Nigerian newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Sunday morning

Aug 6, 2017 7:18 AM

Good morning:

1. Report has it that the Department of State Services (DSS) would invite three ex-Ministers and some other prominent Nigerians for questioning, following the announcement by a secessionist organisation, Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF) that they its cabinet members. Those to be invited for questioning are Prof Barth Nnaji; Prof Jerry Gana, Labaran Maku, Prof. Pat Utomi, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and Mrs. Aruma Oteh.

2. The Presidency has said that it would probe two new members of the board of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission appointed by Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. The two members are said to be undergoing investigations by the same commission. This was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande.

3. The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Friday explained why the leaders of various groups making threat messages have not been arrested yet. Idris said a security decision taken at the villa that unnecessary tension should not be created was responsible for the relax in the initial move to arrest the various leaders.

4. National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, has stated that had President Muhammadu Buhari not put in place various diversification efforts upon his assumption of office in 2015, Nigeria would have collapsed. He said the present administration was building a new economic model which will be sustainable, production-based and will diversify from oil to agriculture, solid minerals and other viable sectors.

5. A coalition of Niger Delta militant groups Saturday said they would fight for a Niger Delta Republic if the Federal Government failed to embrace devolution of power and fiscal federalism. Speaking under the aegis of the Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators, they stated that they were prepared to mobilise other groups in the oil rich region to actualise a Niger Delta Republic.

6. Senate President, Bukola Saraki has explained why presidential assent was removed during constitutional amendment. He said it was an unnecessary addition to the process of amending the Constitution. Saraki said that going by the process of amending the Constitution, the final decision of federal and state legislatures should be seen as the decision of the people.

7. Following the increasing spate of suicide attacks by the deadly Boko Haram, the Nigerian army is offering a cash reward for any member of the public with information on suicide bombers. A statement on Saturday evening from Brigadier General Sani Usman Kukasheka, Director Army Public Relation Officer, gave an emergency number through which the military can be reached. The reward of such effort, according to the army is N500,000.

8. The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has said it has a target, to register 28 million Nigerians into the National Identification Number (NIN) system by the end of 2017, asserting that anyone without the NIN issued by the commission, would risk being regarded as a non-citizen. The Director General of NIMC, Mr Aliyu Aziz, made this known at a media briefing on Saturday in Lagos.

9. Eleven time World Championship men’s 100m gold medallist, Usain Bolt, on Saturday night ended his individual career with a bronze medal as he lost the title to Justin Gatlin of the USA at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.

10. Former Kano State governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, was absent at the state’s All Progressives Congress (APC) congress, which held on Saturday, even as the Umar Haruna Doguwa-led faction of the APC in the state rejected the congress, describing it as a “kangaroo exercise”.