Today's Headlines: Kaduna gov orders probe into mosque killing; No minister under me had the power to approve over N25m without my consent – Obasanjo

GLatestSeptember 3, 2023

3 minutes read

Kaduna gov orders probe into mosque killing

Photo Credit: Punch

The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, on Sunday, directed the police to investigate the bandits’ attack on Saya-Saya village in Ikara Local Government Area of the state, which led to the killing of seven worshippers in a mosque.

This was contained in a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mohammed Lawal Shehu, released in Kaduna on Sunday.

Sani, while describing the killing as wicked and barbaric, vowed that the government would not rest on its oars until peace was restored in all parts of the state.

He said, “We understand the concerns and anxieties of the residents of Ikara, in particular, and Kaduna State, in general. Your safety and security are our top priorities, and we want to reassure you that we are working tirelessly to maintain peace and stability.

“We encourage the public to remain calm and vigilant during this period. We also call upon all residents to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and provide any relevant information that could assist in the ongoing investigation.”

No minister under me had the power to approve over N25m without my consent – Obasanjo

Photo Credit: Vanguard

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said no member of his cabinet had the authority to approve more than N25 million without his consent when he was leading the country between 1999 and 2007.

Obasanjo said this in an exclusive interview with TheCable, while challenging the former minister of power and steel, Olu Agunloye, where he got the authority to award $6 billion contract to Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd in respect of the Mambilla Hydropower Project in 2003.

Sunrise Power is currently in arbitration with Nigeria at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Paris, France, over an alleged breach of contract by the federal government.

In the first arbitration, Sunrise demanded a compensation of $2.3 billion, claiming it had spent millions of dollars on financial and legal consultants before the contract was jettisoned.

In the second one, the company asked for a $400 million settlement being the terms of the agreement it entered with the federal government in 2020 to end the arbitration.

Govs Want President to Honour Agreement on Stamp Duties

Photo Credit: Thisday

The 36 state governors have resolved to demand for the payment of stamp duties from President Bola Tinubu’s administration in line with their agreement with former President Muhammadu Buhari, THISDAY has learnt.THISDAY gathered from sources close to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) that barring any unforeseen circumstances, the governors will, in their next meeting, make a formal request to President Tinubu’s administration for the payment of the stamp duties said to have accumulated to trillions of naira.The governors argued that the trillions of naira that have accumulated from the payment of stamp duties would cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal better than the “token” being given to the states by the federal government as palliatives.

Some of the governors, it was learnt, have also threatened to reopen the case at the Supreme Court, if the federal government fails to honour the commitment of the immediate past administration.The Attorneys-General of the 36 states of the federation had in September 2021 dragged the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), before the Supreme Court over the failure of the federal government to remit the funds generated from stamp duties into state accounts.

FG to meet NLC on Monday ahead of two-day warning strike

Photo Credit: The Cable

In its desperate effort to avert the Nigeria Labour Congress’ warning strike scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, the Federal Government says it is ready to meet with the labour union on Monday.

However, the labour union said there was no going back on the two-day warning strike, even as it affirmed that it remained open to negotiations with the government despite breaking its previous promises.

Already, some state chapters of the NLC said they were ready to proceed with the strike, while some others said their executive committee would meet on Monday as a precursor to the strike.

The NLC had in a communiqué jointly signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, and National Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, on Friday said the decision to go on nationwide strike followed the failure of the President Bola Tinubu-led government to dialogue with organised labour on efforts to cushion the effects of the removal of petrol subsidy on the “poor masses”.

The union accused the Federal Government of abandoning negotiations and failing to implement some of the resolutions from previous engagements with the government.