INEC to PDP, others: We won’t drop Zakari as collation centre chair (Nation)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday declared that it would not drop Hajiya Amina Zakari as Chairperson of the 2019 Elections Results Collation Committee. It said that contrary to fears in some quarters, Mrs Zakari who is alleged to be a niece to the President will have nothing to do with the collation of the presidential poll results. It said by law, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu is the Chief Electoral Commissioner and Returning Officer for the Presidential Election. Yakubu, according to the commission, cannot and will not delegate his responsibility as the Returning Officer to anyone no matter the circumstance. The position of INEC was made known by its Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Oluwole OsazeUzzi in an interview with our correspondent. Read more
PDP protests invitation of N-Power beneficiaries to APC rally (Punch)
The Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State has protested against the invitation of the beneficiaries of the N-Power programme to attend a campaign rally of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Jos on Friday. Our correspondent learnt that text messages were on Friday sent to the beneficiaries of the scheme, an idea initiated by the Federal Government to address youth unemployment, inviting them to attend a “thank-you rally” at the Rwang Pam Stadium. But the PDP State Campaign Council described the development as unacceptable as “there was never a time” the previous administrations subjected beneficiaries of empowerment programmes to “such ridiculous acts”. It stated, “It is no longer news that the ruling party has lost every chance of victory in the 2019 general elections; defeat is obvious and imminent at all levels. Read more
Revealed: Tactical blunders, self interests exposed troops to latest B/Haram attacks (Vanguard)
The current upsurge in Boko Haram attacks on Nigerian Army units in Borno and Yobe states are not only as a result of inadequate weapons as being claimed but also a product of field commanders’ tactical mistakes and self-interests, Saturday Vanguard learned. Investigation revealed that the situation was mainly responsible for the attack on Metele, Rann, Buni Gari, Baga, Kukawa Cross, Gudumbali, Bunduran, Kekeno , Kimba, Sabon Gari, Wajirko, Damasak, Kukareta, and Jeli, since the beginning of November till date. While the attacks in Borno communities mainly happened in the northern part of the state, other sections were learned to have recorded minimal onslaughts within the same period, with little or no casualties. Read more
Military helicopters kill gang leader, bandits in Zamfara (Punch)
Two attack helicopters of the Nigerian Air Force deployed to fight bandits and stop killings in parts of Zamfara State have shot dead a gang leader and scores of the bandits gathered on Doumbourou Hill and believed to be planning another attack. Our correspondent learnt that the air strike, which was part of Operation Diran Mikiya in the North-West, was carried out late on Thursday after an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft spotted “the bandits in large numbers and armed with high calibre weapons.”According to the Air Force on Friday, the attack helicopters were deployed by the Air Task Force of the military operation and they engaged the bandits and destroyed their makeshift houses. Read more
Buhari, IGP meet behind closed doors (Vanguard)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met behind closed doors with the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting which took place shortly after the Friday Juma’at prayer session at the State House mosque held inside the President’s office. The IGP, was said to have been due for disengagement in service on Thursday January 3 on attainment of the mandatory 35 years in service and will also be clocking 60 years on January 15. Although, the agenda of the meeting was not made open to journalists, a source stated that the fate of the police boss will be known after the meeting. Read more
Minimum wage: FG, Labour meeting inconclusive (Nation)
Negotiation between the Federal Government and organized labour on the N30,000 minimum wage remained inconclusive at the end of another round of meeting last night in Abuja. Both sides are scheduled to reconvene on Monday to take a final decision on the grey areas. Labour Minister, Chris Ngige, told reporters at the end of a five -hour long meeting yesterday that substantial progress had been made in the discussion and that all that is left is a final resolution. Ngige said there was no deadlock as the two sides agreed on most of the issues tabled for discussion and only adjourned to allow for further consultations. Read more
FG approves disbursement of N161bn intervention fund to varsities, others (Guardian)
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the sum of N161 billion for disbursement as last year’s intervention fund to public tertiary institutions in the country. This is even as the total education tax collection for the by the Federal Government stood at N200,793,208.54. Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Dr. Bisi Baffa, who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the activities of the agency last year, added that each public university would get an allocation of N785, 832,700, each public polytechnic N536,703,502, while each College of Education is to get an allocation of N510,084,900. Read more
Makurdi Fire disaster: We’re still in shock, disbelief — Affected traders (Vanguard)
Last Wednesday’s fire disaster that consumed the popular Wadata Market in Makurdi no doubt has left tales of woes and unimaginable pains in the hearts of the victims of the inferno. No fewer than 600 lockup shops and stalls were razed in the conflagration while the losses incurred by victims have been put at over N1billion. Many of the victims have been left in a state of shock, disbelief and hopelessness while they count their losses even as majority still kept believing that it could be a bad dream that would end at the break of day. There is no gainsaying that not a few of the victims are currently going through harrowing post traumatic stress disorder which might take a while to overcome given the magnitude of losses most of them suffered. Read more
Protesters call on Sudan president to go (BBC)
Hundreds of protesters have gathered in the Sudanese city of Omdurman to call for an end to the nearly 30-year rule of President Omar al-Bashir. The BBC’s Mohamed Osman says security forces have used tear gas against some of the 300 or so demonstrators there. Sudan has already been rocked by two weeks of sometimes deadly street demonstrations prompted by a rise in the cost of living. The anti-government protests first erupted in mid-December over inflation. The price of bread had tripled in some places and fuel costs have also risen. Read more
Diego Maradona released from hospital after internal bleeding (BBC)
Argentina legend Diego Maradona has been released from hospital after being admitted with internal bleeding in his stomach, his daughter said. The 58-year-old was having a routine medical in his home country when doctors discovered the problem. However, his family said the diagnosis was not serious. “For those who were really worried about my dad I can tell you that he is well,” his daughter Dalma said. “He is going home soon.” Reuters news agency later reported Maradona had left the hospital. Maradona, who captained Argentina to World Cup victory in 1986, is coach of Mexican second division side Dorados de Sinaloa. Read more
Man Utd drop Pogba, Rojo from FA Cup tie (Vanguard)
Manchester United take on Reading in the third round of this season’s FA Cup at Old Trafford in a 12:30 kickoff today. The Royals currently sit 23rd in the Championship under the guidance of Jose Manuel Gomes. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke to the media yesterday. The caretaker manager confirmed that centre-backs Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo are still sidelined through injury. The duo have yet to feature in any of the Norwegian’s four games in charge at Manchester United. Ole confirmed to MUTV: “Rojo and Smalling – they’re out.” Read more
Man City’s Diaz set to join Real Madrid (BBC)
Manchester City youngster Brahim Diaz is close to joining Real Madrid for an initial £15.5m. There has been uncertainty over the 19-year-old’s future since the start of the season. City manager Pep Guardiola previously said the club were trying to persuade Diaz to sign a new contract. However, the Blues have now accepted that Diaz, a Spain Under-21 international, will join Real Madrid for a fee that could rise to £21m. Diaz joined City from Malaga as a 14-year-old in 2013 and made 15 first-team appearances, four this season. Read more
I was under my enemies’ spell –Cleric who raped girl, five (Punch)
Abdulsalam Salaudeen, a 43-year-old Islamic cleric in Igando, Lagos State, who was arrested for allegedly raping his five-year-old Arabic schoolgirl, has owned up to committing the crime. The father of five blamed the crime on the handiwork of his enemies whom he said had cast a spell on him. Salaudeen, in an interview with City Round during the week, claimed that he had been having a running battle with spiritual forces for years. He said on Friday, December 28, 2018 when the incident happened at a section of the Arabic school on Awoyemi Street, Igando Road, he fought the devil back and forth by saying aausubillahi (God forbid) to no avail. Read more
Family accuses wife of killing husband, demands justice (Punch)
A middle-aged woman, Folashade Komolafe, has been arrested by the police for allegedly killing her husband, John Oloye. The deceased’s family accused Komolafe of hitting him over the head with an object following an altercation between them on December 30, 2018 at their residence on Bunmi Ajakaye Street, Ilemba Hausa, Lagos State. Oloye’s elder brother, Felix, who spoke for the family, told City Round that the deceased had called him around 11.30pm the previous day, informing him that he and his wife were at a police post because of an issue. Felix explained that he spoke to a policeman at the police post and the couple were asked to go home after the matter was resolved. Read more
Fake DSS officer obtains N3.1m from job seekers (Punch)
Department of State Services, Osun State Command, on Friday paraded one Ademola Adelabu, who allegedly had been defrauding unsuspecting members of the public under the guise of helping them to secure enlistment into the security agency. The suspect, while allegedly parading himself as Recruitment Officer of DSS with the rank of Assistant Director, had reportedly defrauded many people and even built a house in Emure Ekiti with the proceeds of the crime. According to the Director of DSS, Osun State, 16 people have been identified as victims of the suspect, and Adelabu was said to have collected a sum of N3.15m from eight of them. Read more