Major Highlights Of Nigerian Newspapers – Thursday 16th June, 2022

1. Wike, Okowa face panel today, camps fight over Atiku’s VP slot

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party will on Thursday (today) screen nominees for the vice-presidential position. Those shortlisted include Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa; his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike and the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.

2. VP: Shettima is top running mate choice in APC – Sources

Barring last-minute changes, immediate past governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima, would be picked as running mate to All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, multiple sources privy to the various high-wire meetings on the issue, told Vanguard yesterday.

3. Aviation fuel price hike: Three airlines to shutdown in days, AON raises alarm

At least domestic airlines are on the verge of shutting down operations, following the sharp increase in the price of aviation fuel, also known as JET-A1. The Vice Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, Mr Allen Onyema, raised the alarm yesterday at the ongoing maiden edition of Federal Airports of Nigeria, FAAN, National Aviation Conference, FNAC, with the theme, ‘’Advancing the Frontiers of Possibilities for Safe, Secure and Profitable Air Transport’’, in Abuja.

4. Rivers woman sells sister’s child for N600,000, police arrest suspects

The police in Rivers State have smashed a child trafficking syndicate and rescued a five-year-old girl sold for N600,000 to an undisclosed buyer in Imo State. The child was said to have been kidnapped from the Omagwa community in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State after she went missing on May 20, 2022.

5. Kogi man fined, jailed over Facebook post on COVID-19

A man, Habibi Rabiu, has been sentenced to two months in a custodial centre for posting false information on his Facebook page. The Department of State Services arrested Rabiu and charged him to court over a post titled, “The rate at which fever is killing people in Kogi State is alarming.”

6. Senate moves to establish federal technical varsity in Kano

The Senate on Wednesday set machinery in motion for the establishment of the Federal University of Education (Technical) in Bichi, Kano State. In paving way for the establishment of the federal institution, the red chamber passed for second reading a bill sponsored to that effect by the All Progressive Senator representing Kano North, Jibrin Barau.

7. I won’t step down for Lawan, Yobe senatorial candidate insists

The Yobe North Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bashir Machina, has stated that the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who currently occupies the seat, did not have a plan to return to the Senate.

8. Inflation surges again, hit 17.71% amid rising prices

Nigeria’s inflation rate has again surged to 17.71 per cent, according to the latest figures by the National Bureau of Statistics. In May 2022, the inflation rate increased to 17.71 per cent on a year-on-year basis, the NBS said on Wednesday.

9. No shortage of passport booklets in Nigeria – Aregbesola

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has said there is no shortage of passport booklets in the country. According to him, with the supplies of booklets available with the Nigerian Immigration Service, there can never be a shortage of booklets. He said what the country was contending with was ‘human challenges’.

10. We borrow to pay salaries – Acting AGF

Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Anamekwe Nwabuoku, has said Nigeria was currently borrowing money to pay salaries. Nwabuoku, who disclosed this at a retreat organised by the office of the AGF for members of the technical sub-committee on cash management, TSCM, in Abuja, on Tuesday, said there was an increase in government expenditure, due to rising security challenges and the social needs of the citizenry.