Good Morning, Welcome to Daily News24 Roundup of Top Nigerian Newspapers Headlines for Wednesday, Jan. 19th.
- APC zones chairmanship seat to North-Central, lists South-East for secretary
The leadership of the All Progressives Congress may have decided to zone the National Secretary position of the APC to the South-East while the North-Central will get the chairmanship of the party. The deputy national chairman (South) is expected to go to the South-South, The PUNCH has learnt.
A top chieftain of the APC revealed this to The PUNCH even as he stated that the party would be alternating certain positions.
He said positions that were occupied by northerners in the last National Working Committee would be given to southerners and vice versa.
2. IBB: How Abacha Deceived Activists, Prominent Nigerians To Get Into Power
General Sani Abacha, who ruled the country from 1993 until his death in 1998, deceived politicians to get into power, according to General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, popularly known as IBB.
In an interview with Trust TV, IBB spoke on how Abacha outfoxed them and got into power.
Abacha, whom IBB described as his “very good friend”, also served as the Chief of Army Staff during the latter’s military regime from 1985 and was subsequently appointed the Minister of Defence under the same government in 1990.
3. How governors foiled plot to scuttle APC convention
All Progressives Congress (APC) governors at the weekend foiled a plan to shift the party’s convention.
The governors at a meeting in Abuja voted for the convention to hold on February 26, and sent emissaries to President Muhammadu Buhari on the need for the convention to hold as decided.
Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni was mandated to discuss the date with the President ahead of the committee’s meeting.
4. Fire Razes Borno IDPs Camp, Renders Over 100 Homeless
A strange fire outbreak at the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp at Gamboru Ngala in Borno has rendered over 100 inmates homeless.
The fire outbreak which occurred on Sunday evening completely destroyed three mudbrick shelters, 12 makeshift shelters and nine emergency shelters.
An official of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Gamboru Ngala, Malam Yusuf Gulumba, told Daily Trust that an investigation to establish the cause of the fire had already started.
5. Labour lists conditions for fuel subsidy removal, says $9.5bn wasted on refineries
Key labour unions in Nigeria met on Tuesday in Abuja where they outlined the conditions the Federal Government must meet before it would be allowed to stop subsidising Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol.
Officials of the Trade Union Congress, Nigeria Labour Congress, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, among others, spoke at the Annual General Meeting and inauguration of the newly elected National Executive Committee of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria in Abuja.
The National President, Trade Union Congress, Quadri Olaleye, said the energy crisis in Nigeria was “solely due to the incompetence and corruption of the government.”
6. Protest as DSS officers driving against traffic kill tipper driver, injure two
Benin City, Edo State, was thrown into confusion on Tuesday when tipper drivers blocked major roads in the area to protest the alleged killing of one of their members by personnel of the Department of State Services.
The DSS operatives were said to be driving against traffic in two cars towards Tipper Garage, Ikpoba Slope, due to the gridlock caused by a broken down articulated vehicle.
The tipper drivers reportedly moved to the road to regulate traffic.
7. Reps Ask FG To Grant More Licences For Modular Refineries
The House of Representatives on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to grant more licences for the establishment of modular refineries to curb the proliferation of illegal refineries in the Niger Delta.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Unyime Idem (PDP, Akwa Ibom).
The House also mandated its Committees on Police Affairs, Navy, Army, Defense and Interior to investigate the alleged involvement of security personnel in the illegal oil refining in the Niger Delta.
8. Alleged N29b fraud: ‘You have case to answer’
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a former governor of Adamawa State, Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd.) and eight others to enter defence in the alleged N29 billion fraud case filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In nine separate judgments yesterday, a three-member panel of the court, led by Justice Peter Ige, dismissed the appeals by Nyako and the other eight defendants.
Nyako and the others had appealed the July 19, 2021 ruling by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja, rejecting their no-case submission.
9. Illegal refineries: Wike to meet LG chairmen, CP, NSCDC commandant Wednesday
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, will on Wednesday meet with the chairmen of the 23 local government areas of the state, the Commissioner of Police and the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The meeting will hold at the Government House, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, made the announcement on Tuesday.
10. Modise: Current Eagles More Dangerous, Capable Of Winning AFCON 2021 Title
Former South African midfielder, Teko Modise has revealed that the current crop of Super Eagles players are more promising, dangerous and capable of winning the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Modise said this ahead of Nigeria’s final Group D fixture against Guinea-Bissau today (Wednesday).
He told ESPN in an interview that Augustine Eguavoen’s squad carry more attacking threats than the previous Super Eagles team he played against in the past.
