Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Friday, 16th July 2021
1. Senate Approves Partial Electronic Transmission Of Results
The Nigerian Senate has approved the conditional electronic transmission of electoral results.
Naija News reports that the Senators had on Thursday voted publicly along party lines over section 52(3) of the electoral act amendment bill, which deals with electronic transmission of poll results.
At the end of voting, 28 Senators mostly from the PDP voted for the original amendment in the report while 52 Senators mostly from the APC voted for the amendment as proposed by Senator Sabi Abdullahi.
The majority of Senators voted that INEC may consider electronic transmission provided the national network coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secure by NCC and approved by the National Assembly.
This means that the Senate has finally passed the electoral act amendment bill.
2. 2021 Eid-El-Kabir: FG Declares Public Holiday
The federal government of Nigeria has declared Tuesday, July 20, and Wednesday, July 21 as public holidays to mark the 2021 Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration in a statement on Thursday on behalf of the federal government which was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore.
He congratulated all Muslim faithful and Nigerians at home and in the diaspora on the celebration, urging them to allow the lessons of the celebration reflect in their day-to-day activities.
3. House Of Reps Steps Down PIB After Rowdy Session
The House of Representatives has stepped down the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill after an hour-long closed-door session.
Earlier, some lawmakers from the South-South had protested the alleged reduction in the approved percentage accruing to host communities.
The house had earlier voted 5% for host communities in the PIB earlier passed while the Senate passed 3%.
The lawmakers created a scene when they protested the alleged reduction of the percentage for host communities from 5% to 3% after the conference committee of both the Senate and the House of Representatives harmonized the document.
However, it was gathered that further deliberation would hold over the decision while the House is on recess.
4. Nigeria Has No Housing Deficit Problem – Fashola
Nigeria’s Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has declared that the country has no housing deficit challenge as been speculated in some quarters.
According to the Minister, reports that Nigeria has a 17 million housing deficit is not true.
Fashola stated this on Thursday at the presidential villa in Abuja during the weekly ministerial briefing organized by the Presidential Communication Team.
According to him, he consulted with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and some international organizations, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), and they confirmed that the Nigerian housing deficit reports were not correct.
To this end, he said the claim about the housing deficit in Nigeria should be disregarded, noting that with many empty houses Nigeria could not be classified as having such a problem.
5. Nigerian Army Speaks On Releasing Boko Haram Fighters In Borno
The Nigerian Army has debunked the reports of the release of Boko Haram fighters in Borno State.
The Director Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Thursday, said the reports were false and a malicious attempt to dampen troops’ morale and denigrate the Nigerian Army.
Nwachukwu noted that the military does not plan to join issues with the masterminds of the report but will make efforts to set the records straight.
He said those released are cleared suspects, not ex-Boko Haram fighters.
6. Senate Approves $8.325bn, Euro 490m External Loans
The Senate has approved $8,325,526,537.00 and Euro 490million as part of the 2018 – 2020 external borrowing (rolling) plan of the Federal Government.
Naija News reports that the upper legislative chambers okayed the loan on Thursday during plenary.
Meanwhile, the Senate has confirmed the nomination of Prof. Sani Adam for appointment as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to represent North Central.
Recall that the Senate had stepped down the confirmation of Professor Sani Adam because of the petitions against him.
But his confirmation on Thursday followed consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on INEC, which was presented by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Kabiru Gaya (Kano South).
7. Boko Haram: NAF Reveals When 1st Batch Of Super Tucano Jets Will Arrive Nigeria
The first batch of A-29 Super Tucano aircraft ordered by Nigeria from the United States of America will arrive before the end of July.
The spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet gave the update on Thursday when he revealed that the six aircraft have already departed America and are on their way to Nigeria.
Gabkwet told journalists in Abuja on Thursday that the 6 aircraft will be leapfrogged through five countries before arriving in Nigeria.
He listed the countries to include: Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and Algeria
8. Senate Passes PIB Into Law
The Senate has passed the conference report of the National Assembly on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
Naija News understands that the report was passed on Thursday (today) after both chambers passed the PIB into law last week.
The report stated that the National Assembly pegged contributions to the host communities development trust fund at three percent of the operating expenditure of oil companies in the region.
9. 2023: North Has 4 Years After Buhari – Arewa Youths
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum on Thursday said the North still has four years to rule after President Muhammadu Buhari ends his tenure in 2023.
The National President of the group, Yerima Shettima made this claim while condemning the stand of Southern governors on a rotational presidency in 2023.
Shettima in an interview with Daily Post noted that former presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan ruled Nigeria for 14 years in favour of the South, while late Musa Yar’Adua and Buhari would have ruled for 10 years in 2023, hence the call for the North to rule for another four years.
Southern governors had demanded that the Southern part of the country should produce Buhari’s successor in 2023.
10. APC Affirms Suspension Of Lai Moh’d’s Loyalists In Kwara
The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has ratified the suspension of 11 members loyal to Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed for taking the party and the state chairman Hon. Abdullahi Abubakar to court.
Naija News reports that the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been embroiled in a crisis between loyalists of Lai Mohammed and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
The suspension of the Minister’s loyalists was contained in a letter by the National Secretary, Caretaker/Extra-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Sen. James Akpanudoedehe, to Abubakar.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
This article was originally published on Nigeria News