Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Saturday, 16th September, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 16th, September 2023.

Rethinking NYSC Deployments Given Growing Kidnap Of Corps Members

On August 17, 2023, eleven prospective corps members traveling inside AKTC bus from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State to Sokoto State were abducted by bandits in Zamfara State. While three of them instantly escaped from their abductors, eight less fortunate others have been languishing in their captors’ den ever since. The fatherland whose call for service they were trying to answer has ostensibly moved on, leaving these hapless Nigerians whose only crime was to answer the clarion call, to their fate. To make matters worse, the kidnappers have refused to release their victims after receiving the N13 million ransom initially demanded.

Reports say the terrorists have now jacked the ramson to N200 million before freedom can be granted to the seven corps members and the Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus driver being held captive. How insane and coldhearted! Vanguard reported one of the victims’ relatives as saying, “We have not received any help from the government. We found it difficult to raise that N13million, so how are we going to raise this fresh ransom of N200million? We have deliberately kept this development from my mother. I don’t think that poor widow will survive if she hears this. We are suffering, so helpless”.

In a rather casual reaction to the traumatizing situation, the NYSC through its Director, Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, disclosed that the NYSC Director-General, Brig. Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed has relocated to Zamfara and has been working with the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, and the military brigade to secure the release of eight corps members. Now, it wasn’t as if this was disclosed at a press conference. The Scheme’s spokesperson was only responding to a question posed by a national daily. Sadly, NYSC did not deem it necessary to set up a Situation Room from which distraught Nigerians can be kept abreast of concerted efforts being made to secure the release of the hostages.

Tinubu Appoints New CBN Governor, Management Team

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the nomination of Dr. Olayemi Michael Cardoso to serve as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

According to the statement, Cardoso will serve for a term of five (5) years at the first instance, pending his confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.

Tinubu’s aide noted that the directive is in conformity with Section 8 (1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which vests in the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the authority to appoint the Governor and Four (4) Deputy Governors for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), subject to confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Furthermore, President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new Deputy Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for a term of five (5) years at the first instance, pending their confirmation by the Nigerian Senate

Olayemi Cardoso: Profile Of New CBN Governor To Replace Emefiele

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the nomination of Dr. Olayemi Michael Cardoso to serve as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

According to the statement, Cardoso will serve for a term of five (5) years at the first instance, pending his confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.

Read the profile of the man set to replace former CBN boss, Godwin Emefiele, below.

Olayemi Micheal Cardoso is a Nigerian banker, chartered stockbroker and public policy maker.

Ondo Deputy Governor Speaks On Resigning From Office

The Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Friday denied that he has resigned from office.

Recall that the state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu recently sacked the media aides to the deputy governor, over alleged insubordination.

There were claims during the week that the deputy governor might be impeached.

Also, the fear of possible dissolution of the state Executive Council has gripped members of the council.

The deputy governor, however, in a statement issued and personally signed by him in Akure, the state capital, denied a purported pre-signed resignation letter said to be circulating in the public domain.

UNGA: Tinubu To Depart Abuja For New York

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja for New York on Sunday to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

Naija News reports that this was made known by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale while briefing State House correspondents on Friday.

Ngelale said that the President will use the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with other heads of State and critical economic stakeholders worldwide.

Supreme Court Takes Decision On APC’s Petition Against Gov Mbah Of Enugu State

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the last governorship election in Enugu State, Uche Nnaji challenging the victory of Governor Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A five-member panel of the apex court in its ruling on Friday ruled that the legal team of the APC and Nnaji filed an invalid brief of argument and failed to convince the court with a concrete reason why the appellants’ incompetent brief should be allowed.

The APC candidate, who polled a total of 14,575 votes in the election and came a distant fourth, wants the court to disqualify Mbah who won with 160,895 votes, as well as the Labour Party candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, and that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Frank Nweke Jr who were all ahead of him.

He argued through his lawyers that the candidates were not qualified to contest the election, having allegedly run foul of the asset declaration law among other claims.

‘DSS Arrests CBN Finance Director During Retirement Party’

The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly arrested and detained the outgoing Finance Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Benjamin Fakunle.

It was gathered that Fakunle was picked up on Wednesday at his retirement party in Abuja and has since been in DSS detention since then.

According to a report monitored on Business Day, the CBN official who just retired was picked up in relation to his role in the recently published seven-year audited accounts of the apex bank which is being alleged not to have followed stipulated accounting and reporting guidelines.

Reports say Fakunle is being interrogated on why and how the accounting guidelines which allegedly deviated from the provisions of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) was used to prepare the published accounts of the CBN.

He would also be required to explain why some alleged N401 million was paid for the document as against the rules laid down by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria.

Nigeria Going Deeper Into Lawlessness, But I Offer Myself To Give Good Leadership – Peter Obi

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi says if left unchecked, current happenings in Nigeria would only push the country further into lawlessness.

Obi lamented that the very ideals upon which Nigeria’s democracy is built are being eroded on a daily basis.

The former Anambra State Governor in a personally signed statement on Friday which was released via his account on X (formerly Twitter), said Nigeria is currently suffering from a trend of endemic corruption, abuse of the constitution, disrespect for the rule of law, and transactional politics across all three arms of government.

He added however that he would continue to make himself available to offer the good leadership that Nigeria needs because he believes a better Nigeria is possible. Obi told citizens of the country not to give up despite the current happenings in Nigeria.

Naija News reports the LP presidential candidate made the observations and submissions in a statement to mark the 2023 International Democracy Day.

Tribunal: You Expect Five Judges To Remove A President That Has Been Sworn In? Ex-Lawmaker Raises Question

A former Senator who represented Kogi East Senatorial District, Alex Usman Kadiri has queried the nature of the tribunals set up to consider petitions against the victory of candidates after elections in Nigeria.

According to him, it is difficult for any member of the judiciary to be viewed as impartial regardless of the eventual outcome of petitions brought before them.

Speaking specifically on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election in which the tribunal judges affirmed the victory of President Bola Tinubu, Kadiri said it would be difficult for the Justices to remove a President who has been sworn in, appointed service chiefs and ministers, established contacts with several world leaders and already in charge of the affairs of the country.

While stating that he has no confidence in the verdict of the tribunal judges, he clarified that though there is no evidence of any bribe, the judges were put in a very complex and difficult situation of having to remove a sitting president or governor.

The former lawmaker in the upper legislative Chamber between 1999 and 2003 added that Nigerians only love pretending because asking the tribunal judges to remove a sitting president with so much power already at his disposal may just be asking too much.

There Is Climate Change, But Nigeria Won’t Experience Libya-like Flood – NiMet Boss Dismisses Fear

The Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, has dismissed fears that Nigeria may be prone to the kind of flood experience in Libya recently.

The federal government has issued a lot of warnings to flood-prone communities and states as a preventive measure to brace for this year’s heavy rains due to climate change.

However, fear engulfed several with the recent flood incident in Libya that has killed about 10,000 and rendered thousands homeless.

But the NiMet boss on Thursday confirmed that Nigeria is not going to experience the high-level intensity of flood as witnessed in Libya, even though adopting an early warning system is imperative to minimise the impact of any flood.

He explained to pressmen on Thursday that even though Nigeria is experiencing climate change, but they are not as intense as experienced in other countries.

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