Top Nigerian Newspapers Headlines For Today, Tuesday, 7th September, 2021

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspapers headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 7th September 2021

1. President Buhari Sets Up Health Sector Reform Committee

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the chairman of the Health Sector Reform Committee.

In a statement signed by the Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, on Monday in Abuja, the committee would be responsible for putting the country’s health sector on the right track.

The presidential aide added that the committee would also be responsible for developing and implementing a health sector reform programme for the country.

Shehu noted that the committee will sit for six months and is expected to work in collaboration with the state governments and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration.

He added that members of the committee were drawn from private and public sector health care management professionals, development partners, representatives from the National Assembly as well as the Nigeria Governors Forum among others.

2. What Gov Wike Said On VAT Collection, Increase In COVID-19 Cases In Rivers State

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Monday held a statewide broadcast where he touched on issues affecting the south-south state.

Naija News reports that the governor during the broadcast threatened fresh lockdown in the state if it continues to record an increase in COVID-19 cases.

He also spoke on the court order as touching issues affecting VAT collection by the state government or the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and what will be the next move on the matter by his administration.

3. Police Release Statement, Confirm Kidnap Of Ex-Senator By Unknown Gunmen In Akwa Ibom

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has confirmed the kidnap of Senator Nelson Effiong by some unknown gunmen.

Addressing newsmen on Monday, the spokesperson of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command, SP Odiko Macdon said the gunmen kidnapped the lawmaker at about 10pm on Sunday, 5th September 2021.

As earlier reported by Naija News, Effiong is the immediate past Senator that represented Akwa Ibom South in the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

He was abducted by a gang of armed men at a lounge on Sunday evening.

Confirming the development, Police vowed that no stone will be left unturned in ensuring the safe return of the former lawmaker while the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

4. ‘Politicians Should Help Us’ – INEC Decries Conflicting Court Orders

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has condemned the conflicting orders emanating from different courts in the country.

Naija News had reported that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, summoned six Chief Judges over conflicting orders emanating from their courts of co-ordinate jurisdictions.

Confirming the summon, media aide to the CJN, Ahuraka Yusuf Isah, said the judges summoned are the Chief Judges of Rivers, Kebbi, Cross River, Anambra, Jigawa and Imo States.

Speaking at the third quarterly meeting with political parties in Abuja on Monday, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, asked politicians to help make the commission’s job easier.

The INEC boss also asked political parties to settle their leadership crisis internally instead of burdening the commission with litigations.

Yakubu added that the conflicting court orders would hamper the electoral commission’s efforts to improve the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.

5. Miyetti Allah Demands Creation Of Livestock Ministry, Land Use Act Review

The Fulani socio-cultural association, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore (MAKH) on Monday called on the National Assembly to review the Land Use Act, which vests the control of land within their domains in the hands of state governors.

Naija News reports that the National Secretary of the association, Saleh Alhassan, who made this call at an event in Nasarawa State, said this review was long overdue to accommodate the interest of all land resources users, including pastoralists.

While lauding the “courageous efforts of the Buhari government for listening to our consistent call to restore the existing grazing reserves, routes and create new ones, MAKH called for the creation of a Federal Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries.

Alhassan also called on the National Assembly to intervene and stop attempts by some states governors to enact anti-open grazing laws targeted at Fulani pastoralists.

Alhassan said that the law would undermine the relative peace and stability currently enjoyed in the local communities, threaten the social order and exacerbated cattle rustling.

He argued that the anti-open grazing laws would destroy livestock production and send into poverty millions of people that depend on the livestock value chain.

6. Kaduna LG Elections: Why PDP Won In My Polling Unit – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has revealed why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in his polling unit in the Local Government election conducted on Saturday.

In an interview on Channels Television on Monday, El-Rufai said the PDP won in his polling unit because his administration allowed democracy to take place.

The governor said the election results show that the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not interfere with the electronic voting machines.

El-Rufai added that the PDP winning in his polling unit shows that the people are finally making electoral choices based on the performance of their elected officials.

According to the governor, the results of the election clearly show that his government is finally uniting the state after years of division.

7. God Will Give Nigeria A President Who Has A Good Heart Like Buhari – Umahi

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has stated that only God can decide who will replace President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

The Ebonyi State Governor stated this while addressing State House correspondents on Monday after meeting with Buhari, Naija News reports.

On whether the southeast was working on producing a presidential candidate, Umahi said the Southeast needs the anointing of God to produce a president in 2023.

According to him, southeasterners are working in their different political parties to ensure their party concedes its presidential tickets to the region.

Umahi, who is the chairman of the southeast governors’ forum, said God will give us the next president who has a good heart like Buhari for the good of this country.

8. Bandits Terrorists Are Going Nowhere, Needs Government Engagement – Gumi Claims

Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, on Monday claimed that bandit terrorists in the northern region of Nigeria are going nowhere.

The controversial cleric made this claim in a post on his Facebook page on Monday.

Gumi titled the post, ‘Zamfara: The Flaring Of Crisis’, military action against criminal herdsmen and bandits will not solve the security challenge, but “will only worsen the situation”.

The cleric stated this while reacting to a recent victory recorded by the military over bandit terrorists in Zamfara forests.

He noted that the bandit terrorists are going nowhere and the action of the military will only worsen the situation in the northern part of the country.

Gumi said the security issue can only be resolved by active engagement of the government with the agitators, just as the #ENDSARS agitation was managed.

9. I’m Not Afraid Of Anyone Again, Ready To Go Back To Nigeria – Sunday Igboho

Embattled Yoruba nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has expressed readiness to return back to Nigeria.

Naija News recall that the Department of State Services, DSS, had on July 1, 2021, attacked the home of Sunday Igboho in Soka, Ibadan, killing two of his associates and arresting 12 others.

Igboho who had gone into hiding after the attack was on July 20, arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic while trying to board a flight to Germany alongside his wife, Ropo.

While his wife was later released, a judge in Benin ordered the continued detention of the Yoruba activist as investigations go on.

In a leaked video obtained by Sahara Reporters, Igboho, speaking in Yoruba language, said he has accepted his detention as his “journey in life between me and God.”

While stating that he is not afraid of anyone or anything, the activist said he is ready to return back to Nigeria.

10. Lagos Assembly: Bills On Open Grazing, VAT Passes Second Reading

The Lagos State House of Assembly has read for the second time a bill on open grazing and the Value Added Tax bill.
Naija News reports that the Assembly on Monday committed the bill on open grazing to the committee on agriculture, while the bill on VAT was sent to the committee on finance.

This was made known in a statement by Eromosele Ebhomele, the Chief Press Secretary to the Lagos Assembly Speaker.

Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, described the ‘Prohibition of Open Cattle Grazing Bill’ as timely and one that would ensure harmonious relationships between herders and farmers and protect the environment of the state and the southwest zone.

He also suggested that the bill should make provision for the registration of herders and prepare them for ranching.

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