THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE APRIL 1, 2018
Two killed as storey building collapses in Lagos (PremiumTimes)
Premium Times, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Adesina Tiamiyu, Toyin Ogundimu, Sherifat Olalere, Mustapher Salaudeen
A distressed storey building suffered partial collapse at the backside, killing two females, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has said.
The General Manager of LASEMA, Adesina Tiamiyu, said in a statement on Saturday in Lagos, that the agency received a distress call via its emergency toll free number on Saturday, March 31, 2018 at about 10.48 a.m.
Tiamiyu said the distress call was concerning a building at 9 Abeje Street, Markaz, Agege, which collapsed.
He said the call triggered the rapid activation of the agency’s Response Team to the scene of incident. Read more
Buhari, Ambode clash over Eko Atlantic City (Punch)
The Presidency and the Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, have disagreed over what President Muhammadu Buhari went to do at the Eko Atlantic City during his two-day working visit to the state.
Governor Ambode said in his official Twitter handle that the President went there to inaugurate the project.
The tweet read, “We took a tour of the Eko Atlantic City with Mr. President as he officially commissioned (sic) the project. Eko Atlantic is a good example of what Public and Private Partnership can do to the Nigerian economy.” Read more
Bishop Kukah Writes PMB Over Campaign Promises (Leadership)
The Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Mathew Hassan Kukah, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take deeper reflection on the state of the nation, given the campaign promises he made to the people before he was voted into power.
In an Easter message written to President Muhammadu Buhari, Bishop Kukah said there is no better time than now for the president to address the ugly situations that have metamorphosed into a monster under his watch. Read more
Danjuma’s call for defence: Presidency urges caution (Guardian)
The Presidency has appealed to prominent Nigerians with national influence, to refrain from making public declarations that are likely to inflame emotional passions and threaten national security.
In apparent reaction to comments credited to former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), who recently enjoined Nigerians to defend themselves when under attack, the Presidency said it is “very worried,” noting that criminal gangs could feel justified to defy legal governing and democratic institutions, and authority of legitimately elected democratic government, if unrestrained pronouncements are made. Read more
Tenure Elongation: APC NWC divided over technical committee (Nation)
Indications emerged yesterday that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may currently be divided over earlier resolution at the last NEC meeting of the party that a technical committee be set up to review President Muhammadu Buhari’s opposition to the elongation of the tenure of the party’s NWC which ends in June.
Investigations by The Nation revealed that some members of the NWC and other prominent chieftains of the party are opposed to the setting up of the review committee, preferring instead to have the party announce dates and procedures for the immediate conduct of congresses that will usher in new leadership at all levels for the party at the expiration of the tenure of the John Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC. Read more
Easter: Govs, Ekweremadu, Mark, others canvass for peace, unity among nigerians (ThisDay)
As the country joins the rest of the world to mark Easter sunday, Nigerians have been urged to embrace peace, tolerance and promote unity among all, as signs of emulation of Jesus Christ, the reason for the season. Read more
El-Rufa’i felicitates with Christians on Easter (DailyTrust)
The Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufa’i has felicitated with Christians on the occasion of Easter.
The governor in an Easter message urged that as people of faith, they should practice sacrifice, care for the poor, have deep spiritual reflection and love for all human kind, irrespective of tribe or religion.
He said, for more than two thousand years, Easter has symbolised the triumph of hope over despair and an affirmation that darkness cannot outdo the plans and wishes of Almighty God. Read more
Easter: PDP urges Nigerians not to despair despite problems (Tribune)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged Nigerians that despite the anguish of economic recession and gruesome bloodletting of the last three years, they should not despair but to use the occasion of this year’s Easter to pray for the nation and rededicate themselves to the ideals of national unity, cohesion and peaceful coexistence.
A statement issued by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja on Saturday noted that with the right leadership coupled with unity and dedication of the citizens, the nation will surely come out of the current woods. Read more
28.5m Nigerians agonise over suspension of Nat’l ID Card issuance (Leadership)
About 28.5 million Nigerians who registered for the national identity card are yet to get the cards from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
Most of them have expressed worry that, while the development is hindering them from carrying out their civic responsibilities, it may even frustrate their financial transactions, following recent SMS sent by banks in Nigeria to their customers urging them to get their national ID cards.
The banks recently indicated that they will soon commence the enforcement of the National Identity Number (NIN) issued by NIMC as the only acceptable means of identification and verification for all financial transactions in the country. Read more
APC chides PDP over Mantu’s confessions (Guardian)
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to take a cue from Senator Ibrahim Mantu to confess the atrocities committed by its members against the country, instead of indulging in name-calling.
In a statement by its national publicity secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, APC expressed surprise that PDP chose to ignore its shortcomings by going out of its way to raise accusing fingers at the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. Read more
Experts express doubt national carrier could come on stream by 2019 (ThisDay)
Aviation industry experts have expressed doubt that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration would be able to realise the establishment of the national carrier projects before it winds down in May, 2019. But many have expressed full support for the project, noting that it would reposition the aviation sector if realised.
Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika Thursday unveiled Transaction Advisers for the establishment of a national carrier along with that of maintenance facility, concession of four major airports in the country and others and said Airline Management Group Limited was selected for the rebirth of a national carrier. Read more
IPOB threatens bloodshed over Ohanaeze’s restructuring summit (Punch)
The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra on Saturday vowed to stop the Ohanaeze Ndigbo from holding its planned summit to discuss the restructuring of Nigeria.
Describing the summit as “Fulani-sponsored Igbo summit”, the Biafra agitators said such a move was unacceptable. Read more
Declare your campaign funds’ sources, PDP tells Buhari, APC (ThisDay)
Still angered by the All Progressives Congress-led federal government’s labelling of it as a den of looters of the national treasury, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Saturday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to make public the accounts of his presidential campaigns in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.
Doing this, the party said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, would be in tandem with the president’s claim to integrity and incorruptibility. Read more
Court sentences Delta community leader to death by hanging (Punch)
A Delta State High Court, sitting in Asaba, has sentenced the embattled Unuewvoro (traditional head) of Ekpan community in Uvwie Kingdom, Newton Agbofodoh, to death by hanging for allegedly killing one Mr. John Mogidi.
The community leader, who was arrested on June 17, 2016, during a raid of his Ekpan home by security team comprising police and military operatives, had been standing trial for murder and attempted murder, including the killing of Mogidi, who was at the time a vice-chairman of Ekpan community youths. Read more
Dapchi Schoolgirl: Buhari gave us N5,000, 2 wrappers, a pair of shoes each (ThisDay)
President Muhammadu Buhari gave out N5000, two wrappers, and a pair of shoes to the Dapchi schoolgirls during their visit to the Presidential Villa after their release by the Boko Haram insurgents, one of the pupils, Fatima Abdullahi, has revealed.
According to The Guardian newspaper of United Kingdom, the girls’ testimony was collected a week after their liberation and a few days after their visit to Abuja, where they were immediately taken to Buhari. Read more
One dies as troops kill four suicide bombers (Punch)
Four suicide bombers were on Friday night killed in an attack on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno State.
The explosion from the attack left one dead and 13 persons injured apart from the suicide bombers, whose bodies were mangled beyond recognition. Read more
Controversy as Oluwo adopts Emir title (Nation)
The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, Telu I, stoked the fire of controversy yesterday by adopting the title of an Emir.
He officially declared himself the Emir of Yorubaland.
Speaking at the installation and the turbaning ceremony of the first Waziri of Yorubaland, Fadhilaru Sheikh Yahquub Abdul-Baaqi Mohammed, the Oluwo, who adorned an Islamic regalia, said whoever calls him an Emir of Yoruba was in order. Read more
Illegal mining threatening economic diversification (Guardian)
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Abdulkadri Muazu, has informed members of the Special Mines Surveillance Taskforce on illegal mining, that President Buhari expressed disgust and concern over illegal mining in the country.
Muazu, who said this, yesterday, in Jos at the opening ceremony of a workshop on capacity building for members of the taskforce, also disclosed that the Federal Government is worried that the alarming rate of illegal mining poses great danger to its efforts at diversifying the economy from oil to solid mineral sector, as that the menace prevents investment for sustainable development. Read more
Oil royalties: Sahara, Tevier, NLNG, others owe FG $68.6m (Punch)
Fresh facts have emerged why the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has not remitted the sum of $85.21m oil royalties into the Federation Account.
Investigation by our correspondent on Friday revealed that out of the expected royalties of $85.21m for February, only $16.56m was actually released by companies operating in the oil sector to the corporation. Read more
Despite PIGB’s 5% Petrol Tax, NNPC Says Pump Price Remains N145/ltr (ThisDay)
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Saturday allayed fears that pump price of petrol might move up following National Assembly’s recent passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), which levied a five per cent petrol tax.
The NNPC told THISDAY in Abuja that petrol price remains N145 per litre for now, explaining that while it would wait for the implementation of the PIGB to commence, it has focused its attention on ensuring that the Nigeria does not experience the kind of petrol scarcity it had in the last quarter of 2017 and into 2018. Read more
Oando Shareholders Demand Continuation Of Forensic Audit (Independent)
Shareholders of Oando Plc, under the auspices of Trusted Shareholders Association of Nigeria, (TSAN), and Proactive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, (PROSAN), have called on the National Assembly through its committee on capital market to invite the Acting Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, (SEC), Abdul Zubair, to explain why the forensic audit on Oando discontinued since the sack of the former Director General, Munir Gwarzo.
Addressing journalist during a peaceful rally to the National Assembly, the Chairman of TSAN, Mukhtar Mukhtar, said the shareholders resolved to demand the continuation of the forensic audit because the management of Oando had the backing of the SEC’s DG, which was the reason why the audit was discontinued. Read more
Fallout of free trade deal: Nigeria may lose $25b Afreximbank investment
Indications are that Nigeria may be schemed out of the $25billion investment opportunities extended to African countries by the The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
This development is coming on the heels of Nigeria’s refusal to sign the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) during the last Extra Ordinary summit by African heads of states in Kigali, Rwanda. Read more
CBN, commercial banks to bring 60m Nigerians into financial space (DailyTrust)
Last week, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), commercial banks, licensed mobile money operators and super agents reached an agreement to fund the expansion of a shared agent network to deepen financial inclusion in Nigeria.
The agreement entails an aggressive rollout of 500,000-agent network within two years to offer basic financial services such as cash-in, cash-out, funds transfer, bill payments, airtime purchase, government disbursements, as well as remote enrollment on BMS Infrastructure (BVN) to an estimated 50 million Nigerians that are currently under-banked or unbanked. Read more
How Joshua added WBO belt to WBA, IBO & IBF titles (Nation)
In what could be described as a sweet victory from a hard earned bout, Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua on Sunday emerged the clear winner to add the WBO heavyweight belt to his WBA, IBO and IBF titles.
The Nigerian born professional boxer defeated Joseph Parker at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in the heavyweight unification bout with a unanimous points verdict. Read more
Moses will be Eagles’ star at World Cup, Rohr insists (Guardian)
Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr is backing Chelsea dazzler Victor Moses to be Nigeria’s star man at the 2018 World Cup, saying he can make a difference during the tournament in Russia.
Moses was in scintillating form for Nigeria in the World Cup qualifiers, finishing as their top scorer with three goals, and was arguably the best player on parade during the recent friendlies against Poland and Serbia. Read more
Ibra-mania as Zlatan’s double seals Galaxy fightback (Guardian)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his arrival in Major League Soccer with two goals on his debut including an injury-time winner as the Los Angeles Galaxy fought back from three goals down to beat Los Angeles FC 4-3 on Saturday.
Ibrahimovic — who only arrived in California on Thursday — lashed home an imperious volley from 40 yards just six minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute to make it 3-3 at the StubHub Center. Read more