Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers
1. President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, has said the Senate won’t pass the proposed anti-free speech and internet manipulations bills.
Lawan, who made the disclosure in response to a detailed written protest letter against the hate speech bill and anti-social media bill before the Senate by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, said legislators will listen to the pulse of the Nigerians who have rejected the bills and will do exactly as they demanded.
2. President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, approved the appointment of nine new Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service.
The appointees were – Engr. Musa Hassan (Borno), Ahmed Aliyu (Niger) and Olushola Idowu (Ogun), Andrew David Adejoh (North-Central), Umar Idris Tijjani (North-East), Nasir Sani Gwarzo (North-West), Nebeolisa Victor Anako (South-East), Fashedemi Temitope Peter (South-West) and Evelyn Ngige (South-South).
3. A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, dismissed requests to sack Mr. Ibrahim Magu as the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, even though it faulted Magu’s unending stay in acting capacity.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu in her verdict, declined to sack Magu as prayed for in three of the suits where the plaintiff contended that he was not fit to continue to remain in office as EFCC chairman either in acting or substantive capacity, having been rejected by the Senate on two different occasions.
4. The Senate Joint Committee on Navy, Marine Transport and Finance, on Wednesday, asked the Director-General, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ( NIMASA) Mr Dakuku Peterside, to appear before it unfailingly on Thursday.
The committee is investigating the N263.89 billion illegal security services carried out by the Ocean Marine Solutions Ltd. (OMLS) at the Safe Anchorage Area in Lagos Ports.
5. A former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, in Lagos, on Wednesday advised Nigerian churches to stop patronising public officials with questionable source of wealth.
Akinyemi, who gave the advice while speaking with journalists at the Centenary Anniversary Lecture of the Anglican Church held at All Souls’ Church, Lekki, Lagos, urged churches in Nigeria to stop worshipping money, adding that the church should have the courage to confront those in authority.
6. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has described the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris, as a frustrated ‘account clerk’.
ASUU condemned the Accountant General of the Federation for threatening to sanction Vice Chancellors who have refused to enrol into what it called ’fraud platform’.
7. The House of Representatives committee on appropriations has submitted the final reports on the 2020 appropriations bill.
The Chairman of the committee, Muktar Batera laid the report on Wednesday. According to the report of the committee, the budget has been increased from the N10.33trillion president by President Muhamadu Buhari to N10.59trillion.
8. The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Federal Government to recover pensions collected by former governors now serving as ministers and members of the National Assembly.
The court also directed the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN to challenge the legality of states’ pension laws permitting former governors and other ex-public officials to collect such pensions.
9. A Joint Special Taskforce, comprising Officers and Men of Ogun I Command, Federal Operation Unit Zone “A” and CGC’s Strike Force had intercepted 13 fuel jerry cans of 25 litres and six jerry cans of 10 litres concealed in two caskets.
A statement signed by Ogun 1 Command Customs Spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada on Wednesday evening, said the items were conveyed by a “daredevil” smuggler with the intention of smuggling the items across the border to a neighbouring country in a Mazda 626 with Lagos registration number: LSD 617 CW.
10. The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, has released the list of withdrawn certificates of candidates, who were believed to have engaged in malpractices during its examinations held as far back as December 1992 and 1993.
WAEC released the examination years and certificate numbers of the affected candidates and revealed that the nature of their malpractices was impersonation.
Daily Post