Good morning Nigeria, Welcome to the Editor roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 21st, October 2023.
1. The Federal Government is reviewing and expanding the National Social Register to accommodate pensioners and ex-servicemen under its Conditional Cash Transfer scheme. It was gathered that the government was also taking out dead beneficiaries from the register and would disqualify those without National Identification Numbers and Bank Verification Numbers.
2. The queues for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, increased on Friday, as oil marketers stated that there was a breach in supply because the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited was not supplying enough products. The NNPCL is the sole importer of petrol into Nigeria currently and sells to local dealers due to inability of other marketers to access foreign exchange.
3. The Federal Capital Territory Administration has disclosed its plan to withdraw and revoke houses and properties sold to individuals but converted for purposes other than residential. Speaking in Abuja on Friday, the FCT Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, said the Federal Government had in 2005 initiated a monetisation programme but eventually sold the houses to occupiers so they could maintain them.
4. Armed robbers on Friday stormed at least four banks in Otukpo, Benue State, and carted away an unverified amount of money. More than ten persons, including policemen were reportedly killed by the robbers who operated for more than three hours.
5. An unidentified man has been lynched by a mob in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, over an accusation that he stole a motorcycle. The Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Ramhan Nansel, disclosed this on Friday, adding that the Commissioner of Police had ordered a thorough investigation into the case.
6. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, on Friday, confirmed a fire incident at the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited. It, however, stated that the fire was contained, adding that the incident would not affect the ongoing rehabilitation of the refinery.
7. The leadership of the Labour Party on Friday raised an alarm that the Independent National Electoral Commission was striving to frustrate its efforts at reclaiming the mandate of its House of Representatives candidate, Amobi Ogah, after two INEC lawyers clashed at the appellate court in Lagos. This was even as the party appealed to the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to investigate and address the issue on time.
8. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order that was instituted against striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) following the commencement of their eight-month industrial action which began on February 14, 2022, and was terminated on October 17, 2022. Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, announced this in a statement on Friday.
9. A total of 46,084 regular and ad hoc staff have been lined up for electoral duties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the November 11 off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states, the Chairman of the commission Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said on Friday.
10. The Abuja National Mosque Management Board has denied reports that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, ordered a partial demolition of the National Mosque. Haliu Shuaib, the board’s Director of Finance and Administration, refuted the reports during a press conference in Abuja on Friday.
