10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Friday morning, January 17, 2020

These 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers will interest you this Friday morning, January 17  2020

1. PDP wants CJN Tanko to step down from office, gives reasons

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday called on the Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammed to step down from office, adding that Nigerians have lost faith in him. The PDP made the call through its National Chairman, Uche Secondus at a press briefing in Abuja, while reacting to Tuesday’s sacking of former Governor Emeka Ihedioha by the Supreme Court.

Alleging that the country’s apex court has been heavily compromised, Secondus said the court under Justice Tanko has lost credibility. According to Secondus, the Supreme Court, under Tanko’s leadership, has been annexed “to execute the ignoble agenda of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government against the Nigerian people.” Read more

2. We are ready to end child marriage – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday the Federal Government would sustain ongoing efforts to end child marriage in the country. He said by improving girl-child education, the problem of child marriage, particularly in the northern part of the country would be effectively addressed. President Buhari stated these while commissioning the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja, adding that it is the collective responsibility of all to ensure that mothers of today and tomorrow are educated, encouraged and empowered. Read more

3. UK launches fresh move to seize £117m assets linked to Ibori

A prosecutor in the United Kingdom, Jonathan Kinnear, on Thursday initiated a fresh move to confiscate several millions of pounds stolen by a convicted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori. The prosecutor began listing assets that Britain sought to confiscate from Ibori and return to Nigeria at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday. About £117 million known proceeds of crime are being targeted but only a portion of the sum was likely to be recovered. Read more

READ ALSO: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Thursday morning, January 16, 2020

4. Finance Minister contradicts Accountant General, sets different date for new VAT regime to take effect

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, on Thursday contradicted the position of the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, saying the new Value Added Tax (VAT) regime kicks off on February 1. Idris, had on Wednesday said that the new VAT regime became effective on January 13, the date it was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to Idris, he had to stop some payments on Tuesday because they were prepared using the old VAT rate of 5 percent instead of 7.5 percent. Read more

5. Ihedioha: PDP holds emergency NEC meeting Friday

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will hold an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Friday. The office of the party National Secretary said in a statement on Thursday the meeting will deliberate on salient issues concerning the nation. Read more

6. Buhari nominates IMF director, Obiorah as CBN’s new deputy governor

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday forwarded the name of the Alternative Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr. Kingsley Isitua Obiorah, to the Senate for confirmation as the new Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). President Buhari said in a letter to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, the nomination was in line with the provision of Section 8(1) (2) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act 2007. Obiora will replace Dr. Joseph Nnanna, who retires on February 2 as the CBN deputy governor. Read more

7. Kaduna govt demolishes Abacha’s Durbar hotel

The popular Durbar Hotel, on Independence Way, Kaduna has been pulled down by the Kaduna State Urban Development Agency (KASUPDA). The hotel, which has been a subject of litigation since 2001, is said to belong to the family of late General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s former military head of state. The demolition was said to have taken residents by surprise on Thursday, just as the family lawyer of the Abachas, Mr. Reuben Atabor, kicked against the demolition and confirmed that the Abachas are the owners of the hotel. Read more

8. Sanwo-Olu reshuffles cabinet, assigns portfolios to new members

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday carried out a minor cabinet reshuffle and appointed three new members into the state executive council. Eight ministries, according to a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, were affected in the exercise. The ministries were the Local Government, Special Duties, Wealth Creation and Employment, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Home Affairs as well as Waterfront Infrastructure. Others were the Central Business District and Urban Development. Three commissioners were redeployed while two Special Advisers were upgraded to commissioners. Read more

9. Groups decry Supreme Court decision on Imo governorship

Two rights groups have kicked against the decision by the Supreme Court on the Imo State governorship election, to unseat former Governor Emeka Ihedioha and declare Senator Hope Uzodinma as the winner of the poll. One of the groups, the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, described the decision of the Supreme Court as Black rain falling in Imo State and Palm Kernel ripening at the tail of palm fronds. Read more

10. Bandits kill 29 in Zamfara

Bandits on Tuesday killed 29 people in Babban Rafi village in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. An indigene of the village, Musa Ibrahim, who narrowly escaped from being killed, said the bandits arrived at the village in the early hours of Tuesday on motorbikes and carried AK 47 rifles. He told journalists the bandits shot sporadically and killed many people, while others scampered for safety. The bandits, according to him, also pursued those who ran away and killed some of them. Read more