THE CABLE
The extension of the deadline to phase out the old naira notes — N200, N500, and N1000 — by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to February 10, dominates the cover pages of Nigerian newspapers.
The Punch reports that the house of representatives ad-hoc committee on new naira re-design and naira swap deal has rejected the February 10 deadline for the phasing out of old naira notes announced by the CBN. The newspaper says the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) said over 2,000 of its members left Nigeria in the last two years.
Daily Trust says the federal government has been asked to investigate the killings of about 40 herders in an airstrike believed to have been carried out by the military at Rukubi village in Doma LGA, Nasarawa state. The newspaper reports that the abductors of 14 residents of Janjala community in Kagarko LGA of Kaduna state have asked the relatives of the abdutees to bring two new motorcycles, foodstuff, drugs, and wine as ransom.
The Guardian says new naira notes and lingering petrol scarcity have compounded the woes of Nigerians. The newspaper reports that 20 people died in road accidents that occurred in Lagos and Ondo states.
The Nation reports that the controversy trailing the naira swap has deepened as the house of representatives committee on naira redesign rejected the February 10 deadline for the phase-out of old notes. The newspaper says Nigerians now buy petrol between N240 and N550 per litre in major cities across the country.
Daily Sun reports that the current cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature may be headed for the rocks if President Muhammadu Buhari failed to give assent to some controversial bills recently forwarded to him by the national assembly.
