GOOD MORNING NIGERIA

Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers

1. A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Orji Uzor Kalu, has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari would be returning to Nigeria before the end of week.
Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, who noted that Buhari’s health had improved considerably when he visited him in London last week, called on Nigerians to desist from spreading messages of hate and division about the health of the President who he said is fast recovering.


2. Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari will not reject the 2017 appropriation Bill as passed by the National Assembly.Saraki said he believes the Budget will be assented to very soon.

3. The Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has vowed to boycott elections in the South East region and parts of Kogi and Benue states in 2019 unless the Federal Government conducts a referendum in Biafra land.
According to a statement by its National Director of Information, Samuel Edeson, the group also said Kogi and part of Benue State were also negotiating with MASSOB to be part of Biafra.

4. No fewer than 25,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Sunday defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kebbi State.
The defectors, who were led by the Chairman of PDP in the state, Bello Doya, consist of 160 former PDP councillors, businessmen, contractors, as well as women and youth groups.


5. Senate President Bukola Saraki has said the Senate is concerned about the high interest rates on loans, stating that lawmakers will this week discuss the issue with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Deposit Money Banks.
He stated that in an economy where workers were being retrenched and people were losing investments, it was immoral for certain sectors to be making astronomical profits.Northern politicians bent on causing crisis between Osinbajo and Buhari – Shehu Sani

6. The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has vowed to shut down the oil sector if the Federal Government fails to rescind its decision on the sale of the Port Harcourt Refinery and Petrochemical Company to Oando Plc.
The union alleged that the government had ignored the recent resolution by the Senate, which urged that the sale of the refinery should be suspended.

7. Senator Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District has warned the Nigerian government against using military force to silence Biafran agitators.Rather than resorting to military approach, Sani urged the Federal Government to embrace dialogue; noting that the Biafran agitation, gathered momentum due to some fundamental issues and factors that had to do with the failure of the Federal Government to address some critical issues after the civil war.

8. The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has demanded full powers of the President for acting President Yemi Osinbajo to be able to tackle the menace of herdsmen.
Fayose decried the attitude of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress Federal Government to the menace of the Fulani herdsmen in the country, especially in Benue State.

9. Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has written to acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, demanding the release of the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, otherwise called Shi’ites, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and the cleric’s wife, Zeinab, from illegal custody.
The soft-spoken lawyer also urged Osinbajo to direct the Nigerian Army to investigate and prosecute the military personnel responsible for the alleged brutal and callous massacre of the 347 members of the Shia Community at Zaria in December 2015.

10. The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr Supo Ayokunle, has said the headquarters of CAN will not intervene in the face-off between the wife of Lagos State governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, and the chaplain of Lagos State chapel, Reverend Femi Taiwo.