Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers
1. The All Progressives Congress, APC, South-East zone, has described the ultimatum given Igbos resident in the North to vacate as a huge joke taken too far.
The party in a statement by the zone’s national vice chairman Hon. Emma Eneukwu, said it was high time Nigerians rose against hate speeches that could lead to the disintegration of the country.
2. Prominent politicians, including a former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, and a former Lagos State governor and All Progressives Congress national leader, Bola Tinubu, have described the June 12, 1993 elections as a part of Nigeria’s history that could not be forgotten.
The duo believe that June 12 and the events that brought it are part of Nigeria’s history and cannot be forgotten, especially because of the unity and comradeship displayed by Nigerians on that Election Day in 1993.
3. Embattled former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has turned down the calls for him to apologise to the Senate, saying that he did nothing wrong to necessitate an apology.
Ndume explained that while he had no problem tendering an apology whenever he offended people, there was no justification for him to offer an apology when he had not committed an offence.
4. The Nigerian government has stated that it has so far spent N3.7bn on the Homegrown School Feeding Programme, which is one of the components of the present administration’s Social Investment Programme.
According to the Senior Special Assistant to the acting President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, the sum had been released to nine out of the 36 states of the federation for the feeding of about 1.3million pupils in the states.
5. Human rights activist and Executive Chairman, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari led-Federal Government to recognize MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of June 12 election, as former President of Nigeria.
According to Sulaiman, the non-recognition of the late politician since the return of the present democratic experience in May 29,1999, has been hurting the present political system.
6. The Igbo National Council, INC, has called on the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, to declare a state of emergency in northern part of the country.
National President, Comrade Chilos Godsent on Sunday warned that the quit notice by Arewa youths that Igbos should vacate the region within three months should not be taken lightly.
7. Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has also warned the Federal Government that the ultimatum given to Igbos living in the North could lead to chaos, if not promptly checked.
According to him, the trend of statements credited to some elements in the North had shown clearly that Nigeria was no longer one.
8. Nigeria Police on Sunday paraded the man believed to be Nigeria’s richest kidnapper, Evans and his deadly gang.
Jimoh Moshood, Force spokesman told newsmen while parading the notorious criminal how they seized their victims, kept them and demanded for ransom before nemesis caught up with him.
9. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has dragged the Federal Government and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, to court.
The organization cited what it termed their collective failure, refusal and/or negligence to enforce their own directives to electricity distribution companies, DISCOs, to provide free prepaid meters to all Nigerians and end the use of patently illegal, arbitrary, unfair and discriminatory estimated billing across the country.
10. In business world, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced a special market intervention for airline operators, oil marketers, and agricultural businesses to enable them clear a backlog of foreign exchange obligations.
In a notice to lenders issued on Sunday, the CBN said it planned to settle the bids through a combination of spot and short-term forward deals.
However, the apex bank did not specify the maximum amount of dollars it will sell.