Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 28th May 2024
1. Tinubu Govt Suspends Nigeria Air Project Indefinitely
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government has halted the Nigeria Airline project indefinitely.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo, announced this development on Monday during the Ministerial briefing commemorating the first year of the Tinubu administration.
Keyamo emphasized that the airline was not truly Nigerian, but rather an effort to pass off a foreign airline as a national carrier.
2. FG Breaks Silence On Move To Change National Anthem
The Federal Government has asked members of the National Assembly to subject the Nigerian National Anthem Bill to wider consultations before passing it.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, stated this in Abuja on Monday at a public hearing on the bill to revert to the old national anthem.
Recall that the House of Representatives accelerated and passed the bill in a single sitting last Thursday, while the Senate passed the bill through first and second readings.
Speaking at the hearing jointly organised by the Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Interior, Fagbemi said the lawmakers failed to get the opinions of other stakeholders before passing the bill.
He said there was a need for a wider process where Nigerians and other arms and tiers of government would participate in the decision to revert to the old national anthem before it finally becomes law.
Fagbemi specifically proposed consultations through zonal public hearings and resolutions of the Federal Executive Council, Council of State, National and State Assemblies, etc.
3. Tribunal Delivers Judgement In Ajaka’s Petition Against Ododo’s Guber Election Victory
The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has confirmed Usman Ododo as the Governor of Kogi State.
Naija News reports that the tribunal rejected the petition filed by Muritala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and upheld the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.
It could be recalled that Odo and SDP are challenging the victory of Usman Ododo in the November 11, 2023 election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the results declared by INEC, Ododo polled 446,237 votes to defeat Ajaka, who came second with 259,052 votes, and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 46,362 votes.
However, unsatisfied with the result, the SDP and Ajaka approached the tribunal and filed petitions to challenge Ododo’s victory.
4. ₦497,000 Minimum Wage Unrealistic, Organized Labour Are Unserious – Presidency
The Presidency has said organized labour’s demand for ₦497,000 as minimum wage is unrealistic and unserious.
Recall that organized labour had demanded a minimum wage of N615,000 but later reduced it to N500,000 and then N497,000, while the government and the private sector increased their offer to N57,000 in the last Tripartite meeting.
In an interview with Vanguard, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said that the federal and state governments have bloated workforces, and the demand by organised labour is outrageous.
Onanuga stated that what should be paramount to arriving at the new minimum wage by the Tripartite Committee on the new minimum wage should be the availability of resources to pay whatever is agreed upon.
According to him, the government is spending on recurrent expenditures, and it will be difficult for either the federal, state, or local governments to spend all their money on paying workers.
5. Weakness Of Local Govt Responsible For Insecurity Situation In Nigeria – Tajudeen Abbas
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen has said that the problem of insecurity facing Nigeria today can be connected to the non-existence or weakness of governance at the local government level.
Tajudeen stated this at a one-day national dialogue on Nigeria’s security challenges and good governance at the local level.
The Speaker who was represented by his deputy stated that addressing insecurity challenges is necessary for fostering good governance and strengthening national security.
He, however, said that over the years, amidst complex and multi-faceted challenges, the government has taken bold and necessary actions to address the key and historical issues hindering Nigeria’s development.
6. Presidency Speaks On Tinubu Sacking Underperforming Ministers
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has stated the assumption that his principal, Bola Tinubu, will rejig his cabinet as the government marks one year in office on May 29 is not presently considered.
Naija News reports that Onanuga made this known during an interview with Vanguard, stressing that Tinubu has requested the ministers to present their scorecards, which started last week.
According to Onanuga, he is uncertain about Tinubu’s plan to remove underperforming ministers, especially as they have barely been in government for nine months.
7. Court Stops Ado Bayero From Parading Himself As Emir Of Kano, Orders Police To Evict Ex-Monarch From Palace
The Kano State High Court, on Monday, granted an order restraining the newly sacked Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero and four others from parading themselves as monarchs in the state.
Justice Aisha Adamu Aliyu granted the order after an ex parte motion was filed by the state government on Monday, May 27, 2024.
The judge also stoppped all the dethroned Emirs from acting in their official capacity and asked them to immediately leave their palaces.
The court also ordered the Commissioner of Police in Kano to take over the palace presently occupied by Ado Bayero and immediately evict the former Emir.
8. AGF Speaks On Scrapping State Electoral Commissions
The Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has advocated for the elimination of State Electoral Commissions, labelling them as significant barriers to the development of local governments in Nigeria.
Fagbemi expressed these views during a discourse on national security challenges and good governance at the local government levels, held in Abuja on Monday.
The event was organized by the House of Representatives under the theme: ‘Nigeria’s Security Challenges And Good Governance At The Local Government Levels.’
Fagbemi criticized the current framework, noting that governors exploit gaps in the 1999 Constitution to undermine local government autonomy.
He highlighted specific sections of the Constitution, including Section 7(1), Section 83(3), and Section 7(5), which, he argued, provide governors with undue leverage over local governments.
According to the Attorney General, this exploitation has led to governors’ control over the appointment of local government leaders through state electoral commissions and caretaker committees rather than democratic elections.
This practice, he claimed, denies grassroots populations the benefits of effective and representative local governance.
9. 2027: Peter Obi Replies Atiku, Discloses Only Condition That Would Make Him Agree To A Merger
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi has given conditions that would make him agree to a merger between his party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 elections.
Obi stated that he would only enter into a merger with any party or individual if it serves the greater good of Nigeria.
The former Anambra State governor disclosed this during an interview with NoireTV at the weekend.
Reacting to a statement by the presidential candidate of the PDP and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, on the likelihood of a merger between both parties, Obi insisted that an alliance must be focused on improving governance and helping the poor, not just winning elections or for state capture.
10. Court Rejects Shaibu’s Bid To Nullify Ighodalo’s Candidacy
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled against a suit from the impeached former Edo Deputy Governor, Phillips Shaibu, who attempted to overturn the February 22 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Edo State, won by Asue Ighodalo.
In a judgment delivered on Monday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that Shaibu lacked the locus standi to challenge the outcome of the primary, as he did not fully participate in it and was not present at the venue on the day it was held.
According to the Nation, Justice Omotosho stated that Shaibu’s case was deemed premature since he bypassed the party’s internal dispute resolution procedures before filing the lawsuit.
The judge emphasized that, as a PDP member, Shaibu was obligated to adhere to the party’s rules and regulations, which mandate that any disgruntled aspirant from a primary must first seek recourse through the party’s Appeal Committee before resorting to litigation.
The judge determined that there was ample evidence indicating that Ighodalo emerged as the rightful winner of the primary election.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
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