Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Wednesday, 14th September, 2022
Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 14th September 2022
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday commended the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma for his developmental efforts in the state.
The President spoke when he visited the state to commission some projects implemented by the Uzodinma government.
According to Buhari, the projects implemented by Governor Uzodinma within his short stay in office have direct positive impact on the people of Imo.
The President added that past governments have shied away from the projects because of the difficulty in executing them but the Uzodinma administration even with scarce resources has tackled the projects.
The commissioned projects include the Owerri/Orlu dual carriage, Owerri/Okigwe road and the renovated House of Assembly Complex.
For these, the President observed that the Governor won’t be forgotten in the history of the people.
President Buhari added that it is a delight for him to be in Imo and for him to have visited the state twice in a space of three years shows his pleasure.
The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the governing council of universities and Vice Chancellors are expected to meet on Wednesday over the lingering industrial action by university lecturers.
According to Daily Sun, the meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari-led government on the 6th of September met with the vice-chancellors, pro-chancellors, and management of federal universities over the lingering strike.
The National Chairman of the People Democratic Party, (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu has given reason why the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar picked the Governor of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate over Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike.
Naija News reports that Ayu made this known while speaking during the Northern Christian Youth Assembly Summit in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to the PDP National Chairman, Atiku had picked Okowa because of his humility and more excellent performance in office.
The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu has replied his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi over a statement calling his health status into question.
Recall that Naija News earlier reported that Obi, while meeting with some of his supporters in Belgium accused Nigerian’s of supporting Tinubu despite being aware that he is a sick man.
He said, “Somebody said to me that this candidate fought Abacha regime to stand still. That he even lost everything. I said, but he has two planes now. Where is his company?”
“Once he comes here and gives you money, you will say Jagaban is the best candidate even when the man is not well. That’s the problem of the country.”
Speaking on Obi’s comment via a statement issued on Tuesday, the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, stated that it was mere beer parlour gossip.
He stated that the former governor of Anambra state was not Asiwaju’s doctor hence he could not give a verified statement on his health.
He went on to say that his principal is not sick adding that he meets people for 20 hours a day, strategising about finding solutions to Nigeria’s problems.
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has accused the All Progressives Congress-led government of bringing the economy of the country to a total collapse.
The governor made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, Naija News reports.
Governor Ortom said the APC has performed poorly in the past seven years and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is ready to rescue the country from the ruling party in 2023.
The governor, therefore, said the ruling party will lose the 2023 election after performing abysmally in the last seven years.
The Benue governor alleged that some members of the APC prevailed over the federal government not to release funds to his state to pay salaries and pensions.
There were moves in the Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday to withdraw the appointment of the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure, Arch. Kabiru Abdullahi.
Naija News understands that lawmakers criticized the commissioner during plenary today for refusing to honour an invitation of a committee of the House which has oversight functions over affairs of the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development.
They had prayed that the Committee on Waterfront Infrastructure of the House be mandated to carry out a holistic investigation of the Ministry since Abdullahi’s appointment while the House places the confirmation of the commissioner’s appointment on hold.
The agitation to sanction Abdullahi was, however, brought to calm by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, as he appealed to his colleagues to reconsider their prayer.
Obasa urged the lawmakers to give the commissioner another opportunity to appear before the House.
7. ASUU Strike: NANS Block Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Tuesday led students within the Southern- Western region to protest the lingering strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that has lasted for more than six months.
The protesting students called the no-work-no-pay policy that the Federal Government declared against the striking university lecturers a fascist one.
Due to this, the students in their numbers thronged the highway and blocked the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Shagamu Interchange.
The body said the policy is not acceptable and went on to call on the government to pay the lecturers all their dues.
The body in a statement signed by the NANS South-West coordinator, Emmanuel Olatunji, also called on proper funding in the Education section, whilst threatening to shut down the country if the federal government fails to yield to their demands.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya has assured President Muhammadu Buhari of the Army’s commitment to his government and the 1999 Constitution amidst the fear of a possible military coup in Nigeria ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Naija News reports that the COAS assured that the Army would provide the necessary security assistance to ensure the successful conduct of the forthcoming polls on Tuesday.
Yahaya’s assurance came weeks after the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris while receiving Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the White House said it feels “very strongly” about the need for Nigeria to sustain its democratic rule to serve as an example to its African counterparts.
Kamala acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts in “tackling the democratic backsliding that they have been seeing in West Africa”, adding that the country “must remain a bastion of democracy for West Africa.”
In apparent response to fears being expressed from different quarters about Nigeria’s democracy, Lt. Gen. Yahaya assured that the military will provide a secure environment for the conduct of the 2023 general election through ‘Operation Safe Conduct’.
He noted, they are committed to discharging its constitutional responsibilities, as they are constantly reviewing its Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct for officers and soldiers that would be deployed during the general elections.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has been permitted to detain the publisher of Desert Herald, Tukur Mamu, for 60 more days.
Naija News reports the presiding judge, Justice Nkeonye Maha, gave the ruling on Tuesday in response to an ex-parte motion moved by counsel for the DSS, Ahmed Magaji.
In the motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1617/2022 and dated September 12, the DSS had urged the court to grant its request to enable it to conclude the investigation on Mamu.
Recall that the Kaduna train attack negotiator was arrested at the Kano International Airport after he returned from Egypt where he had been detained on his way to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj.
Mamu, an aide to a popular Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has been involved in negotiations for the release of persons abducted during an attack on a train in Kaduna, in March 2022.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said the country is very broke under the All Progressives Congress-led government.
The former Vice President added that the Muhammadu Buhari administration has continued to run the country on budget deficits since it came to power in 2015.
Speaking on Tuesday at the presidential economic agenda forum of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Atiku said Nigeria is currently being dressed in borrowed robes.
He stated that since the assumption of the APC government, the economy has been bad and ordinary Nigerians cannot afford basic commodities.
