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Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Friday, 3rd May, 2024
Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 3rd May 2024
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has stated that the current administration will not blame the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari for the present challenges it is currently facing.
Shettima stated that President Bola Tinubu administration has decided to take a bitter pill for the country instead of settling for a placebo.
He stated this during the second Chronicle Roundtable, organised by the 21st Century Chronicle,
The VP lamented that this is the most difficult time to occupy political leadership in Nigeria due to the challenges facing the country.
The Nigerian Police have arrested the alleged mastermind behind the violent assault on the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train, which occurred in March 2022.
The arrested suspect was identified as Ibrahim Abdullahi, also known as Mandi.
The development was announced during a press briefing in Kaduna on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
He informed the press that the arrest marks a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the incidents.
Adejobi also disclosed that Mandi participated in the abduction of students from Greenfield University in 2021.
The police said that 48 AK-47 rifles were seized during Mandi’s arrest, and efforts are underway to identify his sponsor and supplier of weapons.
A new report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted a significant rise in the cost of a healthy diet across Nigeria.
Naija News reports that the national average reached ₦982 in March 2024, a 4.7% increase from the ₦938 recorded in February. This demonstrates the ongoing economic pressures facing Nigerian households.
The National average Cost of a Healthy Diet was N982 in March 2024. This is 4.7% higher than the amount recorded in February 2024, which was N938,” the report reads.
Released on the official website of the statistics bureau, the report sheds light on the financial challenges posed by dietary expenses amid broader economic constraints, including the recent removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the exchange rate under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The NBS report is a crucial indicator of the cost-of-living adjustments necessary for maintaining a basic standard of health, serving as a barometer for the economic policy responses required to alleviate the hardships experienced by many Nigerians.
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, declared on Thursday (today) that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is resolute in its commitment to combat corruption impartially and without any bias.
Naija News reports that Shettima made this assertion during the Second Edition of The Chronicle Roundtable in Abuja today, where he also highlighted the government’s efforts to address the country’s unemployment issue.
The event primarily aimed to analyze how Tinubu’s administration’s economic and social agenda will bring about a transformative impact on Nigeria.
Dignitaries present at the gathering included the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris; the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters in the office of the Vice President, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, and the former Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman, among others.
This news platform understands that some prominent members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the President’s political party, are currently facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for various corruption charges.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has acknowledged errors in the drone strikes on the Tudun Biri community in Kaduna State, resulting in the deaths of numerous innocent citizens.
Naija News reports that the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major General Edward Buba, disclosed this information during a media briefing on Thursday.
He stated that investigations had been completed, and the strikes were deemed a case of mistaken identity.
Recall that the drone strikes occurred on December 3, 2023, and claimed the lives of several non-combatants in Tudun Biri village, located in the Igabi local government area of Kaduna State.
The spokesperson for DHQ mentioned that the individuals responsible for the incident would be subjected to a military court martial.
While he did not provide specific details regarding the disciplinary actions, he confirmed that the two personnel involved will face the consequences of their actions.
A former Governor of Katsina State, Barrister Ibrahim Shehu Shema, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Naija News reports the former Governor officially defected on Thursday.
Recall that during the 2023 elections, Shema supported the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, but supported the APC governorship candidate in Katsina, Dikko Radda.
There had been reports of his possible defection following his meeting with the APC National Chairman and the immediate past Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, at his Abuja residence back in August 2023.
According to reports, Shema visited Ganduje at his Abuja home alongside some of his loyalists and members of the Katsina APC.
Back in March, 2023, the former Governor had asked the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to withdraw the suspension slammed on him within 48 hours.
The University of Abuja’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commenced an indefinite strike to raise awareness about issues affecting the union.
The union declared its intention to commence the strike on Thursday following its congress, which took place at the Permanent Site of the institution.
The Chairman of the branch, Sylvanus Ugoh, informed LEADERSHIP in an interview that the union had decided to initiate a total and indefinite strike immediately.
The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has debunked claims of demolishing existing roads and ongoing businesses while serving as Anambra State Governor.
Naija News reports that following the constant criticisms of the demolition of existing businesses and structures in Lagos State to commence the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, there have been reports online that Peter Obi did a similar demolition without compensating residents.
However, in a statement via X on Thursday, Peter Obi stated that his actions were strategic during his tenure as Governor, stressing his administration aimed at prioritizing the repair and maintenance of existing infrastructure over projects that risked disruption and destruction.
The former Governor also challenged critics to provide evidence of where existing roads and businesses were demolished during his tenure.
Peter Obi reiterated that the ongoing destruction and disruption of jobs and livelihoods associated with the Lagos-Calabar coastal road construction sharply contrasts with his administration’s efforts to improve infrastructure while minimizing adverse impacts on communities.
He further refuted the allegation of incitement against President Bola Tinubu’s government, adding that the accusation is aimed at tarnishing his image.
The Presidency has said the N615,000 minimum wage demanded by organised labour is unrealistic and not feasible.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, had said the organised labour had proposed N615,000 as the new minimum wage to the federal government.
In an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Ajaero said the proposed minimum wage was based on an analysis of the current economic situation and the needs of an average Nigerian family of six.
However, in a chat with The Punch, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Federal Government cannot pay the proposed minimum wage demanded by the labour unions.
The presidential aide added that the parties must agree on an amount feasible for the government and the private sector to pay or the current negotiation impasse would continue.
The Federal Government has initiated a 15-day emergency fuel distribution to ensure widespread availability of the commodity amidst escalating fuel scarcity nationwide.
Furthermore, the government announced that Premium Motor Spirit vessels would persist in docking at the shoreline to unload gasoline into diverse depots, enabling subsequent distribution to various filling stations.
The Major Marketers Association of Nigeria stated that its members in Apapa and other Lagos locations received 300 million litres of fuel from eight vessels this week.
Despite the May Day holiday, Naija News observed persistent queues at petrol stations and deserted roads in Lagos and neighbouring areas on Wednesday.
Several vehicles were lining up for fuel, prompting some drivers to wait parked for availability. The few stations with fuel available were selling it at inflated prices.
However, in an interview with the Punch correspondents, the South-West Regional Coordinator of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMPDRA), Ayo Cardoso, insisted that the product would soon be available across the country, saying the government was doing its best to ensure massive distribution of PMS.
Cardoso revealed that additional vessels would continue to arrive in Nigeria over the next two weeks, commencing from last Monday, with a focus on ongoing petrol distribution to filling stations.
He mentioned that each state of the federation has its allocations, emphasizing that these allocations would be promptly delivered to alleviate the queues at filling stations.
