These are the stories you should be monitoring today:
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday ordered the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to stop the invitation of Senator Ademola Adeleke, Governorship candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s polls in Osun.
According to a source in the Presidency and as confirmed by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Buhari ordered that Adeleke should not be invited until after Saturday’s election.
The Osun West Senator and four others are facing preosecution by the Police on alleged Examination Malpractice, Criminal Conspiracy, Impersonation, Breach of Duty as well as Aiding and Abetting, and were was invited to the force headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday to answer questions.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday confirmed Hajia Zainab Ahmed as the country’s substantive Minister of Finance following last Friday’s resignation of Kemi Adeosun on account of an NYSC exemption certificate scandal.
Briefing newsmen after the weekly FEC meeting, Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina said she has relinquished her position as Minister of State for Budget and National Planning and would oversee the finance ministry until there is a contrary development, noting however that the government recognises the legal procedures for the appointment of Ministers, hence the choice of “deployment.”
“She is no longer Minister of State for Budget and National Planning. She will be Minister of Finance, in fact that was how she was addressed at council,” he explained.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday also approved the concession of 20 out of the 33 silos with a total capacity of 1,360,000 metric tons of grains belonging to the Federal Government across the country.
Agriculture Minister, Audu Ogbeh who disclosed this to State House Correspondents at the end of the council meeting on Wednesday, said the approval was sequel to the consideration of a memo to the council, seeking the concession of the silos, adding that the government will earn N6 billion in the 10-year period of the first instance.
“The federal government remains the owner of the silos and at the end of 10 years it can either renew, revoke or takeover the silos and operate them ourselves,” he said, stressing that arrangement had been perfected to ensure that the deal was terminated in the event of non-performance from investors.
The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has alleged inducement of voters ahead of the governorship election scheduled to hold on Saturday, September 22.
According to a statement signed by its chairperson, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the group received reports of distribution of money, food items and other gifts by politicians at Boripe, Atakumosa East, Atakumosa West, Ife North, Ife South, Obokun, Ede North, Egbedore, Boluwaduro, Ila, Irepodun and Iwo local government areas of the state.
In what she described as a dangerous recipe against the credibility of the electoral process, she said “we also urge citizens to say no to vote buying as any politician that gives citizens money for their votes does not have good plans for them,” while enjoining the Police, Department of State Security (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other major election monitors to move against voter inducement across the state.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), has announced that the mandatory use of the National Identity Number (NIN) will begin in January 2019.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Director General of the commission, Aliyu Abubakar Aziz, said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the immediate implementation of a roadmap for a new digital identity ecosystem for the enrolment of Nigerians and legal residents into the National Identity Database (NIDB), adding that the NIN is to be used for international passport registration, health insurance, financial transactions and drivers license.
“The FEC’s approval of the new Digital Identity Ecosystem will bring into full force the implementation of the provisions of the NIMC Act 23, 2007, which include the enforcement of the mandatory use of the National Identification Number (NIN) and the application of appropriate sanctions and penalties on defaulters as provided under Section 28 of the NIMC Act,” the statement read.
And stories from around the world:
US President Donald Trump has said he does not “have an attorney general” in his fiercest attack yet on Jeff Sessions.(BBC)
The United States said it was ready to resume talks with North Korea after Pyongyang pledged on Wednesday to dismantle its key missile facilities and suggested it would close its main Yongbyon nuclear complex if Washington took unspecified actions. (Reuters)
More than five million children are threatened by famine in war-torn Yemen as prices soar, a charity said Wednesday, warning an entire generation may face death and “starvation on an unprecedented scale.” (AFP)
South Sudan’s government and its allied militias have been accused of carrying out war crimes of “staggering brutality” during an offensive earlier this year.
Witnesses described how soldiers and fighters targeted civilians by raping them, burning them alive, running them over with armoured vehicles, and hanging them from trees, Amnesty International said in a report on Wednesday (Al Jazeera)
Cristiano Ronaldo faces missing out on a return to Old Trafford to face former club Manchester United after being sent off for Juventus at Valencia in the Italian side’s 2-0 win on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League.
In a related development, English side, Manchester City paid the price for an error-strewn first-half display as they were beaten 2-1 at home by Lyon in their Champions League opener, while goals from Gareth Bale, Isco and a stunning late strike from Mariano sealed a 3-0 win for Real Madrid against Roma in their Champions League opener.
At Bern, Paul Pogba scored twice as Man Utd got their Champions League campaign off to a winning start with a 3-0 victory at Young Boys. (Sky Sports)
Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq is a Journalist, Political Analyst and Satirist with major interest in Nigerian Politics, Governance and Sports.
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