Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the EGALITARIAN VOICE NEWS roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 17th December 2022
1. 2023: As PVCs Sell For N2000, INEC Better Be Steps Ahead The move by desperate politicians to amass Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) despite the planned use of Bi-Model Voters Accreditation Machine System (BiVAS) for the 2023 general election isn’t just to weaken the voting strength of the opposition. It rather points to a more devious means of compromising the opposition. It rather points to a more devious means of compromising the integrity of the next elections. This targeted purchase has continued despite repeated assurances by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that systems instituted for the next election are so ironclad that rigging will be near impossible. It has also in line with the extant Electoral Act ruled out the resort to Incident Forms on Election Day.
2. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has warned serving corps members against partaking in any form of electoral malpractices in the forthcoming general elections. The Acting Director-General of the NYSC, Mrs Christy Uba, who gave the warning in Abuja yesterday, said any corps member found wanting shall be prosecuted according to the law.
3. FG Declares Public Holidays For Christmas, New Year Celebration
The Nigerian Government has declared public holidays for the celebration of Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year respectively. EGALITARIAN VOICE NEWS reports that the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the announcement in a statement signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Belgore Shuaib, on Friday in Abuja.
The minister disclosed that December 26 and 27 as well as January 2, 2023, have been set aside as public holidays to mark the festive season. He asked Christians to emulate the doctrines of Jesus, noting that “we must imbibe the life of Jesus Christ in His practice and teachings on humility, service, compassion, patience, peace, and righteousness”.
4. Three members of a cult group, Icelander, including a gang leader, have lost their lives during a gun battle in Abarikpo community in the Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State. It was gathered that members of the group invaded the community at about 2am on Thursday in search of their unit leader, Bright Ejike, popularly known as ‘Borokiri,’ who they claimed converted the group’s arms and ammunition to personnel use.
5. It was an emotional scene on Friday as the remains of murdered Bus Rapid Transport passenger, Bamise Ayanwola, were laid to rest at the Atan Cemetery, Yaba, Lagos. The 22-year-old lady was found dead on March 7, 2022, lying on Carter Bridge by Ogogoro community in Lagos Island, after boarding a BRT bus at the Chevron area of Lekki to Oshodi on February 26, 2022.
6. For the second time in a fortnight, the Imo State chapter of the Labour Party has lost another candidate for Imo State House of Assembly in the 2023 general elections. This time, gunmen on Friday reportedly killed the party’s candidate for Onuimo Local Government Area, Mr. Christopher Elehu.
7. Barely two months to the 2023 general elections, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa has been mandated to lead a fresh reconciliation move with the aggrieved G-5 governors.
8. People of South-East extraction living in Finland would be meeting tomorrow to deliberate on the unending sit-at-home orders in the region and the consequences of such orders. A splinter group purporting to be Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), led by Simon Ekpa has been issuing sit-at-home orders, unleashing violence on those that disobeyed the directives.
9. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has thrown its weight behind the decision of the federal government to set up a ‘Special Investigative Panel on Oil Theft and Losses in Nigeria’, noting that oil theft has robbed the country a whopping $46.16 billion in revenue between 2009 and 2020. NEITI in a statement yesterday, described the decision as bold, courageous and timely.
10. A total of 191 stranded Nigerians in India evacuated back home by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on Friday, 16th December, 2022. An Ethiopian Airline chartered flight that conveyed the returnees touched down at the Abuja Airport. They were received by a team led by NEMA and other relevant agencies.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on EGALITARIAN VOICE NEWS.
See you again tomorrow.
