News Update
Here is Saturday’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. Preparation for today’s Rivers State local government election almost degenerated into chaos on Friday after an angry Governor Siminialayi Fubara stormed the premises of the State Independent Electoral Commission, RISIEC, in Port Harcourt at about 1 am on Friday, alleging plot by the police to scuttle the poll. He lashed out at the police authority, labeled the plot nonsense and said the state had had enough of it.
2. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed that it sold a total of $543.5 million (N844,920,000,000.00) to authorised dealer banks through the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) between September 6 and 30, 2024. This move was part of the apex bank’s efforts to reduce volatility in the foreign exchange market amid rising demand for foreign exchange (FX) driven by commodity imports and seasonal pressures.
3. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), the nation’s second-highest national honour, on House of Reps Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas. This upgrade, announced in a statement issued by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, comes after the House of Representatives debated the initial honour conferred on Abbas, calling for a higher recognition.
4. The Independent National Electoral Commission says that the 18 political parties participating in the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State failed to nominate the required number of agents required for the elections. The commission said in a statement on Friday that out of the 74,790 agents required for the election, the parties only nominated 24,148.
5. The Kogi State Government has said over 70 communities have been submerged by flood. The Deputy Governor, Mr Joel Salifu, disclosed this shortly after an inspection tour to the Edeha community of the state.
6. Vice President Kashim Shettima has directed the implementation of a sweeping overhaul of Nigeria’s road safety measures. Shettima gave the directive during a meeting with the leadership of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) led by its Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.
7. Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, has renamed the newly remodeled government house after former Minister of Defense, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (retd.). The renaming follows approval from the state House of Assembly.
8. Abia State Police Command has arrested three yet-to-be-identified persons in connection with the killing of a couple, 78-year-old Udo Jacob and his 73-year-old wife, Dorcas, in the Bende Local Government Area of the state. It was gathered that the couple was beheaded by assailants on Tuesday and their corpses were found in a pool of blood in their compound on Wednesday, with some of their properties stolen.
9. The Oyo zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the convictions of two siblings, Adedeji Adeboye and Adedamola Adeboye, and 33 others for involvement in internet-related fraud at the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan. This was disclosed in a statement on the X page of the anti-graft agency on Friday.
10. The ruling All Progressives Congress unveiled the official timetable for the 2024 Rivers State Elective Congresses on Friday, set to commence on November 2. This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by the National Organising Secretary of the APC, Malam Suleiman Argungu.