10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Saturday morning, November 30, 2019

These 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers will make your Saturday morning, November 30,  2019.

1. Buhari arrives hometown of Daura on 5-day visit

After arriving from a trip to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea for the 5th Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, President Muhammadu Buhari has embarked on a five-day official visit to Daura, Katsina State. Buhari arrived the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport at 4.20 pm on Friday and was received by Governor Aminu Bello Masari. This is according to a statement by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on media. Read more

2. HATE SPEECH BILL: Despite promise, Senate says no decision yet on expunging death penalty

The Nigerian Senate on Friday said it has not taken any decision regarding the removal of the death penalty from the controversial Hate Speech Commission Bill currently before it. Senate spokesman, Godiya Akwashiki stated this on Friday in an interview with journalists, adding that the red chamber had yet to discuss the issue of the death penalty in the hate speech bill because the proposal still remained the personal property of the sponsor until it passed second reading. Read more

3. APC chieftain slams party, says it has no moral right to sponsor hate speech bill

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, on Friday said his party does not have any moral right to sponsor the hate speech bill or any other law that may gag the press. Vatsa, a former Commissioner for Information in Niger State, said this at the Social Media Summit in Minna, organised by the Progressive Media Practitioners. According to him, the ruling APC “benefitted immensely from this thing we call hate speech.” Read more

4. Buhari doesn’t want anything from Nigeria, but came to give everything, Adesina says

Nigerians at an event in Abuja on Friday, were told that their President, Muhammadu Buhari needed nothing from the country, but rather, has come to give everything to it. President Buhari’s special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina stated this at an event in honour of Mr. President. Adesina said Buhari’s concern remained how to make Nigeria greater and not what he would get from the country. The president’s spokesman, therefore, urged Nigerians to emulate the exemplary leadership style of President Buhari by ensuring they placed high premium on national interest in all they do. Read more

5. Buhari hints at extending gas pipeline to North Africa

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said that the Federal Government would soon commence the construction of the 600-kilometre Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline to move gas from the southern part of the country to the northern part. He also said that the “viability of extending the gas pipeline to North Africa was under consideration.” Buhari stated this when he spoke at the one day 5th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Friday morning, November 29, 2019

6. Activists storm PDP secretariat, protest action of party’s govs in stifling free speech

A coalition of activists has frowned at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for failing to condemn “executive tyranny” of some of its governors it accused of stifling free speech. The group said it was unfortunate that the PDP which regularly condemns the “lawlessness” of the ruling party at the centre, cannot do the same against some of its governors harassing journalists, and perpetrating other human rights violations. The coalition stated this in a letter to the party chairman, Uche Secondus, and submitted to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Friday. Read more

7. NDDC BUDGET: Reps disagree with Senate, set to host interim management team

The House of Representatives on Friday said it would go ahead and host the interim management team of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for the defence of the commission’s 2019/2020 budget forwarded to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Senate is insisting that only the confirmed board of the interventionist agency can defend the budget and that the interim management team put in place by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs is illegal. President Buhari is yet to inaugurate the board members that were confirmed by the Senate since November 5. Read more

8. Court refuses to stop EFCC from investigating el-Rufai

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has refused to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai over alleged mis-handling of the N32 billion proceeds from the sale of Federal Government houses in Abuja during the governor’s tenure as FCT minister. Justice Binta Nyako in her ruling on Friday, insisted that her court could not shield him from the EFCC investigation into his roles as then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Read more

9. Motorcyclist remanded for defiling 6-yr-old daughter

43-year-old commercial motorcyclist, Amarachi Chukwuneke has been remanded in a correctional facility by a Lagos Magistrate Court, Ogba for allegedly defiling his six-year-old daughter. Chukwuneke was arrested by the police at the Festac Division, after a neighbour in the Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos made a report. The neighbour was said to have observed the girl walking into the compound with uneasiness while returning from school on November 5, 2019. Read more

10. ‘Armed robbers in NYSC uniform’ attack FC Ifeanyi Uba players, shoot driver

The management of FC Ifeanyi Ubah has confirmed that its players were attacked by gunmen in Kogi state, on Friday. According to a press statement by the club, the incident took place at about 1:30pm, when players and officials of the club, who were travelling to Kano for their NPFL match day six tie, ran into a group of armed robbers dressed in National Youth Service Corps uniforms, at Kabba junction, near Lokoja in Kogi State. The team’s bus driver was shot, while some members of the coaching crew and players were injured. The statement said the injured persons had been taken to the hospital for treatment. Read more

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