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Top 10 Stories of Wednesday, October 18, 2017

1. PRESIDENT BUHARI HEADS TO TURKEY TODAY

President Muhammadu Buhari has departed for Istanbul, Turkey, to participate in the ninth Summit of the Developing 8 (D-8), on Friday, October 20.
The President will be accompanied to Turkey by Cabinet Ministers, and other senior government officials.
In Ankara, the Nigerian and the Turkish delegations will hold discussions in various fields including defence coop, security, education & migration
The President will also visit the Grand National Assembly of the Republic of Turkey in Ankara and meet with the Speaker, Ismail Kahraman.
2. BUHARI SIGNS LAW TO ESTABLISH NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES
President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the bill seeking the creation of the University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State.
A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said Buhari will continue to display support for the socio-economic development of the Niger Delta.
He appealed to all communities in the region to strive for peace through dialogue in resolving all conflicts not only among them but also with business entities and the authorities.
3. I WILL NEVER RETURN TO PDP – OBASANJO TELLS MAKARFI
Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has vowed never to return to the Peoples Democratic Party.
This was what he told journalists after he met with the National Caretaker Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, behind-closed-doors.
The meeting was held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, which lasted for one hour.
The former president said, “I will never return to the PDP, just like a dog would never return to its vomit.”
4. SENATE URGES BUHARI TO URGENTLY APPOINT A SEPARATE MINISTER OF POWER
Nigerian Senate on Tuesday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently appoint a separate minister for the ministry of power due to critical challenges facing the sector.
The senator said the current minister, Babatunde Fashola is overwhelmed by functions in other ministerial portfolios.
The Senate resolution follows a motion by Senator Mustapha Bukar on the need for the Ministry of Power under Fashola to limit its role to general policy-making rather than choking and preventing agencies like the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC from performing their legal functions.
5. ABARIBE BEGS FOR MORE TIME TO PRODUCE IPOB LEADER, NNAMDI KANU
The Senator representing Abia-South Senatorial District of Abia State in the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe on Tuesday pleaded with the Federal High Court in Abuja to give him more time to produce the IPOB leader.
Abaribe, who had earlier told Justice Binta Nyako, that he had no information about Kanu’s whereabouts, was forced to request for time to produce the defendant in court.
Abaribe’s lawyer, Ogechi Ogunna, initially informed the judge that the senator had filed a motion seeking to be discharged as a surety for the defendant.
But the judge refused his application and gave him three options: He should either provide him to the Court before withdrawing from being his surety, Forfeit his bail bond or ask the court to give him time to provide him before the Court.
6. RIVERS ARMY IMMUNIZATION SCARE DISRUPT ACTIVITIES IN SCHOOLS
There was panic in primary and secondary schools in Rivers State, yesterday, following a rumour that the Nigerian Army had stormed schools with free immunization against Monkeypox.
The news later spread to other parts of the state as parents and guardians raced to schools to pick their wards, causing classrooms to be emptied before the official closing hour.
There was rowdiness in major streets of Port Harcourt as students who were terrified by the news left their classes, defying their teachers’ orders to remain in school. Parents were also seen running straight to their children’s schools to pick their wards. However, the 6 Division Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt has dismissed the rumours of Monkeypox vaccination in the state. The army described those behind the rumour that caused tension and panic in several schools in the state as enemies of the state.
7. BUHARI CONCERNED ABOUT PLIGHT OF WORKERS IN STATES
President Muhammadu Buhari said he is concerned about the growing complaints and agitations by workers in states over unpaid salaries and allowances, in spite of interventions by the Federal Government.
Addressing a group of governors led by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abdul’Aziz Yari, President Buhari said the plight of workers in the states needs urgent attention.
He said the challenge in payment of salaries in states had taken a toll on the people.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum said the various interventions by the Federal Government, which include the bailouts, were judiciously utilized by the states.
8. GUNMEN KILL CORPS MEMBER IN IMO
Tragedy struck in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Monday after yet- to – be identified gunmen shot dead a serving corps member, Ekene Uwaoma.
It was reported that the Imo incident happened around 8. 30 pm at Ama- wire Junction, when the corps member and his friend, identified simply as MacDonald, were returning to their residence when gunmen demanded their mobile phones. Macdonald released his own phone but the deceased was refused to surrender his phone, this made the gunmen shot. The corps member was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where doctors confirmed him dead.
The state Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, who confirmed the incident said the command had swung into action to apprehend the fleeing murderers.
9. GOVERNOR ORTOM VISITS ASO ROCK, REPORT FULANI’S HERDSMEN TO BUHARI
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on Tuesday met with President Muhammadu Buhari to brief him on the alleged threat by the Fulani sociocultural Association Miyatti Allah Kauta, (MAYTTI) over the anti-grazing law which is expected to take effect from next month.
According to the governor,
“Miyetti Allah has taken us to court and we’re there with them. But I don’t see how they’ll come and overrun Benue and make it ungovernable, it’s not going to be accepted. We stand by what we’ve done, we’ve done our legitimate as government and citizens of the state. So, we don’t see how somebody will sit somewhere and say we should not implement a law that has restored peace in our place, he said.
The governor assured that the state government would give land to those interested in having ranches.
10. POLITICAL GROUP SLAMS GOV. FAYOSE FOR ALLEGEDLY DIVERTING PENSION FUNDS
Ekiti State Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has slammed Governor Ayo Fayose of the state for allegedly diverting funds meant to pay pensioners and workers in the state.
Reacting to a report by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which indicted the Fayose government for allegedly diverting N680 million bailout fund, the CNPP described the alleged diversion as “callous and greedy”.
However, the Commissioner for Information Lanre Ogunsuyi dismissed the allegation, saying it was a “figment of the imagination of those peddling it”.
He described the Fayose administration as “the most transparent in the history of Ekiti.”
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