Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Truetells Nigeria roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Tuesday, 15th June 2021
1. Why Buhari Refused To Grant Interviews In The Past – Presidency
The Presidency on Monday stated that President Muhammadu Buhari had in the past refused to grant interviews because that is not his leadership style.
Naija News reports that Buhari had last week featured in two interviews aired on Arise TV and NTA.
The President also visited Lagos State last Thursday where he inaugurated some projects, before delivering a Democracy Day Speech on June 12.
Speaking in an interview on NTA’s ‘Good Morning Nigeria’ programme, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said a large section of Nigerians will be satisfied with his principal interviews.
Asked whether Buhari’s interviews and speeches last week allayed the doubt of Nigerians on whether the president is in control or not, Shehu said, “Yes, he has always been but there has been misperception and propaganda.
2. Jubilation As ISWAP Releases UN Staff, Nine Others
The Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) has released a staff of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Abubakar Garba Idris, and nine others.
Naija News learned that UN staff was abducted by the insurgents on Maiduguri/Damaturu highway and stayed over five months in hostage.
Recall that the insurgents attacked a convoy of travellers close to Matari village between Mainok to Jakana along Maiduguri/Damaturu highway where Idris was abducted at about 8.30 am Saturday, January 2, 2021.
This platform understands that Idris is currently undergoing medical and military checks with troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Maiduguri before he would be released to his family.
Also, a businessman Muazu Bawa who was also kidnapped on that same day was also released along with eight other captives.
3. Buhari’s Excessive Borrowing Will Plunge Nigeria Into Bankruptcy – PDP Govs
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum has raised the alarm over the current debt profile of the country put at N36 Trillion incurred by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government.
The forum expressed worry that the federal government was gradually plunging Nigeria into bankruptcy with it’s excessive borrowings on frivolous items, adding that over 80% of the normal Appropriation is being spent on debt servicing.
In a communique issued on Monday after a meeting of the Forum in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, the PDP governors said also accused the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other revenues generating agencies of the federal government of lack of transparency and accountability in the declaration of revenue proceeds.
The communique read by the Chairman of the Forum and governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal complained that the lack of financial transparency by the NNPC and other agencies has robbed state and local governments of the needed funds to provide employment and develop their territories.
4. Edwin Clark Knocks Buhari Over Insistence On Open Grazing
Foremost Ijaw leader, Edwin Clark, has knocked President Muhammadu Buhari over his insistence on open grazing and recovering of grazing routes.
Truetells Nigeria had reported that the Southern governors resolved to ban open grazing in their region — a decision that sparked divergent views.
The decision did not go down well with Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, who argued that the ban on open grazing is against the freedom of movement enshrined in the 1999 constitution (as amended).
Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari, while responding to questions on Arise TV on the position of southern governors and AGF’s stance, said he has asked the AGF to recover lands meant for grazing routes as stipulated in the first republic gazette.
But in a statement on Monday, Clark described Buhari’s statement on open as “unpatriotic and unacceptable”.
5. Soyinka Bombs Buhari, Says President Should Stop Talking And Take Action
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka on Monday, charged President Muhammadu Buhari to stop paying just lip service to the challenges facing Nigeria as a country.
Soyinka who spoke during an interview session on News Day, an Arise TV programme said the challenges facing the country can only be solved by action and not mere talking, reading statements and granting interviews.
He added that the problems facing Nigeria is no longer that of the people but that of leadership as the people have shown themselves ready to take action.
The Professor charged the President to stop exuding false confidence but to take the bull by the horn and wake up to the realities of what people expect him to do as a leader.
6. Second Niger Bridge To Open February 2022 – FG
The Federal Government on Monday announced the date for the opening of the 2nd Niger Bridge.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive of National Inland Waterways, NIWA, George Moghalu, disclosed that the Bridge will be launched in February 2022.
Moghalu announced the opening at the flag-off of a bathymetric survey of the Aghommili-Mmamu-Ezu-Nkisi-Niger River course, on Tuesday in Anambra State.
7. Kano: Buhari’s Aide Reacts To Ganduje Stepping On Kwankwaso’s Poster
The personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on new media, Bashir Ahmad has reacted to the viral image of Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje stepping on the picture of former Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso at a rally in the state on Saturday.
It will be recalled that Ganduje was seen in a viral image during the APC rally which was organized as part of activities marking this year’s Democracy Day, as well as to welcome two former gubernatorial candidates and many members of the Kwankwasiyya who defected to the APC, stepping on the poster of Kwankwaso.
The development had triggered a lot of comments and reactions with many political watchers calling out the Governor on what they saw as a disrespect to a political opponent and top political leader in the state.
But the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba later issued a statement on the matter in which he clarified that the Governor’s action was unintentional and totally unpremeditated.
Reacting to the entire episode, presidential media aide, Ahmad on Monday said it was a relief after reading the Commissioner’s statement to know that Governor Ganduje didn’t step on the poster of Kwankwaso intentionally.
8. Nigeria Already Paying Chinese Loans – Amaechi
Nigeria’s Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, has said the country has already commenced repayment of loans gotten from China for the construction of railways.
In an interview on Arise News on Monday, Amaechi said Nigeria has moved from the N70 million revenue target for the Abuja to Kaduna rail line to N350 million as of May 2020.
According to the minister, once the operational costs are taken away, “we have started paying back the loans”.
Speaking further, Amaechi said the Nigerian government is resolute that capital punishment is meted out to railway track vandals in the country.
He added that the laws should be amended to ensure people caught in the act are tried for manslaughter.
The minister noted that the police must also up their game and ensure people who buy those vandalised rail tracks are punished.
9. Open Grazing Routes: Malami, Others Giving Buhari Wrong Legal Advice – Senate
The Spokesperson of the Nigerian Senate, Ajibola Basiru, has rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s call for the reintroduction of grazing routes in Nigeria.
Truetells Nigeria recalls that 17 southern governors had after a meeting in Delta State imposed a ban on open grazing in the region.
But President Muhammadu Buhari had directed states to revive cattle grazing routes across the country.
But speaking with The PUNCH, Basiru expressed worry over the legal advice given to the president by Abubakar Malami.
According to the senate mouthpiece, the gazette Buhari was referring to was a product of a decree promulgated in northern Nigeria in the 1960s.
He stated that that the Land Use Act recognized by the constitution has rendered it ineffective.
10. Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution A Fraud, Military Imposition – Pastor Bakare
Nigeria 1999 constitution has been described by the General-Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, as a fraud.
The cleric while speaking in Lagos in commemoration of the June 12 Democracy Day said the 1999 constitution is inconsistent and a military imposition.
He said: “You see all this trying to tinker with the constitution; I am just laughing because in the process, let me just restrain myself there because I don’t want others to think their effort is not appreciated.”
Bakare recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo did not see the “constitution that he swore to because it had not been prepared the morning he was sworn into power.”
