Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:
1. As the trial of the former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Orosanye continued on Wednesday at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, a prosecution witness who is an account officer and staff of Access bank, Olubunmi Ojoko narrated how Orosanye allegedly opened a secret account with the bank without the approval of the Accountant General of the Federation. He alleged that Orosanye diverted the sum of N190m into the account while he was the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force.
2. The House of Representatives on Wednesday officially declared that it was ready to address the controversy surrounding the 2016 budget. It said it was willingness to re-examine the document. This was disclosed by the Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara after an executive session.
3. The kidnapped Channels Television correspondent, Mr. Tope Kutiyi, who was abducted Imo State has been released. This development was made known by management of the Television station on Wednesday.
4. The presidency had in a response to a staff writer of The Telegraph, United Kingdom, Mr. Con Coughlin over his recent reports where he claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari was fighting his political opponents with foreign financial aids meant to fight insurgency in Nigeria, said that the piece was not only full of “factual inaccuracies,” but was unprofessionally done as the writer did not even call the attention of Nigeria to confirm his story before going to press.
5. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) asked Chris Giwa, Yahaya Adama, Muazu Suleyman, Sani Fema and Effiong Johnson to appear in person before the NFF disciplinary committee to defend themselves for contravention of the NFF statutes and other extant football laws. The NFF said on Wednesday that members of the Chris Giwa-led board of the NFF was engaging in anti football activities, hence the need to face disciplinary action.
6. Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Executive Secretary, Mr. Waziri Adio, Wednesday declared his assets, saying he and his wife were worth N99,417,894. Adio, in a statement on his Assets Declaration Form, said he opted for a declaration because he believed that public officers should declare their assets publicly”.
7. Mr. Bello Danhajiya, a Fulani from Zamfara State, known to be the deputy of Khalid Al-Barnawi, a Boko Haram leader arrested earlier in the month, has also been arrested by the DSS.
8. Counsel to the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, demanding for the immediate and unconditional release of the leader of the movement, Sheikh EL-Zakzaky from the custody of the Army and the Department of State Security Service, DSS. The legal counsel is also asking that the leader of IMN be paid the sum of N2billion as general damages for the illegal violation of his fundamental rights to life, dignity of his person, fair hearing, privacy and private property.
9. Elder statesman, Alhaji Maitama Sule, has advocated for the resignation of serving elected public officials such as the president and governors seeking re-election before the conduct of such an election. Sule spoke at the University of Calabar, during the inaugural edition of the university’s Faculty of Arts international conference.
10. In order to decongest the prison, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade, on Wednesday released 153 awaiting trial inmates from the Kirikiri Maximum and Medium prisons. Those pardoned included 79 inmates who were being tried for capital offences. Three of them had, however, been standing trial for over 15 years.
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