Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Editor roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 23rd July 2024.
1. The leadership of the organised labour, on Monday, counseled President Bola Tinubu to quench the looming nationwide protest by dialoguing with the conveners of the planned action. President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, specifically called on Tinubu to listen to the cry of the people, adding that millions of Nigerians were not happy over the hardship in the country.
2. The Federal Government has weighed into the rift between Africa’s wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). On Monday, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, convened a high-level meeting with key stakeholders to address and resolve the issues around the Dangote Refinery.
3. Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has expressed dismay that despite the development indices, some politicians in the North are still promoting toxic politics and “pull him down” syndrome. The governor observed that some Northerners indulged in endless blame games, devoid of attempts at soul-searching or introspection.
4. An electronics dealer, Yusuf Tijjani, has lost property worth over N2.6 million to a fire which razed down his shop in Kwali Area Council of the FCT. Tijjani, who is popularly known as Babson, said that the incident happened on Saturday around 3am after he had closed his shop located behind the motor pack in Kwali town.
5. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Olawale Edun, on Monday, July 22, defended the federal government’s proposed one-off tax on 2023 foreign exchange (forex) gained by banks in the country. The federal government’s plan to tax the banks’ gain in the country is contained in the proposed amendment to the 2023 Finance Act before the National Assembly.
6. President Bola Tinubu has appointed Professor John Oladapo Obafunwa as the new Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR). The appointment takes effect on Wednesday, July 24.
7. The Federal Government said on Monday that the N3 trillion recurrent component of the N6. 2 trillion supplementary budget before the National Assembly will largely be used to address the new national minimum wage. Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu disclosed this while addressing the House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriation chaired by Hon. Abubakar Bichi.
8. The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, declined to grant a motion to stop the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, from spending from the state’s consolidated revenue fund. Rather than grant the motion ex parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24, Justice James Nwite asked the plaintiffs to put Fubara and other defendants in the suit on notice.
9. The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, on Monday, affirmed the sentence of the dethroned Baale of Shangisha in Magodo, Lagos State, Mutiu Ogundare, for faking his abduction. Delivering judgment Monday, the lead judge of the three-man panel, Justice Peter Bassi, who read the verdict, upheld the judgment of the High Court which sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment.
10. Speaker Abbas Tajudeen has said the 50 percent salary cut decision by members of the House of Representatives to help indigent Nigerians amid the current economic challenges can be renewed after six months. The Speaker said members of the House share in the economic situation Nigerians are going through, adding that no sacrifice is too much to cushion the effect of the hardship.
