Encomium
1. PRESIDENT BUHARI WILL SOON RETURN – OSINBAJO
Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday confirmed that ailing President Muhammadu Buhari is recuperating very fast and in high spirit. He stated that he is expected to be in the country sooner than Nigerians expected.
Osinbajo, who visited the ailing President in London on Tuesday and came back to Nigeria on Wednesday, said he had a good time with the President. Mr. Osinbajo stated this shortly before presiding over the weekly Federal Executive Meeting in Abuja.
2. OSINBAJO APPROVES RELEASE OF N1.6BN TO FLOOD VICTIMS IN 16 STATES
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved payment of N1.6 billion to victims of floods across the federation. The Minister of Finance was directed by the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to release the money to affected states like, Ekiti, Kwara, Lagos, Bayelsa, Enugu, Sokoto, Ebonyi, Awka Ibom, Osun, Kebbi, Niger, Abia, Oyo, Plateau and Edo. The money will be released to National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for onward distribution to the states.
After the weekly FEC meeting, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina said the money would be sourced from the Ecological account via Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to help stop further disasters on the affected states.
3. ADEMOLA ADELEKE SWORN IN AS SENATOR
Newly-elected senator for Osun-west Senatorial District, Ademola Adeleke, on Wednesday took an oath of office to replace the late Isiaka Adeleke who died on April 23. The oath was administered to him by the Clerk of the Senate, Mr Nelson Ayewoh, during plenary.
Congratulating the new lawmaker, Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha, said, “I want to tell Nigerians that God loves Nigerians. The giant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is awake. With the inauguration of Adeleke, PDP now has 43 lawmakers, while the APC has 65 lawmakers.
4. PDP NASS CAUCUS HAILS SUPREME COURT
The Senate caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party in the National Assembly has described the Supreme Court ruling on the PDP leadership tussle as a victory for democracy.
The Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio charged all members of PDP to return and rebuild the party. The PDP lawmakers who were obviously in support of Markafi applauded the apex court for delivering justice on the matter.
5. SHERIFF ACCEPTS VERDICTS, CALLS FOR UNITY
The sacked National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has congratulated Ahmed Markafi on his victory at the Supreme Court. Sheriff, who was until yesterday the party’s National Chairman took to his twitter, @SenAliSheriff.
“The Supreme Court has spoken. I congratulate Senator Makarfi. We must all put our hands together to channel a new course for the PDP.
“Moving forward, we must embrace true reconciliation, so as to be united as a formidable option to send the All Progressives Congress (APC) packing in 2019,” he tweeted.
6. OSUN INDIGENES PLEDGE LOYALTY TO AREGBESOLA
Members of the ruling All Progressives Congress and some indigenes and residents of Osogbo and Olorunda local government areas of Osun state have restated their support for governor Rauf Aregbesola, following the loss of the APC in the last Saturday’s Osun west senatorial election.
At the solidarity rally held in Osogbo, participants said Osogbo is ready to support Aregbesola and vote APC in future elections. They enjoined party loyalists and supporters not to be discouraged by the loss in Osun west, urging them to be alert ahead of future elections.
7. DEATH TOLL FROM MAIDUGURI BOMBINGS RISE TO 19
The death toll from four bomb explosions in and on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital on Tuesday night, has jumped to 19. It was revealed that two of the explosions took place at Molai Kalamari, one took place at Sabon-Gari and the other at the NNPC mega station, which is five kilometres from the city centre.
According to reports, they are all suicide bombings and persons affected in the attacks are receiving treatment at the specialist hospital in Maiduguri.
8. APPEAL COURT JUDGE WITHDRAWS FROM PATIENCE JONATHAN’S HEARING
The Court of Appeal in Lagos on Wednesday was unable to hear an appeal by the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, seeking to stop the forfeiture of her $5.7 million and N2, 421, 953, 522.78 to the federal government.
The Court stated that three judges were needed to form a quorum and adjourned the case till September 18 for hearing, but a member of the three-man panel said he was withdrawing from the hearing for personal reasons.
9. TELL NIGERIANS THE TRUE HEALTH STATUS OF BUHARI – FAYOSE
The Ekiti State Governor and the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Ayodele Fayose has said that the Acting President’s claim that Buhari is recuperating fast and would return to the country soon is untrue. He lamented that Osinbajo’s visit to London to meet with Buhari was diversionary.
The Governor who stated this in Abuja, threatened to release 11 photographs showing the real health conditions of Buhari anytime from now, should the presidency fail to come out clean on Buhari’s health status. He challenged Osinbajo to release photographs and video clips of the meeting he had with Buhari to Nigerians. He called on Buhari to resign, so the country can move forward.
10. HOUSE ASKS HEALTH MINISTER TO RECALL SUSPENDED EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF NHIS
The House of Representatives had on Wednesday passed a resolution requesting the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, to immediately recall the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, from suspension and allow him continue with his sanitisation programme in the agency.
Yusuf was suspended for three months by the minister following his recent testimony before the House Committee on Healthcare under a false pretence that there are petitions pending against him.
However, Okafor, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Healthcare, in his lead debate argued that the suspension was a witch-hunt on a man who “wants to work and expose corruption.”
