Connect with us

News

10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Tuesday morning, September 24, 2019

Published

on

Top 10 stories from Nigerian newspapers

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

1. Nigerian govt to present five witnesses to testify against Sowore

In preparation for Tuesday’s trial, the Nigerian government has selected five witnesses to testify against the detained publisher, Omoyele Sowore. The witnesses, comprising investigation officers and banking officials, are to give statements on Sowore’s alleged treasonable offences instigated through the #RevolutionNow protest which held in most parts of the country on August 5. They will also testify on findings regarding Mr Sowore’s alleged illicit transfer of funds.

2. IPOB plans protest against Buhari in New York

Emerging reports say that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, have planned a massive protest against President Muhammadu Buhari and his government during the 74th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the USA this week. Members of the group in the US, sources said, had vowed to be resilient and stand against the continued onslaught, arrest and secret abduction of its members by agents allegedly sponsored by the federal government. Recall that President Buhari, in the company of no fewer than three governors and seven ministers, had departed Abuja for New York city to represent Nigeria at the 74th global meeting of the UNGA.

3. Service Chiefs didn’t shun Reps’ summon —Chief of Defence Staff

Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, has explained that service chiefs were absent from the meeting with the leadership of the House of Representatives due to other national duties and assignments which clashed with the aborted meeting. Speaking on Monday at the rescheduled meeting with the leadership of the house in Abuja, Olonisakin said the absence of the service chiefs last Friday was not a deliberate act to disrespect the lawmakers.

4. I will not tolerate disobedience of court orders —CJN

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Muhammad, has said his administration would not tolerate the disobedience of court orders by government at all levels. The CJN, who was speaking on Monday at a special session to mark the beginning of the 2019/2020 legal year, noted that the rule of law which is the mainstay of every democracy across the world must be strictly observed.

5. ASO ROCK WATCH: Osinbajo’s head on the chop board, Buhari’s loud silence; 3 other things that rocked the presidency

Ripples Nigeria, in this special report, examines recent developments in the presidency, and its consequences on the polity. The report notes the concerns of many observers who think that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is being systematically derobed of power and influence in the power vortex.

Specifically, the essay notes that on September 16, Yemi Osinbajo got stripped as head of President Muhammadu Buhari’s  Economic Management Team (EMT). While he was supposedly still ruminating over that, on September 17, agencies and ministerial departments under his watch were advised to report directly to the President. President Buhari was said to have also instructed his vice to seek approval before taking decisions on any agencies under his watch.

The travails of Osinbajo have been blamed on the same old cabal that President Buhari’s wife, Aisha, once claimed hijacked her husband’s administration.

The report also notes that many fell for the Tunde Bakare video which he prophesied taking over power from President Buhari. It was later learnt that the video was an old one.

Also, the embattled Head of Service of the Federation (HoSF), Winifred Oyo-Ita, was told to take a leave to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)  conclude investigation on her involvement in an alleged N3 billion contract scam.

The report revealed that after the shameful suspension of Okoi Obono-Obla, chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), President Buhari, last week, dismantled the panel. The report pointed out that the development came after several allegations of high handedness, blackmail and financial impropriety were heaped on Obono-Obla.

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Monday morning, September 23, 2019

6. Obi fires back, says Ngige did ‘little or nothing’ as Anambra governor

Former Anambra State governor and vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 elections, Peter Obi, has said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, achieved “little or nothing” when he was governor of Anambra State. Obi made this comment in reaction to a statement by Ngige that nothing significant had been added to his (Ngige) achievements in the state.

7. Kogi teachers lament non-payment of 39 months’ salaries

No fewer than 7,000 teachers in public primary and junior secondary schools in Kogi State, Monday, expressed their plight over non-payment of salaries by the state government. They called on the state governor, Yahaya Bello to look into the issue of non-payment of their salaries for the past 8 to 39 months.

8. Lagos-Ibadan train operation commences in Nov, Amaechi assures

The minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Monday, assured that commercial activities on the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge train line will commence this November. The minister spoke when he and the Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemi Saraki, led other stakeholders on tour of the project.

9. Seven federal universities already using only renewable energy, 30 more to follow —Minister of Environment

Minister of environment, Mohammed Mahmood, has said Nigeria was committed to reducing its greenhouse emissions by as much as 45 percent by 2030. Mahmood who spoke at the Climate Action Summit 2019 in New York, revealed that seven federal universities in the country were being powered strictly by renewable energy, adding that 30 more federal universities would be coming on board. According to him, Nigeria was the first country in Africa to issue a sovereign green bond.

10. Tribunal upholds Sanwo-Olu’s election

The Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Lagos has upheld the election of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the duly elected Governor of Lagos State. The tribunal, in its decision on Monday, also dismissed the petition filed by the Labour Party, describing it as a “futile and wasteful exercise.” According to the tribunal, the petitioners (LP and Ifagbemi Awamaridi, its governorship candidate in the election) could not prove their allegations of mental incompetence against Sanwo-Olu in their evidence before the tribunal.

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