Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Wednesday, 10th January, 2024

Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 10th January 2024.

1. Tinubu Slashes Travel Expenses Of All Govt Officials By 60%, Reduces Security Delegation

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has slashed his travel expenditure and all government officials in his administration by 60 per cent.

Naija News reports that Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, made this known to State House Correspondents on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Ngelale asserted that the decision, which will affect the office of the President, Vice President, First Lady, Ministers and Heads of Agencies, was part of the cost-cutting measures of the Presidency.

He said the slash consequently means that the President is limited to 20 number of staff outside the country.

Ngelale also said every minister is limited to having just four members of staff on any foreign trip while heads of agencies are limited to just two.

He said Tinubu has also said that he will no longer travel with huge security delegations to any state in the country.

The presidential spokesman also added that if the president travels to any state, the security in the state will take care of his security and the same applies to the vice president and other top government officials.

2. FG Orders Probe Of Nigerian Private Universities

The Federal Ministry of Education, under the guidance of the Federal Government, has inaugurated a committee to scrutinize the activities of private universities established in Nigeria in the last 15 years.

This announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on Tuesday.

The primary focus of this committee will be to evaluate whether these private institutions have adhered to the required standards, including the presence of prescribed facilities, an adequate management structure, and sufficient funding for their programs.

The move comes amid growing concerns about the quality and legitimacy of education some of these institutions provide.

Additionally, Prof. Mamman highlighted that the inter-ministerial committee will delve into allegations of degree certificate racketeering, a problem that reportedly plagues both foreign and local private universities in Nigeria.

The committee’s investigation will examine the authenticity of these allegations and determine the extent of such malpractices.

3. ‘Tell Nigerians What You’re Using The Money For’ – Peter Obi Calls Out Tinubu, NASS Over Huge Borrowings, Debts

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has demanded an explanation of the series of borrowings by the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.

He also called out the National Assembly for failing to demand specific details of planned borrowings before approving loan requests from the executive arm of government.

Obi, in a lengthy post on Tuesday via his account on the X platform, said it is regrettable that the borrowings have continued unabated without any explanation as to what the money is being used for.

The former Anambra State Governor argued that the Tinubu administration has picked up the unexplained borrowing culture just as the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari left off.

According to Obi, the current administration is not paying sufficient attention to issues of rational economic management but is rather wasting public funds on extravagant lifestyles for politicians in power at the expense of ordinary Nigerians.

He therefore called on the government to be transparent, and accountable and stop plunging Nigerians into economic woes through excessive and unexplained borrowings.

4. Delta Gov Poll: Supreme Court Reserves Judgment On Omo-Agege, Gbaji, Pela’s Appeal

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, delayed its decision on three distinct appeals seeking to overturn the election of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State.

These appeals were initiated by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of the All Progressive Congress (APC), and candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr. Kenneth Gbaji, and the Labour Party (LP), Ken Pela, following the governorship poll conducted on March 18.

The judgement was deferred by a five-member apex court panel, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, following the adoption of the final briefs of argument by all involved parties.

The appellants collectively requested the Supreme Court to annul the November 24 judgement of the Court of Appeal in Lagos State, which had dismissed their case due to a lack of merit, subsequently affirming Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the legitimate winner.

Additionally, they challenged an earlier verdict by the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Asaba, which had ratified Oborevwori’s election on September 29.

5. Betta Edu: PDP Demands Suspension Of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo As Interior Minister

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the suspension and investigation of the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo by President Bola Tinubu.
The PDP said President Tinubu needs to prove to Nigerians that his administration is not a haven for treasury looters.

The party, in a statement on Tuesday by its national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said Tunji-Ojo should be investigated over his alleged involvement in the mismanagement of funds by the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

According to the PDP, it is appalling and totally unacceptable for Tunji-Ojo to be claiming he has no vested interest in the company fingered to have gotten a consultancy role and N438m from the Humanitarian Ministry.

The opposition party stated that the company, New Planet Projects Ltd, could easily be a front for money laundering and therefore called on President Bola Tinubu to hand over the Interior Minister to the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution.

6. Army Arrests Soldier Who Lambasted Gov Sanwo-Olu In Viral Video

The Nigerian Army has announced the arrest of a soldier who criticized Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state in a viral video.

Naija News reports that this was made known by the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja.

Recall that on January 2nd, Sanwo-Olu had ordered the arrest of a soldier and some commercial motorcyclists (Okada riders) for driving against the traffic on the Lagos-Badagry expressway.

A soldier later criticized the governor in a video for ordering the arrest of his colleague and three other motorcycle riders for riding against the flow of traffic on the Lagos-Badagry expressway.

The unidentified soldier criticized Sanwo-Olu for labeling a soldier “useless” in front of “bastard civilians.”

Speaking on Tuesday, the Chief of Army Staff stated that the conduct of the soldier caught driving against traffic does not represent the entire Nigerian Army.

He further disclosed that many viral videos showing soldiers criticizing the Lagos state governor were fake, clarifying that only one authentic video was investigated, and the unidentified soldier involved had been apprehended.

7. Court Recognizes Samuel Anyanwu As Authentic PDP National Secretary

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, declared Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the authentic national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the verdict while ruling on the controversy surrounding the national secretary position of the party following the decision of Anyawu to contest the 2023 Imo governorship election and then return to the PDP position after losing at the polls.

The Judge further gave an injunction restraining the national leadership of the PDP from appointing any person as acting national secretary as he held that Anyanwu’s four-year tenure is still running and subsists until Dec. 9, 2025, in line with the party’s constitution.

Justice Ekwo also declared that any meeting held or resolution reached by the party to prematurely remove or prevent Anyanwu from exercising the powers of his office would be in violation of Article 47 (1) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), hence, becomes null and void and of no effect.

8. SCOAN Releases Statement On BBC’s Revelation About Late TB Joshua, Church

The Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN) has responded to the controversial BBC documentary about its founder, the late Temitope Babatunde Joshua, popularly known as Prophet TB Joshua.

In a statement signed by its Public Affairs Director, Dare Adejumo, SCOAN faulted the broadcasting station and its documentary, describing it as baseless and highlighting that the individuals interviewed in the report were not affiliated with the church.

Naija News understands that the church’s intention in issuing the statement was to clarify any misconceptions that may have arisen from the documentary, which has generated mixed reactions in the Christendom and among concerned Nigerians and authorities.

It is worth noting that the BBC documentary, which was released on Monday, made news headlines with serious allegations against TB Joshua, including accusations of rape by some members.

However, SCOAN has said: “BBC World Service’s investigative unit, codenamed Africa Eye, came out this week with weird and strange episodes of atrocities against the late founder of SCOAN.”

The church emphasized that the investigation was carried out in a manner that deviated from the ethical and foundational principles of the journalism profession.

9. Gov Soludo Suspends Traditional Ruler For Conferring Chieftaincy Title On Senator Ifeanyi Ubah

The Anambra State Government, led by Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has, through the State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, suspended a traditional ruler for conferring chieftaincy title on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.

The traditional ruler of the Neni Kingdom, H.R.H Igwe Damian O. Ezeani, was said to have conferred a title on the lawmaker representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Ubah.

Naija News understands that Neni is in the Anaocha Local Government Area of the state.

It is noteworthy that Ubah, who recently decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC), is nursing his political ambition, reportedly yearning to contest for the governorship election in 2025.

On Monday, journalists were provided with a letter titled ‘Notice of suspension of your recognition as traditional ruler of Neni’, signed by Mr Tonycollins Nwabunwanne, the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs.

The letter, dated January 8, 2024, with reference number MLGCCA/HC/2022/T/025/001/103, conveyed the suspension of the monarch.

Additionally, copies of the letter were sent to the Commissioner of Police in Anambra and the Director of the Department of State Services, Anambra State.

10. No Hiding Place For The Corrupt – EFCC Boss Assures Nigerians

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has assured Nigerians that there will be no hiding place for corrupt government officials under his watch.

Giving this assurance while receiving the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Musa Adamu Aliyu, the EFCC, a statement released on the official X account of the anti-graft agency detailed that President Bola Tinubu was offering the right atmosphere for anti-graft activities, both for the EFCC and ICPC, adding that no Nigerian is immune to investigations for any corruption allegation.

Naija News reports that Olukoyede pointed out that the enormity of cases both agencies are handling justified their independent existence.

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