Good Morning, Welcome to Daily News24 Roundup of Top Nigerian Newspapers Headlines for Monday, Jan. 17th.
- Insecurity: We’ve Spent N100m On Ransom, Vigilantes, Zamfara Community Cries Out
Residents of Nahuche community in Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Sunday staged a peaceful protest in Gusau, demanding authorities to as a matter of urgency beef up security in the community over incessant attacks by armed men.
The protesters, who were at the Government House, were led by a former chairman of Bungudu LGA, Musa Abdullahi Manager. He said attacks on the community and kidnapping for ransom had become a daily affair.
“In the past three years, the community has suffered about 12 attacks with many people killed or kidnapped.
2. Fuel subsidy crisis: States kick as NNPC continues deductions, FAAC meets Wed
There are strong indications that state and federal governments are again on a collision course as the Federation Account Allocation Committee holds its first meeting in 2022 on Wednesday.
State officials, who spoke to our correspondents on Sunday, faulted the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s continued deductions from FAAC funds to finance fuel subsidy, saying the issue would come up at Wednesday’s meeting.
They said this as the NNPC was set to deduct N270.83bn from January FAAC allocations that would be shared by state, federal and local governments on Wednesday.
3. Leakages Continue Despite TSA Implementation
Six years into the full-scale implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) aimed at ensuring greater accountability of government resources and blocking leakages, the revenue accruing to the government still bleeds Daily Trust findings show.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on August 7, 2015, directed that every Federal Government Ministry, Department or Agency (MDA) pay into a Treasury Single Account (TSA) for all government revenues, incomes, and other receipts.
According to the directive, this measure was specifically aimed at promoting transparency and facilitating compliance with sections 80 and 162 of the 1999 Constitution.
4. PDP govs meet, decide on 2023 zoning, to advise NWC
The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum will today (Monday) meet in Port Harcourt to review the party’s readiness to rescue Nigeria in 2023.
The Director-General of the PDP Governors Forum, Cyril Maduabum, disclosed this on Sunday in a statement titled ‘PDP Governors meet in Port Harcourt to consolidate on rescue and rebuild Nigeria project’
Although Maduabum’s statement did not state that the forum would discuss strategies for winning 2023 elections, it was learnt that the governors would talk about zoning of the party’s presidential ticket and advise the National Working Committee on where the slot should be zoned to.
5. We were saints compared to today’s level of corruption — IBB
Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB, (rtd) has said that compared to the current level of corruption in Nigeria, they were saints during his military regime.
He said, “I sacked a governor for misappropriating N300,000. Now there are people — we read in the papers, thank God there are papers to read and social media and so on— who steal N2 billion, N3 billion and nobody is saying they are corrupt; only us because we are military, that is all.
“I still maintain that we are saints if you compare somebody who is accused of stealing N3 billion to one with N300,000; then I think we are saints.”
6. Buhari renews crackdown on bandits’ order to military
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a military crackdown on bandits terrorising communities in Niger State, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu said in a statement yesterday.
Shehu said the directive to launch a major military campaign in the Northcentral state was handed over to the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) by the President.
The President’s order came barely two weeks after the Federal Government published the court order classifying bandits, kidnappers and others as terrorists into a Gazette.
7. Pension gap between FG and states’ workers widens
There are indications that the pension gap between federal and state civil servants would widen in 2022 as most states fail to provide for the adjusted pension funding in the current budget.
On the other hand federal civil servants will have their pension funds further boosted as the just signed 2022 Appropriation Act contains N20.7 billion provision for consequential adjustment on pensions of its workers for April 2019 to April 2021.
8. Govt cuts gas price to GenCos
The Federal Government is set to reduce electricity tariffs this year while improving the power supply.
To achieve this, the government said it has cut down the price at which gas – a major component of power generation – is being sold to Generating Companies (GenCos).
A member of the seven-man Technical Committee on Electricity Tariff told The Nation that the goal is to ensure improved energy to Nigerians at a cheaper cost.
9. Simon: We Will Go All Out For A Win Against Guinea -Bissau
Moses Simon says the Super Eagles are determined to win their final group game at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations against Guinea-Bissau, reports Completesports.com.
The Super Eagles booked their passage to the next round of the competition courtesy of a 3-1 win against Sudan on Saturday.
A draw against the Djurtus will be enough for the three-time champions to maintain top spot in the group.
10. Buhari to unveil CBN, RIFAN mega rice pyramids in Abuja Tuesday
President Muhammadu Buhari will tomorrow unveil one million bags of rice paddy stacked as pyramids in Abuja.
Considered to be the biggest of its type in Africa, the pyramids are located on the grounds of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) on Airport Road.
The rice pyramids were built with 1 million bags of rice paddy planted and harvested from states across the country under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP).
