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

Good morning!, welcome to Odogwublog.com. Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Dailies.

1. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Sunday said that no amount of thanksgiving and praises to God would be enough for saving his life and nine others in Saturday’s helicopter crash at Kabba in Kogi.

He said that it would have been a breaking news on local and international media that Vice President Osinbajo and nine crew members died in an helicopter crash, but God had not allowed such to happen.

2. Influential socio-cultural organisations including Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Northern Elders Forum, Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Middle Belt Forum on Sunday endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

At the meeting themed ‘Summit of Nigerian Leaders and Elders’, the groups said they were endorsing Atiku because of his intelligence, capability and knowledge to lead Nigeria.

3. The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, on Sunday reacted to the endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by some groups.

Festus Keyamo, APC campaign spokesman, in a statement said, “the so-called PDP-induced ‘endorsement” was nothing and would have little or no effect in the forthcoming election.

4. The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on Sunday dismissed claims that it has called off the ongoing strike.

ASUU stated this while urging the public to “ignore any announcement” that the industrial action has been called off.

5. Troops of 118 and 119 Task Force Battalions of Operation LAFIYA DOLE in northern Borno have neutralised four Boko Haram terrorists in an encounter yesterday’s night at Mallam Fatori, a border town in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno state.

According to Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, Theatre Comman’s Deputy Director Public Relations, a group of Boko Haram terrorists attempted to attack the town taking advantage of darkness, but met their Waterloo in an encounter with gallant troops of 118 and 119 Task Force Battalions.

6. A Fourth Republic Federal Lawmaker, Senator Joseph Kennedy Waku is dead.

The former lawmaker died Sunday evening at the National Hospital in Abuja after a brief illness.

7. 16-year-old girl from Ihiala in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, Miss Chinwe, who was married off by her family to a 56-year-old man, Igwilo, has been rescued.

Mr Harrison Gwamnishu, the coordinator of Behind Bars Rights Foundation, a human rights Group said, his group championed the release of the girl by her in-laws from Ozubulu.

8. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said it has recorded 40 convictions in the month of January, 2019 alone.

EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade explained that this number was a cumulative of convictions secured across the commission’s zonal offices.

9. Unknown persons have reportedly broken into the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abia State and set ablaze thousands of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, according to Vanguard.

The hoodlums set ablaze over 15,000 uncollected PVCs and also destroyed the register containing all the names of registered voters in the area.

10. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed results of the forthcoming elections will be collated and transmitted manually.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, explained that the inability of the commission to adopt electronic transmission, was because of the non-amendment of the electoral laws.