Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Wednesday, 14th February, 2024

Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 14th February 2024.

1. Tinubu Hosts Super Eagles At Aso Villa, Awards Players, Coaches National Honours, Plots Of Land

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday, received in audience the players and coaches of the Super Eagles at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja.

The reception follows the team’s tenacious performance in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Côte d’Ivoire.

While welcoming the team, the President thanked the Super Eagles players, coaching crew and team Nigeria for their resilience and for lifting the spirit of the nation.

President Tinubu said it is not easy to absolve a loss but the Super Eagles demonstrated sportsmanship and a can-do attitude in the competition.

According to the President, he is very proud of them and their efforts during the just-concluded tournament and asked them to continue to represent the nation.

President Tinubu, therefore, conferred on all the Super Eagles players and coaches, the national honour of the Member of the Order of Niger (MON).

The President also gave the players and coaches one flat each and a plot of land in the FCT.

2. There Is A Lot Of Suffering, Hunger And Anger In The Country – PDP Govs

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has said there is a lot of suffering, hunger and anger in the country.

The Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Bala Mohammed, said this on Tuesday during the PDP’s 76th Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting at Wadata Plaza in Abuja.

Mohammed said the party is ready to provide Nigerians with a better alternative, adding that the opposition party is ready to reposition itself.

The Bauchi State Governor said the party needed to be strategic to prevent this country from becoming a one-party state.

He also urged members of the party to close ranks, and be strategic in preventing Nigeria from being a one-party state.

3. Boss Mustapha Storms Court, Testifies Against Emefiele In $6.2 Million Fraud Case

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, on Tuesday appeared at the FCT High Court, Maitama as a prosecution witness in a $6.2 million alleged fraud case.

The fraud case involves former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

During his appearance in court on Tuesday, Mustapha said he knows nothing about the transaction in question, and the document said to have given approval for the money to be withdrawn from the CBN did not originate from him or the office of the President.

Naija News recalls Emefiele is said to have impersonated the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to illegally obtain a sum of $6.2m from the CBN for the alleged payment of foreign election observers.

According to the amended charge sheet, marked CR/577/2023, Emefiele, on February 8, 2023, connived with one Odoh Ocheme, who is now on the run, to obtain $6.2m from the CBN, claiming that it was requested by the SGF “vide a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.”

According to the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Emefiele allegedly claimed that the SGF requested the CBN to release “a contingent logistic advance in the sum of $6,230,000.00 in line with Mr President’s directive.”

However, the EFCC claimed Emefiele lied intentionally about the request.

In denying the said document, Mustapha told the court on Tuesday that in all the correspondences he ever received from former president Muhammadu Buhari, he never concluded with ” Please accept with my highest regard”.

He stated that the Nigerian government has no business with the payment of Foreign Election observers as that is the responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Under cross-examination, the former SGF said during his time in office, he had 6 permanent secretaries and never sent any one of them to the CBN to receive money.

4. Evil Has Entered Yorubaland, Darkness Looms – Gani Adams Cries Out To Governors, Monarchs

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Gani Adams, has lamented the alarming rate of insecurity in the southwest and called on the Governors and traditional rulers in the region to take urgent steps to curb the situation.

Adams, in a statement on Tuesday, said it was time for the leaders to come together and deal with the rising cases of kidnappings and killings in Yoruba land before it further gets out of hand.

The Yoruba generalissimo expressed worries that farmers can no longer go to their farms out of fear of being killed or kidnapped and called on the leaders to arise and wage war against the situation.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo, in a letter titled ‘Yorubaland is troubled, darkness looms,’ which was addressed to the South-West governors and traditional rulers in the zone, said foreign banditry is responsible for the situation.

He added that the silence of the Yoruba nation is now been taken as foolishness.

Speaking further in the letter, Adams said as the Aare Ona Kakanfo, he has the capacity to deal with the insecurity plaguing the southwest but can’t make any move without the approval of the Governors just like past Kakanfos can’t go to war without the approval of the Alaafin of Oyo.

5. PDP Appoints Adolphus Wabara As BoT Chairman, Makarfi As Secretary

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially announced the appointment of a former President of the Senate, Adolphus Wabara, as the substantive chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT).

In a strategic move to bolster the party’s leadership, a former Governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi has also been appointed as the Secretary of the BoT, taking over from former Minister of Special Duties, Kabir Turaki.

The appointments were disclosed at the conclusion of the 76th BoT meeting, which took place at Wadata Plaza, Abuja, on Tuesday.

These changes come at a critical time for the PDP as it seeks to strengthen its administrative and strategic core ahead of future electoral challenges.

Adolphus Wabara’s extensive political experience and his previous tenure as Senate President are expected to provide valuable leadership and guidance to the BoT. Similarly, Ahmed Makarfi’s track record as Kaduna State Governor and his contributions to the party in various capacities are anticipated to bring renewed vigour and perspective to the BoT’s operations.

6. He Is Not My Aide – Atiku Clarifies Relationship With Daniel Bwala

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has clarified the relationship between himself and a lawyer cum politician, Daniel Bwala.

According to Atiku, in a statement released on Tuesday by his media office, and made available to Naija News, Bwala is a former spokesperson of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation and not his former aide.

The statement noted that “it is important that the media and the general public take corrective note of defining Mr. Daniel Bwala as an aide to His Excellency Atiku Abubakar.”

It added that Bwala served as a spokesperson to the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organization in the 2023 election, and after the election, the need for a campaign spokesperson was terminated, and Bwala has also moved on.

The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, therefore, urged the public/media to stop defining Bwala as an ex-aide of Atiku Abubakar, but recognize him by his current vocation and alliance.

7. NSA Ribadu, Ministers, Service Chiefs, Others Appear Before Senate

The Senate on Tuesday, met with service chiefs and security heads to discuss the state of the country’s security situation.

Naija News earlier reported that the meeting was billed for last week but was shifted to today because of the absence of some security heads.

Heads of security present at the meeting include the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi.

Also, the security chiefs present were the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa; the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla, and the Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar.

Also present were the Ministers of Finance (Wale Edun), Interior (Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo), and Defence (Mohammed Badaru).

The meeting was held behind closed doors in line with the Senate’s rules regarding security briefings.

Speaking before meeting the guests behind closed doors, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the Senate summoned the NSA, Service Chiefs and other heads of security over the insecurity facing the nation.

8. Reps Drop Bill Making University Degree Minimum Qualification For President, Govs

A pivotal bill aimed at amending the 1999 Constitution to elevate the educational requirements for candidates aspiring to key political offices in Nigeria has been stepped down at the House of Representatives.

Sponsored by Adewunmi Onanuga, representing the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State, the bill proposed setting a university degree or its equivalent as the minimum educational qualification for governorship, presidential, and other significant elective positions.

During the plenary session on Tuesday, Onanuga led the debate, advocating for the constitutional amendment to ensure that holders of elective offices possess at least a university degree, in contrast to the current provision, which permits candidates with a First School Leaving Certificate to contest for the nation’s highest offices.

The bill received backing from several lawmakers, including House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, Babajimi Benson, and Kingsley Chinda, who supported the notion of raising the educational standards for political office aspirants.

However, opposition from certain quarters, including Aliyu Madaki from Kano State and Ahmadu Jaha of the APC, Borno, highlighted a divide among the representatives on the proposed alteration.

Citing the pushback, Onanuga expressed disappointment and opted to step down the bill, signalling her intent to engage in further lobbying with her colleagues to gather more support before reintroducing the bill at a later date.

9. Reps To Probe States’ FAAC Allocations, Utilisation

The House of Representatives has directed its relevant committee to look into how the states use and spend the additional funds they received from the Federal Account Allocation Committee.

Naija News reports that at a plenary session on Tuesday, the member representing Shomolu Federal Constituency in Lagos State, Ademorin Kuye, presented a motion under matters of urgent public significance, which was adopted.

When presenting the motion, Kuye pointed out that the removal of the fuel subsidy, the floating of the naira, and other economic measures implemented by the administration of President Bola Tinubu had resulted in a significant rise in the amount shared by the three levels of governments from the FAAC.

The legislator pointed out that the combined amount of N6.57 trillion received by state and local governments in 2023 more than doubled from N3.16 trillion in 2022.

10. Tinubu Seeks Senate’s Confirmation For Five CBN Board Directors

President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm five people as Directors of the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Naija News reports that Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on the floor of the upper legislative chamber on Tuesday.

In his letter, President Tinubu emphasized the importance of the Senate’s prompt screening and confirmation of the nominees, highlighting that their selection was meticulously done in adherence to the legal frameworks governing appointments to the CBN board.

Specifically, the nominations were made in accordance with Section 6, subsection 1b, and Section 10, Subsections 1 and 2 of the CBN Establishment Act, 2007.

Akpabio named the Directors of the board as Robert O. Agbide, Ado Yakubu Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, Urom Eke, and Olayinka Aliyu.

The President’s move to nominate these directors comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s financial sector, as the Central Bank plays a pivotal role in shaping the country’s economic policies and monetary stability.

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