Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 14th May 2024
1. President Tinubu Issues Fresh Directive To MDAs On CNG Vehicles
President Bola Tinubu has issued a ban on the purchase of petrol-dependent vehicles by members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and instructed all government ministries, departments, and agencies to procure Compressed-Natural-Gas-powered (CNG) vehicles.
This directive was confirmed in a statement issued on Monday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale.
According to Ngelale, the directive aligns with Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring energy security, promoting efficiency, and reducing the high costs associated with fuel consumption.
He said the President’s decision also supports Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources, as CNG-enabled vehicles are known to produce lower emissions and offer a more affordable option for energy consumers in the country.
Naija News understands that earlier on Monday, during a meeting with FEC members at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, President Tinubu emphasized his administration’s unwavering dedication to energy reforms.
2. ‘The Jungle Has Matured’ – Governor Fubara Vows To Probe Wike
The Rivers State government, under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, is set to probe the affairs of his predecessor in office, Nyesom Wike.
Naija News reports the current Rivers State government is preparing to establish an investigative committee to scrutinize the operations of the previous administration under Nyesom Wike for the eight years he was in power.
Fubara spoke on Monday, May 13, after inaugurating Dagogo Iboroma (SAN), as the new Attorney-General of the state.
Earlier on Monday, the factional House of Assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo had screened and confirmed Iboroma for appointment.
This development marks a new turn in the political crisis that has engulfed the oil-rich state and pitted Fubara and Wike against each other.
It would be recalled that Fubara was the Accountant General of Rivers State during the administration of Wike in Rivers State.
Speaking at the Rivers State government house, Fubara stressed the need to probe governance in the state, adding that there is no going back on the decision.
3. Details Of Peter Obi’s Meeting With Atiku, Saraki, Lamido Emerge
The campaign team of Labour Party (LP) Presidential flag bearer in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi has opened up on the reason for his visit to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, erstwhile Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in Abuja.
Naija News recalls the former Anambra governor was in a closed door meeting with three chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday.
his is the first meeting of the former Anambra governor with his former political allies after he defected from the PDP to LP in May 2022.
Speaking with Punch on the reason for the visit, the Chief Spokesman of Obi’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko explained that the politicians met behind closed doors to discuss how to rescue the ‘soul of Nigeria’ from the clutch of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
An official statement released by Obi’s media team titled ‘State of the Nation and Plight of the Poor: Obi visits Atiku, Saraki and Lamido’ corroborated Tanko’s earlier sentiment that Obi is determined to engage virtually all his political allies on the need to wrest power from the ruling APC.
4. No Nigerian Child Should Be Excluded From Quality Education- Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, said his administration would ensure that no Nigerian child is excluded from quality education.
The president said this on Monday at the State House in Abuja, while launching a campaign to promote inclusive education, skills development, and gender equity.
Tagged #WeAreEqual, the campaign is an initiative of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD).
The Nigerian component of the programme is tagged, ‘Education as a Powerful Tool for Change’, championed by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
In his address, President Tinubu urged said his government will continue to create opportunities for all children to access quality education without leaving anyone behind, particularly the girl child
He saluted the commitment of African First Ladies, as members of OAFLAD, to advance gender equality and narrow the gender gap across the continent.
5. NLC Makes Fresh Demand On Tariff For Band A Customers, Threatens Nationwide Blackout
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted that the federal government must revert the band A electricity tariff to the status quo before negotiating with the union on the matter.
This demand was made on Monday by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, during a visit to the Federal Ministry of Power, also known as Power House, in Abuja.
According to him, reverting to the status quo would ensure no party is negotiating under pressure.
The NLC President also threatened that if the government failed to heed their demand within a week, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) would be directed to stop power supply nationwide, plunging the entire country into darkness.
6. Naira Crash: We Did Not Ban Foreign Missions From Transaction In Dollar – EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has revealed that it did not ban foreign missions from transacting in dollars as the anti-graft agency continues efforts to stabilize the value of the naira.
Making this clarification while speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Monday, the spokesperson of the EFCC, Wilson Uwajuren, clarified that the commission only issued an advisory to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Naija News reports that Uwajuren said that the anti-graft agency was concerned that third-party agents were invoicing for foreign missions, while some went as far as determining the exchange value of the naira that would be used in transactions.
7. Federal Gov’t Set To Restructure NYSC Scheme, Empower 5000 Corps Members
The Federal Government plans to comprehensively review, restructure, and reform the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to meet future demands.
The Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Ibrahim, made the statement during the opening ceremony of the first meeting of NYSC management with heads of corps-producing institutions in Nigeria, held on Monday at the National Judicial Institute in Abuja.
The Minister announced that up to N10 million will be provided to fund entrepreneurial ventures of over 5000 corps members.
8. Aide Speaks On Peter Obi Joining PDP After Meeting With Atiku, Saraki, Lamido
The campaign team of Labour Party Presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi has spoken on the possibility of their principal joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after meeting with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, erstwhile Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in Abuja.
Recall that Naija News earlier reported that details from the meeting indicated that the former Anambra governor met with the PDP big wigs to discuss how to rescue the ‘soul of Nigeria’ from the clutch of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Speaking during an interview with Punch, the Chief Spokesman of Obi’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko addressed the chances of Obi returning to the PDP or the possibility of a merger between the Labour Party and the PDP.
Tanko stated that such talks would only remain in the realm of speculations.
He said that Obi’s destination would reveal itself as time goes on.
9. Governor Otti Owning Abia Workers Seven Months Salary – NLC
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abia State has accused Governor Alex Otti of owning workers’ seven months’ salaries.
The Abia NLC made the accusation in a statement over the weekend jointly signed by its State Chairperson, Ogbonnaya Okoro and Secretary, Emma Alozie.
It criticised the state governor for insisting that workers in the state should embark on another verification exercise.
It was reported that the state government had, through a circular issued by the head of service of the state, directed the state public and civil servants in ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) and 17 local government areas to upload their documents online as part of the verification exercise.
The workers were to upload their documents from 10 to 31 May 2024, according to the circular.
However, the NLC in the state said it was surprised that the state government was making the request even after workers in the state had previously undergone a verification exercise ordered by the government.
The NLC claimed that the state government withheld the salaries of many workers for over seven months on the basis that some were yet to be verified.
10. CBN Gov, Cardoso Reveals When Interest Rates Will Drop Low
The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, has suggested that interest rates will remain elevated until the inflation rate decreases.
According to him, the CBN Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is taking all necessary measures to combat inflation.
Cardoso also mentioned that conventional policies will be put in place to control inflation.
Naija News understands that Nigeria’s inflation rate climbed to 33.20 per cent in March, up from 31.70 per cent in February. As a result, the CBN’s monetary policy committee (MPC) increased the interest rate by 200 basis points in March to 24.75 per cent.
The CBN governor said the apex bank had been “reoriented” to focus on “price and monetary stability”.
The governor stated that the official window of the foreign exchange (FX) market has been brought to a stable state.
As per his remarks, investors used to have an inclination to approach the window when faced with currency fluctuations, but there has been a significant change in this pattern.
Cardoso mentioned that investors are now becoming more at ease with the market.
English