Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naijaonpoint roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Sunday, 26th January, 2025.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja on Sunday for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to participate in the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit on January 27-28, 2025.
Naijaonpoint reports that this was disclosed in a statement on Saturday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The Summit, hosted by the government of Tanzania in collaboration with the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank, aims to advance ‘‘Mission 300,’’ an initiative to provide electricity access to 300 million people in Africa by 2030.
In Dar es Salaam, African leaders, private sector leaders, development partners, and civil society groups will strategize to accelerate energy access across the continent.
The Summit will provide a platform for sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources to address Africa’s energy challenges.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has accused the current administration of harbouring more corrupt officials, whom he described as “Yahoo people,” than those outside the government.
Obi made the remark during his keynote address at the 4th graduation ceremony of Nexford University, where he was the guest speaker.
Themed “Lead the Change; Ignite Your Future,” the event highlighted the importance of leadership and youth empowerment.
Speaking on governance and corruption, Obi lamented the state of affairs in the country, asserting that it has become a haven for looters both within and outside government.
“For governance, don’t think when we talk about vices, it is only Yahoo boys. There are actually more Yahoo people in government than there are outside because we have turned the entire country into a crime scene where people inside are stealing and people outside are stealing,” he said.
Obi underscored the necessity of quality leadership to steer the nation toward development, urging the graduates to become agents of change in their respective communities.
The impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has challenged the process of his removal, urging lawmakers to adhere to constitutional procedures.
Speaking for the first time since his removal, Obasa addressed a crowd of supporters at the Speaker’s Lodge, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, on Saturday, describing the allegations of corruption levied against him as “impossible.”
Obasa, who was impeached by 32 out of the 40 lawmakers in the Assembly, expressed confidence despite the recent turn of events.
The allegations of financial mismanagement, including the controversial ₦17 billion gate project, have fueled public and political debates, casting a shadow over Obasa’s leadership tenure.
“I am not disturbed; I am not afraid of the developments that happened at the Assembly,” he said while reaffirming his commitment to clearing his name.
The former Speaker rejected claims of financial misappropriation, which had been cited by lawmakers during the impeachment process, labelling them baseless.
“If I am not speaker, that’s not the end of the world. If you want to claim that I am corrupt, please prove it,” Obasa stated.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mandated a reform of the N-Power scheme to enhance its productivity and impact.
Naijaonpoint reports that this was disclosed by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Nentawe Yilwatda.
He said the reform will connect youths directly to the market space and private sector, ensuring that acquired skills translate into viable job opportunities.
In a post on X on Saturday, Tinubu’s Social Media Assistant, Dada Olusegun, said over 100,000 items have been procured to empower youths across the country.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has commended President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance, noting that it has mitigated concerns over the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
The Chairman of Northern CAN, Reverend Yakubu Pam, stated this during an interview with journalists in Kaduna following the National Executive Committee meeting of Northern CAN.
Pam emphasized the need for balancing representation between Christians and Muslims in key leadership roles, suggesting that a Christian occupy the Vice President position in future administrations.
“For me, the most important thing is a government that is inclusive. As far as they have done Muslim-Muslim ticket, we have also seen reasonable inclusiveness,” Pam said.
“Left for us, we will say yes, let’s have Christians in certain positions like Vice President and others to reflect our diversity.”
Pam added, “The Presidency will be good to bring a Christian as number two. We will appreciate it; there is nothing wrong with that. Whatever way, the important thing is that insecurity should be tackled.”
The Peoples Democratic Party’s National Reconciliation Committee has disclosed plans to engage with members of the National Working Committee (NWC) as part of efforts to resolve internal conflicts threatening the party’s stability.
A member of the panel and former PDP National Vice Chairman (South-West), Eddy Olafeso, shared this during an interview with Punch on Friday.
Olafeso revealed that the reconciliation committee, chaired by former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is also scheduled to meet with stakeholders from the party’s North-East zone in Bauchi on Saturday.
He said, “We will meet with the NWC in a few days. We are looking at everything. Not only the secretary position, but the health of the party as at today and what we can do to move away from the situation we find ourselves in.
“We must be more vibrant and more alive to our responsibility as an opposition party and provide that alternative the Nigerians are yearning for. We wear the burden of responsibility and we will bring succour to our people. We have not been on holiday; it’s just that we are working underground and bringing our people closer together.
“Reconciliation is a process, not just a shortcut journey. Our desire to be there for Nigeria, our country, is far more alive today than ever before. Reconciliation work is ongoing. We are meeting the North East stakeholders in Bauchi on Saturday.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is under intense scrutiny following reports of theft and mismanagement of exhibits by some of its operatives.
Naijaonpoint understands that allegations of stolen cash, gold bars, and other recovered assets have triggered public backlash and internal investigations.
Reports indicate that at least 27 EFCC officers were dismissed in 2024 for various misconduct, including fraudulent activities. On January 6, 2025, the agency’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed an ongoing investigation into a $400,000 theft claim allegedly involving a sectional head.
Two days later, 10 officers from the Lagos Zonal Command were detained over missing operational items, including gold bars worth over ₦1 billion and cash between $350,000 and $400,000.
The scandal deepened on Wednesday when another officer at the Kaduna Zonal Office, identified as Polycarp, was accused of stealing over $30,000 and other valuable exhibits.
The EFCC has yet to comment on this incident, raising concerns about its internal oversight.
A credible security source described the situation as “highly disappointing,” blaming the thefts on rising poverty and poor living conditions.
The source also criticized the agency’s failure to implement robust mechanisms for safeguarding exhibits.
Seun Fadipe, a former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late Lt-Gen Oladipo Diya, has recounted how the late ex-military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, escaped a planned abduction in Enugu State in 1997.
Fadipe claimed that Diya and his co-travellers planned to abduct Abacha and force him to resign in Enugu. However, Abacha discovered the plot and aborted the trip at the last hour.
Fadipe stated this during an appearance on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.
He stated that Abacha was doing well in power but things went haywire because he wanted to transmit to a civilian regime.
He said, “There was a coup, whether it was now a phantom one or it was a setup, it’s immaterial now because that’s the problem I had with my boss until he died. I was a major, if I wanted to be involved in a coup as a major, it would be a violent coup because there was no way I would do a palace coup because I had a lot of seniors ahead of me. I never planned any coup, I never intended to plan any coup but I got involved through my boss.
“As of that time, Abacha was doing well but because he wanted to transmit to a civilian regime, things went haywire.”
Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari have testified before the International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration in Paris, France, denying claims that the Federal Government awarded a $6 billion contract for the Mambilla Power Project in Taraba State to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.
The arbitration case was initiated by Sunrise Power and its founder, Leno Adesanya, who are demanding $2.3 billion in compensation over an alleged breach of contract by the Federal Government.
In their testimonies, Naijaonpoint understands that Obasanjo and Buhari argued that the alleged 2003 agreement between the Federal Government and Sunrise Power is invalid.
They maintained that Sunrise obtained a letter of award, signed by a former Minister of Power, Dr. Olu Agunloye, just 24 hours after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) rejected the company’s proposal.
The former presidents urged the arbitration court to disregard the document, asserting it was not a legitimate government contract.
Agunloye, who served as Minister of Power during Obasanjo’s administration, is currently facing trial in Abuja on charges of forgery, disobedience of a presidential directive, and corruption concerning the Mambilla project.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused Agunloye of awarding a contract for the construction of the 3,960MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station to Sunrise Power without budgetary provision, approval, or cash backing.
Agunloye has dismissed the allegations, claiming the government is using him as a scapegoat to discredit Sunrise’s case before the arbitration panel.
The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has berated a contractor for raising the construction cost of the Abuja second runway from ₦90bn To ₦532bn.
He fumed that the contractor tried to force the amount on him, but he vehemently refused to comply, adding that he has vowed to act on honesty and transparency
The minister, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Hardcopy programme on Friday, said the variation of the contract was outrageous and unreasonable.
He urged public officials to be reasonable while carrying out their duties, insisting that the citizenry expect them to act with the fear of God.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naijaonpoint. See you again tomorrow.