The top Nigerian newspaper headlines for Wednesday, 17th April 2024, can be accessed on this platform.
1. There is anxiety in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as it prepares for Thursday’s meeting of the National Executive, NEC. The division in the party deepened on Tuesday, following plans by the expanded decision making organ, led by Ambassador Umar Damagum, to restrict attendance to the constitutionally recognised members.
2. Dangote Petroleum Refinery yesterday announced a further reduction in the pump price of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) otherwise known as diesel from N1200 to N1,000 per litre. The company said in a statement that the latest slash will “positively affect all the spheres of the economy and ultimately reduce the high inflation rate in the country.”
3. The National Working Committee, NWC, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has affirmed that Abdullahi Umar Ganduje remains its National Chairman. This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka while reacting to the purported suspension of Ganduje.
4. The Kaduna State House of Assembly on Tuesday set up a 13-man committee to probe financial dealings, loans, grants and other project implementations from 2015-2023 under former Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s tenure. Chairman House Committee on Public Accounts, who is also the Deputy Minority Whip, Honourable Mugu Yusuf, moved the motion, saying the public needed to know what actually happened during that period.
5. The Kano State Anti-Corruption and Public Complaints Commission has announced new corruption charges and maladministration against ex-governor Abdullahi Ganduje. According to the commission’s chairman, Muhuyi Magaji, investigations uncovered the diversion of N51.3 billion from local government funds to unauthorized individuals during Ganduje’s tenure.
6. The Federal Government has written at least 31 governors informing them of the impending flooding in their states between April and November this year. The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook for the country.
7. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has detained businessman and socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, preparatory to his arraignment today (Wednesday) before the Federal High Court in Lagos. Cubana Chief Priest will be arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare on three counts bordering on abuse of naira.
8. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Tuesday, destroyed a total of 304,436kg kilograms and 40,042 litres of illicit substances seized from parts of Lagos and Ogun states. Speaking at a ceremony where the seized drugs were publicly destroyed in Badagry, Lagos State, the Chairman of the agency, Brig Gen Buba Marwa (rtd), said the open destruction of the seized illicit drugs followed court orders.
9. Yoruba Nation agitators, on Tuesday, threatened to cause more havoc if security agents refuse to release their members who hoisted their flag at the Oyo State House of Assembly. The agitators, through their Deputy Coordinator, Victor Adewale, in a statement, also threatened President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to bear the brunt if they fail to release the arrested agitators.
10. The Naira, on Tuesday, depreciated to N1,100 per dollar in the parallel market, from N1,080 per dollar on Monday. Similarly, the Naira depreciated in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, NAFEM, to N1,148.14 per dollar.
