Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Saturday, 17th September, 2022

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 17th September 2022.

Nigeria Must Get Serious About Arresting Oil Theft

Ever since the Russia-Ukraine war shot up crude prices from $97 per barrel to $125, oil-resourced countries, barring Nigeria, have been having the time of their life. Yet, this is a country where the oil and gas sector accounts for nine percent of the Gross Domestic Product, contributes about 65 percent of national revenue and almost 90 percent of foreign exchange earnings. The paradox of Nigeria’s poverty when she should join her peers in the prosperity party is not lost on the world. On Monday, The Economist of London published an article with the title: How oil-rich Nigeria failed to profit from an oil boom. There was also the September 2022 report of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), where Angola and war-torn Libya overtook Nigeria as Africa’s leading exporters of crude oil. Then again, Reuters’s story captioned: “Nigeria’s oil output at 32-year low as thieves hobble output” which signposts why an unstable and highly volatile Libya is producing more crude oil than Nigeria.

If the North African country with different warlords battling for its soul can average a monthly 1.123m barrels per day (BPD), much more is expected of Nigeria with a President who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources. Figures released recently by the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission show that Nigeria’s crude oil production crashed to 972,394 barrels per day last month, making it the lowest ever in decades. This is a slump from the 1,083,899 BPD recorded in July. Notwithstanding the current high global price of crude oil, Nigeria’s net oil revenues are now about 40 percent lower than the figures of last year.

Atiku Travels To Europe For Business, Denies Medical Trip

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar will on Friday afternoon jet out of the country to Europe on a business trip.

Naija News reports that this was made known in a statement on Friday by the Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe.

According to the statement, Atiku will be travelling immediately after his meeting on Friday in Lagos, with the leadership of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) alongside the PDP vice presidential candidate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta.

“Today’s trip is in continuation of an earlier business trip of 3 weeks ago.

“At the conclusion of his European trip, the former Vice President will also use the opportunity to visit his family in Dubai.

“His trip is for business and family purposes and has nothing to do with medicals as being insinuated in some quarters,” the statement reads.

Scores Killed As ISWAP, Boko Haram Clash In Borno

The late Abubakar Shekau’s Boko Haram faction and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) clashed on Thursday leading to the death of a commander simply identified as “Kundu” and other fighters.

A security source said that Kundu and his team were on a robbery mission when the ISWAP intercepted them on six motorcycles between Dikwa and Bama local government areas.

Confirming the attack, Zagazola Makama, a security analyst and a counter insurgency in Lake Chad, said, “A heavy fight ensued between the terrorists resulting to dozens of casualties on the side of the Boko Haram terrorists, while few ISWAP terrorists were wounded.

“The Boko Haram terrorists took to their heels leaving their motorcycles to the ISWAP terrorists.”

Meanwhile, troops of the Nigerian Army attacked an ISWAP hideouts killing three commanders and many other terrorists in the Lake Chad Basin.

Poll Result: Peter Obi Can Only Win On Social Media – Atiku, Tinubu, Kwankwaso Kick

The result of a poll released by ANAP Foundation on Thursday stating that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi defeated other candidates has generated heat.

The campaign councils of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and the candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso have expressed their grievances over the poll.

The poll had shown that Obi came first with Tinubu and Atiku sharing the second position, while the former Governor of Kano State, Kwankwaso came forth.

The spokesperson of the NNPP presidential campaign council, Abdulmumin Jubril while reacting to the poll during an interview on Channels TV said the NOI poll over the years had been projected wrongly.

He noted that the NOI poll in 2015 claimed that former president, Goodluck Jonathan will win, however, he was defeated by Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari Meets Pro-chancellors Over Lingering ASUU Strike

President Muhammadu Buhari has met with pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities over the lingering Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

Naija News reports that the Nigerian leader met with the Chairman and select members of Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday

Buhari, in a statement signed by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said his government will continue to have discussions with ASUU leadership to end the seven-month strike.

President Buhari also promised to consult with relevant stakeholders in order to resolve the lingering industrial action without necessarily opposing already established policy.

“I will make further consultations, and I’ll get back to you,” he said.

In his remarks, the leader of the delegation, Professor Nimi Briggs, said the Pro-Chancellors had come to meet with the President to find a lasting solution to the incessant ASUU strike.

Briggs said despite the seven-month strike, the future of the university system in the country is good, following the listing of the University of Ibadan among the first 1,000 universities in the world.

Borno: Boko Haram Chief Executioner ‘Behind 1000 Killings’ Surrenders To Nigerian Army

A top member of Boko Haram identified as Bashir Bulabuduwaye has reportedly surrendered to troops of the Nigerian army.

Zagazola Makama, a publication focused on the Lake Chad region revealed that Bulabuduwaye surrendered alongside his family members on Monday in Banki, Bama LGA of Borno state.

The publication noted that Bulabuduwaye was Boko Haram’s chief executioner who has “killed at least 1,000 people who were captured and sentenced to death by the terrorist group”.

A source that spoke with the publication said Bulabuduwaye was “known to be an official who carried out the sentence of death on condemned persons, captured military men and civilians when Abubakar Shekau was the leader of the group.”

A further report revealed that Bulabuduwaye had a camp in Kote village of Banki, where he was hiding with other fighters.

2023: PDP Shunned Its Constitution To Produce Atiku – Bode George

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olabode George, says the party shunned its constitution to produce Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate.

Speaking on Friday during an appearance on Arise TV, George said Atiku emerged as the party’s standard bearer based on an in-house agreement as opposed to the party’s constitution.

The former Military Governor of Ondo State added that the party stuck religiously to its principle of zoning and allowed the former vice president to contest the presidential primaries.

He said it was surprising that some party members who are advocating for the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to stay to respect the constitutional provision didn’t speak up when Atiku emerged as the flagbearer.

He said, “On the issue of constitutionality, I referred you to the fact that our party’s constitution explicitly states and I quote: “there will be zoning and rotation of elective offices and party offices” and if we had stuck rigidly to that, there was no chance for Atiku to have emerged as the presidential candidate.”

PDP Not A Private Company, Ayu Must Resign – Bode George

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olabode George, has stated that the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, must resign before campaign for the 2023 begins.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, the PDP chieftain stated that the main opposition party is not a private company owned by anyone.

He insisted that a southern candidate must replace Iyorchia Ayu as the national chairman of the party, adding that the six top positions in the country must be equally distributed.

Bode George pointed out that the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar and Ayu cannot come from the same region.

Buhari Appoints Onwuduli Acting Auditor-General As Aghughu Retires

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Andrew Onwudili as the new acting Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGf).

Naija News reports that this was made known in a statement on Thursday by the Head of the Press Unit of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAuGF), Ema Oqua.

According to the statement, the former AuGF, Adolphus Aghughu retired from public service on September 7.

Onwudili, who before his appointment was a director in the OAuGF and a Fellow of the Association of National Accountants (ANAN), was described as a thoroughbred, result-oriented public servant with over 30 years of professional experience in audit.

The new AuGF joined the federal civil service as a senior auditor and has progressed in his career to becoming Director of Audit, Extra-Ministerial Audit Department in the OAuGF before his appointment.

Tension As Army Mistakenly Shoot Two In Ibadan

Reports emerging at the moment have it that two people have been rushed to the hospital after they were hit by a stray bullet from the 2Division Nigeria Army at Odogbo in Ibadan.

Naija News learnt that the gallant troops from the barrack were on shooting range within the barracks when bullets went out to hit two people leaving outside the army tent.

Narrating their ordeal to newsmen, residents of the community who interacted with The PUNCH said the development has generated tension in the area.

According to them, the two victims, one Daniel, about 10 years old and an adult popularly known as Baba Ajeri in the area have been rushed to the hospital inside the barracks and army medical personnel are attending to them.

The residents lamented that their buildings, especially roofs, had been damaged by a volley of bullets from the shooting range while many of them stayed indoors in order to escape the flying bullets whenever the soldiers are conducting their shooting exercise.

That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.

---

---