Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Monday, 7th October, 2024
Former Governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, has declared that President Bola Tinubu has the support of political leaders in the southwest to become the Nigerian leader.
According to Osoba, it was in 2007 that leaders of the region agreed to push Tinubu from Lagos politics to national politics after his tenure as the Lagos State Governor.
Osoba made this statement at the All Progressives Congress (APC) South West Zone Assembly meeting held over the weekend at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos.
He added that Tinubu has the support of the political leaders to contest for another term when his current tenure expires in 2027.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, officially swore in the newly elected chairmen of the 23 local government areas on Sunday, following their victories in the recent Local Government Council elections held on Saturday.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt, with 22 chairmen from the Action Peoples Party (APP) and one from the Action Alliance inaugurated into office.
Following the electoral process, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) declared the APP as the dominant party, securing victories in 22 local government areas, while the Action Alliance claimed one chairmanship seat.
In his address to the newly sworn-in chairmen, Governor Fubara congratulated them on their electoral successes and urged them to prioritize their campaign promises.
He emphasized the importance of improving the welfare of their local communities as they assume their new responsibilities.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) on Sunday, maintained that crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, better known as Bobrisky, was given an appropriate cell and proper evaluation during his time in jail.
The Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO) of the NCoS, Abubakar Umar, gave the submission while giving updates on the investigations into allegations that Bobrsiky bribed officials to spend his jail term in an exclusive apartment instead of a normal jail.
Umar, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja, also disclosed that the Correctional Service conducts a comprehensive inmate admission process before allocating cells in order to ensure the safety of all inmates and officers of the service.
He, however, maintained that members of the public should exercise patience and await the final outcome from the committee set up to investigate the allegations.
Umar added that Bobrisky, during his court appearance and subsequent admission to the NCoS facility, identified himself as male, but there are some other physical features that are on him which were considered before allocating a cell to him.
The local government area of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, denied the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from securing total victory in the election.
Naija News reports that the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) Chairman, Aniedi Ikoiwak, in a statement issued on Sunday in Uyo, disclosed that PDP secured victory in 30 out of the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.
The only LGA the All Progressives Congress (APC) won was Essien Udim, the area council of Akpabio.
Though the elections were relatively peaceful in many LGAs, violence was recorded in some areas.
In Ikono, two persons were reportedly killed, while in Ibiono Ibom, the AKISIEC office was burnt down.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Timfon John, who confirmed the incident in Ibiono Ibom, said all electoral materials meant for the election were not consumed.
The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, has revealed that the recent increase in corps members’ monthly allowance has not been implemented due to funding issues.
This announcement follows the Federal Government’s approval to raise the monthly allowance for corps members from ₦33,000 to ₦77,000, effective July 2024.
The increment was officially communicated through a letter from the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, dated September 25, 2024, and signed by the Commission’s Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta.
Despite the announcement, corps members received only ₦33,000 in their September allowance, sparking concerns and confusion among the youth service participants.
In an interview with the BBC Hausa service, Brigadier General Ahmed explained that while the increase had been approved, the government had yet to release the necessary funds to implement the new allowance.
He assured corps members that the NYSC is actively working with the relevant authorities to expedite the release of funds and ensure the timely implementation of the increment.
The chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has declared that the party has lost Rivers State.
Speaking against the background of the local government election held in the state, Wabara declared that the PDP shot itself in the leg.
Naija News recalls the Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 out of 23 chairmanship seats, while Action Alliance won one local government (Etche Local Government Area) as declared by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) Chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd).
Reacting to the development in an interview with Vanguard, Wabara lamented that this was the first time in recent history that a ruling party in Rivers State, which has been controlled by the PDP since 1999, lost its grassroots influence to a lesser-known party.
He said the signs were there for the PDP, but the party leaders ignored them. He also added that the PDP’s chances of reclaiming the state in the 2027 elections is very slim.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested a 41-year-old Canadian lady for importing hard drugs into Nigeria.
The lady, identified as Adrienne Munju, was arrested by operatives of the NDLEA at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos, for importing a large consignment of ‘Canadian Loud’, a strong strain of synthetic cannabis.
According to a statement on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the suspect was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers on a KLM airline flight from Canada at the terminal 1 of the Lagos airport on Thursday, 3rd October 2024.
During a joint examination of her three bags, Adrienne, who was coming to Nigeria for the first time, was found with 74 parcels of the illicit substance weighing 35.20 kilograms stuffed in two of her three bags.
In her statement, she claimed she was recruited to traffic the consignment through an online platform for 10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos. She said she took the offer because she needed the money to pay for her ongoing master’s degree programme in Canada.
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara over the successful conduct of local government elections in Rivers State.
Atiku, in a personally signed statement on Sunday, said Governor Fubara has safeguarded the sanctity of the local government elections even amidst provocative challenges.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the conclusion of the local government elections in Rivers State has paved the way for governance to commence in the state.
According to Atiku, the conduct of the local government elections is a win for the people of Rivers State.
The Federal Government has threatened to revoke the contract of Julius Berger (Nig.)Plc, due to a price dispute.
Naija News reports that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this known during a meeting with Julius Berger (Nig.)Plc, represented by its Executive Director, Projects, Engr. Benjamin Bott.
Umahi urged Julius Berger to accept the N740.7 billion approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to complete the remaining section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway.
According to the Minster, the Federal government has paid N391 billion, while the newly reviewed price means the government will pay an additional N391 billion to complete the road.
Umahi threatened to revoke the contract if Julius Berger does not accept the price, stating that the prices on the said projects were the best because of the economic reality.
While urging the company to fast-track the completion of the rehabilitation of the 82-km Section II of the Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano Dual Carriageway in FCT, Kaduna, and Kano States, Umahi called for its completion within 14 months.
The Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has advised President Bola Tinubu against releasing allocations to states that have failed to conduct credible local government elections.
Naija News reports that on October 5, states such as Rivers, Benue, Akwa Ibom and Jigawa conducted their local government elections.
However, most states are yet to conduct their grassroot elections.
Speaking on the development, SERAP described the action as wrong.
In a statement by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, on Sunday, SERAP asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, to withhold federal allocations of states that have failed to conduct credible local government elections.
The organization also asked the President to ensure that any allocations from the Federation Account are paid only to democratically elected local government councils and no other body or institution.
