Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. The Nigerian Army on Wednesday paraded 13 suspects over the missing Retired Major General Idris Alikali whose car was found in a pond in Dura Du, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State. Garrison Commander and head of the Search and rescue team, Brigadier General Umar Mohammed said the suspects were not the ones who committed the crimes but heard and saw the criminals that stopped the retired senior officer, and those who pushed his vehicle into the pond but failed to report the criminal act to the security agencies.
2. The US has insisted it has no anointed candidate for next year’s general election in Nigeria. Philip Franz, the Political Officer of the United States Embassy in Nigeria, disclosed this in Katsina on Wednesday, while on a courtesy call on Governor Aminu Bello Masari. Franz stated that the Embassy would not interfere with the electoral processes of the country but will work to ensure a rancour-free poll.
3. The immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has insisted that his administration did not commit the State to any financial mess in form of bonds and commercial loans. He described the claim by Governor Kayode Fayemi that the State was indebted to the tune of N170 billion as false and a way of preparing grounds for his impending failure just as he did when he assumed office in 2010.
4. A son to the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Abraham Olujonwo has officially joined the campaign team of President Muhammadu Buhari. This was disclosed by Buhari’s Personal Assistant on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie via her Twitter handle, on Wednesday. Onochie disclosed that Obasanjo’s son was received by the Director of Strategic Communications of Buhari Campaign Organisation, Festus Keyamo.
5. Former minority leader and Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West, Godswill Akpabio has advised the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki to honourably resign rather than been forced out of office. Addressing a press conference after Wednesday’s plenary in Abuja, he said, it was a norm the world over that when a lawmaker resigns from his former political party, he relinquishes his office to allow the majority party form their leadership.
6. The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Wednesday abolished the education tax introduced by the Government of Mr. Ayodele Fayose in all primary and secondary schools. Fayemi said education would henceforth be free in all public primary and secondary schools across the state, saying it was an aberration for school children to pay tax.
7. Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State said on Wednesday that South-East PDP governors never opposed former Gov. Peter Obi’s emergence as running mate of the party’s presidential candidate, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
Ikpeazu stated this in Aba after accompanying Obi to the site of last Friday’s pipeline fire that killed scores of residents of Umuimo and Umuadoro communities in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Council. He said their concern was that they were not consulted as stakeholders.
8. Catholic Church in Nigeria has reacted to the call for the sack of Bishop Matthew Kukah from the National Peace Committee by the Buhari Media Organisation, BMO. The Church also noted that Buhari, who met with Muslim clerics in Aso Rock recently and solicited their support for his re-election in 2019, to which the clerics pledged their support, has no right to talk about clerics being partisans.
9. The Afaraukwu-Ibeku community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State has demanded the whereabouts of Eze Israel Kanu following the aftermath of the 2017 “Operation Python Dance II”. The community had declared Kanu missing after the alleged attack on his palace in September 2017. Addressing newsmen in Umuahia on Wednesday, Chief Emeka Ezebuiro, the President General of Afaraukuwu Ibeku Development Union, said that the community was still at a loss over the disappearance of their royal father.
10. Senate, Thursday resolved to probe the alleged illicit and excessive chargesby commercial banks imposed on their customers. The upper chamber also mandated committees on banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions and Finance to summon the Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele to appear before it for explanation. It affirmed that Emefiele would explain why the official charges as approved by the CBN are skewed in favour of the banking institutions as against the ordinary customers of the banks.
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