Okorocha sues INEC for withholding certificate of return (Punch)
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order compelling it to issue to him a certificate of return as the senator-elect for the Imo West Senatorial District. INEC had refused to issue him the certificate of return after the Returning Officer for the February 23 election, Prof Francis Ibeawuchi, said he had announced the outgoing governor as winner of the senatorial election under duress. In the suit filed on his behalf by his lawyer, Mr. Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), the plaintiff made INEC the sole defendant in the suit. Read more
Buhari declines assent to Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, four others (Guardian)
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari declined to assent to the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill and four other bills forwarded by the National Assembly. On Wednesday, Senate President Bukola Saraki read five letters from President Buhari to members of the Senate on his decision to decline assent to Nigerian Film Commission bill, Immigration Amendment bill, Climate Change bill, Chartered Institute of Pension Practitioners bill and the Digital Rights and Freedom bill. In his letters, the President stated the reasons he declined to assent to the bills. Read more
INEC setting dangerous precedence with inconclusive elections, says Dogara (Punch)
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission against setting dangerous precedence in the political history of Nigeria by declaring elections inconclusive. Dogara, while addressing Peoples Democratic Party’s National Executive Council meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, also warned against craving for power at all costs just for the sake of being in power and not for impacting lives positively. A statement by his media office quoted him as citing the examples of elections recently conducted in Ghana and other African countries while noting that it is only in Nigeria that it is a practice to declare elections inconclusive as there was nothing like that in other climes. Read more
FIRS refutes report of 50% VAT increase (Nation)
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on Wednesday refuted report of planned increment of Value Added Tax (VAT) by 50 per cent to meet up payment of the newly proposed minimum wage. The Head, Communication and Servicom Department, Mr Wahab Gbadamosi, made this known in a statement in Abuja. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udo Udoma and Dr Babatunde Fowler, FIRS Chairman, had appeared before Senate Committee on Finance at the 2019-2021 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper ((PSP) interactive meeting on Tuesday. Read more
Four farmers killed in Boko Haram attack in Nigeria (Guardian)
Four farmers were killed in an attack by Boko Haram insurgents in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state, witnesses said on Wednesday. The attack came a day after the jihadists killed three people in a raid in neighbouring Adamawa state. Fighters in trucks on Tuesday opened fire on the farmers as they worked in their fields outside Lassa village on the fringes of the group’s Sambisa forest enclave. “We lost four of our kinsmen to Boko Haram who came around 2:00 pm (1300 GMT) yesterday and shot them dead in their farm outside the village,” said Adamu Galadima, a militia leader assisting the military to fight the Islamists. Read more
Fireworks in Fayose’s trial as judge, EFCC’s lawyer clash (Nation)
There were fireworks at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday as Justice Mojisola Olatoregun accused prosecuting counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) of being “incompetent” and “extremely rude”. The judge accused Jacobs of engaging in “Jankara” practice but the Senior Advocate said he took “exception” to being described in such terms. He said it was the first time he would be so described by any judge in all his years of legal practice. The exchange occurred in the trial of former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose. Read more
Osinbajo puts TraderMoni tour on hold (Punch)
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has halted his visits to markets nationwide to promote the TraderMoni Scheme, The PUNCH has learnt. Osinbajo, it was learnt, has not toured any state to promote TraderMoni in the last one month. However, checks by The PUNCH showed that the programme was still on. TraderMoni is an initiative of the Federal Government, implemented through the Bank of Industry and Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme. Read more
21 prison inmates regain freedom in Ekiti (Guardian)
No fewer than 21 inmates were on Wednesday set free at the Ado Ekiti Prison, in Ekiti. The inmates were among the 327 interacted with by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ayodeji Daramola. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chief Judge made the release as part of his first quarter prison visit of the year. He said that the major reason behind the visit was to inspect the living conditions and ensure improved welfare for the inmates. He appealed to the police prosecutors in the state handling cases to file them on time, in order to reduce number of awaiting trial inmates in the prisons. Read more
EFCC seeks tougher stance against oil thieves (Nation)
The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr Ibrahim Magu, has called for concerted efforts to combat illegal oil bunkering and theft in the South-South by applying stiffer penalties. EFCC spokesman, Mr Tony Orilade, said in statement on Wednesday that Magu stated this when he visited the Commander, Nigeria Navy Ship Pathfinder (NNS Pathfinder) Cmdr. S. Bura in Port Harcourt. Orilade said in the statement that Magu was represented by Port Harcourt’s Zonal Head of the commission, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa. Read more
Thunderstorm kills ex-Delta councilor, two other (Punch)
Three persons, including a former councilor, have been reportedly struck to death by a thunderstorm at Otu-Jeremi Town in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. Our correspondent learnt that the incident took place at 4pm on Tuesday during a downpour at the Osieta Avenue, a border quarter between Otu-Jeremi and Otor-Udu communities. Sources told The PUNCH that one person was injured by the thunderstorm at a different location in the area. It was gathered that the trio were waiting for the rain to subside when the thunderstorm struck, killing three of the four persons in the building. Read more
FG approves N27.4bn for victims of conflicts, insecurity, flooding (Punch)
The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved N27.4billion as intervention funds for States affected by conflicts, insecurity and flooding across the country. The Vice-President of the National Food Security Council and Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, disclosed this at the end of the Council’s meeting, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Bagudu said that the council’s approval followed the submission and subsequent consideration of two memos from the national food security council. Read more
Umahi faults FG’s plans to increase VAT (Punch)
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has faulted the Federal Government’s plan to increase the Value Added Tax from five per cent to 35 per cent. Umahi, who made the declaration on Wednesday while addressing staff of his office celebrating his re-election for a second term, described the FG’s plan as ‘digging a hole to fill a hole’. Umahi noted that implementing the VAT increment to pay workers the new N30, 000 minimum wage would make things more difficult for the people. “I call on the organised labour to dialogue with the government on such plans as people will make 30 per cent payment more on goods than what it used to be. Read more
Enugu experiences hike in prices of livestock as elections end (Guardian)
Prices of livestock increased in Enugu State following high demand due to ceremonies shifted during the postponed general elections in the country. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who conducted a market survey in Enugu on Wednesday reports that many ceremonies including burial and marriage rites were shifted due to change in election dates. NAN recalls that the Presidential/National Assembly elections were shifted from Feb. 16 to Feb 23 while the Governorship/State Assembly elections were moved from March 2 to March 9, 2019. Read more
Criticism on Boeing 737 Max 8, misdirected – Air Peace (Nation)
Despite global criticism trailing the crash of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft in the fleet of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines, Chairman, Air Peace, Allen Onyema said on Wednesday that the carrier had no regrets placing order for the aircraft type. Onyema said the airline took the steps to order the airplanes in response to the yearnings of Nigerians desiring to fly new airplanes. Onyema said it was unfortunate that Nigerians were criticising Air Peace for ordering 10 aircraft of similar models. Read more
Brexit: ‘Tired’ public needs a decision, says Theresa May (BBC)
Theresa May has told the public she is “on their side”, laying the blame for the delay to Brexit squarely with MPs. Speaking from Downing Street, the prime minister said people were “tired of infighting and political games” and it was “high time” politicians made a decision on the next steps. Earlier, Mrs May wrote to EU Council President Donald Tusk requesting to delay Brexit until 30 June. She said the postponement was a “matter of great personal regret”. The PM reiterated she would not be willing to extend Brexit any further than that date – despite appeals from some MPs for a longer extension to give time for a change in direction. Read more
Italy police rescue 51 children as driver sets school bus on fire (Punch)
Italian police on Wednesday rescued some 50 children taken hostage by their school bus driver, who doused the vehicle in petrol and set it alight, the authorities said. “It is a miracle, it could have been carnage. The police were outstanding, blocking the bus and getting the children off,” said Milan prosecutor Francesco Greco. Greco added that he could not rule out a terrorist connection in the incident. The 51 students in year two of secondary school were coming back from a sports outing accompanied by three adults when the driver abruptly changed route, announcing he was taking them all hostage. Read more
Korea spycam porn: 1,600 fall victim and four men arrested (BBC)
Four men have been arrested in South Korea, accused of secretly filming 1,600 hotel room guests and selling the footage via a website. Mini-cameras were installed in TVs, hair-dryer holders and sockets. The men allegedly earned $6,200. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison and a 30m won ($26,571; £20,175) fine. The covert filming of sex and nudity in South Korea has been described as epidemic and has sparked protests. Speaking to the BBC, Korean police said the men set up the 1mm lens cameras last August in 30 separate hotels across 10 South Korean cities. Read more
Paul Pogba: Real Madrid a dream club but I’m happy at Man Utd, says midfielder (BBC)
Paul Pogba has described Real Madrid as “a dream club for every player” but says he is happy at Manchester United. The midfielder, 26, has praised caretaker-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but says Real represent “a dream for every kid, for every football player”. “It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. I’ve always said Real Madrid is a dream club for every player,” Pogba told a news conference in France. “At the moment I’m happy in Manchester. I play. There’s a new coach.” Pogba is set to feature in Euro 2020 qualifiers against Moldova on Friday and Iceland on Monday. Read more
Osaka silent over ex-coach lawsuit as Miami Open begins (Guardian)
World number one Naomi Osaka refused on Wednesday to become embroiled in a dispute with one of her former coaches who is suing her for 20 percent of her career earnings. Christophe Jean, who helped the Japanese two-time Grand Slam champion when she was a junior, wants at least $2 million of the $10 million of her earnings to date. Jean insists Osaka’s father, Leonard Francois, had signed a contract when he was coaching the 21-year-old and her sister Mari in 2011. Read more
AS Roma launch Nigerian pidgin English Twitter account (Punch)
Italian professional football club, Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as AS Roma, has launched Nigerian pidgin English Twitter account purposely to serve its Nigerian fans. The news, published on official AS Roma website, was announced on Wednesday (today). The Italian club side also superimposed its logo on the Super Eagles World Cup branded T-Shirt as part of the deal. Breaking the news, AS Roma states: AS Roma is delighted to announce the launch today of a new official Pidgin English Twitter account for fans in Nigeria and neighbouring countries in Africa. Read more