Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 9th April 2024
1. Tinubu Approves Establishment Of National Health Fellows Programme
President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Fellows Programme.
In a statement on Monday, the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, said young Nigerian fellows will be engaged from all the 774 local government areas in the country.
Ngelale said the development is part of President Tinubu’s determination to comprehensively upgrade existing primary healthcare centres and construct over 8,800 new primary healthcare centres across all local government areas in the country for accessible and qualitative healthcare delivery with the provision of new social accountability mechanisms.
He said the well-trained fellows will serve as fiduciary agents to monitor and track Primary Healthcare Centre development and performance, which is to be assiduously measured against all financial inflows to the centres nationwide.
Ngelale added that the fellowship programme will be domiciled in the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) coordination office under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
He disclosed that the fellows will be recruited, renumerated, and equipped with appropriate tools to track the performance of Basic Health Care Provision Fund-supported health facilities nationwide.
2. We Have Recovered N30 Billion – EFCC Gives Update On Betta Edu’s Case
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disclosed that it has recovered N30 billion naira from the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.
The anti-graft agency added that 50 bank accounts are under investigation in the ongoing investigation into the financial mismanagement allegation against the suspended Minister and the erstwhile chief executive officer of the now-suspended National Social Investment Programme Authority (NSIPA), Halima Shehu.
The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, gave the update in the March edition of the commission’s monthly e-magazine, EFCCAlert, obtained by Naija News on Monday.
He added that the recovered amount has already been paid into the coffers of the federal government while investigations continue.
The anti-graft commission boss reiterated the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to fighting corruption.
3. Edo Assembly Impeaches Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has been impeached by the State Assembly After adopting the report of the seven-man panel that investigated allegations of misconduct against him.
Naija News had earlier reported that the retired Justice S. A. Omonuwa-led panel had its inaugural sitting last Wednesday in Benin, the state capital.
The panel ended its sitting on Friday with Shaibu or his counsel failing to show up to defend the allegations levelled against him.
The panel had adjourned till Thursday for Shaibu to open his defence, and when he didn’t show up, he was given till Friday to come and defend the allegation against him, which he failed to do.
The Edo State House of Assembly, which is the petitioner in the case, had on Wednesday opened and closed its case, paving the way for Shaibu to defend the allegations levelled against him.
Shaibu’s counsel, Oladoyin Awoyale, attended the inaugural sitting but excused himself in the middle of the hearing after the panel refused his prayer to suspend the proceedings pending the outcome of a suit filed in Abuja by Shaibu challenging the impeachment move against him.
4. Fresh Crisis Rocks PDP As 60 House Of Reps Members Demand Damagum’s Resignation
Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives have demanded the immediate resignation of the party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Ililya Damagum.
The party members threatened to dump the PDP for another party if Damagum does not resign immediately, as they accused him of anti-party activities.
Among other demands, they also demanded his replacement with another person fro the North Central in line with the constitution of the party.
The demand of the aggrieved members, who number at least 60, was convened by Hon Ugochinyere Ikenga, who led five other lawmakers to address reporters at the National Assembly on Monday.
He said the PDP Acting National Chairman has been allegedly engaging in anti-party activities, and sold the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC) “for a plate of porridge.”
The rep member added that if President Bola Tinubu had been inconsistent like Damgum, he won’t be where he is today.
They, therefore, said Damagun should go before completely destroying the party.
5. Presidency Launches New Initiative For Citizens’ Feedback
The Presidency announced the launch of its Citizens’ Delivery Tracker (CDT) on Monday.
Naija News understands that the initiative aims to enhance citizen-government engagement by establishing a feedback mechanism for the Bola Tinubu administration’s eight priority areas.
The President’s Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala-Usman, revealed this information during the CDT’s Go-Live event in Abuja on Monday.
Bala-Usman said, “The platform is available as a web link (app.cdcu.gov.ng) and will be available as an app for download in the next few months.”
Bala-Usman noted that Monday’s unveiling represents the final stage of a lengthy process initiated after Tinubu announced ministerial assessment plans for ministers and heads of government agencies at the Cabinet Retreat in November.
The presidential aide explained that to achieve the key performance indicators, the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU) conducted multiple bilateral meetings with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) within a span of six weeks.
6. CBN Bans Use Of Foreign Currencies As Collateral for Naira Loan
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has banned all Nigerian banks from using foreign currencies as collateral for naira loans.
Naija News reports that the apex bank made this known in a circular uploaded to its website on Monday.
The CBN said it had observed that bank customers were using FCY as collateral for naira loans and, therefore, prohibited it with immediate effect.
This development comes hours after the apex bank announced in a circular, the sales of dollars to Bureau De Change operators.
It said it is set to sell $10,000 to each BDCs at N1101/$ and directed the operators to sell at a spread not more than 1.5 per cent above the CBN rate.
In March, the apex bank sold $10,000 to BDCs at a rate of N1,251/$ and directed the BDCs to sell to eligible customers at a rate not exceeding 1.5 per cent above the purchase price (N1,269/$1).
This followed the bank’s earlier decision in February to sell foreign exchange worth $20,000 to eligible BDCs across the country.
7. ‘I Have Received Their Letter’ – Keyamo Confirms Emirates Airline Is Set To Resume Flights To Nigeria
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Monday confirmed that Emirates Airline is set to resume flights to Nigeria.
The Minister said that all the necessary things have been put in place and he has the letter from the airline signalling their intention to resume flights to Nigeria.
Naija News reports Keyamo made the disclosure during an interview appearance on Arise Television.
According to him, the return of the airline is a direct result of diplomatic engagements by President Bola Tinubu when he visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after communication broke down between Nigeria and the country.
Keyamo added that what transpired during the earlier visit and resolution was not fake but was presented in a ‘hasty’ manner.
8. Again, CBN Sells $10,000 To BDCs At N1,101/$
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced on Monday that it had sold dollars to Bureau De Change operators.
Naija News reports that CBN disclosed this in a circular uploaded to its website on Monday.
The apex bank said it is set to sell $10,000 to each BDC at N1101/$ and directed the operators to sell at a spread not more than 1.5 percent above the CBN rate.
In March, the apex bank sold $10,000 to BDCs at a rate of N1,251/$ and directed the BDCs to sell to eligible customers at a rate not exceeding 1.5 per cent above the purchase price (N1,269/$1).
This followed the bank’s earlier decision to sell foreign exchange worth $20,000 to eligible BDCs across the country in February.
9. Court Orders Remand Of Emefiele In EFCC Custody
The Ikeja High Court in Lagos has ordered the remand of Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court also directed that Emefiele’s co-defendant, Henry Omoile, be held at Kirikiri Prison, both awaiting a ruling on their bail set for Thursday, April 11.
Presided over by Justice Rahman Oshodi, the court’s decision followed the hearing of bail applications from the defendants’ counsel, Lebi Lawal.
Lawal advocated for Emefiele’s release on self-recognizance or under liberal bail conditions, considering his status and the nature of the charges.
Similar leniency was requested for Omoile, emphasizing the need for fair treatment in the legal process.
The EFCC’s representation, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rotimi Oyedepo, did not object to the bail plea but left the decision to the court’s discretion, highlighting the judiciary’s autonomy in such matters.
Naija News reports that Emefiele was arraigned before the court to face charges related to the alleged misuse of his position and the allocation of billions of dollars.
According to the charge sheet, dated April 3, 2024, and with the reference ID/23787c/2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused Emefiele of abusing his authority in Lagos between 2022 and 2023.
10. We’ll Fight This Injustice’ – Philip Shaibu Reacts As 38-Year-Old Replaces Him As Deputy Governor
Impeached Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has described his impeachment by the State House of Assembly as illegal and injustice that should be fought against.
Naija News reported that the Edo State Assembly impeached Shaibu after adopting the report of the seven-man panel that investigated allegations of misconduct against him.
Recall the retired Justice S. A. Omonuwa-led panel had its inaugural sitting last Wednesday in Benin, the state capital.
The panel ended its sitting on Friday with Shaibu or his counsel failing to show up to defend the allegations of leaking government secrets levelled against him.
The panel had adjourned till Thursday for Shaibu to open his defence, and when he didn’t show up, he was given till Friday to come and defend the allegation against him, which he failed to do.
The Edo State House of Assembly, which is the petitioner in the case, had on Wednesday opened and closed its case, paving the way for Shaibu to defend the allegations levelled against him.
In a video shared via X, Shaibu denounced the impeachment in strong terms, stating it was not just an attack on his person but the democratic principle.
According to him, the Assembly’s action is a dangerous attempt at dictatorship and a threat to the foundation of democracy.
He also stated that the impeachment was motivated by his ambition to contest the state Governorship election and called on well-meaning Nigerians to unite and fight the injustices thrown at him.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
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