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Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 7th January, 2025
1. Tinubu Arrives In Ghana For John Mahama’s Inauguration
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Accra, Ghana, on Monday to attend the inauguration of Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, scheduled for January 7, 2025.
Tinubu, who left Lagos earlier in the day, was received at Kotoka International Airport by Julius Debra, Chief of Staff to Ghana’s outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo.
The Nigerian president is attending the ceremony in his capacity as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, joining other African leaders to witness the historic event.
John Mahama, who previously served as Ghana’s 12th president from 2011 to 2017, reclaimed the presidency after winning the December 2024 elections. He succeeds President Akufo-Addo, who has served since 2017.
Accompanying Tinubu on this diplomatic visit are the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and other senior government officials.
2. National Assembly Targets January Ending For Passage Of 2025 Budget
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Adeola Olamilekan, has announced January 31, 2025, as the tentative date for the passage of the ₦49.7tn 2025 budget.
Naija News reports that this comes as the committee prepares to commence budget defence sessions on Tuesday.
Speaking on Monday during a meeting with the chairmen of key committees, Olamilekan outlined the framework for the 2025 Budget Defence Session, designed to guide the legislative process leading to the budget’s enactment.
He noted that following the Senate’s resumption of plenary on January 14, 2025, there will be a two-week recess dedicated to continuing the budget defence process seamlessly.
Also, the House of Representatives will commence the defence of the 2025 appropriation bill by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on Tuesday, according to the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abubakar Bichi.
Bichi disclosed this on Monday after a meeting with statutory committee chairmen at the House of Representatives. He added that the House aims to pass the budget before the end of January 2025.
3. Have I Crossed The Line? – Peter Obi Raises Alarm Over Threat To His Life, Family
The Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has revealed that his New Year messages on the state of the nation have led to all sorts of threats to his life, family and those around him.
Naija News recalls that Peter Obi, during a media chat last Thursday, asserted that the country’s political, economic and security situation is worsening daily, contrary to the positions of Tinubu’s government.
According to him, Nigeria has fallen from being the largest economy in Africa, with a GDP of $574 billion and a per capita income of over $3,500 in 2014, to now ranking fourth on the continent.
In response, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in a statement through its Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said Peter Obi’s claim is misleading, especially when all indicators show that the country is rebounding in significant measures which cast the former Governor of Anambra State squarely, as Nigeria’s leading doomsayer.
In a post via X on Monday, Peter Obi said Felix Morka had accused him of crossing the line and warned that he would face the consequences.
The former governor of Anambra State maintained that he is committed to upholding decorum and that people are free to point out where he crossed the line in his New Year message.
He noted that the country is increasingly transforming into an authoritarian and repressive regime, where freedom of expression is being systematically suppressed.
4. EFCC Sacks 27 Officers Over Fraudulent Activities, Misconduct
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed 27 officers from its workforce over fraudulent activities and misconduct.
Naija News reports that the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement on Monday that the dismissal was approved by the chairman of the commission, Ola Olukoyede.
The anti-graft agency also said the latest development aligns with its quest to enforce integrity and rid its fold of fraudulent elements.
Olukoyede reiterated the commitment of the Commission to zero tolerance for corruption, warning that no officer is immune to disciplinary measures.
5. This Is Not Anambra Or FCT, People Involved In Stampede Will Go To Jail – Gov Makinde
The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has said his administration would not play leniency on the stampede tragedy that claimed the lives of about 35 residents of the state.
Governor Makinde said the idea that Anambra State and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) governments have ignored the stampedes recorded in their areas would not deter his government’s effort to hold all those responsible to account.
Speaking on Monday, at the 2025 Annual Inter-faith Service for State workers, Makinde insisted that irrespective of the social standing of all involved in the stampede, they would be made to face the law.
The Inter-faith Service was attended by labour leaders, workers, political appointees, and community leaders, members of the judiciary and traditional rulers in the state.
He further described 2024 as one of the most challenging years of his administration. He recalled the explosion that occurred in January 2024, and then the stampede in December 2024.
6. Nigerians Are Eating Agbado And Ewa In Excess Today Because Of Labour Party – PDP’s Osadolor
The Deputy National Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Timothy Osadolor, has dismissed fears that the internal crisis rocking the PDP would lead to an implosion of the party before the 2027 elections.
Naija News reports he stated this while reacting to plans by some other opposition parties in the country to form a mega party ahead of the 2027 elections to wrestle power from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP Youth Leader also blamed the Labour Party (LP) for vote splitting ,which allowed the APC to win the 2023 presidential election.
According to him, it is good that opposition parties are interested in a coalition to unseat the APC, but he submitted that if those floating the idea want to be successful, they should involve the PDP in their plans.
7. Bello Turji Now Living In Holes Like A Rat – Military
Notorious terrorist and bandit leader, Bello Turji, is reportedly living in hiding as military forces continue to neutralize his fighters and destroy his camps in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
While speaking with newsmen on Monday, a spokesperson for Operation Fansan Yamma, a military security outfit in the Northwest, Lt. Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, said that the sustained air and ground offensives have significantly weakened Turji’s network.
The military operation was intensified following threats from Turji to unleash violence on Shinkafi Local Government if his relatives, arrested for alleged terrorism, were not released.
Turji had reportedly launched attacks in the area, kidnapping travellers and causing widespread fear among residents.
However, the military’s swift response has led to the destruction of Turji’s camps and the neutralization of several of his fighters, including another notorious bandit leader, Sani Rusu.
The recent strikes by the air component of Operation Fansan Yamma have dismantled key terrorist strongholds in the region. The military has vowed to continue its offensive until all terrorist elements are eradicated.
Bello Turji has been one of the most notorious bandit leaders in the Northwest, responsible for numerous kidnappings, killings, and attacks on communities.
8. We Are Ready To Be Guarantors For Nnamdi Kanu, Release Him – Abaribe Tells Tinubu
Abia South Senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has declared his readiness to stand as a guarantor for the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Abaribe made this known while addressing journalists after a meeting with Governor Alex Otti of Enugu State.
The senator also called on President Bola Tinubu to heed the advice of the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and other stakeholders advocating for Kanu’s release.
The renewed call for Kanu’s release comes amid escalating insecurity in the Southeast, with many stakeholders arguing that addressing IPOB’s grievances is crucial to restoring peace in the region.
9. Tragedy Strikes Sokoto As SSG Loses Daughter, Grandchildren In Fire Incident
Sokoto State was plunged into mourning on Monday following a tragic fire incident that claimed the lives of four family members of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Muhammadu Bello Sifawa.
The deceased included Sifawa’s daughter, a housewife, and her three children.
The fire engulfed their residence in the early hours of Monday, leaving only her husband, Muhammadu Yusuf Bello, the Permanent Secretary of the Sokoto State Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, as the sole survivor.
Naija News learnt that the fire broke out while the family was asleep, consuming the entire house before emergency responders could extinguish the flames.
The Sokoto State Fire Service worked tirelessly for hours to bring the fire under control. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
10. CBN Faces Legal Battle As Dismissed Staff File Lawsuit
A legal showdown is unfolding between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and 33 of its former employees, who allege wrongful termination in a mass dismissal exercise conducted earlier in 2024.
The retrenched staff, represented by Stephen Gana and others, have filed a class-action lawsuit at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja, accusing the apex bank of violating internal policies, labour laws, and contractual rights.
The employees, dismissed via letters titled “Reorganisational and Human Capital Restructuring” dated April 5, 2024, argue that the termination process contravened Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution and the CBN’s Human Resources Policies and Procedures Manual (HRPPM).
They claim the process lacked the consultation and fair hearing mandated by law.
Central to their case is Article 16.4.1 of the HRPPM, which requires consultation with the Joint Consultative Council and adherence to fair procedures before employment actions affecting staff.
The claimants allege that this provision was ignored, stating that they were given only three days to vacate their positions and return official property.
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