Newspapers Review

Read today's newspaper headlines [Thursday, January 28, 2016]

Read today's newspaper headlines [Thursday January 28, 2016]

Punch Newspaper

Business Day Newspaper

Meemee brings you front page stories from Nigeria’s leading newspapers on a day-to-day basis.

Find out what is making headlines all over the country from the covers of The Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian and more.

For today, Thursday, January 28, 2016:

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

$2.1bn arms deal, others: Why I won’t speak on probes now —Jonathan

GENEVA—A confident looking former President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday in Switzerland  gave a robust defence of his administration and stated why he would not comment on the current arms probe scandal allegedly involving his National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, and some top politicians in the country.

Obasanjo writes Saraki, Dogara, accuses NASS members of corruption, greed, impunity

ABUJA—Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has lambasted members of both arms of the National Assembly, accusing them of greed, impunity and corruption. Obasanjo, whose accusation was contained in a January 13, 2016, letter addressed to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, lamented that the lawmakers had failed to show understanding, in view of the present economic situation in the country, caused by a crash in the price of crude oil in the international market. 

Jubilation in Rivers as S-Court upholds Wike’s election

ABUJA — The Supreme Court has upheld the outcome of the April 11, 2015 governorship election that brought Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to power. The apex court in a unanimous judgment, restored the declaration of Wike as the valid winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. 

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THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Saraki keeps mum as Obasanjo attacks N’Assembly members

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has accused members of the National Assembly of corruption and extravagant wastage of the nation’s resources despite the harsh economic reality confronting the nation.Obasanjo stated this in a letter addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mr. Yakubu Dogara, dated January 13 but received at the Senate registry on January 18.

Metuh’s firm had N6.6m balance before Dasuki’s N400m

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday called an employee of Diamond Bank, Eno-Mfon Effiong, as its fourth witness in the ongoing trial of the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, on charges of money laundering and fraudulent receipt of N400m from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November 2014.

I won’t speak on arms scandal now – Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says he cannot speak on the current $2.1bn arms scam now because the matter is in court. A former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, and others are currently standing trial for their alleged role in the scam. Jonathan, however, said in due time, he would tell his own side of the story. 

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THE GUARDIAN

You are corrupt, Obasanjo tells lawmakers

NIGERIA’S former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has taken a swipe at the current set of legislators in the Senate and House of Representatives, saying that they have not shown sensitivity to the nation’s economy downturn. Yesterday too, President Muhammadu Buhari asked the NASS to urgently amend the Money Laundering Act, by increasing the penalty for the crime. 

Female suicide bombers kill 15 in Chibok market

TWO suspected Boko Haram female suicide bombers yesterday attacked Chibok market in Borno State with their strapped Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), killing 15 people. More than 30 other traders were also injured. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Isuku Victor confirmed the attack.

Yahaya Bello sworn in as Kogi governor without deputy

FOR 40-year-old Yahaya Adoza Bello, the road to the Kogi State Government House was paved with lucky breaks. His fortuitous journey began with the death of Abubakar Audu who had already won a substantial part of the governorship election. A crowd unprecedented in the annals of the state yesterday witnessed his swearing-in as governor at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja, the state capital. 

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THE NATION NEWSPAPER

Obasanjo accuses Senators, Reps of reckless spending

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has asked Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara to open the financial records of the National Assembly since 1999 for external bodies. Besides, Obasanjo said that the National Assembly should also have the courage to publish its recurrent budgets for the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 for transparency and accountability.

Supreme Court okays Wike, Amosun, Umahi

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the elections of three governors. Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi were cleared by the apex court to continue in office. The court, in three unanimous judgments in the appeals filed by Wike, his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), set aside the concurrent judgments of the Rivers State governorship election and the Court of Appeal, Abuja.

Crisis in PDP as Gulak ‘takes over’

There was tension yesterday at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat as Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, a former political adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, declared himself the national chairman. Gulak, who arrived at the secretariat at about 1.45 pm, was accompanied by a horde of supporters, including former presidential spokesman Dr. Doyin Okupe.

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Business Day

PFAs position to take advantage of PenCom’s informal sector push

Pension Fund Administrators (PFA’s) in the country are working out ways to expand the scope of their micro pension contribution packages to include informal sector workers, as the National Pension Commission (PenCom) prepares to unveil a framework under which millions of informal sector employees can be captured in the new Pension Reform Act.

Capital controls no longer taboo as emerging markets battle flight

When Haruhiko Kuroda, governor of the Bank of Japan, suggested last week that China should use capital controls to support its currency, it was as if he had broken a taboo. Asked if she approved, Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, sitting with Mr Kuroda on a panel at the World Economic…

Motorists to pay fuel levy, road licence fees as revenues fall

In a proposed piece of legislation before the Senate, the Federal Government is seeking to make citizens begin to pay some road user-related charges like fuel levies and road licence fees, in a desperate move to shore up already low revenues.