TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY SATURDAY 

TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY SATURDAY 

No, Presidency; It’s Your Responsibility To Create Jobs!

When taken to task earlier in the week on why President Muhammadu Buhari failed to fulfill the campaign promise of creating three million jobs for Nigerians on an annual basis, the Presidency’s main mouthpiece replied with a straight face that it is not the responsibility of the government to create jobs! This indolent retort came from the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, while featuring on national television where he attempted to distance the President from one of the promises that enabled him to wrestle power from an incumbent in 2015.

In the words of Adesina, “Did you say three million was the promise? I wouldn’t say he put a figure. What I recall was that President Buhari gave the percentage of joblessness in the country. I wouldn’t recall that he gave a specific figure for the number of jobs we are creating. For all you know, that may have come from anywhere. Be that as it may, it is the job and duty of the government to create an enabling environment for jobs in the country. It is not the government itself that creates jobs. All it does is to create an enabling environment.”

How convenient for the presidency to evade the government’s glaring failure, while latching on to an intangible which is not easily measurable. Although the number of jobs created cannot readily be counted or verified, the much of enabling environment created by the Buhari government for businesses to thrive can actually be decoded. Recently, major pay-tv content providers hiked their subscription fees blaming the new tariffs on the increased cost of doing business in the country. Others who couldn’t cope have since relocated their business to neighboring countries. That is so much for the enabling environment created by the administration of President Buhari.

Ike Ekweremadu, Wife Sentenced To Jail In UK

Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has been sentenced to jail in the United Kingdom for nine years, eight months.

The 60-year-old Nigerian senator, his wife, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta were found guilty of conspiring to bring a market trader in Lagos to the UK for the purpose of harvesting his kidney for the use of the politician’s 25-year-old daughter, Sonia.

Ekweremadu’s wife Beatrice, 56, was handed 4 years, six months jail term, while the doctor involved in the case of organ trafficking got a 10-year jail term with his medical license suspended.

At a sentencing hearing on Friday, Justice Jeremy Johnson told the defendants: “In each of your cases the offence you committed is so serious that neither a fine nor a community sentence can be justified.

“People-trafficking of human organs is a form of slavery.

“It treats human beings and their body parts as commodities to be bought and sold.

“It is a trade that preys on poverty, misery and desperation.”

Bola Tinubu And Associates Linked To At Least 20 UK Properties, Raises Question Around His Wealth

Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Tinubu, who is set to take office on 29 May 2023, has been found to have connections to at least 20 properties in the United Kingdom.

These properties were mainly purchased when Tinubu was the governor of Lagos State.

Tinubu, known as a major political kingmaker in Nigeria, has played a significant role in the elections of numerous governors and the current president, Muhammadu Buhari.

His son, Oluwaseyi, is the primary shareholder of Aranda Overseas Corporation, an offshore company that bought a controversial $10.8 million UK property in 2017, according to Bloomberg in a report on Tuesday.

According to Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) Nigeria partner, Premium Times has found over a dozen properties connected to Tinubu, primarily acquired during his tenure as Lagos State’s governor from 1999 to 2007.

Why Osinbajo Contested APC Presidential Ticket Against Tinubu- Akande

Laolu Akande, the spokesman of Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said his principal contested for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the interest of the public.

Osinbajo contested the ruling party’s presidential primary election in June 2022 and lost to the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

However, the decision of the vice president to contest had drawn criticism from members of the party, with some describing his ambition as a betrayal of Tinubu, who was his former principal.

Speaking on Friday in an interview with Channels Television, Akande said Osinbajo contested the APC presidential ticket because he believed that public interest is the overriding factor.

Akande said his principal wanted to become the president because he possesses the necessary experience, qualifications, and inspirational leadership qualities for the office of the president.

The spokesman added that his principal has inspired tens and scores of millions of Nigerians with his leadership style

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Buhari Renews Police Trust Fund Board Members’ Appointment

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reappointment of members of the board of trustees of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) for a final term of three years.

A statement issued on Friday by the Ministry of Police Affairs said the reappointment followed the remarkable performance of the board in the deepening of policing and internal security in Nigeria.

The statement added that the reappointment takes effect from May 19 after members of the board were first appointed in May 2020 for an initial term of three years.

The statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR has approved the renewal of the term of office for the Chairman, Executive Secretary, and members of the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund, for the final term of 3 years. The reappointment takes effect from 19th, May 2023.”

You Got Fair Hearing, Now Serve Your Jail Term – Appeal Court Tells Maina

The Court of Appeal has ruled against the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina in the about N2.1billion money laundering case against him.

The Appellate Court in its ruling on Friday upheld the judgment of a Federal High Court which sentenced Maina to prison for eight years.

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abija, on November 8, 2021, convicted and sentenced Maina to prison for money laundering. The accused however appealed the court’s judgement.

But a three-member panel of the appeal court on Friday unanimously affirmed the judgment of the lower court.

Justice Elfreda Williams-Daudu, in the lead judgment held that Maina got a fair hearing in the High Court and that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Ganduje Declares Akpabio As Next Senate President

The outgoing governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje, has announced that Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs, will be the next president of the senate.

The announcement was made during a meeting with Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River, in Calabar.

Ibrahim Gambari, President Muhammadu Buhari’s chief of staff, was also in attendance.

Ganduje did not clarify if the decision was made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership but claimed that the nomination was already finalized.

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Ganduje stated that the senate president would come from the south-south region, specifically the former governor of Akwa Ibom.

10th NASS: Akpabio-Jibrin Alliance Gets Over 65 Senators Endorsement As Oshiomhole Waits In The Wings

Strong indications have emerged revealing that a former Akwa Ibom State governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, might have moved ahead in the race to become the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly following his alliance with another aspirant, Senator Barau Jibrin, as his prospective deputy, if he emerged senate president.

It was gathered that over 65 senators were said to have aligned with the Akpabio/Jibrin alliance and had allegedly declared their support for them after signing off their commitment.

According to ThisDay, Akpabio has begun to leverage relationships and advantages as a former governor and senator to gain an edge over other contenders.

The Senators who have backed the Akpabio-Jibrin alliance comprised new and old members. They were believed to have lined up behind Akpabio because of the need to balance the north/south dichotomy and faith since the incoming president, Bola Tinubu, and his deputy, Kashim Shettima, are Muslims.

Lagos Assembly: Obasa Set To Clinch Speakership As Race For Deputy Heats Up

Strong indications have emerged that the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, who won re-election for the sixth time to represent Agege 1 Constituency, is set to join the race to retain his seat for a third term.

According to reports, re-elected ranking members and first-timers in the Assembly are set to jump into the contest against Obasa for Speaker.

Speaking to Guardian, a lawmaker said it is almost certain that Obasa would emerge winner in the election of principal officers of the 10th Assembly.

The lawmaker said Obasa is currently the most popular and influential among the legislators, adding that the zoning arrangement within the ruling Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) might also favour his return.

The source said: “One of the things that could have stood as obstacle to Obasa retaining the position is that majority of the ranking lawmakers, who probably would have had the political strength to compete with him, did not return to the Assembly.

“While some of them lost during the party’s primaries, few others moved up the legislative ladder to represent their areas in the Senate and House of Representatives.”

Details Emerge On Grilling Of Suspended Adamawa REC, Others As Police Grant Ari Stringent Bail

Details have emerged on the grilling of the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari, by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Yunusa-Ari, who has been grilled for three days in Police custody, has been granted bail.

Also granted conditional bail are two Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commissioners and other officials undergoing interrogation at the Police Headquarters in connection with the controversial Adamawa Governorship Election.

A Senator reportedly stood as surety for Yunusa-Ari, who was released on administrative bail.

The police restricted the suspects’ movement to enable them to invite all the officials at short notice when needed.