SABINEWS MORNING NEWS UPDATE, JANUARY 30, 2018
US lifts ban on refugees from 11 countries (Punch)
The United States announced Monday it was lifting its ban on refugees from 11 “high-risk” countries, but said those seeking to enter the US would come under much tougher scrutiny than in the past. Applicants from 11 countries, unnamed but understood to include 10 Muslim-majority nations plus North Korea, will face tougher “risk-based” assessments to be accepted. “It’s critically important that we know who is entering the United States,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Read more
Senators, Customs boss in new face-off over protocol (Nation)
It was meant to be a routine visit, but yesterday’s oversight duty by senators at the Customs headquarters turned out to be more. It sparked another confrontation between them and Comptroller General (CG) Colonel Hameed Ali (retd.). The Senate and Col. Ali had a long row over his refusal to appear before the upper chamber in uniform. Read more
FG spends N5tr on fuel subsidy payment (Sun)
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has told the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) investigating subsidy payment that the Federal Government spent N4.950.80 trillion in the exercise. This is coming at a time President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has declared that NNPC stinks, vowing that those behind fraud in the corporation will be exposed. Read more
NCC may revoke six interconnect operators’ licences (Punch)
There were indications on Monday that the Nigerian Communications Commission would soon revoke the licences of six interconnect operators who had allegedly been implicated in masking international calls. Masking of international calls is a practice where calls originating from abroad are made to appear as local calls as the true callers’ identities are masked in local numbers. Read more
‘Fed Govt owes NNPC N170.6b’ (Nation)
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said yesterday that the government is owing it N170.6 billion in unpaid subsidy between January 2006 and December 2015. NNPC Group Managing Director Maikanti Baru told the Senate Investigative hearing on the N5 trillion subsidy payments from 2006 to 2016 that the figure was computed after the deduction of N4.950.80 trillion received as payments from the corporation’s N5.121.40 trillion approved subsidy claims within the period. Read more
MASSOB warns South East govs against cattle colonies (Sun)
The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB), has warned South East governors against consenting to cattle colony as proposed by the Federal Government. The leader of MASSOB, Uchenna Madu, gave the warning yesterday in a statement he issued in Owerri, Imo State capital, and made available to Daily Sun. He threatened that MASSOB would declare any governor in the South East states who accepts to operate a cattle colony, a saboteur. Read more
Herdsmen destroy farms in Osun villages (Punch)
Some Fulani herdsmen have destroyed crops worth millions of naira in two communities in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State. One of the farms in Oki village is owned by a lecturer at the Department of Business Administration at The Polytechnic, Imesi Ile, Mr. Patrick Olaniyan, while the rampaging herdsmen also destroyed the cassava plantation belonging Joseph Osundare in Uro village. Read more
Ambode to deliver UNILAG convocation lecture (Nation)
The Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, is to deliver the University of Lagos ( UNILAG )convocation lecture for the 2016/2017 academic session. Dr Taiwo Ipaye , the Registrar, University of Lagos, said in a statement on Friday in Lagos that the lecture, slated for February 19, has the theme `Inclusion: The Path to a New Nation`. The lecture is part of programmes lined up for the convocation ceremony proper. Read more
El-Rufai: APC’ll retain 24 states in 2019 (Sun)
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai, declared in a television interview on Sunday that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will retain 24 states of the Federation in 2019. El-Rufai also said President Muhammadu Buhari is willing to give up power if that is what is needed to make Nigeria progress. The governor disclosed these, when he spoke in Lagos, on Sunday, on the recommendations of the APC Committee on Restructuring. Read more
Gas flaring law error costs Nigeria billions of dollars (Punch)
The Federal Government plans to make gas flaring more costly for companies that have escaped the payment of billions of dollars despite being fined, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has said. In the “legal framework for the gas flaring penalty, it was drafted as a charge. A charge is tax deductible,” Bloomberg quoted Adeosun to have said in a January 23 interview. Read more
Ex-Ekiti NURTW chief: Court frees seven (Nation)
An Ekiti State High Court yesterday discharged and acquitted all the seven persons accused of complicity in the murder of a former National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chairman, Omolafe Aderiye. The court verdict, which lasted over three years, sparked emotions and wild jubilation by families, associates and supporters of the defendants outside the court premises. Read more
Morocco presents draft African Agenda on Migration to AU (Sun)
Morocco on Monday, January 29, introduced a draft African Agenda on Migration at the 30th Summit of AU in Addis Ababa. According to the Moroccan official MAP news agency reported, the draft Agenda was laid out in a message from King Mohammed VI that was read out by the Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Othmani. Read more
46 held as OPC men clash in Ibadan (Nation)
There was pandemonium yesterday at Oke-Ado area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, when two suspected factions of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) engaged each other in a battle of supremacy. The police were said to have arrested 46 suspects in connection with the clash. The clash led to the looting of some shops and destruction of property. Read more
Oando: Forensic audit intrigues, power play turn SEC to toothless bulldog (Sun)
More than three months after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) declared its intention to conduct a forensic audit on the operations of Oando Plc, the Nigerian investment community and other stakeholders are beginning to express some consternation over attempts to sweep the matter under the carpet. Read more
BBNaija: Tobi becomes first Head of House (Nation)
Tobi Bakre has been crowned the first Head of House in the on-going Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) 2018 reality show. The housemate emerged winner of the tasks given to all the contestants by ‘Big Brother’, popularly addressed as ‘Biggie’ yesterday. The head of house challenge was split into two; the first part was carried out on Sunday after the launch while the second part took place yesterday. Read more
Nigeria can boost business confidence with accountability – Choudhury, IFAC boss (Sun)
Fayez Choudhury is the Chief Executive Officer of International Federation of Accounting (IFAC). Fayez who was the Vice President of Corporate Finance and Risk Management, World Bank, spent three years in Nigeria while developing the consulting practice. Fayez who started his career with PriceWaterhouse in London was appointed to serve on the Public Interest Oversight Board from its formation in 2005 until 2010 Read more
Gabriel delighted with Eagles’ winning goal (Nation)
Akwa United forward Okechukwu Gabriel says scoring the winner for Nigeria in Sunday’s 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) against Angola was something he would cherish for the rest of his life. Gabriel, who came on for injured Sunday Faleye in the 59′, struck in extra-time to give Super Eagles a vital 2-1 win over Palancas Negras and through to semifinal to face Sudan. Anthony Okpotu scored the equalizer for Nigeria after Vladimir Vá’s opener. Read more
Archbishop faults FG’s claim it spent N1bn on Ekwueme, urges accountability
The Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, has faulted claims by Labour and Productivity Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige, that the Federal Government has spent about N1bn on the burial of ex-Vice President Alex Ekwueme, who died November 19, 2017. The archbishop made the observation during a commendation service for the late elder statesman in Enugu on Monday. Read more
Handball needs a revival – Taangahar (Nation)
Coach of National Men Handball team, Michael Taangahar has said the game needs to be overhauled if the county hopes to become one of the best handball-playing nations in the continent again. Taangahar who spoke on the backdrop of the team’s last-place finish at the just concluded Africa Handball Nations Cup in Libreville, Gabon, said the standard of the championship was high and there was no way Nigeria which has no league could compete with the best in the continent. Read more
Korede Bello’s new single hits top spot on Boomplay (Nation)
Just few weeks after dropping his comeback single, Korede Bello’s ‘Melanin Popping’ has hit the number one spot on music app Boomplay. The ‘Godwin’ crooner announced this to his 2.9million instagram followers on Sunday with a video showing the single in a Boomplay background. “#Melaninpopping #mavin records” he wrote. The song which was dropped on the same day as the video already has 115,000 views on YouTube. Read more
