Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Saturday morning

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning.

1. The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iwaela has cleared the air on the conflicting figure of Abacha’s recovered loot during Obasanjo’s administration. She said only 500bn dollars was recovered from Abacha when she served under Obbasanjo’s government and not 2bn dollars as widely held by many. She cleared further that the said sum was used for developmental projects in the country.

2. The presidency has defended its widely criticised awards to the late Sani Abacha during the centenary award. Presidential adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, while speaking in defence of the award said it was only given to the former Head of States and others in recognition of their effort towards keeping the country together.

3. Report says 18 PDP governors will be meeting in Minna, the Niger state capital today, to plan for the 2015 general election. Top on the agenda in the meeting shall be the best way to stop further defection from the PDP.

4. Some parts of the country may experience complete shut down in power as fire gutted the National Control Centre, Osogbo, Osun State on Friday morning. Report says already, some parts of Osogbo have already been thrown into darkness following the development.

5. The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved $42m in support of secondary education in Lagos State.
A statement issued by the World Bank regarding the latest loan said the essence was to develop Lagos schools and to ensure they meet global standards.

6. The Federal Road Safety Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN has said that its June 30 deadline for new number plates stands, and whoever fails to acquire a new number plate for his or her vehicle as at then will be committing a serious offence. FRSC-boss, Ositadinma-Chidoka told newsmen in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.

7.A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday refused to grant bail to an Islamic scholar and a university lecturer, Dr. Muhammed Nazeef Yunus and two others, who are being tried for alleged terrorist activities. The trial judge, Justice Kolawole said they could not be granted bail because their offences bother on serious security issues.

8. The ongoing fuel scarcity will soon be brought to a halt as more fuel laden vessels have arrived Nigeria waters. Executive Director in charge of Commercials at the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the NNPC, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe,confirmed the development to journalists on Friday. He said that over 110 million litres will arrive Nigerian waters next week even as 96 million litres are already on ground.

9. Doctors in Sokoto state have embarked on an indefinite strike. The development, according to them was due to the failure of the management of the Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) Sokoto, to implement Skipping policy for medical and dental officers.
Chairman of NMA, Dr. Abubakar Panti has told journalist that, the doctors took the decision, following the inability of management of UDUTH to reverse its discriminatory treatment meted out to doctors by failing to implement the directives of the Head of Service of the Federation and Minister of Health on December 19, 2013 on the skipping policy for medical and dental officers.

10. Finally, the Igbo nation have demanded for a reasonable compensation from the Federal government over the injustice its people suffered during the civil war. It said that in addition to tendering a state apology, the government should pay a token of N400 billion to each of the five states of Igboland as compensation.