Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Tuesday, 25th May, 2021

 

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Tuesday, 25th May 2021

1. Presidency Condemns Southern Governors’s Plan To Ban Open Grazing

The Presidency has condemned the Southern Governors’ proposed plan to enforce the ban on open grazing.

In a statement on Monday by the Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, the Presidency said the plan by the governors to ban open grazing in the Southern part of the country is of “questionable legality”.

 

According to the presidency, the resolution reached in Asaba, Delta state capital, will not solve the farmer-herder clashes.

 

 

 

Shehu asserted that Buhari had earlier approved the rehabilitation of grazing reserves, adding that the clashes between the farmer and herders will be addressed with the President’s approval.

 

The Presidential aide said despite the negative effects of COVID-19 on the economy, federal funding for the project, which had been delayed, is now being partly unlocked.

 

Shehu noted that the governors’ action during the recent meeting in Asaba, Delta state is a violation of the constitutional right of Nigerians to live and do business in any part of the country, irrespective of such citizen’s state of origin.

 

 

 

2. Arsonists Plotting To Disrupt 2023 Elections – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised an alarm over the attacks on its facilities.

 

The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, expressed concern after an emergency meeting in Abuja on Monday.

 

The meeting held hours after gunmen broke into its head office in Awka, Anambra State capital, which was set ablaze after a battle with security operatives.

 

 

 

In a statement released after the meeting, Okoye said the commission’s office in Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State was also razed.

 

3. FG To Move Kaduna Forestry College To Another Location

The federal government of Nigeria has concluded plans to temporarily relocate the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka Kaduna State to another location.

 

This comes after gunmen recently kidnapped 37 students of the institution before they were later released.

 

The decision to relocate the school to a safer location was made public during a press conference on Monday in the school premises by the Provost of the College, Dr. Usman M.B.

 

He added that the government has also instructed that the school fees for the affected students should be waived.

 

4. Herdsmen: Get Weapons And Defend Yourselves, Ortom Tells Benue Residents

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has told the people and residents of the state to get weapons and defend themselves against killer herdsmen.

 

The Governor made the call on Sunday at the Government House Chapel, Makurdi during an interdenominational service to round up a seven-day prayer and fasting programme for peace in the state.

 

 

 

Ortom who warned that he would no longer announce the killing of his people by Fulani herdsmen told them to get weapons such as Dane guns, bows and arrows, spears and knives as well as other weapons not prohibited by law to defend themselves.

 

He urged them to get the guns registered for self-defence.

 

5. PDP Will Suffer If I Leave – Wike Boasts

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has boasted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will suffer if he leaves the party.

 

Speaking at a briefing in Government House, Port Harcourt, on Monday, Wike described himself as an asset to the PDP.

 

He also took a swipe at some members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) whom he described as tax collectors.

 

Reacting to the statement credited to former Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State that he is behind the move to remove Secondus as PDP National Chairman, Wike described Aliyu as a mole in the PDP.

 

Wike said that the former governor does not have a genuine intention for the party, adding that he is not attempting to call the shots in the party’s leadership structure.

 

6. Losing Attahiru, Others Has Affected Fight Against Insecurity – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said the death of Chief of Army Staff, Brig-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 other military officers have affected the fight against insecurity in the country.

 

Truetells Nigeria had reported that Attahiru and the military officers died on Friday in a Beechcraft 350 aircraft that crashed near the Kaduna international airport.

 

Meanwhile, the senior military officers have been buried at the national military cemetery in Abuja on Saturday.

 

Speaking on Monday when he received a delegation from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) at the presidential villa, Buhari said he will continue to do his best to tackle the security challenges bedeviling the nation.

 

7. Ondo State Govt Speaks On Adopting Oodua Anthem

The Ondo State government has clarified that the indigenous anthem adopted by the state is different from the Oodua anthem.

 

A statement on Monday in Akure by Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Richard Olatunde denied adopting the Oodua anthem as being speculated in some quarters.

 

He explained that the idea behind the adoption of the anthem is to promote the tradition and culture of the Yoruba people.

 

The adopted anthem is recited after the national anthem at government functions, Truetells Nigeria understands.

 

Olatunde noted that there has been some misinterpretation, misconception and outright misunderstanding of the aim of the state government, hence the need to set the record straight.

 

8. National Assembly Considers Bill To Scrap NYSC

A Bill which proposes the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme has first reading in the House of Representatives.

 

The Bill titled Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alteration Bill, 2020 is sponsored by Hon. Awaji-Inombek Dagomie Abiante, the Member Representing Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency of Rivers State.

 

The lawmaker while justifying his reason for sponsoring the bill explained that current developments, devoid of sentiments do not support the continuation of the NYSC scheme.

 

He listed issues such as kidnappings, accidents, general insecurity and labour exploitation of corps members by employers as some of the reasons for his position.

 

The lawmaker submitted that the NYSC has outlived its usefulness and no longer fulfilling the mandates for which it was set up.

 

9. Why Buhari Stayed Away From Late COAS Attahiru’s Burial – Presidency

The Presidency has revealed why President Muhammadu Buhari was absent at the Funeral Ceremony of Late Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 others in Abuja on Saturday, May 22nd.

 

Truetells Nigeria had reported that Nigerians took to social media on Saturday to berate the President and his Vice, Yemi Osinbajo, for failing to attend the burial ceremony of the late COAS and other military officers in Abuja.

 

In a series of tweets via her Twitter handle on Monday, Presidential spokesperson, Lauretta Onochie, said Buhari needed at least 48 hours clearance before he would depart Presidential Villa for any event.

 

10. Lagos Assembly Move To Stop Payment Of Pension To Tinubu, Ambode, Fashola, Others

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday read for a second time a bill that seeks to repeal the law which grants pension and other emoluments to governors and deputies after leaving office.

 

This was made known in a statement sent to Naija News by Eromosele Ebhomele, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly.

 

The new bill which was debated on the floor of the House at a sitting presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, is titled ‘A Bill for a law to repeal the law to provide for the payment of pensions and other fringe benefits to public office holders in Lagos State and for other connected matters’.

 

The lawmakers argued that it would not be too good to repeal the law in its entirety as there were some important sections and stipulations that should be considered.