10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Tuesday morning, December 31, 2019

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

1. Buhari forces strict travel restriction, other limitations on ministers

President Muhammadu Buhari has placed a strict travel restriction on his ministers which states that each of them can only travel out of the shores of Nigeria eight times in a year. This much was revealed on Monday by the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed who also added that Buhari has directed that no Minister should go on foreign trips more than twice in a quarter.

Speaking further, Mohammed who said that no minister on a trip outside the shores of the land should go with more than four aides also added that government officials below the rank of ministers are henceforth entitled to fewer aides while also noting that estacode would no longer be calculated on an hourly basis. Read more

2. BOKO HARAM: Buhari’s govt to begin replacing military with police in the North East in 2020

The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas Obok, said on Monday the Federal Government would begin a gradual withdrawal of military operations in the North-East part of the country where the Boko Haram insurgency had plagued for about a decade. He said the withdrawal of troops would be carried out after an “assessment” to determine areas where peace had returned to enable civil authorities to assume full control of security.

Ibas, who briefed State House correspondents after a closed-door Security Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said that the pullout would allow civil authority — police and civil defense — to assume their responsibility in the affected areas “since the terrorists have been degraded.” Read more

3. ‘What’s the outcry for?’ Senate dismisses concerns over N37bn for NASS renovation

The Senate Monday faulted the decision of the Socio-Economic Right And Accountability Project (SERAP) to file a lawsuit over the N37 billion earmarked for the renovation of the National Assembly complex. The upper legislative chamber said SERAP got it wrong by contemplating a lawsuit against the leadership of the National Assembly on the matter, saying the parliament had nothing to do with the renovation. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who spoke with journalists on the issue, said the building in question belongs to the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCDA) and the renovation work is being undertaken by the Authority. Read more

4. 2023? Buhari, Bakare meet in Aso Rock

President Muhammadu Buhari Monday met behind closed-doors with the General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The agenda of the meeting was not made public and Pastor Bakare refused to speak with State House correspondents who gathered around him for questioning on his mission to the seat of power immediately he stepped out of the meeting. Read more

5. JONATHAN TO SECURITY AGENTS: Stop gunmen attacks in Nigeria

Former President Goodluck Jonathan Monday urged security operatives to stop gunmen attacks in Nigeria. He made the call when the Joint Task Force code-named Operation Delta Safe, and the Nigerian Navy visited his country home in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa. The ex-president urged the troops to be thorough in their investigations. He said: “Be thorough as you seek to bring the perpetrators to book and ensure that such mindless attack do not happen again in any part of the country.” Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Monday morning, December 30, 2019

6. INSECURITY: Police alleges plot by some highly placed persons to disrupt the peace in Zamfara

The police in Zamfara State alleges that some highly placed persons are sponsoring thugs to cause disorder in the state. The command said it notified the people of the state of an intelligence report it gathered about the activities of some “heartless and bloodthirsty individuals who derive pleasure when citizens of Zamfara State are killed, maimed and properties destroyed.” In a press statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Mohammed Shehu, the police claimed that some unpatriotic elements were not comfortable with the relative peace achieved in the state, because that has conflicted with their selfish interest and personal aggrandisement. Read more

7. Falana lacks ‘proper understanding of the law’ —AGF Malami

The Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said on Monday Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), was being mischievous with his comments on the recent release of the convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore and ex-National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). Malami in a statement issued by his media aide, Dr. Umar Gwandu, accused Falana of concocting constitutional provisions for “mischief.” Malami said his attention was drawn to a letter purportedly written by Falana and titled: “Re: Why FG Released Dasuki, Sowore – Malami.” Read more

8. Lead by example, publish details of your spending, PDP tells Buhari

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to lead by example by publishing details of his spending and financial transactions as an impetus to enforcing his financial reporting directives on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The opposition party made the call on Monday in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan who also tasked the Federal Government to publish details, including the beneficiaries, the purpose and the amount of each payment. According to the PDP, it is not enough for President Buhari to issue spending directives to MDAs, without his Presidency, which received billions of naira in budgetary allocation. Read more

9. PDP knocks Gov Abdulrazaq over revocation of Saraki’s land

The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday described the revocation of the land belonging to the late Dr. Olusola Saraki as a further demonstration of Governor Abdulrazaq’s vindictiveness and vendetta mission against the Saraki family.

It would be recalled that the state government had announced the revocation in a statement, saying the land was acquired illegally without the company which acquired the land, Asa Investment Limited (belonging to late Saraki) paying for it. The state government also claimed that the land was originally earmarked for government secretariat and car park for the Civil Service Clinic. Read more

10. Wear a crown and go to jail, Ladoja’s lawyer warns Ibadan high chiefs

The feud between a former governor of Oyo State, and the 21 high chiefs of Ibadanland who were elevated to monarchs by former Governor Abiola Ajimobi raised its head on Monday as a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mr. Michael Lana, warned them to stop parading themselves as traditional rulers in Ibadan land or risk going to jail.

Lana, in a statement on behalf of Rashidi Ladoja, who is also the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland, said the 21 high chiefs, having been sacked by the court, should desist from parading themselves as Oba as their insistence and disobedience amounted to contempt. He also warned that anybody or organisation referring to them as Oba would also be guilty of contempt of court. Read more

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