Newspaper Review For Monday 14th, September

1. Buhari Goes To Paris

Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Nigeria says something almost sub-consciously that underscores the phi­losophy of the foreign policy of his administra­tion: that it is more cost effective, politically and economically to be at peace with your neigh­bours. This, he once explained, “is something I learnt from the army”.


2. Buhari To Reduce Ministries From 42 to 19

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, has hinted of President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to prune down the number of federal ministries from the current 42 to 19. The reduction of federal ministries was part of the recommendation of the Alhaji Ahmed Joda transition committee. Shehu, who made the intention of his principal known to Daily Trust, stated that the President believes the reduction would save cost of governance and ensure proper coordination of duties and better service delivery.

3. Buhari Won’t Interfere With Senate Probes – Presidency

The Presidency has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will not interfere in the ongoing probes being carried out by the National Assembly. It said the Senate’s probes of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, and the power sector from 1999 to 2015, were purely legislative matters and that the President could not stop them. The Senate Committee on Business and Ethics is currently probing an allegation of diversion of N1tn proceeds of corruption recovered by the EFCC.

4. We Are Rebranding PDP For Younger Generations – Dokpesi

In a bid to shore up its membership drive and make the party more attractive to the younger generation, the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (e-Membership Registration Committee) Chief Raymond Dokpesi, weekend said that the party was undergoing an all-inclusive process of rebranding itself in order to conform with global best practices in political participation. Dokpesi, who spoke during the official flag off of the e-registration exercise in Etsako East local government area of Edo State, on Friday, explained that while not drifting from the ideals of the founding fathers, part of the objectives of the project was to return the party to its members, many of whom belonged to the younger generation atuned with modern ways of doing things.

5. Buhari’s Ministerial List Likely Out This Week

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to forward the list of his ministerial nominees to the Nigerian Senate any moment this week. Sources close to the presidency said, yesterday, that the list would go through the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for the consideration of the distinguished members of the Red Chamber.

6. ‘I Will Jail You’ – Hameed Ali warns corrupt Customs officers

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), on Friday evening said corrupt officers and men of the agency will go to jail. He also said all Customs Area Controllers, heads of units and departments will be accountable for infraction dealing with false declaration, deliberate misapplication of the tariff, undervaluation and concealment.

7. DPR Seals 200 Filling Stations, 25 Depots in A’Ibom, C’River

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Eket, Akwa Ibom, on Sunday said it sealed 200 petrol filling stations within six months in its area of operations for illegality. Mr Asuquo Antai, Controller of Operations in Charge of Akwa Ibom and Cross River, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eket . Antai said that 40 filling stations were sealed in Calabar while 160 were closed in Akwa Ibom.

8. Suicide Bombers Kill 7 in Northern Cameroon

Suicide bombers attacked a northern Cameroon town on Sunday morning, killing at least seven people and severely wounding 18, a local official said. The attack hit the town of Kolofata, which sits near the Nigerian border and has been repeatedly targeted by the Nigeria-based Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. The death toll could climb, said Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of the Far North Region, who confirmed the attack Sunday morning as he was heading to the area. He said he had been told three bombers were involved, and that the wounded were being taken to the hospital in the town of Mora.

9. Nasarawa Gov. Al-Makura Denies Alleged Harassment of Motorist

Nasarawa State governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has described the alleged harassment of a family on the Lafia-Abuja highway by his security personnel as unfortunate and misrepresentation of facts aimed at tarnishing his good name. This was contained in a press statement signed his special assistant on media, Ahmed Tukur, and made available to journalists in Lafia on Sunday.

10. Eight Pupils Killed in Jos School Building Collapse

The building of an Islamic School has collapsed in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government in Plateau State killing at least eight students. The incident which occurred at about 7:30 on Sunday night threw several families into mourning. The Islamic school, Abu Naib Islamic school is operated under a building located along Gero road in Bukuru. The school normally holds its evening lessons between 6:30pm and 9pm daily with over forty students attending.