10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Saturday morning

These 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers will make your Saturday morning, February 15, 2020

1. Douye Diri sworn-in as Bayelsa gov

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Bayelsa, Douye Diri, was on Friday evening sworn in as the new governor of the state. Diri was sworn in by the state Chief Judge, Justice Kate, who administered the oaths of office and allegiance on the new governor at the Government House in Yenagoa, the state capital. The state deputy governor-elect, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, took his oaths of office and allegiance a few minutes after the governor had been sworn in. Read more

2. Diri will not disappoint Bayelsa people – Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday congratulated the new Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri. The ex-President, who sent a congratulatory message to the governor via his Twitter handle – @GEJonathan – said he (Diri) would live up to the people’s expectations.

He wrote: “CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO HIS EXCELLENCY SENATOR DOUYE DIRI. I congratulate His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri who was sworn in today as the 5th Civilian Governor of Bayelsa State, in compliance with the Supreme Court verdict of yesterday, 13th February 2020. “You have worked with me before as a commissioner, so I am without doubt that you will live up to the expectations of our people.” Read more

3. BAYELSA: APC will seek redress in court – Oshiomhole

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, said on Friday, the party has rejected the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Douye Diri as the winner of the state governorship election. INEC had on Friday morning issued a certificate of return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive. The apex court on Thursday sacked the APC flag bearer, David Lyon, as Bayelsa governor-elect over discrepancies in his running mate’s certificates. Read more

4. Chaos, tension in Bayelsa: Police impose three-day dusk to dawn curfew

The Bayelsa State Police Command on Friday announced a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the state. The state’s Commissioner of Police, Uche Anozia, disclosed this at a press briefing in Yenagoa, the state capital. Anozia, who briefed the journalists alongside heads of other security agencies at the state Government House in Yenagoa, said the curfew would begin on Friday and end on Sunday. Read more

5. ALLEGED CORRUPTION: Buhari suspends NBC chief, Kawu

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday suspended the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Modibbo Kawu, over his ongoing trial for alleged corruption. The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned the NBC chief for using his position to confer corrupt advantage on his friend and Associate, Lucky Omoluwa. He was docked by the Commission for allegedly “deceiving” one Mr. Mohammed to approve the payment of N2.5 billion to Pinnacle Communications Limited owned by Omoluwa as Seed Grant under the Federal Government’s Digital Switch-Over Programme. Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Friday morning, February 14, 2020

6. Adamawa govt reprimands labour for threatening strike over new minimum wage

The Adamawa State Government has lashed out at the Organised Labour, made up of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and State Public Service Negotiation Council (SPSNC), for threatening to down tools over minimum wage for senior civil servants in the state. The state Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Dr Umar Pella, in a statement issued on Friday while reacting to the threat expressed its dismay at what it described as a rather rude and aggressive tone by the NLC in pursuit of its legitimate demands. Read more

7. NIGERIAN MILITARY TO AMNESTY: Enough of your reckless distortion of facts on counter-insurgency operations

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Friday urged the Amnesty International (AI) to stop its “reckless distortion of facts on the military campaign against terrorism in the North East. The Acting Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, who made the call in Abuja, accused the rights watchdog of targeting the military in support of the Boko Haram/Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists. He said: “We urge members of the public to please discountenance AI report, as it is not a true and realistic reflection of troops’ counter terrorism operation in the North East.” Read more

8. Doctors threaten industrial action over NUC’s PhD directive

The Medical and Dental Consultant’s Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), said on Friday its members would withdraw from all teaching hospitals in the country over the National University Commission (NUC) directive to universities that medical doctors teaching in universities and medical colleges must possess PhD certificates before they would be allowed to lecture. The NUC had on December 24 last year issued a circular directing the university Vice Chancellors and Registrars, National Postgraduate Medical College not to allow doctors who were not PhD holders to lecture in the universities. Read more

9. Ekiti Assembly passes Amotekun bill

The Ekiti State House of Assembly, on Friday, passed the bill for the establishment of the state Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps into law. The Speaker, Funminiyi Afuye, who presided over the plenary session, said the bill having passed through the third reading has automatically become a law. He commended the Assembly members for their commitment to the bill, adding that the House did not short-circuit any process that was required in law-making. Read more

10. Gunmen abduct Catholic priest, children in Edo

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have reportedly abducted a Catholic priest with the Uromi Diocese, Fr. Nicholas Oboh. The Chancellor of the Uromi Diocese, Rev Fr. Osi Odenore, who disclosed this in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday, said Oboh was abducted on Valentine’s Day. However, he did not mention the specific area where the abduction took place. He urged Nigerians to pray for the release of the priest. Read more

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