Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Wednesday, 6th September, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 6th September 2023.

1. 100 Days: Tinubu Rebuilding Battered Economy, Met Nigeria In A Difficult Situation – FG

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 100 days in office has seen steady progress and national rejuvenation.

In a statement on Tuesday to mark Tinubu’s administration 100 days in office, Idris said the present administration met the country in a difficult situation.

According to the Information Minister, President Tinubu met a battered economy when he took over from Muhammadu Buhari on May 29.

He said Tinubu took a bold and courageous decision to remove the fuel subsidy to avert a national economic catastrophe of epic proportions.

Idris, however, noted that the government rolled out intervention programmes to help cushion the unintended negative impacts of the reforms.

2. ‘Our Protest Against Jonathan’s Subsidy Removal In 2012 Was Politics’ – Fayemi

The former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi on Tuesday revealed that the protest against fuel subsidy removal during the administration of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan in 2012 was all politics.

Fayemi revealed this while delivering an address at a national dialogue organised to celebrate the 60th birthday celebration of the founding National Secretary of Alliance for Democracy and Fellow, Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Professor Udenta Udenta, in Abuja.

The programme was attended by Jonathan, former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, among others.

Goodluck in 2012 has announced the removal of fuel subsidy and adjusted the pump price of petrol from N65 per litre to N141.

The decision led to protests, while the price was later re-adjusted to N97, after more than a week of protests.

3. G-20 Summit: Tinubu Holds Top Level Investment Meeting

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday, arrived in New Delhi to the immediate embrace of Gopichand Hinduja, the Chairman and CEO of the Hinduja Group of Companies, a conglomerate with a total asset portfolio exceeding $100 billion U.S. Dollars.

The Indian Industrialist was received by the President within 90 minutes of the President’s arrival in India for a meeting, which began around 8:00 pm local time.

Naija News reports that this was made known in a statement on Tuesday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

Accompanied to the meeting by Nigeria’s Ministers of Finance, Trade & Industry, and Foreign Affairs, the President made it clear to his first visitor that he is in India with one focus: attracting investments to Nigeria with lucrative opportunities for investors, but most essentially, jobs for Nigerians and new revenue opportunities for Nigeria’s federal and sub-national governments.

The Hinduja Group Chairman told the President that he was a living witness to his landmark effort as Governor of Lagos in turning a coastal erosion and water encroachment crisis into a massive free trade zone where industry now thrives.

This, he said, was partially responsible for his excitement to partner with Nigeria’s new President to create win-win prosperity for Nigeria’s talented population.

4. Tribunal Judgement: How Can An Elder Statesman Make Such A Statement? – Gololo Carpets Bode George

A Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr. Garus Gololo, has condemned the statement by Bode George on Nigeria’s general election being determined by a competent court of jurisdiction.

Naija News recalls that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain had questioned why the judiciary was making pronouncements to determine the election winners rather than order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to re-conduct the elections to aid the emergence of real winners.

George condemned in totality the idea of INEC determining the outcome of the Nigerian election through court processes.

Reacting to the elder statesman’s submission, Gololo insisted that Bode George’s choice of words was unpatriotic and against the electoral guidelines which provides an opportunity for aggrieved political parties who doubt the outcome of the election to seek redress in the court of competent jurisdiction.

5. Drama As NNPP Expels Kwankwaso Over Alleged Anti-party Activities

The National Executive Committee of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has expelled its 2023 presidential candidate and national leader, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Naija News reports that the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.

According to Abdulrasaq, Kwankwaso, the former Governor of Kano State, was expelled from the NNPP following his alleged refusal to appear before the party’s Disciplinary Committee.

Recall that the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) had earlier suspended Kwankwaso over gross anti-party activities and mismanagement of the party at the National Convention held on August 29 in Lagos.

In turn, a faction of the party’s leadership loyal to Kwankwaso announced the suspension of the NNPP founder, Boniface Aniebonam, and the National Publicity Secretary, Agbo Major.

Following Kwankwaso’s suspension, the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) set up a Disciplinary Committee and directed it to invite the former governor to come and defend the allegations against him.

The NEC had warned that failure to appear before the Disciplinary Committee, Kwankwaso would be expelled from the party in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution 2022 (as amended).

Consequently, Abdulrasaq stated that the NEC met in an emergency session last week Friday and expelled Kwankwaso with immediate effect because of his refusal to honour the committee’s invitations.

6. Candidate Who Scored 37% Of Votes Shouldn’t Be Declared President – Fayemi

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has said any presidential candidate who scored 37 percent of the votes in the election should not be declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Fayemi, who was a former Minister of Solid Minerals, said this at an event marking the 60th birthday of Professor Udenta Udenta in Abuja on Tuesday afternoon.

He stated that Nigeria should reconsider an alternative to its current political system, saying its acrimonious outcomes have rendered it unsustainable, adding that Nigeria’s political structure should reflect the pattern of votes across the country.

Speaking further, Fayemi said temper wouldn’t be this elevated were the arrangements for picking a president different.

7. IGP Redeploys Frank Mba, Bala Ciroma, Others

The acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), IGP Olukayode Egbetokun, has directed the redeployment of seven (7) Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs) to various departments.

Naija News reports that this was made known in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

DIG Bala Ciroma has been redeployed to head the Department of Finance and Administration, DIG Frank Emeka Mba to the Department of Training and Development, and DIG Habu A. Sani, to head the Force Intelligence Bureau.

The police said the development is following the promotion of deserving officers to the rank of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police by the Police Service Commission (PSC).

Others are DIG Usman D. Nagogo to Department of Logistics and Supply, DIG Daniel Sokari-Pedro, to Department of Information and Communication Technology, DIG Ibrahim Sani Ka’oje, to Department of Research and Planning, and DIG Ede Ayuba Ekpeji to head the Department of Operations.

8. FG, TUC Reach Agreement To Resolve Labour Issues

The Federal Government and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Tuesday agreed to give the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration two weeks to address some of the grievances of the Congress.

Naija News reports that this was made known by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Solomon Lalong, at the end of a meeting with the leadership of Trade Union Congress, led by its President, Comrade Festus Osifo.

The meeting was convened by the Minister to resolve TUC’s and Nigeria Labour Congress’ differences with government and to avert the pending warning strike by organised labour.

Lalong said the issues for which a two-week timeline was set for their resolution include wage award for federal civil servants to cushion the effect of rising poverty among them, and tax exemption for a certain level of workers, both in the public and private sectors.

9. Buhari Govt Responsible For Distrust Between Labour, Nigerians – PDP Chieftain

The Head of Public Relations of the Atiku-Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation, Alaba Yusuf, has blamed the immediate-past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for the distrust between Nigerians and the Labour.

Naija News reports that the PDP chieftain, during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, likened how Buhari’s government treated organised Labour to that of a rag.

Yusuf said the Labour cannot believe the government, and the distrust extended to Nigerians that they no longer considered their words.

He said, “The last administration, which was an APC government, treated Labour like a rag, so they (Labour) cannot believe them (government).

‘The distrust was to the extent that the ordinary Nigerian does not even believe labour; they feel labour is being settled.”

10. ‘It Will Be A Shame On Nigeria If Tribunal Pronounces Anybody As President’ – Bode George

Former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has warned the judiciary not to truncate the electoral process as it delivers judgment on the Presidential Election Petition.

Naija News reports that the elder statesman, while speaking during a state-of-the-nation press conference in Lagos on Monday, said the judiciary should never go through the route of announcing any of the 2023 presidential candidates as the winner.

Bode George said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) procedure was faulty; therefore, the judiciary should order a rerun.

He noted that pronouncing any of the candidates as President would redefine democracy in Nigeria as the government of the judiciary.

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