Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Thursday, 20th July, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Thursday, 20th July 2023

The Supreme Court has on Wednesday dismissed rumours of an alleged phone conversation between President Bola Tinubu and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, over attempts to influence the outcome of the ongoing proceedings before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).

Naija News reports that the apex court was reacting to social media rumours that the President allegedly spoke to the CJN in a phone conversation concerning the proceedings before the PEPC.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Dr. Festus Akande, on Wednesday, the Supreme Court said it was vital to clarify issues concerning the rumours making rounds.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday wrote to the Senate to seek confirmation of the appointment of members of the governing board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC).

Naija News reports that President’s letter was read on the floor of the plenary on Wednesday by the Senate President, GodsWill Akpabio.

The nominees are: The Nominees for Confirmation Include: General Paul Tarfa, Chairman (North East Adamawa); Hon Gambo Maikyau member (North East Taraba); Abdullahi Abbas member (North West Kano); Zaf Steven Ondora, Member (North Central Benue); Chief Mutiu Lawal Areh, Member (South Wes Lagos).

Others are: Samuel Ifeanyi Onuigbo, Member( South East Abia); Frank Achinike Owo Member ( south south rivers); Mohamed Goni Alkali (Managing Director North East Borno).

The rest for re-appointment are Musa Yashi Executive Director of Humanitarian Affairs ( North East Bauchi); Ahmed Abdulsalam Yahaya Executive Director of Operations, (North East Gombe and Dr Abubakar Garba Ileah, Executive Director of Admin and finance, (North East Yobe).

The 19-year-old candidate in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) fraud saga, Mmesoma Ejikeme, has finally apologised to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Naija News reports that Ejikeme on Wednesday read an apology letter in the presence of an investigative hearing by the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee to probe the matter.

Ejikeme pleaded for leniency in her apology letter, noting that she has never been involved in any form of examination malpractice.

Also present at the hearing was the JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede.

Recall that the examination body had accused Ejikeme of forging her UTME results.

Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has addressed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a statement issued on Wednesday following the recent increase in the pump price of petrol/fuel.

Naija News reports that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announced a new hike in the pump price of petrol on Tuesday, July 19, 2023.

This is the second increase to the price of the product since President Tinubu announced the removal of the fuel subsidy on May 29th when he was inaugurated into office.

The latest increase, however, last left Nigerians in lamentation as the fuel, which was pegged at N530 last month is now sold at NNPC stations at N617 while other marketers sell at even higher prices depending on location.

Reacting in a statement issued on Wednesday (today) through its spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, PDP said the price of fuel should not be more than N150 per litre.

The opposition maintained that the increased rate was a maladministration by Tinubu’s government that has shown extreme insensitivity and callousness towards Nigerians.

PDP accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of further worsening the already suffocating economic situation by the previous administration under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

It warned that the latest development is capable of triggering a very serious crisis in the country if not abated.

The House of Representatives has confirmed the appointments of Service Chiefs following the adoption of the report of its ad hoc committee set up to screen them.

Naija News reports that the Green Chamber confirmed the appointment of the service chiefs during plenary on Wednesday.

The House of Representatives had on Monday commenced the screening of the service chiefs days after the Senate confirmed the appointment of the military chiefs.

The screening committee was led by the Majority Leader of the House, Julius Ihonvbere (APC – Edo State).

The expected ministerial list of President Bola Tinubu was conspicuously missing on the Senate Order Paper for Wednesday, 19th July when the lawmakers resumed for plenary.

This is despite several reports and sources which claimed the President has forwarded a list of ministerial nominees to the legislators.

However, Naija News reports President Tinubu has just nine days remaining according to law to forward his list of ministerial nominees to the National Assembly for screening and confirmation.

By the provision of law, President Tinubu is expected to forward the list of ministerial nominees to the National Assembly not later than 60 days from the date he takes the oath of office.

Recall that the incumbent administration was inaugurated on May 29, when former President Muhammadu Buhari handed over the mantle of leadership to Tinubu.

Going by the constitutional provision of 60 days, Tinubu has less than ten days to constitute his cabinet.

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has slammed President Bola Tinubu‘s government following the latest increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), better known as petrol of fuel.

Naija News reports that the price of petrol shot up from N540 to N617 per litre on Tuesday following an announcement by the federal government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.

The NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, in a subsequent statement, attributed the recent rise in petrol pump prices to market forces.

Kyari offered this explanation shortly after a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Villa.

Reacting, however, to the hardship brought upon Nigerians as a result of the latest development, CUPP said fuel subsidy removal by President Tinubu’s administration is now looking like a scam to the citizens.

CUPP criticized the ‘crazy and unending fuel price hikes’ which, according to it is driving inflation to the rooftops and making life increasingly unbearable for Nigerians generally.

In a press release signed by the group’s national co-spokesperson, Mark Adebayo, on Wednesday, CUPP frowned at the sudden increase barely a month after the fuel price was hiked over 300% on May 29th this year.

The All Progressives Congress, (APC) has said that some of the allegations made by candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, against President Bola Tinubu, are criminal in nature.

Naija News reports Obi and Atiku are at the Tribunal challenging the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the February 25th presidential election.

In a statement, however, issued on Wednesday, APC said the duo have failed to provide credible evidence to substantiate their allegations that the presidential election was rigged in favour of Tinubu.

The APC has also said that Obi and the Labour Party’s evidence against President Tinubu was minuscule and deficient in credibility.

The APC in its final brief of argument filed at the court through its team of lawyers led by Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, argued that Atiku and the PDP were not entitled to any of the reliefs they were asking for in their petition.

The party insisted that the petitioners only dumped documents on the court and claimed that such documents were enough evidence to prove their allegations.

The APC further argued that the petitioners failed to demonstrate or link the documents to specific allegations they raised against Tinubu’s victory.

According to the APC, it is not enough to merely identify exhibits without making the added effort to demonstrate their relevance by correlating them with witnesses adopted depositions.

The House of Representatives has rejected a motion seeking to stop the increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), better known as Petrol or fuel.

Naija News reports that the motion also seeks to revert fuel to the old price of N537 per liter.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited (NNPCL) on Tuesday announced a new hike in the pump price of petrol.

The NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Mele Kyari, attributed the recent rise in petrol pump price from N540 to N617 per litre to market forces.

The House on Wednesday resolved to investigate the sudden increase in the price of premium motor spirit and the resultant rise in transport fares across the country.

According to the lower legislative chambers, since it has already resolved to investigate the increase, it will amount to pre-empting the work of the investigative committee by ordering the suspension of the price increase.

In a motion of urgent public importance by Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, the House asked the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, and oil marketers to appear before an ad hoc committee to explain the increase.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the plan of the Federal Government to distribute N8,000 as palliatives to 12 million households in Nigeria to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy.

Recall that President Tinubu, last week, wrote a letter to the National Assembly seeking approval of an $800 million loan to be disbursed to 12 million households in the portion of N8,000 each, designed to cushion the effect of removal of fuel subsidy.

In a statement on Tuesday by its President, Joe Ajaero, the NLC argued that the Federal Government was seeking to impoverish the people further by taking steps that can only be described as robbing the people of Nigeria to pay and feed the rich.

The labour union said rather than reciprocate the goodwill of Nigerian workers, the Federal Government had “insisted on threading the path of dictatorship”.