1. FG Bans Officials From Giving Information Without Verification
The Federal Government has banned officials of government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, from giving out unverified information.
Naija News reports that the development was contained in a memo signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, with Ref.No.Z.4 XXXIV 943 and dated May 2, 2023.
According to Mustapha, the restriction is to curb conflicting and contradictory information given out by its agencies.
The memo was addressed to the Chief of staff to the president, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, Minister/Ministers of State, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, National Security Adviser, Economic Adviser to the President and Special Advisers/Senior Special Assistants.
2. Judge Me By My Performance As Governor Not As Minister – Akpabio
An aspirant for the Senate Presidency, Senator Godswill Akpabio has asked Nigerians and members of the incoming 10th National Assembly to judge him by his record as Governor of Akwa Ibom State for eight years.
Akpabio stated that he should not be assessed by his performance as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs but by his service as a lawyer of 36 years, and Commissioner for six years.
Naija News reports that Akpabio, who is the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Senate Presidency, stated these in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Saturday night.
He promised that if elected Senate President, Nigerians he would sustain the January-December budget cycle initiated by the 9th National Assembly.
According to him, the introduction of the January-December budget cycle was one of the major success stories of the outgoing Assembly.
3. It Is Not A Secret Meeting’ – Onaiyekan Backs Calls For Live Broadcast Of Election Tribunal Proceedings
The Catholic Bishop Emeritus of Abuja Archdiocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has supported the demand for the live broadcast of Presidential Election Petition Tribunal proceedings.
The clergyman argued that the proceedings of the tribunal should not be conducted like a secret meeting because the voters have a right to know how their votes were being defended.
Onaiyekan stated this while addressing journalists after Mass to mark the end of this year’s 57th World Communication Week on Sunday.
He warned against the dangers of electoral malpractices, saying that rather than the politicians, the masses feel the direct impact of a rigged election.
Speaking further, Onaiyekan urged the judges to dispense justice fairly and allow its proceedings to be transparent so that Nigerians can rekindle their hope in the Judiciary.
4. Speakership: We Have Kwankwaso’s Blessings To Support Abbas, Kalu – Madaki
A House of Representative member-elect on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Hon. Ali Madaki, has revealed that members of the party have been given consent to support the All Progressive Congress (APC) consensus candidate for the Speakership seat, Tajideen Abbas.
Naija News reports that Madaki, who is the Secretary of the Joint Task-10th National Assembly, said the group would present Abbas as Speaker of the House of Representatives for the sake of national interest.
The lawmaker said they have no business being part of the group if the NNPP presidential candidate didn’t give his blessings.
The Joint Task is said to have members drawn from APC, PDP, LP, NNPP, APGA, SDP, ADC, and YPP that won various seats at the national assembly at the conclusion of the February 25 general elections.
Madaki noted that members have resolved to give a block vote, adding that a group of aggrieved aspirants, popularly known as G7, posed no threat to them, contending it would soon deplete.
5. Atiku Calls For Review Of NYSC Scheme
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has called for a review of the National Youth Service Youth Corps (NYSC).
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a statement on Sunday who noted that the establishment of the NYSC is one of the greatest policies ever conceived in the country however stated that the scheme needs to be reviewed to reflect current realities.
Atiku in the statement issued by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe to mark the 50th anniversary of the NYSC also praised General Yakubu Gowon for introducing the policy for national unification.
According to Atiku, “We must acknowledge and give credit to General Yakubu Gowon for introducing this brilliant idea aimed at consolidating national unity after the bitter memories of the tragic Nigerian civil war.”
6. Tinubu Challenged To Release Photos Of Meeting With Investors In France
Daniel Bwala, a spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to release photos of his meetings with the investors he purportedly met in France.
Naija News recalls that Tinubu raised eyebrows during his 10 days trip to France, barely two weeks after he returned to Nigeria from his post-election break, which lasted for about a month.
During the trip, there were speculations that Tinubu had travelled out on medical grounds.
But his media aide, Tunde Rahman, in a statement said that the former Governor of Lagos State left the country to carry out some tasks.
Rahman said Tinubu would use the opportunity to fine-tune the transition plans, programmes, and policy options with some of his aides.
According to him, Tinubu during the visit, would engage with investors and other key allies.
However, reacting to Tinubu’s return on Saturday, in a post via Twitter, Daniel Bwala said there were no meetings between Tinubu and any investors in France, instead, Tinubu only met with politicians and lobbyists from Nigeria.
7. Buhari Has Built Nigerian Military Power To Near Global Standard – Adamu Garba
Former Presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for building Nigerian military power to a near-global standard in the last eight years in office.
In a tweet via his verified Twitter handle on Sunday, Garba said Buhari has recovered the Ajaokuta steel company, the Mambila power plant, and most of the power sector infrastructure in the country from alleged western strangulation.
The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stated that the President was able to pass the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) into law despite their mounting opposition, and was able to recalibrate the country’s foreign policy.
Garba added that Buhari was able to pass the Solid Mineral Development Fund into law and establish a government agency that will buy gold and shore up the value of the naira.
8. CCTV Project: Account For How You Spent $460m Chinese Loan – Court Orders Buhari Govt
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to give an account of the $460 million Chinese loan meant for the failed Abuja Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) project.
Naija News recalls that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had in December 2019 filed a lawsuit against the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, over failure to disclose information and specific documents on the total amount of money paid to contractors from the $460 million loan obtained in 2010 from China to fund the Abuja CCTV project.
Ahmed had disclosed that Nigeria was servicing the loan, adding that she had no explanations on the status of the project.
In a statement made available to this online new platform on Sunday, SERAP disclosed that the Court had demanded that the government publish the total amount of money paid to Chinese and local companies and contractors and specific details of the names of the companies and contractors and status of the implementation of the project.
Justice Emeka Nwite gave the orders last week while delivering judgment in a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1447/2019 brought by SERAP.
In his judgment, Justice Nwite agreed with SERAP that there is a reasonable cause of action against the government, adding that accounting for the spending of the $460 million Chinese loan is in the interest of the public.
Justice Nwite also said that the Minister of Finance is in charge of the finance of the country and cannot by any stretch of imagination be oblivious of the amount of money paid to the contractors for the Abuja CCTV contract and the money meant for the construction of the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
9. If Your Mission Is To Remove EFCC Chairman, At Least Do It In A Honorable Way – Atiku’s Aide Carpets Matawalle
Daniel Bwala, an aide to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the allegation of the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle against the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa.
Naija News recalls that Matawalle, during an interview with BBC Hausa, claimed that the EFCC boss was investigating him because he “didn’t offer the EFCC chairperson the money he requested from him.”
Matawalle also accused Bawa of begging him for $2 million.
The anti-graft agency, however, dismissed the claim, stressing that it would not be drawn into a mud fight with a suspect under its investigation for corruption and unconscionable pillage of the resources of his state.
Reacting to the development, Bwala decried what he described as an attempt to blackmail the EFCC chairman.
He argued that the attempt to blackmail Bawa was a shameful move.
10. ‘Japa’: UK To Ban Nigerian Students, Others From Travelling With Families
The United Kingdom Government is set to announce restrictions that will most likely stop Nigerian students, and other nationalities studying in the country from bringing their families over.
Naija News gathered that the restrictions will be announced this week by Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, following reports that net migration into the UK has skyrocketed to 1 million.
Speaking in an interview with The Sun UK, a Tory member of Parliament said the restrictions will see all Masters’ students and many other Postgraduate students banned from bringing family over.
However, the lawmaker stated that the ban will not apply to Ph.D. students, whose courses usually last between 3 and 5 years and are very highly skilled.
The newspaper stated that Tory Members of Parliament had asked Prime Minister Sunak to get a grip on the net migration into the UK has reached 1 million.
