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Tuesday, January 5, 2016

NEWS PAPER REVIEW: Buhari Not Dictatorial Says AGF, Ndume, Others

Today, January 5, Nigerian dailies are focused on various issues that have to do with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Vanguard reports that the Attorney General of the Federation and minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Senate Leader, Sen Ali Ndume, Chief Ebenezar Babatope and retired Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav defended President Buhari, saying he was not dictatorial.
Vanguard front page, Tuesday January 5, 2015.
They were reacting to criticisms against Buhari over his stance
that the federal government would not release former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (retd), and the founder of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, despite several court directives to that effect.
Malami and others said the president was not a tyrant and he was only being serious minded and a promoter of public interest.
Malami said those calling Buhari a tyrant were oblivious of the national interest, which the President was protecting.
The Punch reports that Buhari would be meeting with the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde today to discuss some of the challenges facing the Nigerian economy.
The Punch front page, Tuesday January 5, 2015.
Lagarde, who is on a four-day working visit arrived Nigeria yesterday through the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport aboard a private jet and was received by a federal government delegation led by the minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The Nigerian economy is currently facing fiscal and monetary challenges such as the drop in global oil price, which has impacted negatively on the country’s revenue, weak external reserves, and increased pressure on the naira in the foreign exchange market, among others.
The IMF in a statement said that the visit would provide an opportunity to strengthen the Fund’s partnership with Nigeria, which is the largest economy in Africa.
The statement quoted Lagarde as saying, “I look forward to productive meetings with President Buhari and his colleagues as they address important economic challenges, most importantly the impact of low oil prices.
“Nigeria is working hard to improve its business environment, promote opportunities for growth in the private sector, and strengthen social cohesion, all areas where the government has an important role to play.”
In other news, The Nation reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) probing the $2.1 billion arms contracts have traced N1.4billion to the account of a company allegedly linked with Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) spokesman  Olisa Metuh.
The Nation front page, Tuesday January 5, 2015.
Report has it that the account of the company, Destra Investment Limited, may be frozen when the ongoing probe gets to a “convenient bend”.
The activities of the company and its bank transactions have been placed under surveillance.
According to sources, EFCC investigators discovered that Destra Investment Limited was used to fund the PDP’s activities, including its 2015 campaign.
Meanwhile, the Oyo state government has ordered newly-promoted chiefs in the Olubadan chieftaincy lines to revert to their old positions within 48 hours, Daily Sun reports.
Daily Sun front page, Tuesday January 5, 2015.
In a letter signed by the director of chieftaincy matters, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Zaccheaus Jayeola, the government described the promotion as illegal.
Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odugade I, promoted the chiefs on January 1, at his Monatan palace. This was done a day after the government said the concerned chiefs must submit their medical reports, obtained from recognised hospitals.
The Guardian reports that petroleum marketers found it difficult to purchase fuel for their filling stations yesterday.
The Guardian front page, Tuesday January 5, 2015.
They were said to have thronged the depots at Apapa, engaging in intensive lobbying for the supply of fuel.
Reports show that many of the depots have also failed to comply with the N77.00 ex-depot price, as a marketer claimed to have purchased fuel around N80.00 per litre from a depot in the Apapa area of Lagos.

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