Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1 The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has submitted a report to President Muhammadu Buhari which indicted the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and some of his aides in the diversion of about N19bn from the N522bn Paris Club refund. The report also indicted Mr. Robert Mbonu of Melrose General Services Limited.
2 The peace agreement reached by the two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. suffered great setback on Sunday as the National Chairman of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff has declared the Ahmed Makarfi sacked national caretaker committee as illegal,, warning that the Makarfi group should not be referred to as a faction of the party anymore. He also threatened police action if the party administrative staff do not return the party’s property in their possession.
3 The Senate President, Bukola Saraki has denied involvement in the diversion of Paris Club refund, saying that the EFCC was merely fighting him back over the refusal of the senate to confirm its boss, Ibrahim Magu. Saraki in a statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, his Special Adviser ( Media and Publicity) maintained that he has no direct or indirect link to the distribution of the NGF money and that no money from the Paris Club refund was paid to him.
4 Big Brother Naija housemate, Bassey was Sunday night evicted from the reality show, leaving just 6 housemates to compete for the prize money. Bassey was evicted after he failed to secure reasonable number of votes to keep him in the house. While Bally secured the highest number of votes, Debie-Rise and T-boss followed respectively.
5 The Presidency on Sunday said President Muhammadu Buhari was not involved in any certificate scandal. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, stated this while reacting to a story on prominent Nigerians with certificate scandal. Shehu, however said Buhari did not fit into the categorisation as those raising the allegation in 2015 were politicians trying to stop him from running for the election.
6 A report has emerged that the Federal Government has extended the timeline for upgrade work on the runway of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, by another 18 weeks. The report, however said the second phase of the upgrade work would be done at night, to avoid disruption of flight schedules.
7 The Senate has summoned the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Ibrahim Garba, to appear before it today and explain his side of the story on the allegation of certificate forgery levelled against Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West). Also summoned today is the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd), over allegation that Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki was on a vengeance mission against the NCS.
8 Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has said he had no regrets over the memo he wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari, recommending that some reforms be made. He insisted that what he wrote was the truth and that the Chief of Staff and others he mentioned in the memo know that he was being realistic on the true state of things.
9 An uncompleted twin three-storey hotel at Nkwo-Eziudo market along the Ogidi-Abatete road, Ogidi near Onitsha has collapsed with no case of death or injuries reported. Residents of the area said on Sunday that the incident occurred on Saturday at about 2.30pm when workers had left the construction site.
10 The founder of the Latter Rain Assembly, Lagos, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has condemned the alleged lopsided arrests after the clash between Yoruba indigenes and some Hausa residents in Ile-Ife, Osun state. Bakare has described as “an abuse” the arrest of some Yoruba as suspects in the clash while the Hausas are left to walk freely.
Comments