TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY, SUNDAY

TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY, SUNDAY

 

SSANU, NASU Suspend Strike For Two Months

The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Education Institutions (NASU) have suspended their ongoing strike for two months.

SSANU National President, Muhammed Ibrahim, made this known in an interview on Saturday.

“Yes, we have suspended the strike for a period of two months,” Ibrahim told The Punch.

According to Channels Television, the associations suspended the nearly five-month strike action after meeting with the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, in Abuja on Friday.

The suspension which was announced on Saturday is expected to take effect from Wednesday.

Speaking at the meeting, the Education minister said the Federal Government has committed N50 billion to pay earned allowances for members of SSANU, NASU and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

SSANU and NASU had on March 27 declared a two-week warning strike.

By April 10, the unions extended the strike by another two weeks, citing the government’s failure to meet their demands.

Buhari Govt To Expose ‘Big Men’ Behind Illegal Oil Bunkering – Presidency

The Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government has promised to expose the identities of important individuals behind oil theft in the country.

This was made known on Saturday by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu.

He disclosed that security operatives had raided illegal oil bunkering locations to rid the country’s economy of sabotage by a greedy few.

According to the presidential aide, there might also be cases of some law enforcement agents engaging in the illegal act.

“Oil theft is being tackled. The big problem we have in this country is that we ought to see more commitment from communities in assisting law enforcement agents. In some cases, where some actors in the law enforcement are complicit, it becomes bad,” he told Trust TV.

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Wike Orders Arrest Of Atiku’s Ally In Rivers

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has ordered the arrest of Chinyere Igwe, an ally of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.

The order for Igwe’s arrest comes a day after his filling station in Port Harcourt was sealed by the state government.

Igwe, a member of the House of Representatives, is an ally of former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara.

Both Igwe and Opara are supporters of the PDP presidential flagbearer.

Speaking on the sealing of the filling station on Saturday, Wike claimed that the product from the filling station was gotten from illegal refineries popularly known as kpo-fire.

The governor, therefore, said his government will not tolerate oil bunkering.

We’re Not Involved In Oyetola’s Wife Convoy Attack – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has denied any involvement in the attack on the convoy of the state’s First Lady, Kafayat Oyetola.

The convoy was attacked on Friday at the Owode area of the state, and some of the First Lady’s aides sustained injuries.

But in a statement on Saturday, the spokesman of the Osun PDP, Oladele Bamiji, said Oyetola’s escort caused the attack after he beat up a truck driver whose vehicle blocked the road.

The party blamed the governor’s wife for covering up the irresponsible conduct of her escort who beat up a truck driver, leading to the attack on the convoy.

The statement read, “We are shocked to read this morning the futile attempt by the office of the outgoing First Lady to cover up the irresponsible conduct of her escort who beat up a truck driver at Owode, leading to public angry reactions against her entire convoy.

“According to eyewitness accounts, yesterday was Owode Ede market day and the road was expectedly crowded. A truck had developed a fault right in the middle of the road with the driver making efforts to get it to work.

“That was the point the First Lady’s convoy arrived at the scene and instead of helping to clear the traffic hold up , the security operatives around the First Lady pounced on the truck driver, beating him to a state of stupor.”

Shake Up As Buhari Approves Redeployment Of Nine Permanent Secretaries

Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has approved the deployment and redeployment of nine Permanent Secretaries.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), Folashade Yemi-Esan, made this known in a statement issued a circular on Friday.

The statement was signed by the Deputy Director, Communications, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mohammed Ahmed.

Ahmed stated that the handing over and taking over processes are expected to be completed on or before Friday, 26th August 2022, except for the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning Arm.

He said the fresh appointees deployed are Udo Okokon Ekanem, Service Policies and Strategy Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Jafiya Lydia Shehu, Ministry of Information and Culture; and Faruk Yusuf-Yabo, Special Duties Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

‘You’re His Enemies’ – Obasanjo Debunks Endorsing Tinubu, Sends Message To Supporters

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has denied endorsing the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Obasanjo disclosed the latest development on Saturday in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi.

This is coming amidst the claims that the former president endorsed Tinubu for the 2023 election following their closed-door meeting on Wednesday, in Ogun State.

Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, had revealed that what transpired during the meeting between Obasanjo and Tinubu was a sign of victory for APC in 2023.

Gbajabiamila made the statement on Thursday while speaking at the APC meeting in Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos

The Speaker, who was present at the closed-door meeting on Wednesday in Abeokuta, said from what he heard there, Tinubu’s presidency was almost a reality.

Oshiomhole Speaks On Relationship With Obaseki

A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has opened up about his relationship with the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki.

The former Governor of Edo disclosed that he shares a stronger bond wth his successor despite their frosty relationship.

Oshiomhole’s confession comes barely two years after he clashed with Obaski during the electioneering campaign for his second term ticket.

The feud consequently compelled Obaseki to defect from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party, despite efforts put up by some stakeholders to resolve their differences.

The governor, however, defeated Oshiomhole’s anointed candidate and the APC governorship flagbearer, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Despite the media war waged by the camps of Obaseki and Oshiomhole, both politicians were always on their best behaviour every time they ran into each at public functions.

In an interview with The PUNCH on Friday, Oshiomhole said Obaseki remained his close brother and friend, stressing that he has moved on.

PDP Internal Crisis Deserves More Attention Than Muslim-Muslim Ticket – APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked Nigerians to pay more attention to the internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP plunged into crisis after the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, overlooked Governor Nyesom Wike of River State and picked his Delta State counterpart, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate for the presidential election.

The Rivers governor, who came second in the party’s presidential primary, has refused to openly back the presidential ambition of Atiku.

Some top members of the party who are unhappy with the PDP leadership have also joined Wike in calling for the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, APC Spokesman, Felix Morka said the PDP is faced with a major crisis and attention should be paid to the party.

Morka accused the PDP of using the controversy of the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket fielded for the 2023 elections to distract Nigerians from their internal wranglings.

Gunmen Attack Osun First Lady’s Convoy

A convoy conveying the wife of Osun State Governor, Kafayat Oyetola, was reportedly attacked by suspected hoodlums.

The incident of the attack on the convoy of Oyetola who was heading to Osogbo had occurred around 8:pm on Friday in Owode, Ede area of the state, according to the Punch.

An eyewitness and resident of the area, identified as Alayande disclosed that a truck had created an obstruction of traffic when the convoy arrived at Owode market junction.

“It was while trying to make the truck driver move that altercation ensued between security men attached to the convoy.

“I heard several gunshots where I stood near the junction. It was dark but there was altercation between security men and some people suspected to be hoodlums,” he said.

However, detailed information about the incident is still sketchy as of the time of filing this report.

Confirming the incident, the Information Officer to the office of the First Lady, Oluwatunmise iluyomade, said the convoy was attacked but no life was lost.

2023: ‘Disregard Circulating List, Tinubu, APC Still Working On Presidential Campaign Council’

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the ruling party are yet to finalise their Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).

This was made known by the Tinubu Campaign Organization (TCO) in a statement to journalists on Friday.

The Director, Media and Publicity at the TCO, Bayo Onanuga, urged the public to disregard the list of members of the council being circulated on social media.

According to Onanuga, the list in circulation is unofficial and not authorized.

Tinubu’s spokesperson disclosed that the APC presidential candidate and the ruling party would soon unveil campaign council members.

Onanuga noted that the party understands the interest of the general public in the APC and its presidential candidate and urged the media to exercise more restraint in the dissemination of information that is not correct.