News roundup of top newspapers headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 12th October 2021
1. President Buhari Identifies Projects He Must Complete Before He Leaves In 2023
President Muhammadu Buhari has identified some of the key ongoing projects in the country that must be completed before his tenure expires in 2023.
The President listed the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano Expressway, and the East-West Road as some of the major projects that his administration is looking at delivering before vacating office.
The President added that apart from the highlighted ones, other key projects under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) are also expected to be delivered.
Buhari was said to have bared his mind on this on Monday while speaking at the opening of a two-day Mid-Term Ministerial Performance Review Retreat which is focused on assessing the progress made by his administration in line with the nine key priorities of his government.
During the event, the government gave itself a pass mark in the areas of infrastructure, transportation, economy, electricity supply, the petroleum industry, among others.
2. Pandora Papers: Tinubu, Jonathan, Otedola Others Kept N117 billion Assets In Tax Haven Banks
Pandora Papers have revealed details on how some Nigerians kept away multibillion assets in two tax haven banks.
According to the latest release by Premium Times of the Pandora Papers, filings of these individuals businesses with their offshore financial managers, Trident Trust Company (BVI) Limited, as of October 2016, showed that had a combined treasure worth about $100 million and £77.3 million in assets, cash, bonds, equities, mutual funds and property holdings controlled by the Standard Chartered Bank in Guernsey, Jersey and the U.K.
Another two owed assets worth $511,860 and 50,000 pounds in Standard Bank, Jersey.
Going by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s exchange rates, these individuals’ assets amount up to about N84 billion.
And at the parallel market (black market), the assets are worth N117 billion.
3. Peter Obi Speaks On Contesting For 2023 Presidency
A former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has reacted to the call for him to contest for Presidency in the 2023 general elections.
Naija News reports that Obi was the former vice presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 polls.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV’s ‘The Morning Show’ on Monday, the former governor stated that he is waiting for the party to decide where to zone its presidential candidate to.
Obi stated that he does not want to declare his presidential bid before the PDP will take a stand on zoning the 2023 presidency, affirming his loyalty to the party.
The former Anambra governor stated that the country is collapsing and the 2023 general election is critical to the survival of the nation.
Obi, however, said that he will not ignore any chance of contesting for the Presidency in 2023.
4. President Buhari Approves ₦13.3b For The Take-off Of Community Policing
President Muhammadu Buhari has provided a fresh impetus for the take-off of the community policing initiative in Nigeria.
This is as the Nigerian leader on Monday, approved the sum of ₦13.3 billion for the initiative.
According to the President who made this known during the opening of a two-day Mid-Term Ministerial Performance Review Retreat organized by the Office of the SGF to assess progress made towards the achievement of the nine key priorities of his administration, the approval is part of total efforts targeted at improving security across the nation.
5. 2023 Elections: Don’t Create Another Problem For Nigeria – Saraki Begs National Assembly
Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has noted that while Nigerians are concerned about the absence of electronic transmission of results in the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act, there is another potential problem in the Act that may clog the nation’s electoral process.
While identifying this problem in the proposed law as the provision which makes direct primaries compulsory for parties, he urged members of the National Assembly to save the country from the trouble that will be caused by the proposal to make direct primaries compulsory.
6. El-rufai Reshuffles Cabinet, Makes New Appointments
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has reshuffled his cabinet and made new appointments.
Truetells Nigeria reports that governor El-rufai appointed his Chief of Staff, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, as the Planning and Budget Commissioner.
El-rufai, in a statement on Monday by his spokesman, Muyiwa Adeleke, said the reshuffle is designed to bring new insights and help harness fresh energy for his administration.
The governor added that the move is to also enable the commissioners to have a more rounded experience of government.
According to the statement, eight commissioners were affected by the move, adding that six other commissioners were redeployed.
7. Remove Dokpesi From Watchlist Now – Court Orders EFCC
Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been ordered to clear Raymond Dokpesi, the founder of the African Independent Television AIT, from its watch list.
Truetells Nigeria reports that the order was given on Monday, October 11, by Justice Tsoho, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Tsoho maintained that there was no justification for the agency to continue to keep Dokpesi on its watchlist since there is no criminal charges or allegations pending against him.
8. Be Serious – Buhari Issues Strong Warning To Ministers, Permanent Secretaries
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Abuja, cautioned Ministers and Permanent Secretaries against any form of lackadaisical attitude towards their responsibilities.
The President warned them to take issues about their work seriously as they are responsible for the actualization of the laudable aims and objectives of his government.
9.Sowore Reveals What Buhari Allegedly Told Osinbajo About 2023
Former Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari informed his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo that he would hand over power to him in 2023.
Sowore in a statement on his Facebook account on Monday said Osinbajo does not know that he is being deceived by his principal.
The SaharaReporters publisher further stated that the desire of the Vice President to take over power in 2023 has seen him do the bidding of Buhari.
Sowore added that Osinbajo is as “dangerous” as President Buhari.
He stated this in his reaction to Osinbajo’s statement claiming that Buhari is ‘Nigeria’s most popular politician in generations.
10. PDP National Chairmanship Form Pegged At ₦5 Million
The price for forms for positions up for grabs at the upcoming Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention has been revealed.
Naija News reports that the national convention planning committee had announced the commencement of the sale of forms today.
As sales commenced today Monday, October 12, 2021, the chairmanship form goes for ₦5 million, while the deputy national chairman and national secretary forms are to be obtained at a cost of ₦3 million each.
Forms for other offices in the NWC including the national publicity secretary, national auditor, national financial secretary, national youth leader, national treasurer and national legal adviser, are to cost the sum of ₦2 million each.
Forms for other national officers (deputies) offices are to be obtained at a cost of ₦750, 000 each
