Today's National Newspaper Headlines/News - 30/4/2015

Good Morning this lovely Thursday Morning....Please read these interesting Newspaper headlines and have your say....

PUNCH

**Pro-Buhari Igbo Want South-East To succeed Tambuwal

Despite not producing any ranking All Progressives Congress senator or member of the House of Representatives for the 8th National Assembly, the South-East geopolitical zone is seeking to succeed Mr. Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of the next House.

A Coalition of South-East Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Movement, on Wednesday called on the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari and the APC’s leadership not to exclude the zone from the sharing of principal offices of the National Assembly.

The group said in Abuja that the APC should endeavour to carry all the geo-political zones of the country along.

The Coordinator of the group, Mr. John Ekeanyanwu, argued that the South-East was an important stakeholder in the development of Nigeria as any other zone, adding that leaving it out in the power sharing arrangement could be counter-productive in the years ahead.

Ekeanyanwu specifically asked that the zone should be allowed to produce the Speaker of the 8th House of Representatives.

**Rescued Girls Undergo Pregnancy, HIV Tests

The military authorities have taken the 293 women and girls rescued by the Special Forces during a raid on the dreaded Sambisa Forest   to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno State.

An intelligence officer, who made this known to one of our correspondents on Wednesday, also said the women and girls were   undergoing a series of tests, including pregnancy and HIV in the hospital.

The officer also said that seven of the girls had gunshot injuries which were being treated by the medical officials of the UMTH.

Findings indicated that out of the 293 ladies, 200 were aged between 13 and 18, the age brackets of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14, 2014.

When one of Punch correspondents contacted the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris. Olukolade, to confirm the officer’s information on the rescued females, he   said, “We will talk about it when we are through; we are busy moving them off the line of duty for a thorough screening.

“The military would do everything to take care of them and make them feel not traumatised.”

"The military would on Thursday (today) commence a holistic   investigation of the identities of the girls and women after the   tests and treatment".

**FG Warns Buhari Against Running Parallel Govt

The Federal Government has warned the President-elect,   Muhammadu Buhari, against utterances and actions   capable of portraying him as running a parallel government at a time President Goodluck Jonathan is still fully in charge.

The Minister of National Planning,   Abubakar Sulaiman, disclosed this at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

Suleiman who is the chairman of the Technical Subcommittee of the outgoing government’s transition committee, said utterances by Buhari and his team were suggestive that the current government was either being stampeded or   intimidated.

He said, “We did receive from the incoming government’s transition committee some terms of reference which we looked at critically and council did agree that the President remains the current head of government of this country.

“The incoming government should avoid creating a parallel government while the government is still on.

“We take exception to some utterances and some of the terms of reference that look as if the current government is being stampeded or intimidated.

“When the incoming government takes over government, they can come out with their programmes; they can come out with their own agenda and they can decide to come out with policies in the way they feel like.

****Workers Oppose N3.24bn Severance Pay For Jonathan, Others

Following the report exclusively published by The Punch over the N3.24bn severance benefits approved by the Presidency for political office holders, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to set example by rejecting the offer so that other beneficiaries could do same.

“If the President and all those that have been awarded the jumbo pay refuse to do the needful by rejecting the pay, we will be forced to conclude that we Nigerians are just working and living for our political leaders and this will be too bad. If the Presidency was not privy to this scandalous severance benefits, it must publicly distance itself from the ill-advised benefits and reject the offer immediately,” the workers said in a statement on Wednesday.

The ASCSN in the statement issued in Abuja by its President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary-General, Alade Lawal, described the allowance as “financial recklessness.”

The union expressed worry that despite public outcry against financial recklessness and sharp practices by the Federal Government, the Presidency still proceeded to approve N3.24bn as terminal benefits for political office holders whose tenures would expire on May 29.

***Igbinedion Found Guilty Of Money Laundering, To Be Sentenced Today

Michael Igbinedion, younger brother to former Governor Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State was yesterday found guilty by a Federal High Court sitting in Benin City in the N25 billion money laundering case preferred against him and five others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and would be sentenced today.

Michael and others were arraigned on an 81-count charge of money laundering.

The offence was committed when his brother, Lucky, was the Governor of Edo State between 1999 and 2007.

*Polls: PDP governors mount pressure on Mu’azu to resign

*Four-month-old baby rescued in Nepal quake

*Buhari seeks N’Assembly support to tackle corruption

*Impeachment: APC alleges Fayose, labour conspiracy

*DSS operatives attack Buhari’s ex-campaign coordinator

*Rivers PDP, APC disagree over election materials

*FEC approves Edwin Clark’s varsity

*Fayose, others withdraw anti-impeachment suit

*Air force corporal slaps inspector at filling station

*Police arraign law graduate on alleged forgery

*Policeman crushes riders on Third Mainland Bridge

*Akume, Tinubu meet in Lagos over Senate presidency

*Confusion as driver dies inside bus in Lagos

*Fuel scarcity: FG to pay marketers N156bn today

*Consumers seek further cut in electricity tariff

*Aviation fuel, petrol scarcity leaves passengers stranded

*Don’t sell govt’s equity in oil JVs – RMAFC

*Messi, Neymar, Suarez break Barca goal record

*Pacquiao bout a family affair for Mayweathers

*Russia moves to force out Nigerians, others

*Fuel marketers owe us N20bn, say transporters

*Patience Jonathan’s many battles

*Concern over naira as dollar drops

VANGUARD

*Okowa inaugurates 98-man transition committees in Delta

*Buhari’s AIT Ban

Xenophobic attacks: FG told to make Nigeria habitable

*N580m Toyota Hilux vehicles, bullet proof SUVs: Adamawa lawmakers drag Ngilari to EFCC

*Rivers gov-elect inaugurates c’ttees to facilitate smooth take-off

*Tribunal orders INEC to allow AD inspect election materials in Bayelsa

*Afenifere cautions Buhari over anti-corruption fight

*Confusion in Adamawa as 9 lawmakers impeach speaker at Govt House

*The problem is not curriculum but implementation — Onwualu

*Gale of impeachments sweep the polity

*NASS: Why we need Mid-term elections – Hamalai

*There’ll be vibrant opposition in Senate–PDP senators-elect

*Closing door to defectors: APC’s decision will enhance democracy — Ikokwu

*Dangote to invest N500bn in two gas pipeline projects

*Ministry implements 60 reforms in intellectual property sector

*KDB Daewoo Securities signs $72m deal with Emirates

*Agency wants producers, marketers to improve quality of locally made products

*Sound regulatory system critical to stablility of insurance sector — NAICOM

THIS DAY

*Buhari Inaugurates Transition C’ttee as Jonathan Warns Against Parallel Govt

*Okonjo-Iweala: FG to Pay Oil Marketers N156bn Subsidy Claims

*Borno Govt: 293 Women and Girls are from Bumsiri, Not Chibok

*Balogun: Buhari’s Policy Direction Will Drive FDI, Portfolio Investment

*Buhari Warns Personal Aides to Steer Clear of Media Matters

*Jonathan Appoints Sanusi Ado Bayero MD of NPA

*RMAFC Advises against Sale of FG’s Stake in Oil Joint Ventures

*12 Members of Kebbi Assembly Serve Dakingari Impeachment Notice

*US Vows to Help Nigeria Destory Boko Haram

*Jonathan Swears in Two Federal Commissioners

*Labour Rejects Removal of Fuel Subsidy

*Afenifere Warns Buhari against Selective Fight against Corruption

*Indonesia Execution: Nigeria Seeks Repatriation of Bodies

*Buhari to Partner Legislature on Daunting Challenges

*Final Rites for Oronto Douglas Begins in Bayelsa

*Lagos Cancels Third Toll Plaza on Lekki-Epe Expressway

*Unilag Offers 125 First Class Graduates Automatic Employment

*Impeachment: Fayose, Others Withdraw Suit against Lawmakers

*Court Orders Coscharis to Disclose Purchase Documents of Bullet Proof Cars to Rights Group