Breaking News in Nigeria Today 1 January 2019

US Government on Sutdown, US Embassy on Halt and JAMB Question for GEJ. Continue reading iDonsabi News for more..

1. Army Ready for Battle to Reclaim Baga Town

Troops are preparing to launch a battle to retake the Baga town captured by Boko Haram.

The jihadists established full control over Baga town after overrunning a naval base, forcing Naval personnel to flee to the Chadian side of the border.

Contrary to the military’s claim that the insurgents have already been chased out of Baga, the fleeing residents and security sources has refuted the claim.

Monguno residents have reported seeing 40 military trucks carrying troops, and armoured vehicles from Borno state capital Maiduguri and arrived late Sunday at the garrison town of Monguno.

A military source has also revealed that it is a marching order from the highest quarters to troops to get Baga back from Boko Haramwho have now occupied the town.

2. PDP VP Slot should have gone to South-West

A PDP state governor has warned that PDP might lose the 2019 presidential election if it fails to address the concerns of party leaders over issues he said were drawing the campaigns back.

He stated that “People believe that we should have instead given the South-west the vice presidency and make a commitment to hand over power to the South-east after an Atiku presidency.”

He said party leaders are saying they should have sat down to do a proper calculation on where the running mate should come from, whether from the South-west or the South-east.

3. US Government on Shut Down, US Embassy on Halt

The US embassy in Nigeria has announced a closure of its Lagos and Abuja offices due to the ongoing government shutdown in the US.

The closure will affect thousands seeking to apply for, or renew their visas, as their appointments would have to be rescheduled. In a post on its official Facebook page, the embassy said the both offices would re-open once the shutdown is resolved.

4. Jamb Question for Former President Goodluck Jonathan

A Nigerian whose identity could not be ascertained from the letter he wrote has written a supposed letter to former President Goodluck Jonathan to ask him what he supposedly said was an important question.

The Questioner went ahead to ask the former president, “did Alamieyeseigha lie when he said that the Chelsea Hotel, in Abuja, did not belong to him, as EFCC charged, but that he actually bought it for the Bayelsa state government?”

According to the Letter Writer, it is thought-provoking that such a hotel could have belonged to Bayelsa State Government and GEJ did nothing to retrieve it when he was Vice-President, Acting-President and President.

The Questioner said that appeared strange, very strange.

5. Tinubu Speaks on 2019 Election, Buhari’s Re-Election Bid

Former Lagos Governor and APC, national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday asked Nigerians to choose path of progress in 2019 as against going backwards to the past that has not helped the nation.

In the New Year message he personally signed, the APC leader said Nigerians must enter 2019 and see it as a new day for the country.

According to the APC Chieftain, “Just as 2018 must turn into 2019; we must also continue to move forward, as time cannot proceed backward. Or should we?” He had asked.

6. Abridged Text of Buhari’s New Year Message to Nigerians

President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed Nigerians into the New Year. He has assured Nigerians that the year 2019 will be significant for the country.

Excerpts from the message:

According to the President, Nigerians are a religious people, and we believe that God reigns and rules in the affairs of men.

Secondly, 2019 will be an election year for us. “In about two months, the polls are due, and we will elect leaders into various offices, at national and state levels”.

Those who continue to trumpet falsehood and negativity are on their own, fighting a losing battle.

He went on to say that we have had our challenges: security, economic, political, and social. But we are resolved to combat and overcome them all.

Lastly, he said the New Year provides opportunity for renewal of commitment, and he invites Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the vision of a Nigeria that works for all.

7. NLC’s Minimum Wage Implementation Deadline Expires

Unless any last minute change happens, the nation’s economy may witness total shutdown, following the inability of the Federal Government to adhere with the December 31, 2018, deadline by organized labour for the commencement of the implementation process of the N30, 000 new minimum wage.

Organised labour had through Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, the Trade Union Congress, TUC, and United Labour Congress, ULC, in a meeting in Lagos, gave the Federal Government December 31, 2018, deadline to forward a bill for the N30,000 new Minimum Wage to the National Assembly, failure of which labour would shutdown the nation’s economy.

However, the government was yet to heed to this ultimatum and has not forwarded any executive bill to the National Assembly.

8. We Wish to Pay N30, 000 Minimum Wage But Times Are Hard—NGF

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum said that governors would have loved to pay workers N30, 000 as national minimum wage but for the hard times.

Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, Head, Media and Public Affairs, NGF, said on Monday that the insinuations that governors were refusing to pay the N30, 000 national minimum wage as demanded was misleading.

He announced that the governors had offered workers a token increment of N22, 500 from the current N18, 000.

9. Obaseki Okays Multipurpose Production Centres in Edo To Boost Activities of MSMES

In a concerted effort to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state for increased productivity, the Edo State Government through its skills development platform, EdoJobs, with her development partners, are all set for the launch of the Edo Production Centre, a multipurpose, one-stop-shop for small businesses.

The centre is the brainchild of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration and will be managed in partnership with the Market Development for the Niger Delta (MADE) II programme, Benson Idahosa University (BIU) and the Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa, the United States of America.

10. Police Arrest 12 Suspected Kidnappers of Zamfara Twin Sisters

The Nigeria Police Force says it has arrested 12 suspects in connection with the kidnapping of twin sisters in Dauran Village in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara.

The suspects are: Nafiu Usman, 28, gang leader, Farouk Usman, Alhaji Ibrahim, Ibrahim Ibrahim, Kabiru Usman, 30,Salisu Wadata, Shehu Mohammed, Bala Garba, 60, and Awal Jibrin, 41, among orders.

The force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, disclosed this while addressing journalists the arrest on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Moshood said that items recovered from the suspects include: six AK 47 rifles, four magazines, 34 AK 47 live ammunition and four swords.

Mr Moshood said the suspects kidnapped Hassana and her twin sister, Hussaina Bala, 18, on Oct. 21 when they went to share their wedding invitations.

He said the suspects hadconfessed to the crime and admitted to the roles they had played in the kidnap.

Mr Moshood said the suspects also admitted collecting N15 million as ransom which they shared N500, 000 each before releasing their victims.

11. $5m Bribe? Obafemi Hamzat, a Blatant Liar – GEJ

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described the running mate to the APC governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Obafemi Hamzat, as a blatant liar and a “Nobody” who in 2015 had neither recognition nor political strength.

The former president’s reaction followed a claim by Hamzat that he rejected a $5million bribe from GEJ during the 2015 elections.

In a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, he said there is no better way to respond to the frivolous claim by Hamzat than to quickly dismiss it as a blatant lie obviously concocted by a desperate wannabe politician to gain votes in the elections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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