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Major News Headlines In The Papers Today: Court quashes DSS move to charge Emefiele with terrorism, economic crimes

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1. The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has quashed moves by the Department of State Services to invite, interrogate and charge the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele. Justice M.A. Hassan, made the declaration yesterday.

2. At least four persons were reported killed yesterday in an explosion that rocked the Okene area of Kogi State.
The blast occurred on Thursday morning at the Oyinoyi’s Palace in the Okenne Local Government Area of the state.

3. The five aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party governors have demanded the support of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, for the PDP governorship and senatorial candidates in their respective states. It was gathered on Thursday that this was part of the conditions presented to Tinubu during his meeting with the PDP governors in London.

4. A Kano State High Court on Thursday sentenced a 29-year-old man, Sagiru Abdullahi, to death by hanging for stabbing his 55-year-old stepmother, Zainab Dan’Azumi, to death. The court convicted Abdullahi on one count of culpable homicide. Justice Aisha Mahmoud held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced the convict to death.

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5. Men of the Ogun State Police Command have rescued a suspected Internet fraudster, Haruna Usman, abducted by his colleagues for withholding proceeds of their crime. It was gathered that the kidnapped fraudster reportedly released N2,200,000 to other members of his syndicate out of the N26,437,950 allegedly obtained from a victim in the state.

6. Brazilian football icon Pele, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time and a three-time World Cup winner who masterminded the “beautiful game,” died yesterday at the age of 82, his family said Thursday.

7. Bandits have killed 14 persons and abducted 81 others in Sokoto and Katsina states. In the eastern part of Sokoto State, 13 persons were killed and 73 abducted, including women and children. The attacks took place in different communities in Sabon Birni, Gada and Goronyo local government areas.

8. Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said he was not perturbed by plots of five aggrieved governors of the party, popularly known as G-5, to endorse presidential candidates of other political parties.He said power comes from God and he was confident that no man could arrogate to himself the powers that God alone has.

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9. Barring any last-minute change, the Governor Nyesom Wike-led Group of five aggrieved People’s Democratic Party Governors will be returning to the country on Friday. It was learnt that the governors who were in London for further consultations also visited former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekwerenmadu who is in custody awaiting trial in the British Judicial system.

10. As the demand for justice for the slain pregnant lawyer, Bolanle Raheem, heightens, the Police Service Commission on Thursday approved the immediate suspension of the suspected killer cop, ASP Drambi Vandi. The spokesperson for the PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, confirmed the development in a statement yesterday.

 

 

 

 

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Coastal highway: Umahi slams Obi, says he’s inciting south-east people against FG

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David Umahi, minister of works, says Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra, is inciting people of the south-east against the Federal Government over the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project.

Umahi spoke in Lagos on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting on the road project.

 

Recently, the federal government commenced the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road, which is expected to run through the shoreline of beach resorts in Lagos, while traversing eight other states.

The project has generated controversy and concerns about funding and the businesses that would be affected during construction.

 

On Tuesday, Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, criticised the federal government over the project, describing it as a misplaced priority.

 

The former Anambra governor said the “insensitive” demolition of structures for the project was “heart-wrenching”.

 

UMAHI REPLIES OBI

Responding to the comment, Umahi said Obi supported the demolition of structures for road infrastructure while he was the governor of Anambra.

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The minister condemned Obi for criticising the Federal Government over the project, adding that affected property owners are already being compensated.

“When you condemn people you bring judgment upon yourself and that is what he has done,” Umahi said.

 

“I think he is inciting some of the south-east people that are not well informed.

“He is inciting and getting them into trouble and he does not go to fight for them.

“Wisdom is a defence. It gives light to those that practice it. I want our people to have wisdom because I’m involved.”

Umahi added that the federal government did not destroy the facilities of Landmark Beach, noting that only shanties on the right of way were removed.

 

He said the owners of Landmark Beach were not unfairly treated in the construction of the project.

 

The minister accused Paul Onwuanibe, chief executive officer (CEO) of Landmark Africa Group, of politicising the issues arising from the project.

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Good morning! Here Are Some Major News Headlines In The Newspapers Today: Minimum wage: FG, Labour talks deadlocked, NLC defends N615,000 demand

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1. The ongoing negotiations for a new minimum wage have deadlocked following the inability of the Federal Government and the organised labour to reach a consensus on the issue. President Bola Tinubu gave this indication in his speech during this year’s International Workers’ Day celebration in Abuja, on Wednesday.

2. The Federal Government says it will stop granting licences to gas companies with no capacity to build pipelines for gas distribution. This, the government said, became necessary to discourage the transportation of compressed natural gas through the roads.

 

3. The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Midstream) has called on security agencies to pick up hoarders of the Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol. The committee also assured Nigerians of the availability of petrol in stock, stressing that the logistical challenges which made the product scarce were being addressed.

 

4. The Federal Government has assured workers in the country that the implementation of the new national minimum wage would still take effect from May 1, 2024. Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, gave the assurance during the commemoration of the May Day celebration, on Wednesday in Abuja.

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5. Minister of Works, David Umahi, has announced that the federal government plans to pay N2.75 billion as compensation to property owners affected by the demolition required for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway today, Wednesday, May 1. Umahi said that the highway is projected to stretch from channel 0 to channel 3.

 

6. Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has lamented that the devaluation of naira, Nigeria’s currency, was the biggest mess for his company in 2023. Dangote, the Chairman of the Dangote Industries Limited made this statement during the annual general meeting of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc.

 

7. The National Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, James Tor, has cited the Israel-Iran crisis as a major cause of the current fuel scarcity in Nigeria. He noted that the current geopolitical tensions in the Middle East compounded existing challenges, leading to a bottleneck in the supply chain.

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8. Minister of Works, Engr Dave Umahi, on Wednesday, accused the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, of inciting some of the people of South-East against the federal government over the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project. He made the statement in reaction to the criticism by Obi that the project embarked on by Bola Tinubu’s administration is a job-losing one.

 

9. Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has pledged to decisively deal with workers receiving multiple salaries in the state civil service. The governor made the disclosure on Wednesday while speaking at the 2024 Workers’ Day celebration held in Gusau.

 

10. Tactical team of Kwara State police command has arrested three suspected cultists over the killing of the leader of another cult group, while manhunt has been launched to arrest other fleeing suspects involved in the inter cult attacks. Spokesperson of the command, DSP Ejire Adetoun Adeyemi who disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Ilorin yesterday, identified the suspects in police net as Sulaiman Ismail Mamud Ibrahim and Mudashir Saheed.

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Biggest mess created in 2023 was devaluation of naira – Dangote 

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Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, says the devaluation of naira created the biggest mess for the company in 2023.

 

Dangote spoke on Tuesday during the annual general meeting of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc.

 

According to Dangote, the company is putting in efforts to ensure it pays dividends this year.

 

He said a lot of companies, especially in food and beverages businesses, were also affected and will be unable to pay dividends.

 

“We are doing whatever it takes to make sure that at the end of the day, we will be paying dividends because if you look at our dividends last year, it was almost 50 percent more so we will try and get out of the mess,” Dangote said.

 

“The biggest mess created was actually the devaluation of the naira from N460 to N1,400.

 

“You can see almost 97 percent of the companies, especially in food and beverages businesses, none of them will pay dividends this year for sure but, we will try and get out of it as soon as possible.

“We want to see that at the end of the day, no matter how small, we will be able to pay some dividends, especially if there is a rebound of the naira.”

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‘WE’LL REAPPLY FOR MERGER OF DANGOTE SUGAR WITH NASCON’

Speaking on the suspension of the planned merger of Dangote Sugar Refinery with Nascon Allied Industries Plc and Dangote Rice Limited, the chairman said it was put on hold because the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) wanted the rice factory to begin.

 

Dangote said the rice factory in Jigawa is expected to be commissioned soon, adding that Dangote Sugar will reapply for the merger when the time is right.

On April 19, Nascon announced the suspension of its proposed merger with Dangote Sugar.

 

Nascon said the merger was not completed due to the current non-operational status of Dangote Rice.

 

DANGOTE SUGAR TO END SUGAR IMPORTATION IN 2028

Dangote said the company’s sugar master plan will enable the producer to sell only locally produced sugar in the next four years.

 

According to the chairman, the implementation of the backward integration policy will give the company the best future in terms of stability and prevent issues relating to exchange rate losses.

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“The sugar master plan we are now taking is very, very serious,” he said.

 

“But to say the least, the industry as a whole, did not really push as we are supposed to push in terms of the backward integration.

 

“We have done a lot, but we also have our fears because if there is no proper implementation, we do not want to go and sink a lot of your money and we end up losing money because if government is not following or making sure that everybody behaves, then we will not be able to make money. But right now, I think they have called us.

 

“We have sat down and I can assure you on our own, we think the best future of this company is through the backward integration.

 

“Because backward integration will actually give you much more forfeit and stability and it will erase all these exchange rate losses.

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“So, by the grace of God, in the next four years maximum, our company should be producing what we are selling currently, all domestic, 100 percent domestic.”

 

However, Dangote said if any sugar is imported by the company, it will only be to complement what it is producing.

 

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