Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Thursday, 15th April, 2021

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Thursday, 15th April 2021

1. You Lied – FG Replies Obaseki On Printing Of N60bn For Allocation Sharing

The Federal Government of Nigeria on Wednesday replied Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki over his claims that Nigeria is broke and the government had to print an additional N60bn to augment March allocation to States.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed who spoke to state house correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting said the claim by Obaseki is a lie.

She also described as sad a situation where a sitting Governor can make such an allegation.

It will be recalled as earlier reported by Naija News that Obaseki had claimed the federal government printed N60 billion as part of federal allocation for March.

Speaking at the Edo state transition committee stakeholders engagement last week Thursday, the governor said Nigeria is in huge financial trouble.

According to Obaseki, the economy is no longer what it used to be due to the rising debt profile and the worrisome dependence on crude oil which is no longer sustainable.

2. How Fraudsters Hacked JAMB Portal, Paid Themselves Over N10m – Oloyede

Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede has disclosed that the board lost over N10m to hackers in 2020.

According to him, the fraudsters hacked into the portal they use in paying ad-hoc staff, changed the details of the staff and wired the money to different beneficiaries.

He made the disclosure on Wednesday at the JAMB headquarters in Abuja.

Oloyede noted that the money was what was expected to pay ad-hoc staff used for the 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) but the board had to source fund from somewhere else to pay those affected.

He however added that 10 of the suspected hackers were eventually arrested in Kaduna, Nasarawa, and Abuja.

3. Ebonyi Killings: Senate Issues Directive To New IGP, Usman Baba

The Senate has called on the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the killings and kidnapping of citizens in Ebonyi state by alleged herdsmen.

The upper chamber made the call amid resolutions reached, sequel to the consideration of a motion brought to the floor by Senator Sam Egwu (PDP, Ebonyi North) during plenary on Wednesday.

Coming under order 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules, Egwu, in the motion titled: “urgent need for the federal government’s intervention to end the serial killing of innocent and defenseless citizens in Ebonyi state by alleged herdsmen”, bemoaned the general state of insecurity in the country.

4. 2023: Don’t Force Zoning On North, NEF Tells APC, PDP

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has asked politicians clamouring for the zoning of the 2023 presidency to the South not to force it on the North.

In a chat with Vanguard on Wednesday in Abuja, NEF’s Director of Advocacy and Publicity, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, asked politicians to rather engage with the North in dialogue on the matter.

Baba-Ahmed said it was naive for some politicians to think Northern voters would give up their right to choose leaders while being disrespected.

He also said blackmail will not take those championing the cause of power rotation anywhere until the issue of zoning was settled under circumstances that do not violate democratic norms.

5. Umahi Disagrees With Uzodinma, Says Bandits, Not IPOB Responsible For Southeast Attacks

The Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi on Wednesday declared that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are not responsible for the attacks in the southeast.

According to the Governor, bandits are the ones masquerading as members of IPOB’s Eastern Security Network (ESN) to attack the southeast region.

Naija News recalls the region has come under several attacks by gunmen in recent times including attacks on police stations, and other security formations with the attackers burning cars and other public properties in the process.

Some sections of the public have blamed IPOB for the attack. Most notably, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma and the immediate past Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu claimed IPOB and the ESN were responsible for the attacks.

But Umahi on Wednesday disagreed with their submissions, noting that bandits were responsible for the attacks.

6. 7 Years After Abduction: Chibok Girls’ll Be Recovered – Zulum Says

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, on Wednesday said the abducted schoolgirls of the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok will be safely recovered.

Zulum stated this in a statement released to mark their seven years of abduction by Boko Haram terrorists, while they were preparing for their exams.

Though some of the schoolgirls have regained their freedom, some are still in their kidnapper’s den.

The Borno State Governor noted that as a father, he can’t imagine the pains of having one’s daughter held by terrorists for as long as seven years.

Zulum charged Nigerians to pray for the safe return of the girls and for peace to return to the state.

7. Supreme Court Justices In Nigeria Should Retire At 100 – Afe Babalola

Legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) has advocated that the retirement age for Supreme Court justices in Nigeria should be increased from 70 to 100.
He argued that empirical evidence has shown that such people get more experienced and wiser as they grow older.

Similarly, he noted that in most countries, an appointment to the Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment, and Nigeria should not be different.

Babalola made his submission on Wednesday at the virtual launch of books in honour of Bode Rhodes-Vivour, who recently retired from the supreme court at the constitutional age of 70.

He argued that such people still have a lot to give and contribute to national development but are forced to retire at 70.

8. JAMB Cancels Use Of Email For UTME Registration

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, on Wednesday, announced that it has cancelled the use of email for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) registration.

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, while speaking with journalists in Abuja said, consequently, candidates will have the following options to access their profile during or after registration.

In his words, “As from Thursday, 15th April 2021, candidates will no longer be required to provide any email address during registration.”

“The use of Mobile APP on the candidates’ phone and on the 55019 option (being designed) for example admission status checking, will be used for registration, admission, etc on their profile.”

“Printing of examination slip (Notification) or Result notification slip or ticketing can be done anywhere using the candidate’s JAMB registration number only.”

He explained that candidates will provide their email addresses only after the 2021 UTME/DE registration exercise has been declared closed by JAMB through (a) Mobile APP on his/her registered phone.

9. FEC Approves N20.1bn Contract For Customs Equipment

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday, presided over the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council at Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja.

The Federal Government during the council meeting approved the sum of N20, 114,002,871 for the acquisition of various operational equipment for the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

The development was disclosed by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed while briefing State House reporters.

Ahmad further stated that the council on Wednesday also approved the sum of N539,277, 673 for construction of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) building at the Ilupeju Medium and Small Taxpayers’ office.

The minister, while speaking on the contracts approved for Customs, said a total of 427 operational vehicles, worth N14.55 billion and nine assorted gunboats worth ₦5,564,002,871 were all approved.

10. PDP: I Have Conceded Defeat But South-West Congress Election Was A Scam— Fayose

The former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has described the Peoples Democratic Party’s South-West Congress conducted on Monday as a scan.

Recall that Taofeek Arapaja, the candidate of the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, emerged as the party’s new South-West Zonal Chairman on Monday.

Arapaja polled 343 votes to defeat Dr Eddy Olafeso, a loyalist of ex-Governor Fayose, who had 330.

Fayose while speaking on the congress during an interview on Channels TV, said he has conceded and accepted the outcome.

He said he did not concede defeat because the process was transparent, but because the party must not lose its plan to take over power from the All Progressives Congress in the South-West.

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