Today's National Newspaper Headlines/News - 7/5/2015

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Newspaper headies for you...

PUNCH

***Soyinka Denies Anti-Igbo Comment, Harvard To Post Lecture Video Online

The Harvard University Hutchins Centre for African and American Research in the United States has said that it will release the video of the lecture delivered by Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, within a week.

This was contained in an email reply to one of our correspondents on Soyinka’s alleged comments that he labelled Igbo as people who voted in the last general elections based on their “stomach.”

Some online media had quoted Soyinka as saying Igbo were politically naive while delivering a lecture titled, “‘Predicting Nigeria, Electoral Ironies,” at the institution.

He was quoted as saying “The Igbo are probably the only group of Nigerians that you can predict with great accuracy whom they will vote for in an election, because they tend to put their votes where their stomachs take them; suffering as it were, from incurable money-mindedness, as they would stop at nothing in their quest for personal financial gain.”

However, Soyinka said in a statement on Tuesday that it was unfortunate that people could tell lies against him.

The playwright described those who believe the report as morons.

He said the entire lecture was recorded on video and anyone who was interested could access it on the Internet.

***Obey Traffic Rules, Buhari Tells His Escorts

The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday ordered all security personnel attached to him as well as his official escorts to obey traffic rules.

This, according to a statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of the All Progressives Congress Presidential campaign council, Mallam Garba Shehu, is a demonstration of Buhari’s leadership style.

Buhari was quoted as saying obedience to the law would be the guiding philosophy of his administration, adding that “without leadership by example, the ordinary citizens would become copycats of the lawlessness of their leaders.”

The President-elect explained that the “arrogance of power, lawlessness and disregard for the rights and convenience of fellow citizens will have no place in his government.”

According to him, for leaders to inspire respect, they must obey the laws, adding that when leaders treat the country’s laws with contempt, they would be sending the wrong message to the citizens.

Buhari lamented a situation where fellow citizens “are punished at traffic points and public roads because of the arrogant lawlessness of the leaders.”

He said in a democracy, leaders should not inflict inconveniences and other unbearable ordeals on the citizens for their own comfort.

The President-elect advised his military and police security personnel to be in tune with his philosophy of “bringing the rule of law to be

***Govs Should Be Blamed For Unpaid Salaries – Okonjo-Iweala

The Federal Government on Wednesday absolved itself of blame in the inability of some state governments to pay their workers’ salaries.

It said the governors of such states should be blamed for the development in their states because they were told through the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee to make the issue of wage a priority.

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said this in a statement by her Special Adviser on Communications,   Paul Nwabuikwu.

The statement was necessitated by the All Progressives Congress governors’ claim that the negative manner the outgoing Goodluck Jonathan administration was running the economy had made it difficult for them to pay salaries regularly.

But Okonjo-Iweala said that despite the 50 per cent drop in gross federally collectible revenue, the Federal Government had made the issue of workers’ salaries a top priority in order to ensure that the “people do not feel the negative impact of the revenue drop on the economy.”

***Presidency to APC: You can’t stampede Jonathan out

The Presidency on Wednesday told the All Progressives Congress that President Goodluck Jonathan could not be stampeded out office.

The Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said this in a statement in Abuja.

Alkali was reacting to different claims made by the APC that Jonathan was running the economy aground ahead of the May 29 handover date and that he was embarking on last-minute appointments.

He said Jonathan could not be “stampeded, coerced or undermined” while exercising his constitutional responsibilities.

He argued that the machinery of government could not be put on hold or frozen because the country was in transition.

The presidential aide therefore called on the APC to talk less and plan more as the nation moves towards the inauguration date.

***Massive Traffic Lights At The 11th Hour

A few weeks to the end of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration, the nation’s capital is witnessing fresh installation of traffic lights, 

Residents of Nigeria’s capital have suddenly discovered that major junctions of the city are sparkling with lights shortly after the declaration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the president-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Punch correspondent observed the rehabilitation of old traffic lights, which had stopped functioning for years, and the installation of new ones at road junctions that previously had no light.

Some of the new traffic lights are at Jabi, Utako, Kado, Gwarimpa, Garki, Maitama, Asokoro, Kubwa as well as in the satellite towns.

But many residents are quick to attribute the action of the Federal Capital Territory Administration to the impending change in government because the contract had been awarded a long time ago with the contractors fully mobilised.

Some of the residents, who spoke with our correspondent, said that the installation of the traffic lights was belated, arguing that the project would have taken another two to three years to actualise if the Peoples Democratic Party had won the election.

***PDP Is In A Coma –Mark

Senate President David Mark on Wednesday raised the alarm that the Peoples Democratic Party might be heading for a final destruction if the infighting among its leaders was not immediately resolved.

Mark, while receiving the Senator Ike Ekweremadu PDP Post – Election Review Committee, in Abuja, said the   acrimony between top members of the party   was dangerous.

He said, “The PDP is already haemorrhaging, unless we halt the bleeding and find the necessary therapy, we may be heading for the final burial of the party.

“The party is already in a comatose status and we should do all we can to resuscitate the party rather than this unnecessary rancour and buck passing.

“The emerging factions are absolutely unnecessary. The combatants must sheathe their swords and embrace dialogue.

“My appeal is that we should not do anything further that would damage the already fragmented house.

“Everybody should come together and rebuild the party. We have got enough bruises. We need not inflict further pains on ourselves with continuous bickering. Enough of this blame-game.”

*Sambisa: Four soldiers injured, 25 women, children rescued

*Impeachment: Police bar lawmakers from sitting in Niger

*Lagos not immune to harsh economic realities ─ Fashola

*Fraudsters dupe people with my name, says el-Rufai

*Reps to reconsider PIB next week

*‘Public outcry forced ex-IG to restore Tambuwal’s aides’

*Jonathan marks five years in office with prayer

*Buhari pledges electoral reforms, good governance

*NEMA receives 3,000 Nigerians deported from Niger

*Minister cautions against reversal of power sector privatisation

*FG records N1.3tn revenue shortfall in three months

*Social media in ‘tears’ for Emmanuel Adebayor

*American fans sue Pacquiao over injury

VANGUARD

*Blame governors over unpaid salaries – Okonjo-Iweala

*May 29: Enugu residents expectant on Ugwuanyi

*You cannot stampede Jonathan out of office, Presidency warns APC

*Lagos Gov: Some of my relations wanted Agbaje – Oba Akiolu

*We won’t fail Nigerians – Buhari

*Anger as fuel scarcity defies solution

*PDP in coma – Mark

*Enugu Govt spent N800m on medical equipment, drugs in 8yrs — Gov. Chime

*Talk less, plan more, Presidency tells APC

*Arrest any person soliciting for fund in my name — El-Rufai

*World Bank approves N15bn developmental projects for Edo State

*N13bn investment in poultry farming coming for Anambra

THISDAY

*Judge Detains American for Operating Phone in Court

*We are Ready to Testify at Electoral Tribunal, Says Mbu

*JAMB, UBEC Operations Shrouded in Secrecy, NANS Laments

*Senate Bill Seeks to End Desertification, Drought in Nigeria

*Police Arrest Teacher, Two Others for Kidnapping of Sexagenarian

*NAF Donates to Motherless Babies Home

*IG Restores Salaries of Officer after Radio Talk Show

*Albino Foundation Charges National Assembly to Criminalise Stigmatisation of Albinism

*'Jang Has No Hand in Soldiers' Killing in Plateau'

*Why Nigerians Have High Expectations of Buhari, by Anyaoku

*FG Charges Buhari Not to Reverse Privatisation of Power Sector

THE NATION

*Aliyu: I'm unconnected with Niger Assembly crisis

*I won't hand over on May 29, says Lamido

*Benue CJ restrains Suswam from appointing first class chiefs

*Police nab kidnappers in Lagos

*One injured as container falls on three vehicles

*How Pastor absconded with member's N10m

*Okada riders, hoodlums clash with police

*Brothers seek probe of magistrate's 'threat to life' claim

*Court jails American for 'pinging'

*Communities protest 'crazy' electricity bills

*Omeruo: Chelsea will decide my next move

THE GUARDIAN

*At FEC, ministers fail Jonathan's fifth anniversary aptitude test

*Lagos Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti

*Teacher arrested in Lagos for kidnapping

*Ex-speakers seek retirement benefits

*Acting Inspector-General of Police, solomon Arase

*65-year-old woman murdered by manservant in Enugu

*Sen. Ndume confirms rescue of 1000 women, children from North East by military

*Police say normalcy returns to Lekki Phase 1 after protest by Okada riders

*Slash in salaries : NLC urges Kogi civil servants to remain calm.