Good Morning, Welcome to Daily News 24 Roundup of Top Nigerian Newspapers Headlines for Tuesday, Dec. 7th 2021.
- Kano APC Crisis: Tinubu To Meet Ganduje As Feud Threatens 2023 ‘Ambition’
In a move to save his presidential ambition, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is set to meet Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over the crisis rocking the party in Kano State.
Tinubu had on Sunday met with Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, whose camp has been having a running battle with Ganduje over the control of the party structures in the state.
The former Lagos State governor singled out the leaders of the warring factions in Kano for reconciliation at a time when the just concluded congresses of the party had triggered a crisis in 13 states.
The meeting between Tinubu and Shekarau had raised dust in Kano, regarded as the votes’ bank of the ruling party.
2. Travel ban: Nigeria, UK may clash, FG alleges action discriminatory
The United Kingdom on Monday justified its travel ban on Nigeria, saying the measure was a temporary measure aimed at protecting its public health.
The Head of Communications, British High Commission, Dean Hurlock, stated this in response to inquiries from The PUNCH on Monday evening, just at the Federal Government said the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 would respond to the travel ban.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who said this at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, described the travel ban as discriminatory.
Also, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK, Alhaji Sharafa Ishola, described the travel ban as apartheid.
3. Nigeria’s trade deficit rises to N3tr
Nigeria’s trade deficit has ballooned by over 61 per cent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) as it rose from N1.87 trillion in the second quarter (Q2) to N3.02 trillion in the last quarter (Q3).
In the last quarter, the country imported goods valued at N8.15 trillion, while its total export was valued at N5.13 trillion, bringing the total trade to N13.28 trillion as against N12.08 trillion recorded the preceding quarter.
These are contained in the Q3 foreign trade data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday.
The rise may have erased the gain recorded in the last quarter when the deficit declined by almost 53 per cent QoQ. It reduced from N3.9 trillion to N1.87 trillion.
4. 10,000 Subscribers Apply For Federal Govt’s 5,000 Houses
Over 10,000 subscribers have submitted applications through the National Housing Programme portal recently opened by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing for 5,000 houses in 34 states, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH) has said.
It, however, advised applicants to ensure strict compliance to the requirements by uploading complete and only valid documents on the portal.
The ministry said the requirements for the online registration for the prospective applicants include passport photograph, current certified tax clearance/payment slip.
Others include means of identification such as current national ID, driver’s licences, international passport and voter’s card as well as letter of first appointment and gazette of confirmation of appointment (for public servants).
5. Yuletide: Police Ban Sale, Use Of Fireworks
The police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have banned the sale and use of fireworks in the territory before and during the Yuletide.
The police public relations officer (PPRO) in the FCT, DSP Josephine Adeh made this known in a statement yesterday in Abuja.
Adeh said the ban was part of proactive moves by the command to sustain existing peace and contain criminal activities associated with the period.
According to her, fireworks constitute nuisance, disturbs public peace and causes unnecessary fear, apprehension and danger of possible fire outbreak.
6. ASUU To Declare Position On Strike Within 24 Hours
Following the expiration of the ultimatum given by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to the federal government to implement its demands or face another round of industrial action, the union has said Nigerians will know its position within 24 hours.
ASUU president, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, who stated this in an interview with journalists, said the union would declare its position shortly after consultations with its branches had been made.
ASUU had on November 15 given the federal government a three-week ultimatum over government failure to meet its demands.
7, Soldier, lover arrested over 90 rounds of ammunition in Borno
The Borno State Police Command has paraded a woman, Anita Yohanna, who was allegedly arrested with live ammunition while boarding a car to Yola from Askira town, in the Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
The 25-year-old claimed that she was given the ammunition by her military boyfriend, one Lance Corporal Aliyu Isa, to deliver to the driver of a commercial vehicle heading for Yola.
She said, “I have been dating the soldier for one year and four months now. His name is Aliyu Isa, a Lance Corporal with the Nigerian Army, serving in Askira. He gave me the bag and instructed me to take it to a park in Uba and waybill it in a vehicle going to Yola.
8. Labour puts members on the alert over fuel price hike
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday put its members on alert over a likely hike in pump price.
It has commenced mobilisation to shut down the economy, should the Federal Government proceed with its proposed increase of the Premium Motor Spirit from N162 to N340 by next year, 2022.
The Congress warned that Organised Labour would not fold its hands and watch the Federal Government push more Nigerians below the poverty line.
9. Why Buhari is yet to sign Electoral Amendment Act — Presidency
The Presidency has insisted that either President Muhamadu Buhari sign the proposed Electoral Amendment Act or not that it won’t detract his democratic value.
The Presidency maintained that Buhari would do what seemed best for the interest of the country.
Speaking on a monitored programme ‘Politics Today’ on Channels Television, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina explained that President Buhari is consulting widely to do what is best for the country.
10. Sylvester Oromoni: Femi Falana takes over case against Dowen College
The family of late 12-year-old Sylvester Oromoni, a student of Dowen College, has hired the firm of human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Falana, to prosecute the case against the institution over the unfortunate death of their son.
In the letter dated December 6, 2021, and signed by Taiwo Olawale, the lawyers have written to the office of Lagos State’s chief coroner requesting an inquest into the circumstances leading to the death of his client’s child.
The letter titled “Request for Inquest into the Tragic Death of Sylvester Oromoni killed at Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos,” noted that based on the briefings by the family, the late student died as a result of injuries allegedly inflicted on him by his seniors at the school.”
