Index to Nigerian Newspapers

Anointed candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the elections for National Assembly leadership positions in Abuja. Senator Godswill Akpabio became President of the Senate with 63 votes, defeating Senator Abdulaziz Yari's 46. Senator Jibrin Barau was elected Deputy President unopposed. In the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas emerged as Speaker with 353 votes, while Benjamin Kalu secured the Deputy Speaker position. The elections adhered to the party's zoning arrangement, with Akpabio representing the South-South and Abbas the North-West. President Bola Tinubu congratulated the elected officials and emphasized the importance of cooperation between the executive and legislature for effective governance, warning of potential challenges ahead. The election process was described as free and fair, fostering a collegial atmosphere among senators.

The All Progressives Congress on Thursday slammed the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, for criticising the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which upheld President Bola Tinubu’s election and the electoral process. This happened as Atiku and Obi attacked the Independent National Electoral Commission over its conduct of the polls. The five-member tribunal had nullified the petitions of Atiku and Obi in the 12-hour judgment delivered on Wednesday. However, speaking on the development during a press conference at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, Atiku said his belief that the PEPC’s judgment left a lot to be desired convinced him to direct his legal team to approach the Supreme Court for redress. The former vice president slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission for poor management of the last general elections which he said the judiciary had a duty to redress. The LP presidential candidate, Obi, has similarly criticised Wednesday’s judgment of the PEPT. The ex-Anambra State governor averred that it was “not conterminous” with justice, adding that everything about the presidential election was not yet over. He insisted the matter had not yet reached its logical conclusion.

The Federal Government said the platform presented by the ASUU as its preferred alternative to the integrated perssonnel and payroll information system know as UTAS has failed.

The National Economic Council has confirmed that a $3bn emergency loan-for-crude oil secured in August will be used to stabilize the naira, which has been fluctuating in the Investors & Exporters' window and worsened in the parallel market. The loan will enable the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to settle taxes and royalties in advance and provide the Federal Government with dollar liquidity.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has initiated talks with President Bola Tinubu on the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, who has been in detention since 2021 following his re-arrest in Kenya. After a private meeting with Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, talked about the release of Nnamdi Kanu. And we basically identified with that. We’ve banned sit-at-home on Mondays in Enugu. Need to, ” he emphasised. In terms of growing our economy from the current levels to $30bn. Which we believe partnering with the Federal Government,.

The Federal Government may incur additional N315bn in wage bill in the next six months for the newly introduced allowance for federal workers. This came as Organised Labour agreed to suspend its proposed nationwide strike for 30 days, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government after a marathon meeting that ended around 11pm on Tuesday. Announcing the outcome of the meeting to State House correspondents, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, said “The NLC and TUC accept to suspend for 30 days the planned Indefinite Nationwide strike scheduled to begin, Tuesday, the 3rd of October, 2023.” Lalong said the memorandum shall be filed with the relevant court of competent jurisdiction within one week as consent judgment by the Federal Government. According to the agreement, the Federal Government grants a wage award of N35,000 only to all Federal Government workers “beginning from the month of September pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.” The agreement further read in part, “A minimum wage committee shall be inaugurated within one month from the date of this agreement.

30 days after assuming office, President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies and reforms have attracted both praise and criticism from home and abroad. However, the most vulnerable Nigerians only hear hardship as Renewed Hope risks morphing into despair, STEPHEN ANGBULU writes. The discontinuance of petrol subsidy and the unified exchange rate have attracted the praise of many multilateral organisations, foreign investors and Nigerians comfortable enough to bear the combined consequences of these policies. For most citizens, however, the past 30+ days have been a via dolorosa, even as the promised palliatives meant to cushion the aftershocks remain yet elusive. As more citizens sink into multidimensional poverty, the F.G. and Organised Labour are yet to finalise the various scopes of intervention. At the last meeting between both parties at the Presidential Villa on June 19, the F.G. said it had set up a steering committee to consider the various demands of the Organised Labour to produce a workable framework in eight weeks, that is, by August 14.

Banditry persisted across several Nigerian states despite intensified military operations, with 20 people abducted in Kwara and Kano between Monday night and Tuesday morning. This occurred shortly after 38 worshippers kidnapped from a church in Eruku, Kwara State, were freed through a non-kinetic operation involving the DSS and military, which the Presidency said did not involve ransom payment. In Kebbi State, 24 abducted schoolgirls regained freedom after federal intervention. However, a new attack in Isapa, Kwara, saw about 10–11 residents including a pregnant woman, nursing mothers and children kidnapped by heavily armed bandits who fired indiscriminately through the community. President Bola Tinubu ordered a comprehensive security cordon and expanded Air Force surveillance across forests in Kwara, Kebbi and Niger. Police and local vigilantes have launched search-and-rescue operations as fear spreads across affected communities. Similar overnight attacks in Kano saw 10 villagers abducted, while a church crusade in Nasarawa was disrupted by bandits.

The National Deputy President of the Trade Union Congress, Tommy Etim, has criticized the Federal Government's attempt to prevent the Organised Labour from launching an indefinite nationwide strike. Etim stated that labour leaders would not be threatened and would be willing to face imprisonment for their fight for better lives for Nigerian workers.

Organised Labour has issued a two-week deadline to governors to commence negotiations on the N35,000 wage award for workers in their states in line with the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Federal Government, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

The state chapters of the NLC and TUC, which handed down the ultimatum on Tuesday, said they had written to the governors to fast-track the necessary protocols and implement the award meant to assuage the subsidy removal pains. The unions pointed out that the deadline for payment of the wage award would expire in the next two weeks, and they asked the governors to begin the implementation process.

This came as President Bola Tinubu Tuesday inaugurated the N1tn cash transfer programme to 15 million households to cushion the economic shocks of the fuel subsidy.

Each household will receive N25,000 for three months. With 15 million households getting  N25,000 each for three months, about  N1.13tn will be spent on the programme. At the event, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, said about 61 million Nigerians would benefit from the cash transfer.

The national leadership of the NLC and TUC had on October 1 reached an agreement with the FG to pay N35,000 to all federal workers beginning from September, pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.

The resolution provided that the wage award would be paid to the federal workers for six months while states were encouraged to extend the same benefit to their workers.

About 100 top officers including Generals, Brigadier Generals, Air Vice Marshals, and Admirals in the Nigerian Army, Navy and Airforce may proceed on compulsory retirement following the appointment of new service chiefs on monday by President Tinubu. aside from the imminent gale of retirement, many officers would be promoted to thier next rank to fill the vacancies that would be created by the retiring generals as part of the reorganisation of the services of the new service chiefs. Tinubu announced the immediate retirement of General Lucky Irabor, Chief of Defense Staff, Lt.General Farouk Yahaya Chief of Army Staff, Vice Admiral awwal gambo Chief of Naval Staff and Air Marshal Oladayo Amoo Chief of Air Staff and replaced them with new military chiefs. The new chiefs are Major General Christopher Musa Chief of Defense Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja Chief of Army Staff, Real Admiral Emmauel Ogalla Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar Chief of Air Staff. DIG Kayode Egbetokun was appointed Inspector General of Police. 

President Bola Tinubu sent a delegation to Libya and Algeria to address the Niger Republic crisis, where a military junta overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum. The delegation will meet with the Niger coup leaders to present demands from ECOWAS leadership. Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar called for diplomatic engagement to resolve the crisis, recommending the sub-regional body not to take military action against the coupists.

The newly-appointed and confirmed Service Chiefs, pledged the loyalty of the Nigerian Armed Forces to the government, saying, “We will go wherever we are ordered, whether by air, sea or land. We will ensure that Nigeria is projected in good light.” They made the pledge shortly after being decorated with their new ranks by President Bola Tinubu at the ceremony that took place at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The new Service Chiefs, whose nominations were confirmed by the Senate on July 13, are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla. Speaking on their behalf after being decorated, the CDS, Musa, expressed their commitment to safeguarding the security and defence of the nation in their respective positions. “Our appointment is a clear manifestation of the confidence reposed in us and recognition of our humble abilities to deliver for our dear nation. We pledge to carry out our duties with utmost dedication and full loyalty,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian leader called on ECOWAS to “stand firm on democracy, ” declaring that, concerted actions. He called for collective action from member-states, pledging that under his leadership, frameworks would be harmonised to actualise the dreams of ECOWAS. Revealed this in a statement he signed on Sunday titled, ’ According to the statement, who accepted the honour on behalf of Nigeria, He also warned on terrorism and the emerging pattern of coup detat in west africa had reached alarming levels and demanded urgent concerted actions

President Bola Tinubu, “With the signing of the constitutional amendment bill, ” a statement signed by the State House Director of Information, The statement was titled, as amended, 2023’ presented by the outgoing 9th National Assembly, While signing the amendment bill into law, Tinubu pledged his administration’s dedication to strengthening the judiciary, ensuring the rule of law, and empowering judicial officers to execute their responsibilities effectively.. 

The new law extends the retirement age of high court judges from 65 to 70 years