Below are the headlines found on Newspaper for today, Tuesday, 31 October, 2017.
Tue, 31 Oct 2017
Prominent Nigerians and civil society groups have demanded the prosecution of the sacked Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and the former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke.
President Muhammadu Buhari sacked the two public officers on Monday. Before the sack, the President set up a panel headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to investigate allegations of financial impropriety levelled against the two.
The panel submitted its findings and recommendations about six months ago but the President despite public criticisms failed to act on the report. He, however, did on Monday by announcing their disengagement from service reportedly in line with the recommendations made by the panel, whose report has yet to be made public.
Reacting to the President’s action on Monday, notable Nigerians and groups said the sack was not enough, demanding more actions against the two.
Senior Advocates of Nigeria; the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose; the Peoples Democratic Party, the Ijaw Youth Congress, and civil society groups were among those that called on the President to take a more decisive action against the indicted officials.
Tue, 31 Oct 2017
A national leader of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Monday told journalists not to discuss the current clamour for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election with him.
Tinubu, who said this in an interview with State House correspondents shortly after meeting behind closed doors with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, also declared that there was no cabal in Buhari’s government.
When asked whether he agreed with different groups and individuals calling on Buhari to seek re-election in 2019, Tinubu simply responded, “Don’t discuss that one with me.”
He said his discussion with Buhari which was about the country and leadership was fruitful and productive.
Tinubu described the claims that he was not happy with the President because he had been allegedly sidelined by a cabal as fake news.
He said he had confidence in Buhari, hence, he did not have to be babysitting him.
The party chief however admitted that in democracy, there could be twists and turns as well as conflicts.
He said, “I have confidence in this President, there is no doubt about that. We worked hard to bring about the government. There are certain things that are unpredictable and those are things that can lend themselves to gossips, insinuations and all of that.
“But once you create leadership and it is functioning, you don’t have to babysit that leadership unless there is a loss of confidence and I don’t have that.
“You know me. I’m not known to shy away from saying my mind, rebelling if it is necessary and taking charge of things that I believe are necessary. What is the myth in this leadership thing? What is cabal? It is a myth.
“We are the party of the people for the people and by the people and this is a democratic environment. Each of us has roles to play and that is why we are playing it. I don’t believe in the myth, I believe in confidence building, the trust that we have in the President.
“In the journey of democracy, you are going to have twists and turns; you are going to have conflicts. Conflict resolution mechanisms is inbuilt on how you handle your party and the governance and the party are joined by the hips.”
Tue, 31 Oct 2017
Oladimeji Ramon The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has urged the Federal High Court in Lagos not to order the return of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, from the United Kingdom to Nigeria. The anti-graft agency described Diezanis prayer to be brought back to Nigeria as a ploy to escape justice.
Tue, 31 Oct 2017
Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja About N1tn gas flare penalty that is meant for communities in the Niger Delta is being withheld by the Federal Government, the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice, a civil society organisation, has alleged. According to CEPEJ, the Federal Government has refused to release the fund because the communities have been calm.
Tue, 31 Oct 2017
Peter Dada, Akure The Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, has denied the report that his administration has stopped free education for the students of public schools in the state. A communiqu issued at the end of the 2017 Ondo State Summit held in Akure, last week, had stated, as part of its 19 recommendations.
Tue, 31 Oct 2017
Olufemi Atoyebi, Ibadan The Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association in Oyo State, Dr. Mojisola Atalabi, on Monday, said that the exodus of medical staff and consultants had hit the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, over non-payment of salaries by the Oyo State Government.
Tue, 31 Oct 2017
Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja The Federal Inland Revenue Service said in Abuja on Monday that less than 15 million Nigerians were paying taxes. The Chairman, Joint Tax Board, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, who stated this, said that a large percentage of Nigerians were defaulting in tax remittances to the Federal Government.
Tue, 31 Oct 2017
Femi Makinde, Osogbo Some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State have flayed Governor Rauf Aregbesola over the increase in the contract sum of the states airport from N11bn to N69bn. A member of the PDP Caretaker Committee in Osun State, Mr. Bamidele Salam, in an interview with our correspondent in Osogbo
