Good Morning, Welcome to Daily News24 Roundup of Top Nigerian Newspapers Headlines for Thursday, Dec. 9th 2021
- Nigeria’s petrol imports jump by 55%, hit N2.52tn in nine months
The cost of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, imported into Nigeria from January to September this year surged by 55.56 per cent to N2.52tn from the N1.62tn spent in the same period of 2020.
The development came amid the Federal Government’s plan to remove subsidy from petrol by February next year. Already, oil marketers have begun plans to resume importation of the PMS as soon as the government deregulates the downstream sector of the petroleum sector in the first quarter of 2022.
Petrol’s N2.52tn import bill for the first nine months of this year is 47.37 per cent and 25.37 per cent higher than what the amount country spent on PMS imports in the whole of 2019 and 2020 respectively, data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics show.
2. Some judges sell judgments, retire to escape NJC sanctions – Jega
A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said some corrupt judges are usually made part of election petition tribunals in order to corruptly enrich themselves by selling judgments to the highest bidders.
Jega said some of these corrupt judges sold judgments to the highest bidders and quickly retired to avoid being sanctioned by the National Judicial Council.
The former INEC boss, who is also a former Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano said this in a lecture he delivered at the Owolabi Afuye Memorial Lecture organised by the Nigerian Bar Association, Ibadan Branch as one of the events to mark its 2021 Law Week.
3. Tour Operators, Airlines Count Losses As Saudi Bans Nigeria
The suspension of flights from Nigeria by the Saudi Arabian authorities on Wednesday has thrown tour operators, airlines and other service providers into confusion, Daily Trust reports.
Some of the operators in Kano, Abuja and Lagos said they have started counting their losses because the abrupt ban came during the peak of the December and Umrah seasons.
They told Daily Trust on Wednesday that apart from booking flights and hotels for thousands of passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia, they also spent a lot of money in procuring visas and completing logistics.
4. New converts stab RCCG pastor to death in Lagos church
Suspected hoodlums have attacked and killed a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in FESTAC Town, in the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Our correspondent gathered that the victim, Pastor Babatunde Dada, was killed inside the RCCG Chapel of Resurrection on 13 Road, 6th Avenue, FESTAC Town.
The killing, which happened on Thursday, December 2, was said to have been perpetrated by two new converts who came to the church for the first time a Sunday before the incident.
5. ‘We’ll Surely Succeed’, Ganduje Speaks On Kano APC Crisis
Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has reacted to the recent crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
There is currently a crisis over the control of the party between a faction loyal to the governor and another under the control of Senator Ibrahim Shekarau.
The crisis worsened after an Abuja court dissolved the excos elected at the congress conducted by Ganduje faction, declaring that the Shekarau faction is the authentic one.
In an interview with Radio France International, Hausa, on Wednesday, Ganduje said with the over 40 years of experience in politics, the present situation in Kano is nothing to worry about.
6. Grant Autonomy To Local Government In Nigeria, Prof Ghali Tells Govs, NASS
Associate professor of Political Science and International Relations, and director of Institute for Legislative Studies, University of Abuja, Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, has called on the executives to grant full financial autonomy to the 774 local governments in the country, describing it as a recipe for national development.
He also called on the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly to expedite action on the debate to grant local government autonomy.
Addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja during the National Councilors’ Forum of Nigeria 8th national conference/convention and election of new excos, 2021 with the theme: ‘’Consolidating Lawmaking in Revenue Generating at Local Government Level and Curbing the Challenges of Insecurity’’ Ghali stressed the need for an absolute revolution in terms of financial autonomy and accountability if the nation must progress.
7. Army chief: repentant Boko Haram fighters not sincere
The anti-terror battle of the Federal Government may suffer a setback, it was learnt yesterday.
The Army has raised the alarm that many repentant Boko Haram fighters are backsliding and subverting the war against the insurgents and bandits.
The Theatre Commander of ‘Operation Hadin Kai’, Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa, disclosed that ‘repentant’ sect members, who have surrendered to troops have ulterior motive.
8. Lagos school shut after two die in truck accident
Lagos State government yesterday shut Ojodu Grammar School following the protests by some parents after a truck crushed pupils to death on Tuesday.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu sympathised with the bereaved families, relatives, friends, management and staff of Ojodu Grammar school. He described the incident as “sad, unfortunate and avoidable”.
The governor said: “No life, including those vibrant students, who were returning from where they had gone to learn for a better future, deserved to be ended in that manner. My deepest sympathies go to their parents. I pray God will grant them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. Our prayers are also with the survivors, who are receiving treatment at the hospitals.
9. Why I want to be APC national chairman — Al-Makura
The immediate past governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Umar Al-Makura, says he is vying for the APC chairmanship position to promote cohesion in the party and help foster unity among Nigerians.
Al-Makura stated this on Tuesday when he met with leaders of the North-Central Peoples’ Forum at the organisation’s secretariat in Abuja.
According to him, the nation began to totter towards the brinks when it “forgot” the sacrifices made by the people of the region to defend the oneness of Nigeria during the 1966 Biafra civil war and beyond.
10. PDP to Obaseki: Clear air on bribe-for-ticket allegations
Outgoing national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, called on Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State to speak up on allegations that the party collected money from him in the build up to his emergence as the PDP governorship candidate in the 2020 Edo governorship election.
At a valedictory session held in honour of the Prince Uche Secondus-led leadership at the party’s secretariat, yesterday, PDP denied demanding or collecting financial gratification before handing Obaseki the ticket of the party in September 2020 governorship election.
