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Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Friday, 26th April, 2024
Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 26th April 2024
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday, met with the Kingdom of Netherlands Prime Minister, Mark Rutte.
Naija News reports that the President held high-level discussions with the Prime Minister at the Catshuis, Andrian.
President Tinubu and entourage were earlier warmly received by Rutte the official residence of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands for a working lunch.
The Nigerian President is set to hold separate meetings with His Royal Majesty, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Kingdom.
President Tinubu had earlier participated in the Nigerian-Dutch Business and Investment Forum that will bring together heads of conglomerates and organizations in both countries to explore opportunities for collaboration and partnerships, especially in agriculture and water management towards innovative solutions for sustainable farming practices.
A former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has emerged as the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary.
Naija News reports that Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the deputy governor of Bayelsa, who chaired the electoral committee that supervised the primary poll, announced the results on Thursday in Akure, the state capital.
According to Ewhrudjakpo, Agboola polled 264 votes of the 621 votes cast during the contest.
His closet rival, a former member of the House of Representatives, Kolade Akinjo, got 157 votes.
Recall that Ajayi served as deputy governor to the late governor Rotimi Akeredolu in his first term. They later parted ways following irreconcilable differences.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has clarified that the tight supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as Petrol, currently being experienced in some areas across the country is a result of logistics issues, which have been resolved.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye, made this known in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.
The company also reiterated that the prices of petroleum products are not changing and urged Nigerians to avoid panic buying as there is a sufficient supply of products in the country.
Meanwhile, the NNPC Ltd.’s move to boost local refining capacity witnessed a boost today with the signing of a share subscription agreement between NNPC Limited and African Refinery Port Harcourt Limited for the co-location of a 100,000bpd capacity refinery within the PHRC complex.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Thursday, visited the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre following the escape of 119 inmates from the facility.
The Minister visited the facility to assess the extent of damage caused by the rain on Wednesday which pulled down parts of the prison’s perimeter fencing and facilitated the escape of the inmates.
As earlier reported by Naija News, the escaped inmates took advantage of the broken walls caused by the rains and escaped the prison facility on Wednesday.
It was gathered that ten of the escaped inmates have been re-arrested and returned to the facility, while a manhunt has been launched by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) authorities together with other security agencies to smoke out the fleeing escapees from their hideouts.
During the visit on Thursday, the Minister sought to know steps being taken to arrest the fleeing inmates and bring them back to the centre.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria has expressed its dissatisfaction with the slow progress of negotiations for a new minimum wage, urging the Federal Government to expedite the process.
The call was made by TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, during a press briefing following the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the labor movement on Thursday.
Comrade Osifo conveyed the union’s concerns, stating that it is increasingly unlikely that a new minimum wage agreement will be reached before the end of May.
He highlighted the urgency of concluding negotiations to address the economic challenges faced by workers across the nation.
Additionally, the TUC president criticized several state governments in the Niger Delta region for failing to implement previously agreed wage awards and for not distributing palliatives intended to alleviate economic pressures on workers.
States like Delta, Imo, and Benue were named as the worst offenders, despite receiving substantial revenues from the Federation Account.
The TUC also pointed out a significant lapse on the part of the Federal Government, which has not paid the agreed wage awards for March and April of this year to federal workers.
The union has called for the immediate release of these funds to support the workers amidst increasing economic hardship.
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has expressed his concern about the growing prevalence of ethnic and religious prejudices in Nigerian universities, especially in the northern region of the country.
Speaking during an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, Kukah alleged that most universities in the North have refused to allow the Christian community to establish worship centres on the school premises.
Bishop Kukah also criticized the diminishing diversity and merit-based practices in academic institutions in the region.
The Catholic Bishop emphasized that diversity and meritocracy in Nigerian universities are on the decline, with ethnic and religious factors taking on a more prominent role.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has said the board of inquiry established by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters to probe the gruesome killing of soldiers at Okuama community in Delta State is unlawful.
The lawyer made this known in a letter he sent to the office of the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Wednesday.
Falana explained that the step taken by the Defence Headquarters violates the Armed Forces Act and called for the immediate disbandment of the Board.
He also explained that it is only a state governor that is statutorily empowered to set up a board of inquiry to unravel the circumstances which led to the death of the army personnel in a state.
Falana added that the authorities of the armed forces lack the power to investigate alleged criminal activities of citizens who are not subject to service law.
A total of 14 inmates have been successfully recaptured following their escape from the Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre in Niger State, as confirmed by the Spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Adamu Duza.
The escape occurred during a heavy downpour on Wednesday night that caused significant damage to the facility, including a breach in the perimeter fence.
The severe weather conditions facilitated the breakout of 119 inmates from the custodial centre, prompting an immediate response from security forces.
Initial efforts led to the recapture of ten inmates, with four more being apprehended by Thursday evening.
Naija News had earlier reported that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, visited the site to assess the extent of the damage and emphasized the critical need for comprehensive reforms across the nation’s over 240 custodial centres.
He also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to recapturing all remaining escapees and ensuring such breaches are prevented in the future.
A fresh protest rocked the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Thursday, with the protesters demanding the resignation of Abdullahi Ganduje as the party’s national chairman.
The protesters, under the aegis of Concerned North Central APC Stakeholders, submitted that Ganduje’s occupation of the national chairman’s office contradicts the zoning policy of the party.
They therefore called on President Bola Tinubu, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to consider returning the leadership of the party to their region.
The leader of the protesters, Mohammed Mahmud Saba, disclosed that the people in the North Central have passed a vote of no confidence on Ganduje as the APC national chairman and want his immediate resignation from office.
The protesters, bearing placards with various inscriptions such as “Ganduje must resign” and “Return the APC chairmanship to North Central,” accused the former Kano State Governor of hijacking the national chairmanship position following the exit of Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
They also alleged unfair treatment by party leaders despite giving the APC and President Tinubu huge votes during the 2023 elections.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced on Thursday that workers in the state have been receiving an additional ₦35,000 wage allowance since January.
Naija News reports that this increase effectively doubles the minimum wage for many, raising the lowest salary from ₦35,000 to a substantial ₦70,000.
During a press briefing, Governor Sanwo-Olu highlighted his administration’s commitment to enhancing the welfare of public servants amid the prevailing economic challenges.
“The civil servant and all public officers in Lagos know that since January, we have continued to pay the wage allowance of a minimum of ₦35,000 over and above what they were earning before,” the Governor stated.
He emphasized that the increase reflects the government’s dedication to supporting its workforce during these difficult times.
In addition to the wage increment, the Governor unveiled plans to introduce a new minimum wage scheme soon, promising further benefits for the state’s public sector workers.
