Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Saturday, 2nd September, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 2nd, September 2023.

Flooding: That Nigeria May Stop Catching Cold When Cameroon Sneezes

As the supposed giant and big brother of Africa, countries on the continent should be the ones catching cold when Nigeria sneezes, not the other way around. It is, therefore, contradictory for Nigeria to degenerate to the level where Cameroon’s sneeze forces it to catch cold. This was exactly the case when Cameroonian authorities announced their intention to open the floodgate of Lagdo dam “in days ahead, due to heavy rainfall around the dam catchment area in the northern part of the country”.

This was the crux of the letter dated August 21, 2023, and signed on behalf of the Francophone country’s Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Affairs ministry by Umar Salisu, Director, African Affairs, addressed to the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency. It then urged Nigeria’s NEMA to take “necessary proactive steps and actions that will mitigate the damage as well as sensitize the populace living in such areas for vigilance and all necessary precautions”. This has since sparked panic in Nigeria so much so that NEMA had to issue a statement “to allay the fears of Nigerians” as the agency “envisaged this release of excess water from the Lagdo dam, taken note of the likely impacts and considered in the preparations for mitigation and response to the 2023 flood alert”.

The Lagdo dam is located along River Benue in the Republic of Cameroon and has a history of overflooding some Nigerian states that are along its navigation ways. This is largely felt in about 13 states in Nigeria namely: Kogi, Benue, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe. Others include Niger, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Cross River, Rivers, and Bayelsa States. Since the neighbouring country made its intention known, there has been palpable panic in Nigeria given that the country is yet to fully recover from the monumental devastation caused by a similar exercise in 2022.

Fuel Subsidy: NLC Declares Two-Day Warning Strike

The Nigeria Labour Congres (NLC) on Friday declared a two-day warning strike, beginning on Tuesday, September 5.

Naija News gathered that the decision was reached by the labour union following the failure of the Federal Government to address the challenges caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu during his inaugural speech announced the removal of the fuel subsidy.

An announcement which has since seen the price of petrol increase to N600, while prices of foodstuffs and other products have skyrocketed.

The President in a move to resolve the effect of subsidy had met with governors in the country to share palliatives in their states.

The sum of N5 billion and foodstuffs was disburbed to state governors to distribute.

The organized labour on the 2nd of August 2023 protested the “anti-people” policies of the administration of President Tinubu.

FG Gives Fresh Update On Reports Of New COVID-19 Variants In Nigeria

The federal government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Health has dismissed reports about the outbreak of a new and deadly variant of COVID-19 in the country.

It would be recalled that the content of a memo from the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state had suggested the outbreak of the new variant of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

The memo which went viral about a week ago, dated August 22, 2023, and signed by Dr. Yakubu E. N., advised against hugging and recommends wearing double face masks.

According to the memo, the new COVID-19 variant, known as “BA.4 and BA.5 COVID delta,” presents with different symptoms like “a lot of joint pain, headache, neck and upper back pain, general weakness, loss of appetite, and pneumonia.”

It added that this variant is “more virulent and with a higher mortality rate,” cautioning that it “takes less time to go to extremes. Sometimes without symptoms.”

Emefiele: DSS Arrest CBN Deputy Governor, Kingsley Obiora

The Department of State Services (DSS) has allegedly the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in charge of economic policy, Kingsley Obiora.

According to Peoples Gazette, the CBN deputy governor has spent four nights in the custody of the DSS.

It was gathered that the secret police is looking into allegations of financial mismanagement under Godwin Emefiele, the suspended apex bank governor.

A source familiar with the arrest said he was being targeted as a principal witness against his boss.

Another top CBN official, Abbas Masanawa, was arrested recently and held in custody as officials seek to determine the steepness of Emefiele’s alleged corruption.

VIDEO: I’m Very Happy Gabon Coup Happened – Fayose

A former Governor of Ekiti State and a chieftain of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Ayodele Fayose, has said he is very happy with the military coup in Gabon.

Naija News reported that senior military officers, on Wednesday, seized power in the oil-rich Central African nation and ousted the democratic President, Ali Bongo.

The senior military officers in Gabon who executed the coup cancelled the just concluded general elections in Gabon, which re-elected President Bongo.

They alleged irregularities during the election, hence the need for them to take over ‘in the interest of the Gabon people’.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Hard Copy on Friday, Fayose said the military coup in Gabon was needed due to President Bongo’s long stay in office.

Newly Restructured Programmes In Nigerian Universities (Full List)

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has unveiled a newly restructured curriculum for Nigerian universities.

The development was disclosed by the acting Executive Secretary of the commission, Chris Maiyaki, during a meeting with stakeholders last week.

According to Maiyaki, the implementation of the new curriculum will commence in September 2023.

Maiyaki further stated that the new curriculum CCMAS would make up 70 percent of the curriculum while the university decides what to include in the remaining 30 percent.

According to him, the implementation will help sharpen the future of the education sector.

Again, Osun APC Suspends 26 More Members Over Alleged Anti-party Activities

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has, again, suspended twenty-six party members over alleged anti-party activities.

This is coming two days after the party expelled eighty-four members majority of whom, were drawn from the defunct Osun Progressives.

Among those expelled by the party was Rasaq Salinsile, the Chairman of the faction in support of a former governor of the state, Rauf Aregebsola, Naija News reports.

The latest suspension from the party was confirmed in a statement signed and issued on Thursday by the Osun APC Chairman, Sooko Lawal.

According to Lawal, the politicians were suspended following complaints and allegations of factionalization of the party brought against them.

He Now Has More Money Than Aliko Dangote – Dele Momodu Fires ‘Arrogant’ Wike

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, has slammed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his recent comments about the opposition party.

Naija News reports that Wike had stated that the party cannot sanction him because of his acceptance to serve in the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.

The former River State Governor claimed that the party’s leadership at various levels asked him to accept Tinubu’s nomination.

Speaking during a recent appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the Minister said he had yet to see the person who would expel him from the party.

Gabon Coup Leader Condemns Corruption Among Contractors

The military leaders in Gabon on Thursday charged business owners to commit themselves to the development of the country.

The head of the military coup, General Brice Oligui Nguema in his address on Thursday condemned corruption among state contractors.

The general who overthrew Gabon’s 55-year Bongo dynasty is set to be sworn in as transitional president next week.

Nguema after taking over power summoned around twenty hundred Gabonese business leaders to a meeting, where he lashed out against firms overbilling for their services.

Leaked Audio: Nigerian Policeman Allegedly Admits To Killing Suspect, Demands N10 Million To Kill Witness

An alleged phone conversation between an officer of the Nigeria Police Force and a businessman has been leaked online, with the former admitting to killing a crime suspect while still demanding a bribe to kill a witness.

In the leaked audio shared online by SaharaReporters, the officer confirmed he is serving in Zone 2, at the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) office in Akure, Ondo State.

As heard from the audio, the police officer was threatening a businessman, informing him of impending trouble if he failed to redeem himself from a case of stolen goods allegedly supplied to him in Sagamu, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria.

According to SaharaReporters, the police officer’s name was identified as ‘Ojo Eleweran’ on Truecaller, a smartphone application that has features of caller identification.

In the phone conversation, Eleweran was heard telling the businessman that if he paid the N10 million which he said would be shared with some top police officers in Ondo and the state police commissioner, his team would kill the suspect who allegedly sold the stolen goods to the businessman.

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