Sabinews Daily Morning News Update for February 2, 2015
National News
Buhari threatens to drag NTA, AIT to court over hate broadcasts
The Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari (ret), has threatened to take legal action against the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, and the African Independent Television, AIT, for airing hate broadcasts against his personality.
This came on a day the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, warned all broadcasting stations operating in the country to adhere strictly to the provisions of the broadcasting code or risk sanctions. Read more
Elections: FG Decides Schools Closure Today
In its efforts to ensure free and fair elections and one that is violence free even after the exercise, the federal government will today decide whether schools, both private and public should be in session or go on break.
This has come as a result of several outcries from students, parents and other stakeholders in the sector who have been calling on the federal government to see the need to shut down schools, at least for two weeks as recent developments within the country have clearly shown that schools are targets for the aggrieved. Read more
FG Inaugurates 263 Police Patrol Vehicles for Elections
As part of efforts in enhancing security operations during the forthcoming general elections, President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday inaugurated 263 patrol vehicles for the Nigerian police, even as he appealed to supporters of political parties to eschew violent conducts.
President Jonathan represented by the Vice-President Namadi Sambo said the approval for the acquisition of 2,564 operational vehicles was given with the intention to see that the police “provide the needed security and enhance their operation to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections. Read more
Nigeria repels fresh Boko Haram assault
Nigeria’s military on Sunday repelled a Boko Haram assault on the key city of Maiduguri as violence raged across the country’s northeast just two weeks before national elections.
The hours-long attack on the strategic capital of Borno state was the Islamists’ second attempt to take Maiduguri in a week. Read more
Lagos judicial workers suspend strike
The Lagos State branch of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria has announced the suspension of its nearly three weeks of industrial action in the state.
The union leadership in the state, in a press statement on Sunday, directed its members to resume work on Monday (today). Read more
Court stops Ebonyi N15bn bond application
The Government of Ebonyi State led by Martins Elechi, weekend, suffered a major setback, as a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, restrained the Security and Exchange Commission and Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, from approving a N15 billion bond application by the government.
Hon. Odefa Obasi Odefa, through his counsel, Dr Joseph Nwobike, SAN, had prayed the court to restrain the governor of Ebonyi State and its agents from obtaining a new bond without the approval of the state House of Assembly. Read more
APC slams DSS for ignoring ex-militants’ threats
The All Progressives Congress has berated the Department of State Service and the Nigeria Police Force for their silence over the threats of war by ex-militants should President Goodluck Jonathan lose next week’s election.
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the development as an indication of double standard and lack of fairness by the security agencies. Read more
Chad Forces Bomb Boko Haram Positions in Gamborou Ngala
Chadian aircraft struck Boko Haram positions in the Nigerian border town of Gamborou Ngala in Borno State for a second day on Sunday, an AFP journalist in a neighbouring town said.
Two military choppers pounded sect targets in Gamboru for about two hours, setting off loud explosions and sending thick clouds of smoke into the sky, the journalist said from the town of Fotokol about 500 metres away. Read more
Muslim women allege discrimination
The National Al-Mu’minaat Organisation (women Islamic organisation) has decried the menace of Boko Haram and the alleged harassment of Muslim women and girls because they wear hijab.
The hijab simply refers to the veil and the headscarf worn by Muslim women. Read more
NEPC Bags World Customs’ Award
Efforts by the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to promote the economy diversification agenda of the federal government has started gaining recognition as the World Customs Organisation (WCO) presented a Certificate of Merit to it.
The Merit Award conferred on the NEPC by the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Nde was for rendering exceptional service to the international customs through exports promotion in Nigeria. Read more
INEC Extends Deadline for PVC Collection to Feb 8
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday extended the deadline for the collection of permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) to Sunday, February 8.
Prior to the extension, the collection of PVC was meant to have ended on January 31. Read more
Boko Haram’s Twitter Account Blocked
Social networking website, Twitter, has suspended the account of Boko Haram less than a week after it was opened.
According to an online news platform, TheCable, the Twitter handle, Alurwa Alwuthqa, was registered last week in a manner similar to the Middle East insurgency group, Islamic State (IS). Read more
Transport Minister Inaugurates Gombe Intercity Train Services
The Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, on Sunday inaugurated the Gombe-Kafanchan-Port Harcourt and Gombe-Kafanchan-Kaduna intercity train services with a call on Nigerians to utilise the services for their economic benefits.
The minister, who stated this at the Gombe railway station, said the series of such inauguration in the last few weeks followed the massive transformation of the rail transport system embarked on by the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Read more
Lawyers Sue Jonathan, PDP, Demand N70m Unpaid Legal Fees
Icheka said he was briefed to conduct the case that led to the mass resignation of the immediate-past National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP.
The lawyer in the suite marked, CV/845/14, filed by Mr. Faustinus Andi, at the Abuja High Court on December 4, 2014, claimed that Jonathan along with Alhaji Aliyu Habu Fari, former Chief of Staff to Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; Hon. Abba Kale, former chairman of PDP in Wukari Local Government Area, Taraba State; Hon. Aruwa Sule, his counterpart in Maiduguri Local; Mr. Bashir Maidugu, listed as Fari’s Special Adviser and current deputy national legal adviser of PDP and the party itself gave him the brief which led to the disbandment of the then PDP-NWC. Read more
Economy
Soludo to Okonjo-Iweala: N30tr missing under you
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo has accused Finance Minister Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala of bringing misery to Nigerians with her economic policies.
According to him, under Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s watch as coordinating minister of the economy, over N30 trillion is missing. Read more
CBN Moves to Deepen e-Payment System
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has inaugurated the payment system strategy board, the payment scheme boards, the initiatives working groups and the special interest working groups.
The move is part of efforts by the banking sector regulator to enhance the Payment System Vision 2020 (PSV2020), which aims to make the Nigerian payment system nationally utilised and internationally recognized. Read more
CBN Mulls Stress-testing Banks
Owing to banks’ exposure to the oil and gas sector in the face of tumbling oil prices as well as the risk management deficiencies revealed by a recent risk-based supervision exercise conducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the apex regulator is broaching the idea of stress-testing banks. Read more
NDIC begins liquidation of 21 mortgage banks
Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has liquidated 21 Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs), following the revocation of their operating licences by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
It would be recalled that CBN issued the revocation order of the 21 Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) as well as one microfinance bank via its gazettes dated November 14 and 19, 2014, and appointed NDIC the provisional liquidator to wind up affairs of the closed financial institutions. Read more
NACC targets FDI in key sectors of economy
The Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) is working on attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the country through the key sectors of the economy like agriculture, healthcare, and construction, among others.
The group wants to achieve this by improving bilateral trade and relations between Nigerian business interests and companies based in the United States of America (USA) in these key sectors of the economy. Read more
Nigeria Breweries invests N18bn for expansion in Aba
The Nigeria Breweries has reiterated its commitment toward the economic development of Nigeria and its people through direct investment.
The foremost brewer made this known at the commissioning of its new ultra-modern Aba Brewery expansion in Aba, Abia State, which gulped about N18 billion. Read more
Investors Brace up for Post-election Naira Devaluation
Tumbling oil prices and political chaos have eroded Nigeria’s lure for foreign investors, but they are likely to venture back if authorities will allow what some say is a much-needed currency devaluation.
The price of oil, the source of 70 per cent of Nigeria’s revenue has fallen 60 per cent since last June, pushing stocks down by a third over the same period. Local bond yields are two percentage points higher. Read more
Oil and Gas
NNPC: Sale of Kerosene Directly to Consumers will End Exploitation
The Nigeria National Petroleum company (NNPC) has announced that the people of Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State would now buy kerosene at the rate of N50 against the previous rate of N130 per litre.
The corporation added that the programme was to eliminate exploitation which would continue for three months with the product being sold at 12 NNPC stations across the state including two floating stations at Ibaka and Uta ewa. Read more
Afrinvest Harps on Passage of PIB
The speedy resolution of areas of contention within the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and its passage into law, as well as solving the security challenges affecting oil production will go a long way in improving the competitiveness of the oil and gas industry.
Afrinvest Securities Limited stated this in its Nigerian Economy and Financial Market 2014 Review and 2015 Outlook titled: “Staying Afloat in Stormy Waters,” unveiled in Lagos at the weekend. This, the financial advisory and research firm noted, would position the sector better for private investment flow in the medium to long term. Read more
World News
China executes two cult members for McDonald’s murder
Two members of a cult in China have been executed for murdering a woman in a McDonald’s restaurant in Shandong, according to a local court.
Zhang Lidong and his daughter Zhang Fan were members of the banned Church of the Almighty God cult. Read more
Obama 2016 budget urges U.S. states to cut emissions faster
President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2016 budget proposes $7.4 billion to fund clean energy technologies and a $4 billion fund to encourage U.S. states to make faster and deeper cuts to emissions from power plants, officials told Reuters.
Obama’s budget, which will be published later on Monday, also calls for the permanent extension of the Production Tax Credit, used by the wind industry, and the Investment Tax Credit, used by the solar industry, the officials said. Read more
French Pimping Trial Starts for Ex-IMF Chief Strauss-Kahn
Dominique Strauss-Kahn is going on trial for sex charges in France — the nation where he once was considered a top presidential contender.
The former head of the International Monetary Fund, whose career went down in flames amid accusations of sexually assaulting a hotel maid in New York, is facing similarly shocking charges in France: aggravated pimping and involvement in a prostitution ring operating out of luxury hotels. Read more
South Sudan President Signs Ceasefire Agreement with Rebel Leader
Rebel commander Riek Machar would become vice-president under a proposed power-sharing deal
The government of South Sudan signed a ceasefire agreement with opposition rebel forces on Monday, signaling a possible end to the internal conflict that has ravaged the North African nation for more than a year. Read more
Egypt Releases Imprisoned al-Jazeera Reporter
A reporter for Al-Jazeera English was released from an Egyptian prison and deported Sunday after more than a year behind bars, but his two Egyptian colleagues remained jailed in a case widely condemned as a sham by human-rights groups.
Australian Peter Greste was whisked away on a flight to Cyprus. His release came as a welcome surprise to fellow reporters and activists who spent months pressing for his freedom. Read more
Sports
Pillars pack bags for Ghana
Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions, Kano Pillars are set to embark on a training tour to Ghana to prepare for this season’s Caf Champions’ League.
Pillars will face South Sudanese club, Al Malakia in the preliminary round of the competition with the first leg scheduled for the weekend of February 13-15 at the Juba stadium. Read more
‘Eagles would have won AFCON 2015’
Former Nigeria striker, Pascal Patrick believes the Super Eagles would have ‘easily’ retained the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) if they had qualified.
Pascal, an Atlanta ’96 gold medal winner for Nigeria, believes all the teams at the African championship have been poor, and believes it would have been an ‘easy ride’ for the Super Eagles if they had made the tournament. Read more
Follow us @sabinewsnaija
