Nigerian newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Saturday morning

Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. The leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has been spotted in Jerusalem. Kanu was spotted in Jerusalem on Friday praying.

In a video which surfaced online, the IPOB leader could be seen in an Israeli outfit used for prayers while holding a book believed to be a bible. A voice at the background confirms Kanu was well and alive and still pushing for Biafra’s breakaway.

2. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has unveiled his new queen. He made the announcement Thursday night on his Instagram handle. The monarch who praised his heartthrob, expressed his love for the new bride. The Ooni’s palace has equally confirmed that the Ooni has picked a new queen who goes by the name Shilekunola Moronke Naomi. The new queen is said to be a prophetess.

3. President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he holds former President, Goodluck Jonathan in high esteem for accepting defeat in 2015. Buhari said that for that singular act, Jonathan will always remain in his mind. The president spoke on Thursday night when he hosted members of the Kannywood entertainment industry to a dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

4. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has distanced himself from an online grant scheme meant to defraud Nigerians. An online scheme code-named ‘Atiku Grant Disbursement Programme’ had surfaced online, asking members of the public to contribute a certain amount of money which will be multiplied. But reacting to the scheme, Atiku’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, APCO, urged members of the public to “discountenance” the scheme.

5. An activist lawyer, Femi Falana, has said that former President, Goodluck Jonathan was presiding over the country when $12.7 billion worth of crude oil was stolen from Nigeria.
Speaking at the 40th-anniversary celebration of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, in Abuja, on Thursday, the Human right lawyer said 60.2 million barrels of oil was stolen from Nigeria and nothing has been done about it up till date, even when the oil thieves have been identified.

6. Report by a section of the media that the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, had started opening up on allegations of corruption made against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been described as false and misleading. Fayose’s Media Aide, Lere Olayinka on Friday, said “no amount of sponsored media reports will change the fact that as at today, the EFCC does not have any evidence to prosecute the former governor in court.”

7. Director of Media of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has recalled how former Military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida complained to former President, Olusegun Obasanjo that Nigerians were suffering in 2002. Keyamo said that Obasanjo and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were trying to deceive young Nigerians by telling them that there was no suffering during their tenure.

8. A former New Media Director fo the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Deji Adeyanju, has said the greatest weakness of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu was his love for money. Adeyanju said this while reacting to the re-emergence of Kanu in Jerusalem, on Friday, saying if his plan was to call for suspension of elections in the South East in 2019, then it will become obvious that he is working for some people. Adeyanju alleged Kanu may be broke and would want to raise some fund with his new game.

9. A Lagos civil rights movement, Save Lagos Group, SLG, has frowned at an alleged underground plan by the state House of Assembly to impeach the Governor of the State, Akinwumi Ambode. The group said it had concluded arrangement to picket the Lagos State House of Assembly over what it termed illegal impeachment process against Governor Ambode.

10. The Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said that the Organised Labour cannot fix a new minimum wage for the Federal Government. He said this while calling on the Organised Labour to accept the new minimum wage proposal considering the capacity and ability of the government and the private sector to pay. Ngige made the call when the new Director-General of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, Timothy Olawale, visited his office on Friday in Abuja.