Top Nigerian Newspapers Headlines For Today, Thursday, 2nd September, 2021

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspapers headlines in Nigeria for today, Thursday, 2nd September 2021

1. President Buhari Sacks Two Ministers, Appoints New Ones

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday relieved two of his Ministers of their duties with immediate effect and also announced their replacement.

The affected cabinet members are the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Sabo Nanono, and the Minister of Power, Mr. Saleh Mamman.

The President also directed the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abubakar, to take over the Ministry of Agriculture while the Minister of State for Works, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu, has been deployed to the Ministry of Power.

The development was confirmed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

2. Secondus In Fresh Trouble As PDP Suspends National Chairman

Prince Uche Secondus has been suspended by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ward 5 in Ikuru town, Andoni LGA of Rivers State.

Secondus who hails from Andoni was a former Chairman of the PDP in Rivers and a former National Organising Secretary of the party.

Secondus suspension was announced on Wednesday by the Ward Chairman of the Party, George Christopher, during the extraordinary meeting at the party’s Secretariat at Ikuru town, Andoni.

According to Christopher, eleven out of the 17 executive members endorsed Secondus suspension from the party.

3. Zamfara Shut Down All Schools, Imposes Curfew After Fresh Attacks

The Governor Bello Matawalle-led Zamfara State Government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in all 14 local government areas in the state.

Naija News reports that the Zamfara government also closed schools, both private and public, operating in all the local governments in the state.

According to TVC News, the curfew is from eight o’clock in the evening to seven o’clock in the morning.

“The move, according to authorities, is to control the rising cases of banditry and kidnapping in the state,” it said.

Recall that gunmen Suspected to be bandit terrorists on Wednesday morning abducted students of Kaya Junior Secondary School in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State.

4. Anti-Islamization/Fulanization Campaigns Endanger PDP, Atiku, Kwankwaso Than Buhari – APC Governors DG

Director-General of the forum of governors serving under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Salihu Lukman, on Wednesday, spoke up against politicians who accuse President Muhammadu Buhari of pursuing ethnic and religious agenda.

He called on political parties in the country to put in place measures to regulate the conduct of their members, stressing that such measures would discourage ethnic and religious campaigns of hatred by political leaders in parts of the country.

The Progressive Governors’ Forum DG spoke in a statement issued in Abuja in response to the allegation by the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom that the Federal Government is bent on “Islamising and Fulanising” the country.

Lukman pointed out that one of the challenges with Nigerian politics was zero accountability whereby people could say whatever they wanted without consequences.

5. ‘Don’t Set Nigeria On Fire’ – FG Warns Ortom, Others Against Inciting Comments

The Federal Government has warned various Nigerian leaders against making comments that are capable of setting the country on fire.

Naija News reports that the government was reacting to comments made by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State against the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The governor had alleged that he has proof that the Fulani speaking people are planning to take over Nigeria in a similar way the Taliban took over Afghanistan recently.

But in an interview with reporters on Wednesday in Sal Island, Cape Verde, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, asked political, religious leaders, and opinion moulders to watch their utterances when speaking in public.

The minister also cautioned the media to abide by broadcast codes and other regulations guiding them and not allow words like genocide and ethnic cleansing on the air.

6. Learn To Tolerate Citizens’ Criticism Of Your Govt – CAN Tells Buhari

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to learn to tolerate citizens’ criticism of his administration.

In a statement on Wednesday signed by its President, Rev. Dr. Samson Ayokunle, CAN asked the Federal Government to always exercise caution in the way it treats Nigerians’ observations so as not to further plunge the nation into unnecessary crisis.

Naija News reports that CAN was reacting to the invitation and subsequent release of retired Naval officer, Commodore Olakunle Olawunmi, by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) on Tuesday.

Olawunmi had claimed during an interview on Channels Television that Boko Haram terrorists were being sponsored by governors, senators and some officials in the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

But according to the Christian group, it appeals to the government not to see its critics as enemies or trying to pull the country down.

7. IPOB: You Have No Right To Operate In Nigeria – Presidency Bombs Amnesty International

The presidency has accused Amnesty International of turning itself into a useful tool in the hands of the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The presidency accused the international human rights group of blindly defending Nnamdi Kanu and his proscribed IPOB group.

Speaking in a statement on Wednesday signed by presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the presidency told Amnesty International that it has no legal right to be operating in Nigeria, adding that the organization has lost neutrality in its operations.

It accused Amnesty International of taking sides with terrorists and attempting to paint the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in bad light before western countries and the international community at large.

The presidency also called on Nigerians and the international community to ignore entreaties by Amnesty on behalf of Kanu and his group, alleging that many other public relations organizations are heavily paid to paint IPOB in a good light.

Shehu in the statement said IPOB is a terrorist organization that has been stockpiling weapons including bombs and attacking government buildings and security agencies in the southeast.

8. Why I Sacked Two Of My Ministers – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed why he relieved two of his Ministers of their duties on Wednesday.

Naija News earlier reported that President Buhari on Wednesday sacked the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Sabo Nanono, and the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman.

The President, however, directed the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abubakar, to take over the Ministry of Agriculture while the Minister of State for Works, Abubakar Aliyu, has been deployed to the Ministry of Power.

A statement on Wednesday signed by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said the two ministers were sacked due to the independent and critical review of their ministries.

According to Adesina, the review of the two ministries was done through sector reporting during cabinet meetings and at retreats.

He revealed that the review had helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians.

9. Many Students Abducted As Bandit Terrorists Strike Zamfara School

Gunmen Suspected to be bandit terrorists have abducted students of Kaya Junior Secondary School in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State.

It was gathered that the gunmen had broken into the secondary school on Wednesday morning.

The bandits’ gunmen who came on motorcycles stormed the school shooting sporadically

“There was an abduction of students just now in Kaya town, Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara state. The gunmen who were in large number came to Kaya Junior Secondary School and abduct large number of students,” a source told Sahara Reporters.

A teacher in the school told the BBC Hausa that he and others managed to escape by running away under the cover of farms near the school.

He disclosed that the bandits stormed the school in the hours of 11 am and 12 pm.

10. IPOB Is A Terrorist Organization Stockpiling Bombs And Weapons – Presidency

The presidency on Wednesday reiterated its stand that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is a terrorist organization.

The presidency stated that the proscribed IPOB group led by Nnamdi Kanu has no good intention for the country, further accusing the pro-Biafra group of stockpiling weapons and bombs.

The presidency in a statement signed by the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Garba Shehu added that IPOB is responsible for various attacks in the southeast including the killing of police officers and the destruction of many public and private buildings.

Those are the top Nigerian newspapers headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.