Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the Editor roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 25th August 2023.
1. President Tinubu Directs Immediate Resolution Of Disagreements With UAE
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday said African countries have a better chance of overcoming economic and security challenges by looking inward for solutions and walking the talk on all of its pledges and agreements.
The Editor reports that the President Tinubu stated this while receiving Letters of Credence from three envoys at the State House: Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Mr. Awall Wagris Mohammed; Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, Mrs. Miriam Morales Palmero, and Ambassador of United Arab Emirate, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi.
This was made known in a statement to journalists by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
In a side meeting with the Ambassador of Ethiopia, the President assured the envoy that Nigeria will continue to strengthen its ties with African countries in the areas of trade, security, and economic growth.
In another meeting with Ambassador of Cuba, President Tinubu commended the small nation for excelling in the advancement of indigenous medical sciences and accessible health care at the grassroots, all while ensuring the stability of their surrounding region.
The President noted that Nigeria and Cuba share some cultural similarities that can be explored to improve the lives of citizens, especially in tourism and other economic sectors.
Receiving the UAE Ambassador, the President directed that issues affecting relations with the Emirates Airline, and issuance of visas to Nigerians should be “immediately’’ resolved, emphasizing that he stands prepared to “personally’’ intervene.
2. Court Affirms Lamidi Apapa As Labour Party National Chairman, Sacks Abure
The Court of Appeal in Owerri, Imo State, has sacked Julius Abure and reinstated Lamidi Apapa as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
In a ruling on Thursday, the court recognised Apapa as the authentic national chairman of the party.
The court also nullified the candidacy of the governorship candidates who emerged from Abure-led faction of the party, including Senator Athan Achonu, who is in the running to contest in the next election in Imo state.
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the governorship candidates of the party who emerged from the Apapa-led faction in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states and publish their names.
Recall that a Court of Appeal in Benin City, Edo State capital, on Monday, affirmed Abure as the authentic national chairman of the party.
3. Niger Republic: What President Tinubu Discussed With Islamic Scholars
The Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bola Tinubu has implored a delegation of Islamic scholars (Ulamas), who were previously engaged in discussions to facilitate the restoration of constitutional democratic governance in Niger Republic, to expedite progress in their ongoing dialogue with the military junta.
The President received a comprehensive briefing on Thursday at the State House in Abuja, from the Ulamas, who were led into the meeting by Sheikh Bala Lau. The briefing followed the Ulamas’ two most recent visits to Niger Republic.
The Editor reports that this was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by the president’s Media and Publicity Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale.
The Islamic leaders had informed the President that the military junta was open to deepening dialogue with ECOWAS as more steps are being taken to forestall armed conflict with a more detailed acceptance of the ECOWAS position by Niger military council officials.
Responding to the delegation of Ulamas, against the backdrop of ethnic rumors peddled by domestic political figures inside and outside of the country, President Tinubu emphasized that he is at the forefront of a peaceful resolution of the crisis, even in the midst of more hawkish individuals urging swifter intervention.
4. Reps Demand Nnamdi Kanu’s Release For Peace To Reign In Southeast
The House of Representative Ad hoc committee set up to interface with relevant security agencies to reduce kidnapping, assassinations, and banditry in and around Isiukwuato and Umunnochi Local Government Area of Abia State, has demanded the release of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The committee insisted that the agitator has to be released for peace to reign in the southeast region.
The Chairman of the committee, Hon. Obinna Aguocha made the call at a meeting on Thursday in Abuja.
Aguocha stated that the government has to recognise the rule of law, justice, and equitable inclusion of the South East zone for absolute peace and reduction of crime.
He said to achieve the project Nigeria, the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from unlawful detention to ensure lasting peace and security in the entire region cannot be over-emphasized.
While addressing the security agencies present at the meeting, he said the insecurity challenges being faced in areas such as Abia State were as a result of shared borders with other states which gives the criminals a leeway for movement across the state’s borders.
5. Obaseki Tackling President Tinubu To Divert Attention From His Failures – FG
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has berated Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State over his recent comment on the performance of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
The Editor earlier reported that Obaseki, while speaking with journalists in Benin City on Wednesday, described the federal government’s palliative concept as deceptive and fraudulent.
He also expressed shock and fear about the federal government’s inability to plan and effectively respond to the effects of the fuel subsidy removal policy that has further improvised Nigerians.
But reacting in a statement on Thursday, Idris stated that he was not surprised by the statement credited to the Edo State Governor.
The newly sworn-in Minister accused Obaseki of shifting focus to the nation’s economic challenges as cannon fodder to divert attention from his poor performance at the state level since his move to the Peoples Democratic Party.
He noted that while it is common for leaders to have divergent views, it’s crucial to align criticism with reality and to premise discourse on tangible results.
According to Idris, Governor Obaseki’s comments regarding the APC-led Federal Government’s decisions on fuel subsidy and foreign exchange market reforms perhaps overlooked the broader economic picture.
6. Nigeria’s Unemployment Rate Drops To 4.1 Percent
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed in its latest publication that Nigeria’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2023.
The latest findings were not meant to give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s government a good face but to bring up the method used to conduct labour surveys in the country, says NBS.
The Editor understands that the unemployment rate in the country had stood at 33.3 per cent in the last report of the NBS released as of the fourth quarter of 2020.
The last survey was conducted using the 13th ICLS, which was birthed and adopted in 1982 at the International Conference of Labour Statisticians.
The federal government agency had earlier announced that it would use a new methodology that aggregates the number of employed and unemployed persons in the country to get accurate data on the labour force.
7. We Will Release President Tinubu’s Credentials If Court Grants Atiku’s Application – Chicago University
The Chicago State University (CSU) on Thursday promised to release the academic records of President Bola Tinubu if a United States court grants the order.
The university asked the court to direct “only limited and targeted discovery” of the information sought by the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
Recall that former vice president approached a US court for the northern district of Illinois in Chicago, for an order compelling CSU to release the academic records of Tinubu.
Tinubu’s credentials show that he graduated from CSU in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, and management.
However, there have been allegations bordering on discrepancies with Tinubu’s certificate.
Abubakar said the files will settle the controversy surrounding Tinubu’s academic background and aid the election petition tribunal.
The Chicago State University, in its response to Atiku’s application, said it does not “understand” why Tinubu’s academic records “could possibly have any bearing on a 2023 election challenge in a foreign country”.
8. ASUU Strike: Pay Our Eight Months Withheld Salaries – Lecturer To President Tinubu
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to pay without further delay the eight months withheld salaries of its members resulting from what it described as “the 2022 patriotic strike action triggered by the Government’s failure” to honour agreements reached with the Union.
The academic union earnestly expressed concerns over the non-release of almost eight months’ salaries of university academics withheld on account of the 2022 patriotic strike action triggered by the Government’s failure to implement the December 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA) and its truncation of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement.
The Editor reports that the ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, in a statement on Thursday, argued that there was no justification for the non-release of the withheld salaries.
Osodeke reiterated that the application of the anti-labour “No-Work-No-Pay” policy to academics ignored the indisputable facts that only the teaching component of academics’ work was suspended during the strike action.
The ASUU boss said the union, at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno, State from Saturday 19th to Sunday 20th August 2023, also expressed displeasure at the dissolution of the Governing Councils of Federal Universities by President Tinubu.
9. Tension As Police Take Over APC Secretariat In Abuja Amidst Protest
Security operatives have taken over strategic locations within and around the national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
This is as some protesters have also arrived at the secretariat to show their grievances over some of the newly appointed members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
The new NWC members are scheduled to be sworn in this afternoon, Naija News understands.
Recall the APC National Working Committee on Wednesday elected six members to its fold. The decision was reached in line with the directives of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC).
The ruling party’s NEC in its last meeting ceded part of its powers to the NWC to allow the party’s administrative organ to fill vacant NWC and zonal positions.
However, there is said to be a bone of contention with the announcement of the candidate of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Mary Alile Idele, from Edo State as National Women Leader (South South Zone), instead of Dr Stella Odey-Ekpo, the candidate of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Beta Edu.
The party also picked Duro Meseko (Kogi State) as the new Deputy National Publicity Secretary (North Central Zone) to replace Yakubu Ajaka, as allegedly recommended by James Faleke against the candidate recommended by Governor Bello.
10. ‘It’s A Family Issue’: GAC Leader Reacts As Lagos Assembly Disqualifies 17 Commissioner Nominees
The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC)-Governance Advisory Council (GAC) leader, Prince Tajudeen Olusi has described the non-confirmation of 17 out of the 39 commissioner nominees forwarded by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the State House of Assembly as a family issue.
The leader who assured that the situation is under control said what the public is seeing is the “side effects of the operation of democracy.”
The Editor recalls the Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday sparked mixed reactions when it disqualified 17 commissioner nominees while 22 others were cleared.
But Prince Olusi in his reaction said there is nothing to worry about as the APC leaders have started meeting on the issue to prevent any escalation of the crisis.
The former House of Representatives member stated further that such is not unusual due to the clear demarcation of the constitutional roles of the Executive and the Legislature in a presidential system of governance.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Editor. See you again tomorrow.
