10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Monday morning, February 10, 2020

These 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers will make your Monday morning.

1. Uzodinma absent, as South East govs conclude decision to set up regional security outfit

Governors of the Southeast geopolitical zone on Sunday, said arrangements have been concluded to launch its regional security outfit soon. The governors also directed state houses of assembly in the region to enact an enabling law for the outfit.

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, stated this while reading the communique issued at the end of the Southeast Governors’ Forum. Umahi, who is the chairman of the forum, said: “The forum received our South East Joint Security Committee and noted as follows; that the South-East Governors Forum had formed their South East Joint Security on July 28, 2019, and inaugurated her committee on joint security on August 31, 2019. Read more

2. OKADA BAN: Falana goes down memory lane, blames Buhari for Lagosians’ hardship

Human Rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on Sunday, said President Muhammadu Buhari should be blamed for the difficulties residents of Lagos are facing with the ban of commercial motorcycles and tricycles in the state. According to Falana, the cancellation of the $200 million metro line contract signed in 1983 by the Lagos State Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande by President Buhari, while he was a military head of state was responsible for the current hardship. Read more

3. Senator Ndume says terrorism in Nigeria may end soon

The Senator representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has revealed why he thinks the war against Boko Haram insurgents especially in the Northeastern part of Nigeria, may soon be over. Senator Ndume who spoke to journalists who accosted him in Abuja on Sunday, said that the Army situated in the Northeastern part of the country is currently chasing Boko Haram members to their “enclaves” and operational bases. According to him, the Army repelled an attack on Kalla near Dabua and chased the terrorists back to their base, “they also destroyed the insurgent’s operational bases in the area,” he added. Read more

4. INSECURITY: Ohanaeze talks tough, vows to protect Ndigbo land

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Sunday vowed to use everything available to defend Igbos with the current spate of insecurity in the country. Warning that Ndigbo should not be taken for granted, Ohanaeze said it would no longer watch while it’s people were slaughtered. The President General of the group, Chief Nnia Nwodo stated this while briefing journalists on the outcome of its highest decision making body, Ime-Obi, held at Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu. Read more

5. NSCDC explains ‘pilfering’ in personnel’s January salaries

The Management of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has denied allegations that it tampered with the January salary of its personnel. A statement by the corps spokesman, Emmanuel Okeh, said some of its personnel accused it of pilfering with their salaries following observed shortfalls in the January pay packet. In denying the allegation, Okeh said that the deductions noticed in the January salary was made by the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPIS). Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Saturday morning, February 8, 2020

6. We’ll continue to insist on adequate security for Nigerians – CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said on Sunday it would continue to protest the killings of Christians in the country until such wicked acts stop. The CAN president, Supo Ayokunle, who stated this at the 12th annual lecture and awards of the Bible Society of Nigeria in Lagos, noted that the Federal Government must rise up to its responsibility of providing adequate security for Nigerians. He said but for the sustained pressure of the Christian umbrella body on government, recent moves by the state to address insecurity would have not been made possible. Read more

7. Government fuelling insecurity with bad policies, corruption, ASUU says

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday blamed the federal and state governments for the rising cases of kidnapping, banditry and other criminalities. The union insisted that many states are reverting to internal security arrangement without treating the causes of insecurity.

The ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan chapter, Prof. Deji Omole, who stated these in a chat with journalists in Ibadan, said instead of the Nigerian government to budget for people’s welfare, it now spends billions of naira to buy security equipment from countries that had invested heavily in research and training. Read more

8. What North will look out for in 2023 – NEF

The Convener of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said on Sunday the region would support candidates with genuine commitment to deal with its problems and the political will to meet its aspirations in the 2023 general election. Abdullahi, who disclosed this in a statement issued in Zaria, Kaduna State, said people of the North would be very careful in committing to persons seeking their votes in three years time. Read more

9. SERAP drags Nigerian govt, Cross River to ECOWAS Court over Agba Jalingo

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the government of Nigeria and Cross River state government of governor Ben Ayade to ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja “over the prolonged, arbitrary detention; unfair prosecution; persecution, and sham trial of journalist Agba Jalingo.” Jalingo, who is the publisher of CrossRiverWatch, was arrested on August 22 over a report alleging that Mr Ayade diverted N500 million belonging to the state.

In the suit number ECW/CCJ/APP/10/2020 filed last week at the ECOWAS Court, SERAP is arguing that: “The sole objective of the government of Nigeria and the Cross River state government of governor Ben Ayade is to perpetually keep Agba Jalingo in arbitrary detention and to silence him simply for expressing critical views and carrying out his legitimate job as journalist.” Read more

10. Whether anybody likes it or not Nigeria must be restructured, Nwabueze says

An elder statesman, Ben Nwabueze has said that the restructuring of Nigeria remained inevitable regardless of any effort to stop it. He also expressed his support for the setting up of Amotekun, a local security outfit, by the South-West governors. Nwabueze was a former Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. He spoke on Saturday on TVC news programme, The Platform. Read more

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