Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers
1. The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Senator Dino Melaye, has finally surrendered to the Police after eight-day siege to his Abuja residence.
The lawmaker, who surrendered to the police on Friday was rushed to a police clinic in Garki Area 1 of Abuja, after he was arrested and taken to SARS Headquarters.
2. President Muhammadu Buhari has lambasted the opposition over their reaction to the appointment of Mrs Amina Zakari by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its Head of Collation Centre for the 2019 elections.
He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued their baseless accusations regarding Zakari, accusing her of partiality and casting doubts about her integrity as an electoral commissioner.
3. The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has urged politicians and parties to focus more on how to realise their electoral goals in 2019 rather than paying attention to unnecessary issues.
Lagos State Chairman of IPAC, Mallam Shakirudeen Olofin, who gave the advice, however, maintained that the criticisms that had trailed Zakari’s appointment were unneccessary and mere distractions.
4. Some lecturers at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) under the auspices of LAUTECH Alumnus Lecturers on Thursday defied the directive from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), LAUTECH branch, to continue with the ongoing industrial action.
The union argued that LAUTECH was part of the national struggle of the union and it is not ready to call off the strike until the strike is over at the national level.
5. Former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, has dragged his successor, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Barafawa wants the anti-graft agency to investigate Wamakko, over N13b he allegedly left behind for him in government’s coffers.
6. The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Mr Ayuba Wabba, has said that the organised Labour believed in social dialogue in resolving industrial relations.
According to him, the Labour discussed all the issues bothering on the National minimum wage, adding that process was inconclusive.
7. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved N161 billion for the 2019 Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Intervention activities in Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The Executive Secretary, TETFund, Dr Abdullahi Baffa, who made the disclosure in Abuja on Friday at a news conference with journalists, explained that the approval of TETFund 2018 Intervention Guidelines of N161 billion represented the education tax collection for 2017, which was a boost to the higher education institutions in the country.
8. Omololu S. Bishi has been appointed as the new Commissioner of Police in Benue State Command.
Bishi, who assumed duty on January 3, 2019, took over from CP. Ene Okon, fdc, after a brief handing/taking over ceremony at the Police Headquarters.
9. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Idris Ibrahim, on Friday, visited the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he was reported to have met behind closed-doors with President Muhammadu Buhari.
The IGP, who was reported to have clocked 35 years in service of the Nigeria Police Force on Jan. 3, was sighted dressed in his official uniform moving straight towards the president’s office.
10. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), is set to release no fewer than 179 reports on different sectors of the economy this year.
According to the 2019 tentative data release calendar posted on the bureau’s Website, the NBS is expected to release 47 data in the first quarter.
