacity of Nigerians or mitigatory measures.
He said the policies of the Tinubu government have only made Nigerians poorer.
Ajaero went further to question why the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is the one fixing fuel prices in the country when the government has already declared that the sector has been deregulated and it is the interaction of market forces that would determine petrol prices in the country.
3. FG Probes Gulf Of Guinea As Key Route For Arms Trafficking
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has announced that the Federal Government is currently investigating the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) as a significant corridor for arms trafficking into the country.
This statement was made during a two-day seminar on “Climate Change and the Changing Dynamics of Arms Proliferation and Insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea: Nigeria in Perspective,” held in Abuja, on Tuesday.
The seminar was organized by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in collaboration with the Global Network for Human Development.
Ribadu’s address was delivered by Ibrahim Babani, the Director of External Affairs at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Ribadu highlighted the Gulf of Guinea’s rich natural resources, including an estimated 24 billion barrels of crude oil reserves, contributing approximately five million barrels daily to the global market.
He noted that the region consists of 16 countries, including Nigeria, along its extensive 6,000-kilometre coastline, serving as a crucial maritime gateway between Africa and the global community.
However, he pointed out that the area’s wealth and economic activities attract criminal elements who engage in various illicit activities.
4. Senate Summons NDLEA Over ‘Clash’ With Senator Ashiru
The Nigerian Senate has extended an invitation to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to provide justification for the allegations made against Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru.
The Senate also established an Ad Hoc Committee to oversee the matter and report back to the lawmakers within one week.
This was announced after the lawmakers’ closed-door session on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio also questioned why the NDLEA had to wait for Senator Ashiru to make a point on the Senate floor about the corruption in the agency before digging up the allegation of drug issues against the lawmaker.
The Senate President noted that the utterances of the Senators during plenary are not subjects of debates by outsiders as they are covered by immunity.
Reiterating the confidence of the Senate in Ashiru, Akpabio described the Kwara South lawmaker as a gentleman who doesn’t even take alcohol.
He noted that the Senate must take the matter with the NDLEA seriously and call the agency to order because injury to one is an injury to all.
The resolutions of the Senate on Tuesday were sequel to a point of order raised by Senator Ashiru during the day’s plenary. He moved a motion of urgent national importance, citing Orders 9, 10, 41, and 52 of the Senate Standing Rules.
5. Ex-President Obasanjo Reveals His Stand On Oodua Republic
Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has expressed deep concern over the state of disunity in the country, describing it as a major obstacle preventing Nigeria from achieving its full potential.
Speaking on Tuesday, Obasanjo noted that the lack of national cohesion has hindered Nigeria from becoming the leading light of the black race, a position it should naturally occupy.
Despite the challenges, Obasanjo stated that he remains an “incurable optimist” about the country’s future, believing that Nigeria can turn things around if it addresses the mistakes of the past.
He specifically blamed the regionalism practised before Nigeria’s independence in 1960 as the root of the nation’s prolonged lack of unity, explaining that the country has struggled with the dynamic of “three countries in one” since emerging with three regional leaders at independence.
Obasanjo made these remarks while receiving a 20-member delegation from the League of Northern Democrats, led by former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, at his residence within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.
The former President further emphasized that leadership appointments in Nigeria should be based on merit, capacity, and the ability to deliver, rather than focusing on regional or ethnic backgrounds.
He urged the country to prioritize the national interest over sectional considerations, saying, “It is high time we began working for the national interest.”
6. ‘No More Conflict’ – Former Gov Declares End To PDP Crisis
The Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led Reconciliation Committee, established to address the internal divisions within the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has successfully completed its mission.
Speaking to journalists after a marathon three-hour meeting with the disputing factions on Tuesday, Oyinlola announced that the internal conflicts within the NWC have been resolved, paving the way for the party to move forward with its objectives.
Oyinlola, a former governor of Osun State, revealed that the committee would present its findings and recommendations to the PDP Governors’ Forum later in the evening.
When pressed for details on the specific issues resolved during the NWC session, Oyinlola declined to elaborate.
Regarding the potential for a controversial National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Thursday, which has been advocated by a faction loyal to Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, Oyinlola clarified that it was not part of his committee’s mandate.
7. If You Have A Brother Or Sister Who Is A Beggar In Abuja, Carry Them Out – Wike Issues Ultimatum
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has warned that beggars would no longer be allowed on the streets of Abuja.
The Minister lamented that the influx and activities of the beggars in Abuja have become an embarrassment to the city.
Wike added that some of the beggars are not real beggars but criminals pretending to be who they are not, thereby fuelling the insecurity in Abuja.
He, therefore, declared that from next week, city officials would begin to take out street beggars from Abuja and warned those who may have links with such beggars to take them off the streets before the security clampdown begins.
According to him, the grace period to take the beggars off the streets expires on Sunday, while they will begin flushing them off the streets as from Monday.
Naturenex reports Wike made the declaration on Tuesday during the flag-off of the construction of an access road from Ring Road 1 by N16 to the Judges Quarters as well as the construction of internal roads within Judges Quarters in Katampe District.
8. Supreme Court Reserves Judgement In Governors Suit Challenging EFCC’s Establishment
The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on a significant legal challenge brought by 16 state governments against the constitutionality of the laws that establish the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The case, presided over by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji and a seven-member panel of justices, reached this phase on Tuesday after extensive arguments from the involved parties’ attorneys.
Originally initiated by the Kogi State Government through its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the suit has seen multiple states join as co-plaintiffs.
The states involved in the suit, marked SC/CV/178/2023, include Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross-River, and Niger.
In a turn of events, the Attorneys General of Anambra, Adamawa, and Ebonyi have withdrawn from the case, with the Supreme Court panel granting their request.
The suit addresses critical questions about the federal scope of anti-corruption enforcement, challenging the legal foundation of the EFCC’s establishment under current laws.
The decision of the Supreme Court will be keenly awaited, as it holds substantial implications for federal and state powers in the governance and administration of justice.
9. Amidst Price Hike, Tinubu Govt Bans Export Of Cooking Gas
The Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government has announced a ban on the export of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, produced in Nigeria, following a sharp rise in its price.
Naturenex reports that this was made in a statement released on Tuesday by the media aide to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.
The Minister voiced concerns about the surging LPG prices.
Despite previous efforts, including the formation of a high-level committee in November 2023 led by the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr. Farouk Ahmed, the price of LPG has skyrocketed from an average of N1,100–N1,250 per kg to N1,525 per kg.
The statement revealed that Ekpo held a meeting with key players in the LPG value chain to address the situation, which is placing a significant burden on Nigerians.
10. House Of Reps Summon Wike, DSS DG, FCT CP Over Kidnappings In Abuja
The House of Representatives has taken a decisive step to address the escalating security challenges in Abuja by summoning the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, alongside Olatunji Disu, the FCT Commissioner of Police, and Adeola Ajayi, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
These officials are expected to appear before the House committees on FCT, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence.
This resolution was passed during Tuesday’s plenary session, following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Ismail Dabo, a lawmaker from Bauchi state.
The motion highlighted the distressing increase in abductions and violent crimes within both the suburbs and the city center of Abuja, which recently culminated in the tragic death of Dabo’s aide, Nimah Sulaiman, at the hands of ‘one chance’ operators.
Sulaiman was reportedly kidnapped and brutally murdered at gunpoint around Bannex junction in Wuse 2, despite the ransom paid for her release.
This incident has intensified concerns over the safety of the capital’s residents and prompted urgent calls for action from the government.
The motion was unanimously adopted after a voice vote, led by Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House.
