10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Sunday morning, January 5, 2020

These 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers will interest you this Sunday morning.

1. Consumers to pay more as NERC approves electricity tariff hike

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved an increase in electricity tariff by the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) in the country. The directive on the new tariff regime for different DisCos and category of customers was published on the NERC website on Saturday. The directive was signed by the Commission’s Chairman, Prof. James Momoh, and Secretary, Mr. Dafe Akpedeye. The new directive, according to NERC, superceded the earlier one issued on the matter, and “the takes effect from January 1. Read more

2. Labour reacts, begs Fayemi to stop rumoured mass sack of workers

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Councils have appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State to stop further sack of workers in the state. The appeal came in a letter dated January 3rd, 2020 and jointly signed by the NLC Secretary, Taiwo Akinyemi; TUC Secretary, Kuloogun Lawrence; and his JNC counterpart, Gbenga Olowoyo, following rumours that the state government was planning to sack ministries, departments and agencies workers.

There had been fears in the state that MDAs workers may suffer the same fate as those sacked by the Ekiti State University and Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital in December, 2019. Reports had it, that about 1000 workers were sacked in EKSU and EKSUTH. Read more

3. CONSOLIDATION? Obaseki faction embarks on drive to gain new members in Edo

In what appears a move to consolidate its hold over the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the faction of the party in the state, loyal to Governor Godwin Obaseki, has embarked on a membership drive ahead of the 2020 governorship election in the state. The party in the state had hitherto been torn between the governor, and his predecessor, who is also the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.

Giving reasons for the new move, and setting up of a 41 man mobilisation committee for the membership drive, chairman of the Obaseki faction of the party in the state, Anselm Ojezua, said that it was aimed at attracting people who will add value to the party. Read more

4. Scores of terrorists reportedly killed as Nigerian Airforce pounds Sambisa Forest

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has said through its Air Task Force (ATF) that scores of Boko Haram insurgents have been killed following an operation in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State. This was revealed on Saturday in a statement by NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibukunle Daramola, who claimed that many Boko Haram terrorists were neutralized during the operation conducted on Wednesday. Read more

5. ATIKU TO PDP: Let’s rebuild ahead of future challenges

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Saturday urged the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to deploy resources and energy towards strengthening and rebuilding the party ahead of future challenges. He said in a tweet on his official twitter handle – @Atiku – that the time is not ripe for elections discussion. Atiku, who was the PDP presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election, said the party’s priority at the moment. Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Saturday morning, January 4, 2020

6. Buhari must ensure Nigeria remains united before leaving office, says ex-Kogi governor

A former governor of Kogi State, Clarence Olufemi, on Saturday described President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise that he would not stay in office beyond 2023 as a New Year gift for Nigerians. The President had said in his message to Nigeria on January 1 that he would stand down from the position at the expiration of his tenure in three years time and would not seek election into any public office in the future. And an elated Olafemi said in statement in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, that the President’s pronouncement has put to rest speculations about a third term plot by the presidency. Read more

7. Faceoff imminent as communications, finance ministers disagree on stamp duty collection

A face-off may be in the offing between the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Issa Pantami and his counterpart at the Ministry of Finance, Zainab Ahmed over controversies trailing the decision to transfer the collection of stamp duty to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) from the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST). While the finance minister is backing the FIRS bid to takeover the collection, Pantami insisted on Friday that the collection remains the sole responsibility of NIPOST.The Minister made the declaration at an interactive press session with reporters in Abuja on Friday. Read more

8. Kidnappers release three men abducted in Kogi

Three men kidnapped in Okene, Kogi State on Monday have been released by their abductors, the Kogi State Police Command said on Saturday. This was disclosed in a statement on Saturday in Lokoja, the state capital by the command’s spokesman, DSP William Aya. According to him, Mohammed Cache, Abdurasaq Mohammed and Abdurasaq Anataku, who were abducted by gunmen on December 30, 2019, were released unhurt. Read more

9. One die, five buildings razed in Lagos gas cylinder explosion

A gas cylinder explosion on Saturday morning killed a yet to be identified victim at Ajegunle area of Lagos. At least five buildings in the area were razed by the ensuing inferno. A similar incident had late last year killed two persons and injured several others in Apapa area of the state. According to reports, the victim of Saturday’s explosion was burnt beyond recognition. Read more

10. How we killed LASU student for money ritual —Suspects

Suspected killers of a final year Sociology student of Lagos State University (LASU), Favour Daley-Oladele, on Saturday told journalists how the deceased was gruesomely murdered for money ritual at Ikoyi-Ile in Osun. The three principal suspects disclosed this after the Osun State homicide police detectives exhumed the victim’s dismembered body from a dry shallow well at Ikoyi-Ile. The Osun State Police Commissioner, Babatunde Kokumo, led detectives from the command’s Homicide Section to the site where the deceased’s body was exhumed. Read more

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