These are the top five Nigerian stories that drove conversation today.
Elder statesman, Edwin Clark has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to to declare a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States .
Clark also asked the President to remove the governors of affected states, saying their sacking would make the war on insurgency meaningful.
Clark stated this in an open letter he addressed to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), which he read to journalists at his residence on Monday in Abuja.
Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose has said the planned visit by President Muhammadu Buhari to Benue, Zamfara, Yobe and Rivers states is an afterthought.
In a statement issued on Monday, Fayose said the President is more concerned about his reelection in 2019 and is visiting the states to seek votes.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday re-arraigned a former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, and two others in an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan over alleged N11.5bn fraud.
The defendants are facing 11 counts bordering on conspiracy, awarding a contract without budgetary provision, obtaining by false pretence, acquiring property with money derived from an illegal act and concealing the ownership of such property, among others.
President Muhammadu Buhari will be visiting Benue, Taraba, Zamfara, Yobe and Rivers states.
The states had experienced different forms of violence in recent months.
Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
“In view of recent terrorist attacks, criminal activities and communal clashes in some States leading to tragic loss of lives and kidnapping of 110 schoolgirls, President Muhammadu Buhari immediately tasked the Armed Forces and other Security agencies to compile comprehensive reports on the various incidents,” the statement read.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has said there are more Christians than Muslims in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari.
While speaking to journalists, Osinbajo said contrary to popular belief, Christians are more in Buhari’s government.
He said: “Look at the cabinet, for example, from the point of view of religion, it has an equal number – 18 Christians, 18 Muslims; but, we have the secretary to the government of the federation as well as the head of service are Christians.
“So, we have 20 Christians to 18 Muslims; that’s the structure of the cabinet.
“So, if you take that narrative, you may argue that perhaps the Christians have the upper hand; that’s a possible narrative.”
And now, stories from around the world…
Angela Merkel has said it is important that a new government gets to work quickly after the longest period of coalition-building in post-war Germany.
She said she would work to secure jobs and prosperity, and promised to provide a strong voice for Germany in the EU.
The chancellor is set to form her fourth government after the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) voted in favour of another grand coalition on Sunday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has hosted a dinner for senior South Korean delegates – the first time officials from Seoul have met the young leader since he took office in 2011.
The South Korean president’s office confirmed the meeting shortly after the delegates’ arrival on Monday.
The 10-member team is in Pyongyang for talks partly aimed at restarting dialogue between the North and the US.
Jordan Peele has earned a place in the Oscar history books.
The 39-year-old, who made his name in sketch comedy, won best original screenplay for Get Out at Sunday’s awards – making him the first black screenwriter to receive the honour.
“I just won an Oscar. WTF?!?” tweeted Jordan Peele after receiving the best original screenplay award for Get Out.
“I stopped writing this movie about 20 times… I thought it was impossible. I thought it wasn’t going to work.”
President Donald Trump on Monday dangled the possibility of lifting the new steel and aluminum tariffs he’s imposed if NAFTA is renegotiated to terms more favorable to the US.
“We have large trade deficits with Mexico and Canada. NAFTA, which is under renegotiation right now, has been a bad deal for U.S.A. Massive relocation of companies & jobs. Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum will only come off if new & fair NAFTA agreement is signed,” Trump tweeted Monday morning.
South Africa’s health ministry is warning consumers to avoid “all processed meat products that are sold as ready-to-eat” after tracing the source of deadly listeria outbreak to a sausage meat product.
“As of 02 March 2018, a total of laboratory-confirmed cases have risen to 948, still counting from January 2017,” Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi said Sunday in remarks published on the website for South Africa’s National Institute of Communicable Diseases. “Of these 948, a total 659 patients have been traced and 180 of them have unfortunately died.”
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