Here are the major Nigerian News headlines for today, Tuesday 23 February 2021:
1. The Senate Committee on Public petition, Ethics and Privileges, yesterday, ordered the arrest of management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure issued the order following the management’s failure to appear before them over alleged mismanagement of palliative funds.
2. Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, on Monday, accused his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed, of collaborating with killer herdsmen to kill Nigerians, including people of his State. Ortom said this while addressing newsmen in Makurdi.
3. A two-time governorship candidate in Ogun State, Otunba Rotimi Paseda, has decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the ongoing revalidation and registration exercise of the party. Paseda, who contested the governorship election in 2015 on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and as the governorship flag-bearer for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2019, was registered by his ward chairman, Idowu Osunkoya.
4. The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, on Monday said the Federal Government is aware of official reports of large scale fraud and counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines already in circulation. He said this in Abuja yesterday at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
5. Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has called on relevant security agencies in the state to help in enforcing the Anti-Open Grazing Law of the state.
The governor made the call on Monday in Umuahia, the state capital, while flagging-off the statewide sensitization workshop against criminal activities in Abia communities.
6. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, said the extension of the All Progressives Congress (APC) membership registration was an indication that the exercise has flopped. PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the extension will not change public rejection of the ruling party.
7. Lt-Col Yusuf Muktar Dodo has officially resumed duties as Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to President Muhammadu Buhari as Col Mohammed Lawal Abubakar bows out. His predecessor, handed over duty to him Yesterday.
8. Governors of the 36 states will discuss the issue of fuel price on Thursday. Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, disclosed this yesterday after a bipartite meeting of the Federal Government and the organised labour at the Presidential Villa Abuja.
9. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Monday said a new variant of COVID-19 had been detected in Nigeria and 15 other countries. The new strain, B.1.2.5 which according to him is different from the highly infectious B.1.1.7 has, however, not been described as a variant of concern.
10. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC has confirmed 542 fresh cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The total number of recorded cases in the country has jumped to 152,616.
