Good Morning, Welcome to Daily News24 Roundup of Top Nigerian Newspapers Headlines for Wednesday, Dec. 22nd.
- Electoral Act Amendment bill: Senators threaten to override Buhari, govs back President
A large number of senators have vowed to override the veto of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on the Electoral Act amendment bill.
This is just as The PUNCH learnt that Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had begun making moves to prevent the embarrassment of the President.
But the Nigeria Governors’ Forum supported Buhari for not assenting to the bill, saying his reasons were cogent. The President had withheld assent to the bill in a letter which was sent to both chambers of the National Assembly.
2. Nigeria loses N499.32bn as Twitter ban hits 200 days
Nigeria’s economy has lost N499.32bn to the shutdown of Twitter since it came into effect on June 4, 2021.
On June 4, the Federal Government announced the suspension of Twitter after the social media platform deleted a tweet by the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). Telecommunication companies had on June 5 blocked access to Twitter after receiving a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission to that effect.
According to the NetBlocks Cost of Shutdown Tool, Nigeria’s economy loses N104.02m ($250,600) every hour to the ban on Twitter. It has been 4,800 hours (200 days) since the social networking site was blocked.
3. Supreme Court Judgment: Panic, as Shangisha landlords take over highbrow Magodo
Panic griped landlords and residents of highbrow Magodo area of Lagos metropolis as stern-looking policemen took over the area this afternoon to execute a Supreme Court judgment, which mandated Lagos State government to give back 549 plots to the original owners of the area, before it was “fraudulently acquired over 38 year ago”.
As the anti-riot policemen were on strategic area within the highbrow area, more than 1,000 youths, apparently recruited by the Shangisha Landlords Association, were moving from house to house making known the possession.
The inscription on each houses indicated that the court had given them possession of the land on which the houses were built. It could be recalled that the military government of the state then acquired the area for public use.
4. Plateau varsity ASUU commences indefinite strike
The Plateau State University chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has begun an indefinite strike to press home its demands for improved welfare and working environment.
In a statement jointly issued yesterday in Jos by the Chairperson and Secretary,  Dr. Hassan Zitta and Deme Bitrus,  respectively, ASUU said  the decision to declare the strike action was reached at its Congress held on Monday, December 20.
It explained that Plateau government had failed to honour the agreement it entered with the union, hence the decision for the industrial action.
5. FG May Borrow To Pay Debts Unless Revenues Rise, Expert Warns
A financial analyst and CEO of Cowry Assets Management, Johnson Chukwu, has warned that the federal government might end up borrowing to pay the debts it is owning, if measures are not taken to shore up its revenue.
Mr. Chukwu, who was speaking on TVC Journalist Hangout and monitored by our reporter, stated that since the government is borrowing to pay salaries and wages, it is time to take steps to limit borrowing.
He pointed out that the use of 90 per cent of the country’s total revenue to pay debt interest and not the principal debt portends problems that revenues generated will not be enough to pay workers’ salaries.
6. Nigeria, Ghana get trade dispute settlement committee
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Adeniyi Adebayo has inaugurated an inter-Ministerial Committee for the implementation of the signed joint statement between Nigeria and Ghana.
The joint statement and the inter-ministerial committee are the outcome of a high-level bilateral meeting between the Nigeria delegation led by the minister and representatives of Ghanaian government led by that country’s Minister of trade held between May 31 and June 2.
This is contained in statement issued by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr Ifedayo Sayo, in Abuja.
7. Reps Raise 2022 Budget By N800bn
The House of Representatives yesterday passed the 2022 budget of N17.126 trillion against the N16.391 trillion presented by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This followed a unanimous adoption of a report laid on the floor of the House during plenary in Abuja by the Chairman, Appropriation Committee, Rep Murktar Betera.
The sum of N17.1 trillion is N800billion higher than the N16.39 trillion that was proposed by the executive. The House also increased the oil benchmark to $62 as against the $52 that was proposed by the executive, while the exchange rate was retained at N410.15.
