NEWSPAPER TODAY: HEADLINES FROM PUNCH [Today 23rd February 2016]

                                     PUNCH NEWSPAPER

 

Kogi: INEC makes a U-turn, declares PDP winner

      The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday reversed its earlier declaration that the Kogi-Central senatorial rerun election was inconclusive.

The electoral commission, which on Sunday, declared the election as inconclusive, said on Monday, that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Ahmed Ogembe, won the election.

INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Rotimi Ajayi, on Monday, at Okene, the headquarters of the senatorial district, said the presiding officers in charge of the areas that were initially cancelled, had copies of the results that were said to have been destroyed by hoodlums during the election. READ FULL STORY

Sheriff must go, PDP BOT insists

The Board of Trustee of the Peoples Democratic Party has insisted that the new National Chairman of the party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, is not credible enough  to lead the party.
According to the Board, Sheriff is not an option to lead the party.
The Acting Chairman of the BoT, Sen. Walid Jibril, gave the position of the board at a press briefing in Abuja. He spoke after the meeting of the Board.
Walid said, “We as the conscience of the party are still of the strong view that Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff is not an option to be the party’s national chairman.” READ FULL STORY

Tariff hike: NERC loses bid to stay court proceedings 

Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday rejected the prayer by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to stay proceedings in a suit challenging hike in electricity tariff. The suit was filed last May by a Lagos-based lawyer, Toluwani Adebiyi. 

The applicant prayed the court to restrain the NERC and the other respondents in the suit from effecting any increase in electricity tariff until there has been appreciable increase in power supply to, at least, 18 hours in a day across the country.

He had on May 28, 2015, obtained an order of interim injunction barring the respondents from giving effect to their proposal to hike electricity tariff, pending the determination of the suit. READ FULL STORY

50,000 Abuja workers sacked in two months – ACCI

The scarcity of foreign exchange for importation of raw materials by local industries is adversely affecting the sector as over 50,000 workers have lost their jobs in Abuja in the last two months.

The President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Tony Ejinkeonye, confirmed the job losses in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Abuja.

Similarly, the President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Frank Jacobs, said that about 10 companies had formally notified the association about their intention to shut down operations before the end of this month. READ FULL STORY

$24bn contracts: Reps summon Diezani, to appear March 2

The House of Representatives on Monday despatched a letter to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, asking her to explain how she extended contracts for crude oil worth $24bn without valid agreements.

The Chairman of the House Ad hoc Committee on Crude Oil Swap, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, confirmed on Monday that a letter had been sent to Alison-Madueke to appear before the committee on March 2.

“Yes, she has been asked to come on March 2. The letter left the secretariat today, February 22 (yesterday),” Mohammed stated. READ FULL STORY

SOURCE: PUNCH ONLINE

 

 

 

 

NEWS 10:50