Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:
1. President Muhammadu Buhari arrived the country yesterday after his 10 days treatment leave. The President was received by the Zamfara state Governor, Abdulaziz Yari; Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello; members of the Federal Executive Council, top government officials, federal lawmakers and service chiefs among others in Abuja airport. The President who inspected a guard of honour said he was very okay and could even wrestle with anyone.
2. The Senate has reacted to reports of the planned charges of forgery and conspiracy preferred against the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, immediate past Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and the Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Ben Efeturi. Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, in a statement on Sunday said after reviewing the circumstances leading to the filing of the charges, the Senate was compelled to alert the good people of Nigeria and the international community, that democracy was in danger over the attempt by the Executive Arm of the Federal Government to muzzle the legislature and criminalise legislative processes.
3. Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has asked the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop harassing his government by threatening those in the government with arrest and looking for how his election was funded. Fayose in a statement said his election was not funded with public fund, demanding that President Buhari and his APC should also tell Nigerians how their own elections were funded.
4. Report says the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is far from over as the two warring factions -Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee and the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led group have both refused to nominate members to serve on the Peace Committee the IG of Police instituted.
5. 19 people have been reported dead in a multiple crash at the Fidiwo/Ajebo end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Report says the accident involved a fully loaded commercial bus, a fuel tanker and a Dangote truck. The bus, with number plate AGL 373 XR, was said to be travelling to Lagos State. One passenger in the bus survived while the others died on the spot.
6. The U.S. Justice Department has said former Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, could be extradited to the country to stand trial as long as the Federal Government follows the due process to make this possible. Peter Carr, an official at the United States Department of Justice, DOJ, has stated that it is very possible for the former minister to be extradited from the U.S. provided the Federal Government did the needful.
7. The Senate has expressed disappointment over the alleged manner MTN’s N1.04 trillion fine was reduced to N330 billion. It described the reduction as short changing the country and has consequently summoned the Attorney General, Governor of Central Bank, Minister of Communications and Accountant General of the federation, to come and explain their roles in the reduction.
8. Former militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, AKA, Tompolo, has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, to refer his case against the Federal Government to the Court of Appeal, for its opinion on certain questions of law raised in the suit. At the resumed hearing in the matter weekend, before Justice Olatoregun-Ishola, Tompolo, through his counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, argued that since the points of law raised in the main originating suit were very substantial, it would be better to refer them to the Court of Appeal for its opinion.
9. Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has condemned and described as “self-serving and despicable” the proposals by some members of the National Assembly on Saturday for immunity and life pension for presiding officers of the National Assembly after their tenure in office. This is contained in a statement by the group.
10. The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, confirmed on Sunday that some militants from the Niger Delta region were planning to invade the state. The Commissioner who spoke with newsmen in Abeokuta noted that militants are apparently finding it difficult to operate in the Niger Delta region following increased military deployment to check their nefarious activities, hence the latest decision.
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