Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Friday, 12th March, 2021

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Friday, 12th March 2021

1. Boko Haram: FG Reveals Position On Engaging Foreign Mercenaries

The federal government of Nigeria has spoken tough, declaring that it won’t engage foreign mercenaries in dealing with Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and other criminals.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) revealed the stand of the government on Thursday during the weekly ministerial briefing at the State House in Abuja.

According to Monguno, employing foreign mercenaries is not one of the options being considered by the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

He noted that rather, more troops will be deployed and empowered to totally eliminate the criminals.

2. House Of Reps Is Broke And Needs More Money – Spokesman

The spokesman for the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu has declared that the House is broke and in need of more funds.

The lawmaker added on Thursday while speaking with newsmen in Abuja that this has made the lawmakers unable to carry out some constitutional functions.

He argued that the budget for the National Assembly was done when the exchange rate was N180 to one dollar but now that the rate has increased to about N400, there is the need to review the monetary provision for the House upward as well to enable it to cope with its duties.

He also clarified that the N128 billion appropriated for the National Assembly was divided among all the agencies in the parliament, which include about 6,000 members of staff and lawmakers’ aides.

Kalu submitted that it is wrong for Nigerians to think the lawmakers have appropriated a huge sum of money to themselves at the expense of the citizens.

3. 2023: We’re Ready To Take Over Power From Buhari, APC – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday expressed commitment to take over power from the All Progressives Congress administration in 2023.

The party stated this in a statement released by the party’s Board of Trustees after their emergency meeting on Thursday.

The Secretary, Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, in a statement noted that the crisis affecting the party would soon be resolved.

4. Niger State Shuts All Public Secondary Schools

Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger State has ordered the closure of all public secondary schools in the state for two weeks.

Naija News reports that the state government reached the decision after a meeting between the government and officials from various security agencies in the State.

According to the state’s Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Hannatu Jibrin Salihu, schools in the state will be closed from Friday, March 12th to Friday, March 26th, 2021.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday in Minna, the state capital, the commissioner said the decision was taken in the interest of the students.

5. Bandits: Why FG Can’t Arrest Gumi – NSA Monguno

The National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) has disclosed that controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi can’t be arrested for negotiating with bandits.
Monguno disclosed that Gumi was discussing with the bandits as part of his promise to the government to help curb insecurity in the country.

The Sheikh has also constantly called on the government to give amnesty to the bandits.

Naija News recalls that there have been calls from various quarters for Gumi to be arrested, questioned, and prosecuted over his frequent hobnob with the bandits but the NSA while addressing newsmen at the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday noted that the cleric was operating within his constitutional rights.

6. I Never Called Wike A Drunk, I Won’t Join Issues With Him – Amaechi

Minister of Transportation and Ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has denied calling his successor, Governor Nyesom Wike, a drunk.

Recall that Wike had accused the federal government of protecting Amaechi from being prosecuted for corruption.

Wike said the Federal Government’s action is appalling despite the Minister’s “inability to account for $308 million from the sales of the state-owned power plant and other critical assets when he was the Governor of Rivers State.”

The Governor said the protection Amaechi is getting is the reason why “he has consistently made efforts to undermine the state government by influencing who is to be posted as Commissioner of Police and General Officer Commanding of the Nigerian Army to Rivers State.”

The minister was also said to have labeled Wike a “drunk” but speaking on Thursday while featuring on an Arise TV programme, Amaechi refused to join issues with the Rivers governor.

7. FG Speaks On Negotiating With Terrorists, Bandits

The Federal Government has reiterated its earlier decision not to negotiate with bandits and Boko Haram insurgents terrorizing the country.

National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), made this known on Thursday during the weekly ministerial briefing at the State House in Abuja.

Monguno said the government would rather use different kinetic forces to flush out the criminals out of their hideouts rather than engage in dialogue with the criminals.

He opined that negotiating with the criminals would suggest weakness and incapacity on the part of the government, adding that the government would not succumb to blackmail and the use of criminals by proxies to harass innocent citizens.

8. Niger Abduction: Bandits Demand N200m To Release 19 Abductees

The village head of Kutunku in Wushishi Local Government Area of Niger state, Ibrahim Yusuf, said bandits have contacted him concerning 19 persons abducted from the village.

Speaking with TheCable on Thursday, Yusuf said the bandits contacted him via phone call on Wednesday evening and demanded N200 million as ransom to free the 19 persons abducted.

The village head said the village has reported the incident to the police, saying that the village leadership is looking for ways to get the abductees released.

9. Obasanjo, Others Rendered Traditional Rulers Powerless – Sultan Of Sokoto

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has said military regimes made traditional rulers powerless and relegated the traditional institution to the background.

Abubakar, who is the chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, made this known in Abuja on Thursday at a meeting with the Steering Committee of the Senate Constitution Review Committee.

The Sultan, who was represented by the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, said military decrees led to the insecurity and corruption currently facing the country.

He particularly mentioned the regimes of General Aguiyi Ironsi, General Yakubu Gowon, and General Olusegun Obasanjo as those that made monarchs powerless and gave the same to the Local Government Councils.

10. Why South East Can’t Have Regional Security Outfit – Umahi

The Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman of South-East Governors Forum, David Umahi, says the region cannot have a joint security outfit.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programmed on Thursday, Umahi said the reason is that security challenges in the states are different and that every state is peculiar.

He asserted that the governors in the region are comfortable with the different security architectures at various states.

The governor said the issue of insecurity is not peculiar to the region alone, but a national problem that must be tackled accordingly.

Umahi opined that one of the reasons the region cannot have a joint security network is the challenge of deployment of personnel from one state to another which they may not be familiar with.

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