Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Tuesday, 20th April 2021
1. Osinbajo Briefs President Buhari After London Medical Trip
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday, briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on happenings within the past few days when he was in London for a medical check-up.
The meeting between the two leaders held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, Naija News reports as confirmed by the senior special assistant (media and publicity) to the Vice President, Laolu Akande.
It will be recalled that President Buhari returned to Nigeria last week Thursday after a two-week medical trip to London, the United Kingdom.
The Nigerian leader arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja at about 4.45 p.m.
A tweet on Monday by Akande revealed that Vice President Osinbajo and President Buhari held a meeting during which the President was briefed on a number of issues including FEC meetings that held in his absence and other issues of national importance.
2. No Going Back On Judicial Autonomy – Senate Tells State Governors
The Senate on Monday asked governors across the 36 states of Nigeria to save the nation’s democracy from collapsing by granting full Independence to the judicial arm of government.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, stated this while reacting to the protest staged at the National Assembly by the Nigerian Bar Association on the issue.
President Muhammadu Buhari had last year, signed into law, the Executive Order No 10 of 2020 cited as “the implementation of financial autonomy for state legislature and judiciary Order, 2020”.
The Order granted powers to the Accountant-General of the Federation to deduct from the allocations due to a state from the Federation Account, any sums appropriated for the legislature or judiciary of that state which the state fails to release to its legislature or judiciary as the case may be, and to pay the funds directly to the state’s legislature or judiciary concerned.
Speaking with journalists, Bamidele said judicial autonomy was non-negotiable and that state governors should emulate the Federal Government by granting independence to the arm of government.
3. INEC Blows Hot, Threatens To Blacklist Parties Over Violent Congresses
Political parties unable to conduct peaceful congresses and engage in violent fiascos that threaten lives and destroy property will be blacklisted.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) made this known in a statement on Monday by its spokesman, Festus Okoye.
According to Okoye, the electoral body may not recognise the outcome of violent congresses if the trend continues in the country.
He added that INEC may also withdraw its staff from monitoring such violent political party meetings, with the resultant non-recognition of their outcomes.
He said the commission’s properties are being destroyed in the aftermath while the lives of participants and its staff are endangered.
4. There Is No Need For Amotekun In Lagos State Now – Gov Sanwo-Olu
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has revealed why the South-West security outfit better known as Operation Amotekun was not inaugurated in the state.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Sanwo-Olu said that operatives of Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps are currently doing the work of Amotekun corps in the state, hence no need for the local outfit.
The governor explained further that community policing, operatives of the LNSC are all active and engage in security patrol.
5. Military Has Been Intimidated In The Southeast, Ebubeagu Has No Support – EX-DSS Director Claims
A former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor has submitted that the military and other security agencies have been intimidated in the southeast.
To back up his claim, he pointed out that that is why there is currently no single police or military checkpoint all the way from Onitsha to Umuahia and most other parts of the southeast.
Ejiofor added that the recently launched regional security outfit by the southeast governors, ‘Ebubeagu’ will fail because it has no support from the people and the governors failed to put structure in place before setting it up.
He made the claims on Monday when he appeared as a guest on Channels TV Sunrise Daily programme.
As part of his submissions, the former DSS Director said it is vigilantes that are providing security in the region adding that the recently formed Eastern Security Network (ESN) by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is also illegal and hence can’t function in tackling insecurity in the area.
6. FG Didn’t Have Enough Money In March But This Is What We Did – Finance Minister
The federal government of Nigeria has shed more light on what transpired between the central and state governors as regards the allocation sharing for March 2021.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed disclosed that when it was discovered that there was a shortfall of N50 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), the state governors wanted the federal government to borrow the shortfall from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
She however disclosed that the federal government rejected the idea of the state governors and insisted that they go manage what each of them got.
Ahmed also disclosed that the government usually takes money from reserve accounts but in March, there was no sufficient fund accrued in those accounts.
She made the revelations on Monday during an appearance on ‘Good Morning Nigeria show’, a Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) programme while reacting further to claims by Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State that the government printed N60bn t augment the March FAAC distribution to states.
7. President Buhari Meets Acting IGP, Baba In Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met with the acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.
This will be the first meeting between the President and the Police Chief since his appointment was announced on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
Naija News recalls the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammad Dingyadi, had made public the approval of the President for Baba to succeed Mohammed Adamu.
President Buhari was away in London, the United Kingdom when the announcement was made but the President returned to the country last week Thursday.
8. NNPC Says No Plan To Increase Petrol Price In May
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, on Monday, disclosed that the price of petrol will not be increased in May.
NNPC has maintained an ex-depot price of N148/litre since February despite the increase in the price of petrol, hence incurring a subsidy of over N120bn monthly.
Ex-depot price is the cost of petrol at depots, from where filling stations purchase the commodity before dispensing to final consumers.
Kyari in his statement further stated that Petroleum Tanker Drivers have suspended their proposed strike after the intervention of NNPC in the disagreement between the PTD and the National Association of Road Transport Owners.
9. Two Policemen Killed As Gunmen Attack Anambra Police Zonal Htqrs
Unknown gunmen have attacked the zonal headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Ukpo, Anambra State.
It was gathered that the hoodlums attacked the police station in the early hours of Monday, killed no fewer than two policemen during the attack.
Naija News understands that the gunmen also razed some offices and scores of vehicles during the attack but were prevented from gaining entrance into the armory.
However, the deceased officers have been identified as Inspector Ishaku Aura and Uzoma Uwaebuka.
10. President Buhari Promises Help And Support For Niger Republic
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday promised the President of the Republic of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum of commitment to stabilize the region.
The Nigeria President stated this while receiving his Nigerien counterpart who visited him in Abuja on his first international visit.
Buhari in a statement released through his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said, “We will stabilize our region for the benefit of the two countries.”
The President said Nigerians and Nigeriens are people with similar culture, language and ways of life, “and we also share about 1,500 kilometres of land border, so we cannot ignore each other.”
Buhari who congratulated Bazoum on victory in the presidential election in his country, vowed that Nigeria would assist its close neighbour in diverse ways as required.