Top Nigerian Newspapers Headlines For Today, Friday, 5th November, 2021

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Ezenwoko’s Blog roundup of top newspapers headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 5th November 2021

Governors from the southeast region of the country have announced plans to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari on various issues affecting the region.

This was made known to newsmen in a statement on Thursday by the Ebonyi State Governor and Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum, David Umahi.

He observed that what they plan to discuss with the President includes the fate of the arrested leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu as well as how to arrest the growing insecurity in the region.

The Governor in the statement pointed out that IPOB can no longer be blamed for the security challenges in the region as many other criminals have taken advantage of the situation and only using the name and image of IPOB to perpetrate their evil acts.

He submitted that they (Governors) believe that a political solution is what should be deployed as things stand currently and they have started engaging the relevant stakeholders.

The statement however appealed to IPOB and all other agitating groups to cancel every form of sit-at-home order as it is counter-productive on the region.

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has begun the probe of notable Nigerians indicted in offshore dealings by the Pandora Papers exposé.

Ezenwoko’s Blog reports that the Chairman of the Bureau, Prof. Mohammed Isah, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

Recall that the Pandora Papers investigation uncovered financial secrets, including those of politicians, former and serving public officials, including Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, former PDP Vice-presidential candidate, Peter Obi, APC chieftain, Senator Stella Oduah, Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, among others.

According to the CCB chairman, the bureau has started investigating the personalities mentioned in the Pandora papers expose and if found guilty would be prosecuted accordingly.

Isah noted that the bureau will act quickly on the outcome of the investigation and will make the final report public to serve as a deterrent to other public officials.

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has cancelled its one week sit-at-home order across the South-East.

Ezenwoko’s Blog reports that the group had ordered the sit-at-home across the region if the federal government fail to release its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Many individuals had condemned the order as it would instill fear into the hearts of those willing to participate in the upcoming Anambra governorship election set to hold on Saturday.

But in a statement on Thursday, IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful said the order was cancelled following consultations with elders, traditional, and religious leaders.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has inaugurated members of the probe tribunal that will conduct an inquiry into the collapse of a 21-storey structure on Gerrard Road in Ikoyi on Monday.

Ezenwoko’s Blog reports that this was made known in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Gboyega Akosile.

According to the statement, the Governor also signed the instrument legitimizing the composition of the panel and empowering the tribunal to invite or summon anyone and organization useful to the investigation.

Members of the tribunal, who are totally drawn from the private sector, took the oath at the event held in the LASWA Building at Falomo, Ikoyi.

Their duty begins immediately and they are expected to report back within four weeks.

At least forty-eight persons have been arrested for participating in a syndicated examination fraud involving leaking examination papers to students.

The arrest was carried out by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The malpractice involves the conduct of JUPEB advanced level examinations which affords candidates the opportunity to seek admission into 200 level of tertiary institutions in Nigeria and outside the country through direct entry.

However, according to a statement signed by the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Oguguato some people including lecturers, tutorial masters, and university authorities connived with some students to compromise the process.

She revealed that they were arrested in a burst joint operation tagged ‘Operation Combo’ which involved the ICPC, DSS, and the Ministry of Education.

According to the statement, the students involved in the malpractice pay between N350,000 and N500,000 to engage in the malpractices.

Nigeria’s electoral agency, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun the distribution of electoral materials to the 21 Local Government Areas of Anambra state.

The Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made this known on Thursday during the signing of the peace accord in Akwa, the state capital.

Yakubu said that the handing over of insensitive materials to the electoral officers has begun at the premises of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Awka.

He added that the National Commissioner and the spokesman of the Commission, Festus Okoye, is in charge of the process under the watchful eyes of various security agents.

The INEC boss restated the commission’s commitment to a free, fair and credible election, adding that the commission has done its best to ensure a smooth election.

Yakubu, however, appealed to residents to come out and vote on Saturday, urging them to desist from violence and publishing fake results via social media.

The owner of the 21-storey building which collapsed in Ikoyi, Lagos State, Femi Osibona has been confirmed dead.

Ezenwoko’s Blog learnt that Osibona who was the Managing Director of Fourscore Homes Limited was trapped inside the 21-storey building under construction alongside one of his friends, Bob Oseni.

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA confirmed the development to newsmen on Thursday evening after the rescue team had reportedly discovered Osibona’s body.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Farouk Yahaya has lamented that insufficient funding may hamper their plans in combating terrorists and other criminals in Nigeria.

Yahaya stated that the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning has set a ceiling for budget figures but that will make their budgetary allocation for 2022 grossly inadequate in fighting terrorism, banditry, insurgency, and other criminalities.

The COAS made the submission on Wednesday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Army to defend the 2022 budget.

He appealed to the Senate to prevail on the Ministry to exclude the Nigerian Army from the budget ceiling so adequate funding can be available to them for the fight against insurgency in the country.

According to him, the Army proposed the sum of N710bn for its 2022 budget but the ceiling put in place by the Ministry forced the figures down to N579bn already which is too small to prosecute their activities.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has assured Nigerians that the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and the Second Niger Bridge will be completed in 2022.

Fashola disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Works to defend his ministry’s 2022 budget.

He said “The Lagos/Ibadan express road is scheduled for completion in 2022. At the moment, we have done cumulatively about 90 kilometres in sections one and two.

“For the second Niger Bridge, the plan is to complete it in 2022 and it is on schedule. The contractors tell us that the bridges will be fully connected by the end of quarter one in 2022.

“So, by the end of the first quarter, you can walk on it from the beginning to the end. We lost some time during the COVID but they are working to gain the time lost.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released the chairman of Cubana Group, Obi Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana from its custody.

Ezenwoko’s Blog reports that Cubana was set free hours after the Nigerian anti-graft agency had said it won’t release the socialite until bail conditions are met.

Obi Cubana, who on Monday, November 1 honoured an invite to the office of the EFCC to answer questions bordering on alleged offences of money laundering and tax fraud, was held back by the anti-graft agency.

Those are the top Nigerian newspapers headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Ezenwoko’s Blog. See you again tomorrow.