Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naturenex roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 17th July 2024
1. Tinubu Directs Heads Of Security Agencies To Crack Down On Oil Thieves
President Bola Tinubu has directed all the heads of security agencies and intelligence agencies to crack down on those stealing crude oil in the Niger Delta region.
Naturenex reports that the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, made this known on Tuesday while speaking with journalists after a closed-door meeting with the Defence Chief and other heads of security forces, held at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.
Kyari noted that oil theft and vandalism have become a national issue, stressing that achieving the desired economic stability in the country would be impossible without curbing oil theft and other crimes in the Niger Delta region.
On his part, the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, vowed to eliminate all acts of vandalism and other criminal activities throughout the South-South region.
Musa said they would adhere to Tinubu’s mandate to ensure they secure the entire South-South and enable NNPC and others to carry out their tasks.
2. ‘It Is Transnational Education’ – FG Speaks On Selling Public Universities To Private Investors
The federal government of Nigeria has denied reports that it plans to sell the nation’s public universities to private investors.
The Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, made the public denial on Tuesday while speaking during the Second Quarterly Engagement of the ministry with heads of units and chief executive officers of parastatals and agencies under the ministry.
He, however, added that part of the reforms the current administration is embarking upon involves what is called transnational education.
Naturenex understands, according to the Minister’s explanation, that transnational education is a policy on what the government is doing to open up tertiary education by allowing people from the rest of the world to come and invest in the nation’s tertiary system.
Mamman, who was responding based on the background of an earlier allegation by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that the government wants to sell off the public institutions to private investors, stressed that what the government is promoting is a public-private partnership in the interest of the nation’s educational sector.
The Minister said Nigeria must begin to adopt international best practices by allowing those who operate universities at the international level to come into the country and set up institutions either for themselves or in collaboration with local universities.
He said that this is in no way related to selling the institutions, noting that guidelines on transnational education had been in place.
3. Gov. Yusuf Signs Bill Creating 2nd Class Emirates In Kano State
The Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has signed the Kano State Emirate Council Establishment Bill 2024 into law.
The Governor signed the bill on Tuesday after it was passed by the State House of Assembly and transmitted to him.
Naturenex reported earlier that the Kano State House of Assembly passed the Kano State Emirates Council Establishment Bill 2024 after the bill scaled third reading on Tuesday.
The new law establishes second-class Emirate Councils in Rano, Gaya, and Karaye, each responsible for specific local government areas, with Kano as a first-class emirate.
Speaking after the signing, Governor Yusuf said the law aims to bridge the gap between the grassroots and the government while sustaining the rich cultural values and norms of the people.
He added that the second-class emirs, when appointed, will have jurisdiction limited to only local governments within their coverage. They would also be able to advise the Emir of Kano on issues within their domain.
4. Pro-Fubara Lawmakers Give Gov Go-Ahead To Spend Rivers Govt Funds
In a dramatic unfolding of events within the Rivers State political arena, the leadership crisis in the State Assembly took a new turn this Tuesday.
Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo of the faction led by him, vehemently denounced the opposing faction’s recent resolution, which prohibits Governor Siminalayi Fubara from accessing public funds.
During a fiery session at the Assembly, Speaker Oko-Jumbo criticized the actions of Martin Amaewhule and 24 other assembly members, who, having defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in late 2023, have attempted to impose financial restrictions on the governor.
According to Oko-Jumbo, these former members lack both the legal and moral grounds to enforce such measures.
The contention stems from a prior resolution by the Amaewhule-led faction, which, after a seven-day ultimatum to Governor Fubara to present his budget, effectively froze the state’s consolidated revenue funds, thereby blocking the administration from making any financial transactions.
Speaker Oko-Jumbo clarified that the 2024 budget had been lawfully presented to the Assembly under the then-speaker Edison Ehie, passed, and subsequently signed into law by Governor Fubara.
He asserted that the current legally recognized assembly, which he leads, is awaiting the presentation of the medium-term expenditure framework for the upcoming fiscal year.
5. ‘We Are One Family’ – First Lady, Remi Tinubu Tells Bukola Saraki In Lagos
The wife of the President of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has made a condolence visit to former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and his family following the passing of his mother, Florence Morenike Saraki.
“We are one family,” said Tinubu, who visited the former lawmaker and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday ahead of his late mother’s burial ceremony in Lagos.
In her address during the visit to the children of the deceased, the Nigerian First Lady expressed her sorrow and mentioned that her trip, with the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, served as a gesture to show the family their love.
The First Lady highlighted that the President of the 8th Senate consistently supported her during his tenure in the Senate.
Mrs Tinubu prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed.
In reply, Saraki mentioned that he wasn’t taken aback by the First Lady’s visit, considering her to be a fervent and affectionate individual.
6. I Can’t Allow You Travel Outside Nigeria – Judge Tells Emefiele
The Federal Capital Territory High Court has denied a request by former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, asking to travel out of the country for a medical check up.
The judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, in dismissing the request, said Emefiele did not provide enough justification for him to be allowed to travel out of the country for medical checks.
Naturenex reports that the former CBN Governor, who is standing trial for alleged corruption and mismanagement of public office, had sought the permission of the court for his international passport to be released so he could travel to the United Kingdom for medical checks.
However, the legal team of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opposed the request.
Ruling on the application on Tuesday, Justice Muazu said it is a fact that the defendant is presumed innocent pending the determination of his case. However, he added that Emefiele did not provide any letter from the UK hospital showing his medical conditions among other things.
7. LG Autonomy: ‘We Can Run Our Affairs, FG Is Not Superior To State Government’ – Gov Makinde
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that the Federal Government is not superior to states in exercising each other’s constitutional roles.
Naturenex reports that Makinde made this known in Ibadan at an emergency consultative meeting with stakeholders on Monday to appraise last week’s Supreme Court judgement, which granted financial autonomy to the local government areas across the nation.
He maintained that the judgment had created a constitutional lacuna that would throw up different challenges at the local government level.
The Governor stressed that though he was not opposing transparency in the councils, the Supreme Court judgment “is not a silver bullet that will wash away Nigeria’s problems.”
Speaking further, Makinde said his administration has been doing what was right, including clearing the backlog of debts owed to workers and pensioners at the council level and fixing the infrastructure deficit in the PHCs and the inner roads.
8. Northern Politicians Are Responsible For The Region’s Poverty – Gov Sani
Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has said Northern politicians, past and present, are responsible for poverty in the region.
Senator Uba Sani said the number of unbanked northerners, out-of-school children and those living in poverty is scary.
He said the cause of insecurity and crisis in the region affecting Nigeria was because the northern politicians in the last 15 years put more northerners below the poverty line.
He said his administration had to open accounts for 2.1 million Kaduna residents to be able to support them. He added that throughout the North, 65 to 70 percent of northerners are financially excluded because they are unbanked.
“In the last six months, we opened accounts for 2.1 million in banks. That is why we can support them. In many parts of northern Nigeria, in some states, about 65 northerners are unbanked, that is why we are having crisis of poverty, crisis of insecurity.”
Governor Sani said this on Tuesday while speaking on NTA Good Morning programme.
9. Why Igbos Will Not Join Protest Against President Tinubu – Ohanaeze Ndigbo
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has declared that Igbos and the entire southeast region would not join any protest against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The group, in a statement on Tuesday by its Secretary General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the Igbos have been made sacrificial lambs in similar past protests and would therefore not make themselves available to suffer the same fate again.
He said the Ndigbos have lost lives and properties in previous protests, “highlighting the deep-rooted injustices and miscarriages of justice suffered by the Igbo community.”
The statement, made available to Naija News, added that the prevailing security situation in the southeast does not allow for protest, and the fear of Igbos once again being perceived as sacrificial lambs in the forthcoming Nationwide protests is a legitimate concern
Isiguzoro therefore called on all Igbos to shun the planned protests billed for August 1st to 10th against President Tinubu to express the frustrations over the escalating costs of living and the unbearable hardships faced by Nigerians.
Instead of participating in the protest, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it is focused on discussions with the federal government on how to secure the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The group reiterated its commitment to ensuring peace returns and prevails in the southeast region.
10. Appeal Court Upholds Uzodinma’s Election As Imo State Governor
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Samuel Anyawu, challenging the decision of the Imo State tribunal, which affirmed the election of Hope Uzodinma as the authentic governor of the state.
Naturenex reports that the court ruled that the appeal lacked merit, having resolved all issues formulated against the appellants in the suit.
The Court of Appeal also dismissed the appeal by the Labour Party and its candidate, Achonu Nneji, and that of the Allied Peoples Movement for also lacking in merit.
The appellants, who were dissatisfied with the tribunal Judgment, had approached the court of appeal on grounds that the November 11, 2023 election, was invalid because of non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act.
The appellants also challenged Uzodimma’s qualification with an allegation that his WAEC Certificate of Education result, was forged.
While delivering judgment, the court of appeal held that the appellants, in their appeal, failed to prove the allegation of non-compliance as alleged.
The three-man panel led by Justice Bitrus Sanga also held that the appellants failed, to prove that the governor submitted a forged certificate.
