10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Sunday morning, December 22, 2019

These 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers will make your Sunday morning, December 22, 2019.

1. Buhari charges Nigerian varsities to produce ‘quality graduates’ for labour market

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Saturday that many Nigerian graduates were regarded as unemployable by employers of labour and urged the universities to devised new educational strategies for the country. Buhari, who spoke at the 31st Convocation of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, (FUTA), Ondo State, said the development has become a huge source of concern to his administration. He, therefore, called on universities in the country to be more proactive in ensuring that their graduates were employable. Read more

2. Again, Obaseki calls Oshiomhole compulsive liar, says he compiled list of commissioners in his living room

The end is certainly not in sight in the personality crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the state governor, Godwin Obaseki on Saturday launched another vitriolic attack on the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole. Obaseki, who was reacting to a published interview of Oshiomhole, in which he said he begged Obaseki to nominate just one commissioner in his cabinet, said the APC national chairman did not just pick the next state governor, he also picked the deputy governor, the Secretary to the State Government and also compiled the list of commissioners in his living room. The governor’s reaction was contained in a statement in Benin on Saturday by the Special Adviser to Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie. Read more

3. Ajimobi left a balance of N19,000 from the N5.2 billion he withdrew 3 weeks to handing over –Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Oluseyi Makinde has revealed that his predecessor, Abiola Ajimobi, withdrew N5.2 billion three weeks to his handing over, and spent all but N19,000 as at the time he (Makinde) assumed office on May 29, 2019. The governor made this revelation on a live programme of the Oyo State Broadcasting Corporation, tagged ‘Live chat with GSM, a quarterly session with the Oyo State Governor’. He said that Ajimobi’s 8-year-tenure was characterized by corruption, including budget padding, mismanagement of funds, inflation of contracts’ fees, lopsidedness in projects management, among others. Read more

4. Zamfara commissioner resigns over gov’s alleged ‘high-handedness’

Zamfara State Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Jamilu Zannah, has resigned barely two weeks after the inauguration of the state executive council. Zannah hinged his resignation to “high-handedness” and lack of consultation on the part of Governor Bello Matawalle. The government has however dismissed the claims, saying Zannah’s action was unfortunate, selfish and a ploy for cheap publicity. The former Commissioner, who also served as Matawalle’s campaign director during the 2019 governorship election in the state, made the announcement on Saturday while speaking to journalists at his Gusau residence. Read more

5. National Assembly passes Finance Bill to Buhari for assent

The National Assembly has sent the Tax and Fiscal Law (Amendment), also known as the Finance Bill to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent. The president had earlier transmitted the bill to the National Assembly as part of the plans to increase the revenue required to fund the 2020 budget. The bill aims to amend the Petroleum Profit Tax Act, Personal Income Tax Act, Company Income Tax Act, Customs and Excise Tariff Act, Capital Gains Tax, Value Added Tax and Stamp Duties Act. According to reports, a source at the presidency confirmed that the bill was received on Friday. Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Saturday morning, December 21, 2019

6. Prosecutors in $1.1bn Malabu oil scandal insist Nigerian policeman Eke must testify in Italy

The Palace of Justice in Milan, which is presiding over the $1.1 billion Malabu oil scandal has insisted that a witness it described as super-police officer, Isaac Eke must show up in Italy to testify in the matter on January 29. It has therefore asked the prosecutors to ensure Eke was made available by January 29, 2020, to testify in the trial. This was contained in a report by an Italian online newspaper, Valori.it and entitled “OPL 245 process, the photo finish race for the super witness.” Read more

7. Useni suggests Buhari shouldn’t be blamed for everything going wrong in his govt

Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Useni (retd.) has blamed some of the problems in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on bad advisers. Useni, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State in the last general elections and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, spoke with journalists in Jos on Friday. According to him, people always want to blame Mr President for every wrongdoing going on despite the fact “he is just but one man.” Buhari’s government has been accused of abuse of human rights and interference with democratic processes. Read more

8. Banks credit to economy hits N22.61tn

According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the total exposure of Deposit Money Banks to the Nigerian economy climbed up to N22.61 trillion in October. Going by the economic report released by the CBN on Friday, the N22.61 trillion suggests an increase over the September 2019 figure by 0.6%. Nevertheless, banks’ Loan to Deposit Ratio (LDR), which measures the size of loan/credit facilities granted by banks compared to the customers’ deposit they hold, shrank by 0.3% to 61.9% in the period under review. Read more

9. Police Inspector shoots colleague dead, commits suicide

A police Inspector on Saturday shot dead a Corporal and also injured a Deputy Superintendent of Police in the Federal Capital Territory. After killing the junior policeman, the yet to be identified Inspector then shot himself dead. Deputy spokesperson for the police in the FCT, ASP Miriam Yusuf, confirmed the incident which reportedly occurred around 4:30 pm at Dutsen Alhaji, Kubwa. Read more

10. Over 19,000 Nigerian teachers fail qualifying exam

The Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Saturday revealed that 19,273 teachers who wrote the December Teachers’ Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) failed. Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, TRCN Registrar, while speaking to newsmen in Abuja, stated that 72,947, out of 77,296 teachers that registered, participated in the examination. Ajiboye said the results had been approved by the Governing Council of TRCN. Read more

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now