The newspaper review for Tuesday, January 8, leads with a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt delivering judgments in two separate suits, asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to acknowledge Rivers state’s All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates at the general elections among other stories.
The Punch reports that Diepreye, the wife of the Nigerian Air Force pilot, Flight Lieutenant Perowei Jacob, who died in the January 2, 2019, Mi-35M helicopter crash, has said that she learnt of his death on a WhatsApp status update.
The couple, who had their wedding on December 8, 2018, were married for three weeks before tragedy struck.
In a telephone conversation with our correspondent, Diepreye said the WhatsApp status update was that of her husband’s colleague, who was unaware that she had his number.
She added that the commander visited her later to inform her of the crash.
Perowei was one of the five-man combat crew, who died when the Mi-35M attack helicopter crashed during an operation against Boko Haram insurgents on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.
Vanguard reports that Fulani groups in Taraba state were yesterday divided over their choice of candidates in the presidential and governorship elections in the state.
While one group pledged allegiance to the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidates, others drummed support for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at all levels.
At a briefing in Jalingo, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, adopted the presidential and governorship candidates of APC, Muhammadu Buhari and Sani Danladi.
Danladi. State chairman of MACBAN, Sahabi Tukur, said the decision was reached at the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the association.
He said: “Taraba State chapter of MACBAN by the directive of our national body has adopted President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC as our presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections. This decision was taken at the NEC meeting of our great association which we must transmit down at the state level.
The Nation reports that the Army yesterday explained its invasion of the Abuja, Maiduguri and Lagos offices Daily Trust Newspapers.
It said the newspaper published classified information on the on-going war against Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast.
Its Director of Public Relations, Brig. Gen Sani Usman, said in a statement that the publication made details disclosure of planned military operations, putting the lives of troops in danger and breached national security.
Gen. Usman said: “The Nigerian Army wishes to clarify on alleged invasion of Media Trust Headquarters in Abuja and regional office in Maiduguri.
“We would like to state that soldiers of the Nigerian Army along with elements of Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies were indeed at Abuja and Maiduguri offices of the publishing company to invite the staff of the company over its lead story on Sunday Trust publication, which divulged classified military information, thus undermining national security.
The Guardian reports that a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has delivered judgments in two separate suits, asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to acknowledge Rivers State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates at the general elections.
Justice Kolawole Omotosho gave the injunction yesterday sequel to a suit by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which prayed it to compel INEC to obey the judgment of a high court nullifying all Rivers State APC primaries and congresses.
The judge maintained that Rivers APC would not participate in the gubernatorial, Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly elections.
Omotosho, therefore, directed INEC to remove all APC candidates from ballot papers and other electoral materials.
Relying on the ruling and orders of Justice Chinwendu Nworgu of the Rivers State High Court, Omotosho insisted that APC acted in disobedience to court orders, and so it could not benefit from the same.
This Day reports that the executive chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Babatunde Fowler, has disclosed that the agency recorded its highest tax collection of N5.320 trillion in 2018.
Fowler had disclosed that FIRS generated N5 trillion in the second week of December 2018 with a target to hit N5.3 trillion revenue at the end of last year.
He had also added that if the agency succeeded in pooling the N5.3 trillion revenue, it would mark the highest revenue ever generated by the agency in history as the highest in FIRS history was the N5.07 trillion generated in 2012.
Speaking yesterday at the opening ceremony of an FIRS stakeholders’ retreat in Lagos, Fowler said the N5.320 trillion was the highest since the creation of the FIRS.
According to him, the federal government has set a target of N8 trillion for 2019.
He added that the agency through its various reforms and efficiencies in tax collections, was able to enhance its Value Added Tax (VAT) in 2018, which also exceeded the N1 trillion mark.
Source: Legit.ng
