Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 30th August 2023.
1. President Tinubu Appoints New NDDC Board Members, Management
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of a new Board and Management team of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Presidential Spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, the appointments take immediate effect.
The statement noted that the President appointed Chiedu Ebie as the Chairman of the Board of the Commission and Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
It added that President Tinubu expects that the new Board and Management team will ensure a new era of successful administration in the NDDC, in line with his Renewed Hope agenda.
2. Wike, Gov Inuwa To Lead APC Guber Campaigns In Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi
The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Abdullahi Ganduje has set up three National Campaign Councils for the November 11 governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike who happens to be a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is one of the 123-member Campaign Council for Bayelsa state.
Gombe state Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya will chair the Bayelsa Campaign Council; Cross River state Governor, Bassey Otu will chair the 138-member Imo Campaign Council while Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state will chair a 135-member council for Kogi.
The three Co-Chairmen for Kogi are Govs. Babajide Sanwo-olu (Lagos); Umar Bago (Niger) and Uba Sani (Kaduna).
Imo has Ebonyi state Governor, Francis Nwifuru; Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha as Co-Chairmen.
Bayelsa has Defence Minister, Mohammed Badaru, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Senator George Akume as Co-Chairmen.
3. Results Will Be Transmitted From Polling Units In Kogi Governorship Election — INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the results of the Kogi State governorship election on November 11 will be sent electronically straight from polling places to its server.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kogi, Prof. Gabriel Longpet, shared this at a media event in Abuja.
He said this new method aims to “eliminate rigging, electoral fraud and other irregularities” and ensure that the voting process is both credible and transparent.
Longpet also stated that the security problems that happened during the 2019 election have been examined and solved. He encouraged voters to come out, promising a safe voting environment.
The state REC reiterated that the 2023 Kogi guber poll ‘will be by the poll and not by the gun”, assuring that the commission will do everything to ensure that votes count and that those who will emerge will emerge through popular votes.
4. Shaibu Attempted To Embarrass Obaseki And Disrupt Event – Edo Govt
The Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, has made clarification on the dramatic exit of the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, from the venue for the 60th anniversary of the Midwest referendum organized by the state government.
Naija News earlier reported that the media team and security aides of the deputy governor were blocked from gaining entrance into the venue of the event.
Shaibu, however, left the venue of the ceremony angrily after arguments with security operatives who barred his media team and security details.
In an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday, Nehikhare said Shaibu had attempted to disgrace Governor Obaseki and disrupt the event, but it backfired.
The commissioner said Shaibu came with his unaccredited media team, whereas the media aide to the government house was at the event.
5. NNPP BoT Suspends Kwankwaso Over Alleged Anti-party Activities
The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has suspended the party’s National leader and 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, for six months for alleged anti-party activities.
The suspension of Kwankwaso was announced on Tuesday at the end of a parallel National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Lagos State.
Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Muhammed Abdullahi, while addressing journalists at the end of the meeting said the BoT also suspended the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
He said the BoT has appointed new national officers headed by Dr. Agbo Major as acting National Chairman and Ogini Olaposi as acting National Secretary, along with 18 others.
The BoT accused Kwankwaso of hobnobbing with President Bola Tinubu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, without the board’s authorisation.
6. HND To Degree: NBTE Gives Fresh Update On One Year Top-Up Programme
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has given a new update concerning its new online one-year top-up programme for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders who want to convert to Bachelor’s Degree.
The Board said the conversion is not for all HND holders, but only for those who want to pursue an academic career.
Naija News on August 14 reported that the NBTE has brought succour to graduates of Higher National Diploma (HND) who want to convert their certificates to Bachelor’s Degrees.
The board, as gathered by this platform through its new one-year top-up programme with foreign accredited universities, has offered conversion of HND to BSc.
The development was disclosed in Abuja through a statement made available to pressmen by the Board’s Head of Media Unit, Mrs. Fatima Abubakar.
However, the NBTE Head of Media Unit, Hajiya Fatima Abubakar, has given new clarification on the programme on Tuesday in Abuja.
Abubakar told pressmen that the board’s Chief Executive, Prof. Idris Bugaje, clarified that the programme is not for all the HND holders but rather for those who have the ambition to further their career in an academic environment such as teaching and research in the Polytechnics or Universities.
7. Over 100 Gay Suspects Arrested In Delta
The Delta Police Command has said it has arrested over 100 gay suspects in the South-South state.
In a tweet via its Twitter handle on Tuesday, the command said the suspects were arrested at a suspected gay wedding ceremony in a hotel in the state.
The command added that the suspects would soon be paraded for the whole world to see them.
The tweet reads: “Delta State Command has arrested over a hundred gay suspects in a hotel carrying out a gay wedding ceremony. We will be going live shortly on Facebook to parade the said suspects.”
Naija News reports that former President Goodluck Jonathan signed a law against gay relationships and same-sex marriage in 2014.
8. FG Approves N825.819 Billion For Victims Of 4.2km Second Runway
The Federal Government has announced N825.819 billion naira as compensation for indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja to pave the way for the construction of the 4.2km second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Naija News reports that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, disclosed the development, after a negotiation meeting with the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, officials of both ministries and representatives of their agencies and stakeholders from Jiwa, the affected community in Abuja.
The FCT minister said N825.8 billion was to compensate residents of the community for seeking their cooperation towards the completion of the 4.2 km second Abuja runway project, originally awarded in 2022.
Wike declared that the FCT will construct a 5km bridge in the Tunga Madaki community and provide a modern healthcare facility expected to serve as a temporary resettlement site for the indigenes.
Furthermore, the FCT minister charged the contractors to resume work, promising that the approved fund will be released from tomorrow (Wednesday).
9. Nnamdi Kanu Vows Not To Beg FG For His Release
The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has told the federal government that he would never beg for his freedom after being cleared by Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Naija News reports that the IPOB leader, in a letter dated August 25, 2023, and signed by his lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, said begging for his freedom at this point would be an insult to the memory of the late Pa Mbazulike Amechi, who had in his old age repeatedly travelled from the South-East to Abuja, to beg the federal government for his release as a dying wish— a wish the government never fulfilled.
Kanu, in the letter titled “Update on our routine visit to our indefatigable client – Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, at the Headquarters of the State Security Services, Abuja, where he is still being illegally and unconstitutionally detained in solitary confinement,” noted that he won’t beg the federal government because the Appeal Court has already made a pronouncement and it’s still sacrosanct.
10. Allow Me Fix Federal Roads In Edo – Gov Obaseki To President Tinubu
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said despite several entreaties by his administration, the federal government has refused to allow the state government to fix the dilapidated federal roads in the State.
Naija News reports that Obaseki said this while addressing the congregation at the inauguration of the Ministry and the enthronement of Ven. Ebenezer Omeiza Saiki as the second Diocesan Bishop of Akoko-Edo Diocese at St. James Cathedral, Ugbogbo, Igarra, in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the State.
The governor, who decried the deplorable state of the roads and the need for urgent intervention to ameliorate the sufferings of the people, called on residents and other road users to plead with the federal government to allow the State to take over the roads and fix them.
Speaking to the congregation, Obaseki said, “I promised His Royal Highness (HRH) the Otaru of Igarra that I will be attending the Abba Festival as a special guest a couple of days ago. I actually was on my way but no road to get there, so I went back to Benin.
“I want to repair and fix your road but you have to help me beg them in Abuja to let me do it because they say it’s their own road and will not allow a State to work on their roads and fix them. So, you have to help us beg the Federal Government so that they will allow us to take these roads and fix them.”
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
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