Newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Thursday morning

  

Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. The Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a draft supplementary budget of N895,842,462,917 for 2021. Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents on the outcome of yesterday’s meeting.

2. Federal Government, yesterday, said Twitter management has reached out to seek high-level discussion to resolve the issue that led to the suspension of its activities in Nigeria. Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this to journalists after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the presidential villa, Abuja.

3. Family of Prophet TB Joshua has requested active participation of the Lagos State government during the burial of the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN). The widow, Evelyn made the appeal when Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu paid a condolence visit to the family yesterday.

4. Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has called on agitators for breakup of Nigeria to rethink the idea and work for the unity and oneness of the country. Obasanjo made the call on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

5. Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), yesterday, accused Nigeria security operatives of mass arrest and secret killing of youths in the South East on suspicion that they were members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN). This was contained in a statement by IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful.

6. The Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) yesterday, called off its nationwide industrial action. The decision to call off the strike followed a meeting between JUSUN executives and the National Judicial Council (NJC) led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad.

7. The joint National Assembly Minority Caucus yesterday called on Nigerians to ignore the ban on Twitter operations in the country by the federal government and continue using the microblogging platform. This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu and the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe on Wednesday.

8. Some retired military chiefs, former governors, ex-ministers, among other North-Central leaders met in Abuja yesterday over the rising insecurity in Nigeria. The prominent citizens demanded that challenges affecting the region be addressed for the return of peace and safety.

9. Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu on Wednesday berated those accusing Southeast leaders of keeping quiet in the face of the violence threatening the region. In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Ekweremadu noted that record had showed how the Southeast leaders had at various times individually and collectively stated their positions on the challenges in the region.

10. The federal government has directed all broadcast service providers and social media platforms operating within the Nigerian space to apply and obtain licence for their services. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and others must now be registered in Nigeria.