Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 19th June 2024

1. Tinubu To Send Supplementary Budget To National Assembly

The Nigerian Senate has announced that it will receive the 2024 Supplementary budget from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approval after its resumption from recess on July 2.

Naija News reports that the supplementary budget, worth N6.6 trillion, is still being computed by the executive and will be sent to the National Assembly for consideration.

According to the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, the budget will be sent to the legislators after the Sallah recess, and it is expected to be a top priority for the National Assembly when it resumes in July.

Adaramodu confirmed to The PUNCH that the budget size is N6.6 trillion, which will be used to fund four transformational projects identified by the President.

2. Rivers Crisis: Fubara Convenes Security Meeting, Vows To Protect Supporters

In response to escalating political tensions in Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara convened a high-level security council meeting on Tuesday with heads of security agencies.

The closed-door session took place at the Government House in Port Harcourt, focusing on recent disturbances at local government secretariats and the overall security situation in the state.

Following the meeting, Governor Fubara addressed the press, outlining the discussions held with the security chiefs.

He emphasized that the primary agenda was to devise effective strategies to prevent further invasions of local government offices, ensuring the stability and continuity of governmental functions across the state.

The governor issued a stern warning to the immediate past council chairmen, advising them against nurturing any hopes of unlawfully returning to their previous positions.

Amid these preventive measures, Governor Fubara also expressed serious concerns regarding what he described as a plot by his political adversaries to target and arrest his supporters.

He declared a personal commitment to safeguarding these individuals, asserting, “Anyone attempting to make such arrests will have to confront me directly.”

Naija News understands that this comes amidst protests in Rivers State following the expiration of the tenure of local government chairmen.

3. ‘You Will Fall Like Candy In Kid’s Hand’- El-Rufai Tells Gov Sani

The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has responded to Governor Uba Sani, over the ongoing probe of his administration.

Naija News reported that the Kaduna State House of Assembly indicted El-Rufai and several of his aides for allegedly siphoning over N423 billion of the state’s resources from 2015 to 2023.

According to Daily Nigerian, El-Rufai, during a Sallah gathering with his associates, said he is unperturbed by the ongoing probe, stressing that Uba Sani’s administration may not succeed.

He also advised his associates to avoid engaging in a war of words with the governor’s aide, predicting that Sani would eventually fall off like candy in a kid’s hand after he is done prancing.

4. Governing Council: ASUU Can’t Tell Tinubu Those To Appoint – Obona-Obla

A former presidential aide, Okoi Obona-Obla, has stated that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is not in a position to dictate appointments to be made by President Bola Tinubu for the governing councils of tertiary institutions in the country.

Obona-Obla said this against the background of the latest rejection of the fresh appointments made by President Tinubu into the governing board of public universities across the country.

Naija News recalls the national president of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, had voiced disappointment regarding the composition of the newly constituted governing councils for federal universities across Nigeria.

According to Prof Osodeke, the new list of council members is dominated by retired politicians rather than experts in academia or relevant fields.

Prof Osodeke further criticized the new list as being worse than its predecessor, indicating a regression rather than progress in the appointment policies.

But in his reaction, Obono-Obla said the federal government is not obliged to appoint only technocrats into the governing councils as the Constitution is clear about those who can be appointed into such positions by the President.

The former presidential aide argued that Tinubu is at liberty to appoint individuals who meet the constitutional requirement and the outcry by ASUU is totally misplaced.

5. Wike Should Remain In Abuja, Leave Fubara, Rivers Alone – Clark

A former Federal Commissioner for Information and a prominent leader in the South-South, Edwin Clark, has urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Nyesom Wike, to concentrate on his responsibilities in the nation’s capital and steer clear of political affairs in Rivers State.

During an interview with African Independent Television (AIT), which was part of the commemorations of his 97th birthday and a documentary celebrating his life and achievements, Clark accused former Rivers State Governor and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and his successors of fueling what he described as “politics of madness” in Rivers State.

The elder statesman, who also leads the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), emphasized the need to abolish godfatherism in Nigeria’s political scene.

He argued that the practice undermines the development and growth of democracy in the country. Clark expressed his disapproval of the prevalent political dynamics in Rivers State, highlighting the detrimental impact of personal ego clashes on state governance.

On the lack of efforts to reconcile Wike and the current Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, Clark questioned whether their issues warranted mediation, pointing out that the underlying conflict stems from egocentric motivations rather than genuine political disagreements.

Despite his strong opinions on the matter, Clark clarified his non-partisan stance toward Governor Fubara, admitting that he had never met him personally and was unfamiliar with even his physical appearance.

6. ‘It Is Disheartening To Hear You Mock Nigerians’ – Labour Party, Atiku Slam Tinubu

The Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has slammed President Bola Tinubu, over his recent statement that Nigerians were not the only ones suffering from poverty.

Naija News reports that the LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in an interview with Vanguard, accused Tinubu of mocking Nigerians with the statement.

He said the President needed to be reminded that he was in office to reduce, if not eliminate, poverty and not exacerbate it.

Ifoh urged Tinubu to halt the mockery and consider security, including the welfare of the populace, a priority.

Similarly, Atiku, while speaking through his Special Adviser, Paul Ibe, accused Tinubu of deepening the poverty in the country.

He further said President Tinubu and his administration are insensitive to the plight of the masses.

7. Inflation Rate Of 33.69% Not Alarming, Economic Conditions Improving – Presidency Assures Nigerians

The Nigerian Presidency believes the economy is getting better, even with the inflation rate climbing to 33.69%.

Naija News reports that the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a recent interview with Television Continental (TVC).

Onanuga mentioned that the month-to-month inflation rate has slightly decreased, showing a positive trend.

He also noted that food prices have been falling and are expected to continue declining nationwide, despite reports of a significant increase.

Onanuga stated that President Tinubu is diligently working to introduce measures to mitigate the impact of the federal government’s reforms on the populace.

The Presidency emphasized that the current economic issues were inherited, noting that inflation was already at 23.65% when President Tinubu took office.

8. Rotational Presidency Not Priority Now – Obi-Datti

The Spokesperson of the Peter Obi/Datti Baba-Ahmed Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, on Tuesday, said reforming the electoral process is much more needed now than the proposed single-tenure rotational presidency, to deepen democracy.

The former National Chairman of the defunct National Conscience Party (NCP), said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

He said reforming the electoral process would guarantee the emergence of credible leaders across all levels of government.

According to him, deepening democracy to guarantee the emergence of credible leaders should be one of the key things to consider in the ongoing process of amending the Constitution.

9. We Did Not Spend ₦1.5 Billion On Hotels For ILO Delegates – FG

The Presidency has debunked viral reports claiming that it sponsored 289 delegates to the just concluded International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference that held in Geneva, Switzerland.

It also rubbished claims the government spent ₦1.5bn on hotel accommodation and other logistics for the delegates.

Naija News understands that reports had indicated that Nigeria had the highest number of delegates at the ILO conference.

A list published on the website of the ILO also confirmed that the country had the largest delegation among the 187 countries represented at the event.

Brazil and Argentina emerged second and third behind Nigeria with 191 and 156 delegates, respectively.

However, speaking during an interview with Punch, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that not all the participants of the conference were sponsored by the government.

He stated that some individuals were there on their own.

10. ‘Purchasing New Aircraft For Tinubu And Shettima Is Of National Security’ – Reps Deputy Spokesperson

The Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has said the need for acquiring a new aircraft for President Bola Tinubu and the vice president, Kashim Shettima, is an issue of national security.

Naija News reports that the House of Reps had commenced the process of approving new aircraft for Tinubu and Shettima, which has sparked outrage among many Nigerians, especially when the country is struggling with economic hardship.

However, Agbese, in an interview with Arise TV, said the approval of the aircraft is of great importance to the well-being of the country.

The chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) added that Tinubu, as a first citizen of the country, needs to be protected like every other Nigerian.

That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.

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