SABINEWS MORNING NEWS UPDATE FOR OCTOBER 2, 2016
Tinubu, Dogara absent as Buhari celebrates independence in Aso Rock
For the second year running, President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday marked the nation’s Independence Day anniversary inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amidst tight security.
The nation’s 56th Independence anniversary was marked with Presidential Change of Guards Parade attended by top government officials, former Nigerian leaders, members of the diplomatic corps and captains of industry. Read more
US drones to bomb northern Nigeria
There are strong indications that the United States government may launch attacks against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East, as a drone base being constructed in the Niger Republic would soon be completed.
According to reports, the American drone base is under construction in Agadez, a town in Niger. Read more
Opposition members won’t make my cabinet – Obaseki
Edo State Governor-elect, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said no member of the opposition political parties should expect to make his cabinet after his inauguration on November 12.
Obaseki, who spoke during an interactive session with journalists, noted that though he could explain the focus and vision of his administration to them, none of them would be appointed in his administration. Read more
Bayelsa can’t pay full salaries now, says Dickson
Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has maintained that the state government cannot pay its workers full salaries because of dwindling revenue.
The governor stated this during a meeting with members of the Bayelsa Elders Forum in Yenagoa, a statement from the state’s Ministry of Information and Orientation, indicated on Saturday. Read more
NIS arrests man attempting to traffic six girls
The Oyo State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service has said it arrested a man trying to smuggle six girls to Burkina Faso for prostitution.
Comptroller of the command, Ekaete Isang, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the man had travelled from Edo State with the girls to the border town of Saki in Oyo State, where he was caught trying to take them through an illegal route. Read more
Osinbajo, Saraki express hope for better Nigeria
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, on Saturday expressed confidence that Nigeria will soon emerge from its current challenges to become a better nation.
They spoke in separate interviews with State House correspondents at the end of the Presidential Change of Guards Parade organised to mark Nigeria’s 56th Independence Day anniversary inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Read more
Nigeria’s unity not negotiable – Oshiomhole
Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Saturday expressed firm belief in the unity of Nigeria, saying that it could not be negotiated.
The governor said the 1914 amalgamation of the then Southern and Northern protectorates was an act ‘ordained by God.’ Read more
Edo: Be calm, Ize-Iyamu tells protesting supporters
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic in the September 28 governorship election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has appealed to his supporters to remain calm over the poll result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
INEC had on Thursday declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Godwin Obaseki, the winner of the election, with a total of 319,483 votes to defeat Ize-Iyamu, who scored 253,173 votes. Read more
Fire razes five tankers in Delta
About five tankers believed to be laden with petroleum products were destroyed in a fire outbreak on Saturday morning at the Ekpan Tankers’ Park near the Warri refinery in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.
A building near the scene of the incident was also engulfed in the process. Read more
Fear grips Gbaramatu over oil spill
A fresh oil spill has occurred in 12 communities of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri, South-West Council Area of Delta State. The development has worsened the already devastated environment and caused panic among residents.
The oil spill, which occurred on Thursday night, was as a result of a ruptured trunk line reportedly belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Read more
Senate will support more funds for amnesty —Saraki
Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Saturday, said the Senate would support any proposal from the Federal Government to increase fund slated for the Amnesty Programme in the 2016 Appropriation Act.
Saraki, speaking to journalists at the Presidential Villa after the Change of Guards ceremony to mark the nation’s 56th Independence Day anniversary, said any plans by the government to calm the frayed nerves in the Niger Delta and increase oil production to earn more money, which would help the country to get out of the current economic recession, would enjoy the support of the National Assembly. Read more
No easy solution to Nigeria’s problems, says Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, admitted that there was no easy solution to myriads of problems bedevilling Nigeria.
In a nationwide broadcast to commemorate the country’s 56th Independence Day anniversary, the President, however, assured Nigerians that his administration was pursuing the solutions available to it with a view to repositioning the country. Read more
Security agencies issue kidnap advisory to senior govt officials
Following the increase in kidnap cases in the country, the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services have issued a security advisory to top government officers and prominent Nigerians in the country.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that the advisory listed precautionary security measures which top Nigerians must take to avoid being kidnapped. Read more
X-Raying Military Operation Against Cattle Rustling In Zamfara
Let me use this occasion to reiterate that government is determined more than ever before to deal decisively with any threat to the security of this nation from any quarters. Part of the reasons I am personally here in Zamfara State, is to flag-off the military operations aimed at rooting out the menace of cattle rustlers and armed banditry”
These were the words of President Muhammadu Buhari, when he visited Zamfara state, on the 14th of July, 2016, to launch military offensive against criminals who have turned the state into a field for mindless killings and other criminalities. Read more
Obaseki’s Emergence True Reflection of Wishes of Edo People, Says PDP Reps Member
Member representing Egor/Ikpoba Federal constituency of Edo state in the House of Representatives and chieftain of the PDP, Johnson Agbonayinma, has described the governorship election which threw up Mr Godwin Obaseki as governor elect as very transparent, adding that it is true reflection of the wishes of the people of the state.
Agbonayinma who stated this while congratulating Mr Obaseki who defeated his closest rival and candidate of his party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu with 319,483 votes as against 253,173 polled by Ize-Iyamu, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a free and fair election in the state. Read more
NANS Commends Tambuwal for Payment of Scholarship for Indigenes Studying Abroad
National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Saturday applauded Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, for payment of scholarship for indigenes studying in universities abroad.
Speaking during a solidarity rally in Sokoto yesterday, the spokesman of the group, Comrade Bashir Gorau, said the members of the Association embarked on the rally in view of the giant stride recorded by Tambuwal in the education sector in the state. Read more
Film on daily life events of Nigerian immigrants in South Africa set for launch
NAIJOZI Media Productions, a multimedia outfit based in South Africa is set to premiere its new movie titled, ‘The Hearing’ in Johannesburg, South-Africa. The Chief Executive Officer of Naijozi Media Productions, Mrs.Olatilewa Animashaun, popularly known as ‘Tilly’ who made the disclosure during a chat with our correspondent in Lagos, explained that the story is a true reflection of the South African society and daily life events of Nigerian immigrants. Read more
OPEC Exempts Nigeria from Planned Output Cuts
After about a reported 48 hours of consultation amongst its members in Algiers, capital of Algeria, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) last Wednesday agreed to effectively cut their oil production volumes to 32.5 million barrels per day (mbpd) from around 33.24mbpd, thus shaving off about 0.74mbpd.
News of the production cut by the oil cartel came to the oil industry as a landmark deal, one which will see output levels for each member country determined in November 2016, but will also exclude three of its members – Nigeria, Iran and Libya from participating in the output cuts due to their peculiar production challenges. Read more
N36.8bn worth of gas lost to militant attacks
The country and some oil companies lost at least N38.6bn in one month as gas production from joint venture assets and the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company dropped by 40.9 billion standard cubic feet in July.
The loss was as a result of production disruptions occasioned by the recent upsurge in militant attacks in the Niger Delta, mostly targeted at onshore and shallow water assets. Read more
Idle refineries may worsen aviation fuel scarcity
Problems of inadequate supply and high cost of aviation fuel may linger as the nation’s four refineries, which are supposed to be producing the commodity, have remained dormant.
The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, had stated on several occasions that the refineries would commence the refining of aviation fuel, popularly known as Jet-A1, in order to address the concerns of operators on the availability of the commodity. Read more
Recession: Bailing School Pupils Out Of Pains
When Professor James Tooley, a professor of education policy at Newcastle University said in his scintillating book entitled, ‘The Beautiful Tree’, that privately educated pupils do better than their peers in government schools, even after socio-economic background is taken into account, he did not have Nigeria in mind.
Overtime, the views he expressed in the book that chronicled a personal journey into how the world’s poorest people are educating themselves seemed to be echoed in the condition of things in many public schools in Nigeria where school pupils do not only walk to school barefooted, with tattered uniforms but also subjected to the mockery of their peers from affluent background. Read more
Economic recovery policy will save Nigeria –ICAN
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria on Friday renewed its support for the various economic policies of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying there is hope for Nigeria.
President of ICAN, Titus Soetan, who led a delegation of the institute’s executives to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said the current initiatives of the minister were capable of taking the nation out of its current economic woes. Read more
I warned about recession when Jonathan govt spent ‘recklessly’ – Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says he foresaw and warned about Nigeria’s current recession two years ago, but said he was ignored.
Mr. Obasanjo said he was concerned about recession when he saw how “recklessly” the Goodluck Jonathan administration spent the country’s resources. Read more
Recession Takes Toll on Productivity
In its recent report on the performance of jobs and productivity, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) highlighted that about 4.2 million jobs have been lost since 2015. In the same vein, the NBS rolled out indices on labour productivity between first quarter (Q1) 2015 and second quarter (Q2) 2016.
Though, the economic recession remains a poor economic credential of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the staggering productivity has also not helped matters. The crisis of productivity is not just about the appalling indicators of the economy, the monetary policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) appears to be having a telling effect on the performance of the manufacturing sector. This has had a ripple effect on the nation’s productivity as well. Read more
Capital market investors lose N873bn in 12 months
Investors in the Nigerian capital market (equities category) have recorded a loss of N873bn in the past 12 months.
Between September 28, 2015 and Wednesday, the Nigerian Stock Exchange market capitalisation dropped from N10.572tn to N9.699tn, while the All-Share Index fell to 28,236.23 basis points from 30,762.29 basis points. Read more
Fashola inspires Nigeria All Stars to beat Ghana
Nigerian All Stars comprising of former Super Eagles players on Saturday defeated their Ghana counterparts 3-1 in a novelty match played at Eagle Club in Lagos to celebrate the country’s 56th independence anniversary. The match which also featured immediate past Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, former Super Eagles midfielder Friday Elaho, Victor Agali, Godwin Okpara, Gbenga Okunnowo and host of others was a good forum for the ex-footballers to reunite with their colleagues from Ghana. Read more
Russia 2018 World Cup: Success fires warning shot ahead of Zambia tie
Nigeria and Watford of England striker, Isaac Success on Saturday gave a glimpse of what Nigerians should expect of him when the Super Eagles take on the Chipolopolo of Zambia in the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifier as he scored in the 65th minute of play to level up for his team to secure a point in their 2-2 draw against visiting Boutnemouth.
Success delivered after coming from the bench to score his first Watford goal and earn a point against Bournemouth.
If this cameo is anything to go by, Isaac Success has every chance of living up to his name. The 20-year-old forward is yet to start for Walter Mazzarri due to a lack of fitness since signing from Granada for £12.5million in the summer, but Watford could have quite the player on their hands when the Nigerian is one hundred per cent. Read more
Nigeria Cup: Winning Carddie gets sponsorship
It was jubilation all through the golf section of Ikoyi Club 1938 on Monday as the 2016 Nigeria Cup Committee offer to sponsor Adesanya Ganiyu for professional trainee programme for emerging the best among over 150-others who took part in the Caddie event in the ongoing 20th edition of the Nigeria Cup. The offer was the first of its kind in the history of the competition.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Caddie event on Monday, Chairman 2016 Organising committee, Bayo Alli, said; the idea was to encourage the boys and show that there is always reward for hard work, saying the gesture will go a long way to helping the Caddie get more serious in whatever they do. Read more
People ‘responsible’ for MH17 crash ‘could be named soon’
The names of those deemed “responsible” for the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine might be confirmed by the end of the year.
Ten Britons were among 298 people killed when the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by a missile in July 2014. Read more
U.K.’s May to Reveal Plans to End EU Authority in Britain
Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday will announce plans to repeal the act that gives European Union law authority in Britain, in a step toward leaving the bloc. Read more
Donald Trump could have avoided paying income tax, report says
Donald Trump declared a $916m (£706m) loss on his 1995 income tax returns, which may have allowed him to avoid paying federal income taxes for up to 18 years, according to a report.
The New York Times said it had obtained the Republican presidential nominee’s 1995 tax records and that they showed he received the large tax benefits from financial deals that went wrong in the early 1990s. Read more
