These are the top five Nigerian stories that drove conversation today.
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Festus Keyamo (SAN) as the Director, Strategic Communications for his 2019 presidential campaigns.
Keyamo becomes the official spokesperson for Buhari’s campaign for the 2019 presidential poll.
The letter informing him of the appointment was signed by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who also doubled as the Director General, President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation.
The lawyer/human rights activist made this known via his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday.
The Senate has confirmed the appointments of Mr. Anthony Okechukwu Ojukwu as Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, and Prof. James Momoh as Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.
The appointments were confirmed at the plenary on Tuesday.
President Muhammadu Buhari had nominated Ojukwu and Momoh for the positions and sought the approval of the Senate for the appointments.
The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters recommended Ojukwu for confirmation, while the Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy okayed Momoh’s appointment.
Some internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Agwatashi, Obi local government area of Nasarawa, stoned the convoy of Umaru Tanko Al-Makura on Tuesday.
Al-Makura had visited the camp with security chiefs in the state to assess situation arising from the killing of 32 persons by suspected herdsmen.
It was gathered that when the governor was about to address the IDPs, some youth in the camp became unruly and started chatting different slogans which made the governor to leave the camp.
On his way out, the youth began to pelt the governor’s convoy with stones, compelling the police to disperse them with tear gas.
Reacting, Al-Makura attributed the situation to frustration as a result of the challenges the IDPs faced.
“The reaction from the people is understandable given their plight and we have to use diplomacy to address the issues,” he said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost two of its lawmakers in the house of representatives to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Ben Nwankwo (pictured) and Anayo Anebe, both from Anambra state decamped to APGA at plenary on Tuesday.
While Nwankwo represents Orumba north/south federal constituency, Anebe is from Awka north/south.
In separate letters read by Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house, the two lawmakers cited division in the state chapter of the party as the reason for their defection.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected that Nigeria’s inflation will remain in the double digits in 2018.
In the April edition of its World Economic Outlook unveiled on Tuesday at the ongoing Spring meetings in Washington DC, the Bretton Wood institution said inflation rate will, however, moderate in both years.
“Inflation in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to moderate slightly in 2018 and 2019 but is expected to remain in double digits in key large economies, reflecting the pass-through effects of currency depreciation and their impact on inflation expectations (Angola), supply factors, and assumed monetary policy accommodation to support fiscal policy (Nigeria),” the report read.
And now, stories from around the world…
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that “there seems to be a European civil war” between liberal democracy and rising authoritarianism.
He urged the EU to renew its commitment to democracy, in a passionate speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
“I don’t want to belong to a generation of sleepwalkers that has forgotten its own past”, he said.
R Kelly is facing a fresh allegation of sexual misconduct, from a former partner who claims he “intentionally” infected her with an STD in Dallas.
According to her lawyer, the unnamed woman was the victim of “unlawful restraint” during her 11-month relationship with the R&B singer.
It is claimed that Kelly, 51, attempted to make the woman a member of the “sex cult” he is alleged to have run.
The Dallas Police Department has said it is looking into the allegation.
Prime Minister Theresa May has apologised to Caribbean leaders over the Windrush generation controversy, at a Downing Street meeting.
She said she was “genuinely sorry” about the anxiety caused by the Home Office threatening the children of Commonwealth citizens with deportation.
The UK government “valued” the contribution they had made, she said, and they had a right to stay in the UK.
It comes amid reports some are still facing deportation.
A Southwest Airlines plane flying from New York to Dallas had to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning after one of its engines malfunctioned, according to a passenger.
“We left LaGuardia heading to Dallas and we were west of Philly when we lost the left-side engine and diverted to Philly,” said Kristopher Johnson, who told CNN he was sitting toward the front of Flight 1380.
“Shrapnel hit the window causing a serious injury. No other details about that. Several medical personnel on the flight tended to the injured passenger.”
Fired FBI Director James Comey said in an interview that aired Tuesday morning that the FBI’s credibility is worse now than it was a few years ago but would be even worse had it not been for his actions leading the bureau.
“It’s worse. But again, people can disagree about this. And people I respect will. But my judgment is it would be worse today had we not picked the least bad alternative,” Comey said, speaking with NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
“I think the decisions that we had to make and lots of other follow-ons, sure, the Department of Justice’s and the FBI’s reputation has been hurt,” he continued.
Leave a reply