Latest News in Nigeria Today 1st February 2019

Latest News in Nigeria Today: Presidency Explains Why Buhari Told Imo People to Vote According to Their Conscience and Anambra Trader Leaves N12.5m Tramadol in Garri. Read iDonsabi for full details.

1. Onnoghen’s CCT Trial Must Continue – Appeal Court

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on Wednesday, cleared the way for the Federal Government to open its case against suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

The appellate court, refused to stop further proceedings on the charges leveled against him.

It ordered the CCT, which adjourned the hearing of the matter on Monday indefinitely to wait for the Appeal Court ruling, to entertain the suit and ensure fast hearing.

2. Labour AWaits Senate Approval of N30,000 Minimum Wage

The members of the House of Representatives, have at their Tuesday sitting set the new National Minimum Wage as N30,000.

Labour now awaits the Senate for it to agree with the House of Representatives. Once the Senate passes the N30,000 minimum wage Act into law, both chambers will check if there are differences before returning the act to the president for assent.

3. Wike Urges Nigerians Not to Vote for APC

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has urged Nigerians to put a stop to governance based on blame-trading which President Muhammadu Buhari has accrued on the nation since 2015.

Wike said that the ability to perform should be the principal factor for the citizens to vote any candidate.

According to Wike, the APC Presidential candidate, Buhari has not done anything to merit a second term.

4. Pregnant Woman, Driver, Six vehicles Burn in Lagos Tanker Explosion

An unidentified pregnant woman and a driver were burnt beyond recognition on Wednesday, after a truck loaded with 33,000 litres of petroleum product somersaulted and exploded while trying to maneuver a failed portion of the expressway at Barracks Bus Stop, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, spilling its content on the road and igniting.

Seven other victims also sustained varying degrees of burns and were rushed to the hospital immediately. Also extirpated were six vehicles and goods worth several millions of naira.

5. PDP Former National Financial Secretary Joins APC

Mr Bolaji Anani, a former National Financial Secretary of the PDP, and his supporters have defected to APC.

They said their defection was to join hands in the move to ensure President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.

The President on Wednesday received them at the APC Presidential Campaign Rally that took place inside the U.J Esuene Stadium in Calabar.

6. Police Deny Report of Bandits Holding Residents Hostage and Hoisting Flags in Katsina Villages

The Katsina State Police Command has denied an online report that armed bandits are holding residents hostage and waving their flags in five villages in Faskari Local government area of the state.

The Command’s Spokesperson, SP Gambo Isah on Wednesday urged the people to disregard the report which he described as fallacy and baseless.

ALSO READ: Terrorists, Kidnappers Use Technology to Evade Justice

7. I Will Investigate The Military Hierarchy says Atiku

The PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said that his government would investigate the military hierarchy as a way of curbing the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, if elected.

He said this at a town hall meeting tagged: ‘’The Candidates”, organised by the MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with NTA and DARIA media on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that his government would not hold back in dealing with any senior officer who failed in his duty after being adequately funded by his government.

8. Presidency Explains Why Buhari Told Imo People to Vote According to Their Conscience

The Presidency on Wednesday said that President Buhari’s advice to the people of  State to vote according to their conscience was because of the mixed crowd that attended his presidential campaign rally in Owerri, the state capital.

The Presidency also explained that President Buhari would always support all candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, on which platform he is aspiring re-election in the February 16 election.

9. Naira Now N360.5 in Parallel Market

The Naira on Wednesday appreciated to N360.5 per dollar in the parallel market. According to the live exchange rate platform of the Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), the parallel market exchange dropped to N360.5 per dollar from N361.5 per dollar on Tuesday.

Similarly, the naira, on Wednesday, appreciated slightly by 2 kobo in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window even as the volume of dollars traded rose by 161 percent.

READ ALSO: We Are Placing Nigeria on Global Map Of Sugar Producers – Dangote

10. Anambra Trader Leaves N12.5m Worth of Tramadol in Garri

A yet-to-be identified Onitsha-based trader has abandoned a substance suspected to be tramadol hidden in five bags of garri on sighting officers of NAFDAC as the bags were being seized.

The Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, stated that the substance was concealed in five bags of garri while speaking at the inauguration of the NAFDAC-Young Against Drug Abuse Awareness campaign and stakeholders’ meeting in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Wednesday.

11. Nigerian Students Threaten to Disrupt Polls During 2019 Elections

Tertiary institution students have threatened to disorganize the general elections if the Federal Government fails to settle issues with ASUU and end the ongoing strike before the polls. The group said they would also mobilize their members to boycott the polls.

The students stated this on Wednesday during a protest march through the Niger Bridge Head in Onitsha, Anambra State.

12. INEC Releases Gov, State Assembly List, Zamfara State Not Inclusive

The Independent National Electoral Commission has released Governor’s, state assembly but however stoped the All Progressives Congress from presenting candidates for the forthcoming general elections in Zamfara state.

INEC which had earlier said it would release the final list on Thursday , however, said the status quo has not changed.

On the whole, there are 1, 066 candidates for the governorship elections, 14, 583 for the State Assembly elections and 806 for the FCT Area Council elections broken down into 105 Chairmanship candidates and 701 councillorship candidates.

13. Pro-Ambode Groups Storm Lagos Assembly Complex in Protests

The face-off between Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State and state legislators took a new turn, on Wednesday, after protesters stormed the House of Assembly in defence of the governor.

The protesters vowed to sternly resist the alleged plot to force Governor Ambode out of power before his May 29, 2019 exit date.

The lawmakers  had two days earlier threatened to impeach Governor Ambode if he fails to explain allegations of financial misappropriation within seven days.

14. Police Arrest Woman For Stealing 5-Day-Old Twin Babies

One 35-year-old Dorothy Sunday was arrested by the detectives of Central Police Station, Nnewi, Anambra State for stealing a five-day-old twin baby boy.

SP Haruna Mohammed, the Public Relations Officer, Anambra State Police Command, in a statement on Thursday, said the woman was arrested at 5.30p.m. on Wednesday.

The police spokesman said that luck ran out of the suspect when nurses at the hospital gate saw her in a suspicious manner and raised alarm which led to her arrest.

15. INEC to Provide Alternative Voting Centres in Yobe

INEC, in Yobe state said it would provide an alternative voting centres for areas identified as inaccessible due to Boko Haram insurgency. This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Ahmad Makama, during a stakeholders’ forum meeting at the commission’s headquarters in Damaturu.

The REC said that alternative voting centres became expedient after security operatives confirmed that 24 voting areas in Gujba, Gulani and Gaidam local government areas were unsafe for elections.

16. NFF Urge Flying Eagles to Win U-20 AFCON to Douse Political Tension

The Flying Eagles have been charged to help in easing the prevailing political tension that is ravaging the country by winning the 2019 edition of the Africa U-20 Nations Cup in Niamey, Niger Republic.

The General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr. Muhammed Sanusi addressed the players ahead of their departure on Thursday for Niamey for the championship which will kick off on Saturday, February 2, telling them that if they win the competition, they would have helped douse the political tension in the country.

 

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