Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Friday, 2nd February, 2024

Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 2nd February 2024.

1. Nigerians Should Be Patient With Tinubu To Address Insecurity, Bad Economy – FG

The Federal Government has said President Bola Tinubu needs more time to address the various challenges facing the nation.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi, said this on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

He called on Nigerians to be patient with the reforms the Bola Tinubu government implemented, maintaining that these reforms would yield fruit in the long run.

While admitting that Tinubu is aware of the hardships Nigerians are facing as a result of the removal of fuel subsidies, Malagi reassured that the government is working tirelessly to reverse the trend.

2. Atiku Faults Tinubu For Asking NNPCL To Remit Oil Sales Receipt To CBN

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has faulted the President Bola Tinubu-led government for asking the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to remit receipt of oil sales to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for vetting.

Faulting the decision in a post via his official X handle, Atiku argued that the decision was illegal and that the order was capable of undermining the operational independence of the NNPCL.

Naija News reports that the former vice president said that rather than pressing NNPCL to provide an oil sales receipt to the central bank, the government should appoint representatives of the CBN and the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) on the board of NNPCL.

3. Insecurity: Nigeria Buys 12 AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopters, Others For $1 Billion

The Nigerian Government has bought 12 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and other military arms to bolster the West African nation’s military capabilities.

The United States Department of Defense made this known in an article published on Thursday.

The contract, valued at $1 billion, includes the state-of-the-art helicopters and 32 mission computers provided by Northrop Grumman, with a separate contract valued at $7.7 million awarded in December.

Nigeria has been grappling with complex security challenges for years, including the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast and banditry in the northwest.

This multi-pronged crisis has displaced millions and claimed countless lives, making the purchase of the helicopter, scheduled for completion in June 2024, a significant upgrade to Nigeria’s military assets.

The sale follows the US State Department’s approval in April 2022 of Nigeria’s request for the helicopters, which includes guidance systems, night vision imaging systems, and extensive training.

4. How EFCC Deceived Me To Accept N109bn Fraud Against Myself – Former AGF Ahmed Idris

A former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of deceiving him to accept the allegation of N109bn fraud against himself.

The former AGF made the allegation in court on Thursday when he and his co-defendants appeared on 14 counts charges of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109.5 billion.

According to Idris, the EFCC tricked him into accepting the fraud allegation as he was told by the anti-graft agency that they wanted to use him to get the minister of finance and some other governors.

Idris was arraigned alongside Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and a firm — Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

In a statement said to be written by Idris and dated May 16, 2022, which was partly read out by the prosecution witness, Hayatudeen Ahmed, in court on Thursday, the ex-AGF stated that the EFCC promised him that whatever information he gives would not be used against him.

5. 81% Of Working Nigerians Don’t Add Value To The Economy – Presidential Team

The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has revealed that about 81% of Nigerians within the employment pool are not engaged in any productive sector of the economy.

Despite Nigeria boasting a relatively low unemployment rate of 4.2%, the majority of those employed are not contributing significantly to economic growth.

This disclosure was made during the Africa Trade and Investment Summit held on Thursday, where Oyedele compared Nigeria’s unemployment rate to that of the United Kingdom, highlighting the paradox of low unemployment yet low productivity within the nation’s workforce.

According to him, while Nigeria cannot control the global economic climate, a change in policy direction can help manage the economic situation of the country.

6. ‘They Will See Fire For Fire’ – Wike Pledges To Eliminate Criminal Elements In Abuja

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, asserted that his administration is committed to exhaustively addressing security concerns in the nation’s capital.

In recent months, certain areas of the FCT have witnessed the dominance of bandits and various criminal elements, resulting in fatalities and abductions.

During the flag-off ceremony for the construction of Paikon-Kore Road in the Gwagwalada area of the FCT, on Thursday, Wike assured the audience that his administration remains steadfast in its efforts to eradicate criminals from the region.

“I have assured you before that we are going to take this fight against headlong. Today, you can see that we are not letting them go. I told you all these criminals will run away.

“We will make sure they don’t sleep again. If they say we will not sleep, they, too, will not sleep. A child that says the mother will not sleep, will he sleep? So, we are taking the war to head on. Let them wait for us; they will see fire for fire,” Wike said.

7. Miners, Operators Owe Federal Government Over N2 Trillion — Minister

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has disclosed that miners and operators in the sector owe the Federal Government over N2 trillion.

Alake emphasized that the current administration under President Bola Tinubu is resolute in its efforts to curb the activities of illegal miners nationwide.

During a meeting with Licensed Minerals Holders and Laterite/Sand Operators Dealers in Kaduna State on Thursday, Alake condemned the activities of illegal miners as a significant crime against Nigeria and its citizens, deeming them unacceptable.

8. Tinubu Knew Nigerians Would Encounter Difficulties When Fuel Subsidy Was Removed – Minister Of Information, Malagi

The federal government has said that the situation in the country would be more terrible if petrol subsidy was not removed.

The minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Malagi, stated this on Thursday during a programme on Channels Television.

He insisted that it would be difficult to carry out meaningful development without removing subsidy.

Defending President Bola Tinubu’s decision, the Minister argued that the economy would have been worse if petrol subsidy was not removed.

He insisted that Tinubu was aware that Nigerians would encounter some difficulties after the removal of the subsidy.

9. Abuja To Lagos: FAAN Spends Close To N1bn Per Year Moving Officials – Keyamo

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has given an updated figure on what the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) spends annually on officials moving back and forth between Abuja and Lagos.

Speaking via his X platform account on Thursday, Keyamo disclosed that FAAN spends close to N1 billion annually moving officials between Abuja and Lagos to carry out their functions.

According to him, when he gave a figure of over N400 million naira during his Channels TV interview on Wednesday, he had not been briefed as to the amount FAAN spent last year alone on DTA (Duty Tour Allowance) for the principal officers who travelled back and forth from Lagos to Abuja almost on a daily basis.

Giving the updated figure on Thursday, the Minister disclosed that FAAN spends up to N493,678,620.37 on Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) and N451,058,950.09 on air tickets (making almost N1bn) for its officials because of the headquarters that was moved to Abuja.

Keyamo, therefore, insisted that despite the grievances expressed by some stakeholders, there is no going back on the plan to relocate the FAAN headquarters from Abuja to Lagos in order to save costs and guarantee operational efficiency.

He argued that there are not enough offices in Abuja to accommodate all principal officials of FAAN.

10. Olaide Adelami Sworn In As Ondo Deputy Governor

A former Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Olaide Adelami, has officially taken the oath of office as the Deputy Governor of Ondo State.

Naija News reports that Adelami was led in the swearing-in by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Olusegun Odusola.

The development is coming following Adelami’s selection by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The former clerk’s name was subsequently submitted to the state House of Assembly for review and approval.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at the International Culture and Event Centre in Akure on Thursday.

Adelami was among the contenders for the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary ticket in 2020, alongside the late Rotimi Akeredolu, who was the sitting governor at that time.

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