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Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Thursday, 16th May, 2024
Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Thursday, 16th May 2024
President Bola Tinubu has expressed his administration’s resolve to further enhance the business environment and ensure investment convenience.
In a statement on Wednesday by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu stated this at the virtual inauguration of the projects at the State House in Abuja.
The three milestone gas plants inaugurated were the expanded AHL Gas Processing Plant; the ANOH Gas Processing Plant, and the 23.3km ANOH to Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Custody Transfer Metering Station Gas Pipeline in Imo State.
Tinubu assured investors in the energy sector that his administration is stepping up its coordination of other landmark projects and initiatives that will ensure the earliest realization of gas-fueled prosperity in the country.
The President noted that the gas plants are fully in line with the Decade of Gas Initiative and his government’s vision to grow value from the nation’s abundant gas assets while concurrently eliminating gas flaring and accelerating industrialization.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has queried the move by the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu to use pension funds to finance infrastructure projects.
The former Vice President described such acts as an illegality, a disturbing decision that “could lead to disastrous consequences on the lives of Nigeria’s hardworking men and women who toiled and saved and who now survive on their pensions having retired from service.”
Naija News recalls the federal government said it aims to boost economic growth by utilising ₦20 trillion from the nation’s pension funds to finance vital infrastructure projects nationwide.
Finance Minister and coordinating minister of the economy, Wale Edun, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Tuesday after President Bola Tinubu presided over the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa.
He mentioned that the initiative is a crucial part of Tinubu’s comprehensive reforms aimed at stabilising the economy in the face of high inflation and interest rates.
However, in his reaction on Wednesday via a post on his X account, Atiku called on the Tinubu-led government to cancel the plan.
He argued that it is a misguided move on the part of the government.
The Nigerian Senate has approved the $500 million World Bank loan request by President Bola Tinubu.
Naija News reports the loan is for the production of electricity meters for the citizens.
The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) was granted the funds following a thorough review of the report by the Committee on local and foreign debts, which was presented by Senator Haruna Manu, who serves as the Vice Chairman of the Committee.
On November 1, 2023, President Bola Tinubu requested Senate approval for a $7.94 billion World Bank loan package, which included a $500 million loan.
The organized labour on Wednesday abandoned a meeting of the tripartite committee on new minimum wage due to the ‘ridiculous offer’ made by the federal government and the Organized Private Sector (OPS).
According to sources quoted by Vanguard, the government offered ₦48,000 while the OPS offered ₦54,000 as the new minimum wage.
The source added that the government did not also provide any data to back up its proposed figures.
Naija News reports that after the zonal hearings on the new minimum wage, the organized labour had adopted ₦615,000 as the proposed new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
In protest of the figure proposed by the government and OPS, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) walked out of the meeting which was held virtually.
A labour leader, who was part of the meeting, said the federal government was not serious about giving workers a living wage.
According to the latest consumer price index and inflation report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria has again experienced a surge in inflation, rising to 33.69 per cent in April from 33.20 per cent in March.
Naija News understands that this increase reflects the country’s ongoing economic hardship.
It is crucial to note that inflation has been persistently on the rise since the beginning of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in May last year.
In May 2023, inflation stood at 22.41 per cent, and it has steadily increased to 33.69 per cent in April this year.
The trend continued, with inflation rates of 29.9 per cent in January 2024, 31.70 per cent in February, and 33.20 per cent in March.
The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has warned that the attempt by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to take over the leadership of the party will not work.
Abure stated this in a press release on Wednesday (today) in the context of the party’s press conference delivered at the National Headquarters of the Labour Party in Abuja.
Abure appealed to Joe Ajaero-led NCL to consider putting aside whatever grievances it may have and working together as one body in the interest of the people.
The LP chairman also commended some OBIDIENT members who, according to him, understood the internal issues clearly and then supported the Convention and its outcome.
Abure also expressed gratitude to the party’s national leader, Peter Gregory Obi, who he said gave his support to the party.
The lawmaker representing Ondo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, has been suspended from the All Progressives Congress (APC) over alleged anti-party activities.
In the suspension letter obtained by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, sixteen members of the APC Executive Committee of Igbotako Ward 11 in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state, carried out his suspension.
In the letter, the ward excos claimed that Jimoh has openly declared his intent to disrupt APC before leaving the party, as evidenced by his recent actions and his derogatory remarks about APC in various media outlets.
The letter was signed by ward executive members including Bakere Usuf, Tore Obwoselu, Oloyinmi Idowu, Borewaye Louyomi, Oladipupo Bose, Alkimbobola Seyi, Lawal-Babatunde, Aritawe-Ademole, Akinkuoju Olarewaju and Fabioye Ajoke.
Opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives have advised President Bola Tinubu to make use of commercial flight if the presidential planes are not available.
The lawmakers stated this during a debate on the recent breakdown of presidential flights on Wednesday.
The Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda and Minority Whip, Ali Isa, during a debate on a motion on the Presidential Fleet, insisted that Tinubu should consider commercial flights.
Ahmad Satomi, a lawmaker from Borno State, had moved a motion of urgent public importance over the reported breakdown of the plane Tinubu used for the past foreign visit.
According to the reports, Tinubu had to use a chartered commercial flight from the Netherlands to Saudi Arabia.
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to the charges of approving the printing of ₦684.5m at the rate of ₦18.96bn.
Emefiele was arraigned before Justice Maryann Anenih of the FCT High Court, Abuja, on a four-count charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In the four-count charge filed against him, the EFCC alleged that Emefiele disobeyed the direction of law with intent to cause injury to the public during his implementation of the naira swap policy of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The anti-graft agency also accused Emefiele of unlawfully approving the withdrawal of N124.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and subsequently granted a ₦300 million bail by the judge.
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has visited President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
The Christian leader visited President Tinubu on Wednesday alongside the Director of the Kukah Centre in Abuja.
Speaking with State House correspodents after the meeting, Kukah said he was at the Presidential Villa to invite the President to an event organised by his centre to address the topic of national cohesion.
According to Kukah, one year is not enough to pass judgement on President Bola Tinubu’s government, even though Nigerians are in various levels of pains.
He said while the administration is providing solutions to the myriad of the challenges, Nigerians need to get a sense of how soon they expect to breathe a sigh of relief.
