The newspaper headlines for today, July 20 have focused on Nigeria’s economic crisis.
According to a report on Vanguard, Godwin Emefiele, the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, painted a gloomy picture of the economy during a closed-door meeting with senators on Tuesday, July 19.
It was gathered that the CBN governor told the senators that it was frightening that the nation was experiencing economic stagnation and inflation at the same time.
He explained that ordinarily, both were not supposed to happen simultaneously.
Emefiele told the lawmakers that if the present situation in the country continued, the federal government might not be able to pay salaries of its workers with effect from October this year.
He also said Nigerians would be forced to pay general taxes which would not exclude petroleum products.
In response to Emefiele’s statement, the senators threw their weight behind new policies introduced by the CBN to turn the economy around.
It backed the monetary policies of the CBN, noting that at the end of the day, such policies would help to increase local production, create jobs in the country, safeguard the nation’s commonwealth as well as expand economic opportunities and growth in Nigeria.
Still on the worsening economic situation of the country, The Guardian reports that Nigeria’s loss to cyber-crimes is now about N127 billion yearly and this has become a source of worry to the federal government.
This figure is about 0.08% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
But according to Babachir David Lawal, secretary to the government of the federation, Buhari’s administration remains committed to tackling the security challenges bedevilling the nation and enhance national safety through Information Technology.
Moving away from Nigeria’s economic woes, other newspaper headlines have hammered on President Buhari’s anti-corruption war.
According to The Punch, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained Sylvester Ezeani, the resident electoral commissioner of Abia state, for his alleged role in the N23bn ($115m) that was disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.
The EFCC claims that the suspect allegedly received N20m out of N241m while he was the REC in Cross River state during the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections.
An EFCC operative said on Tuesday, July 19, that the REC had failed to explain what the N20m was meant for and had thus been detained.
Still on the anti-graft war, The Nation reports that three of those on trial for alleged corruption are eager to return their “loot” for freedom.
It was gathered that they want to refund cash and surrender property to avoid going to jail.
An EFCC source said that the agency got requests from former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Olisa Metuh, ex-Chiefs of Air Staff Air Marshals Adeshola Amosu and Mohammed Dikko Umar.
Metuh is standing trial for allegedly receiving N400 million from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki. The cash is believed to be part of the $2.1 billion security fund that was allegedly diverted.
Umar was arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a seven-count charge bordering on money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption of about N9.7billion.
Amosu was arraigned at a Federal High Court in Lagos alongside Air Vice marshal (AVM) Jacob Adigun and Air Commodore Gbadebo Olugbenga, on a 26-count of stealing about N50 billion.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also added its voice to President Buhari’s anti-graft war, The Sun reports.
According to labour, security votes for the president and governors should be cancelled as it had become an avenue for siphoning public funds.
Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, who described security vote as another form of corruption also called for the removal of immunity clause in the Constitution.
He said: “The issue of security votes is another form of corruption. In fact, there was a particular state where N1 billion was removed as security vote in one month. It is an avenue for corruption. In good governance, all monies spent by government are budgeted and transparently applied.
“So, our position is that the issue of security vote should be done away with.
“All monies to be spent should be transparently budgeted for, including the so-called security votes so that it can be tracked to prevent corruption.
“All over the world, you find that no public officer or government official, either president or governor, is given immunity from criminal prosecution. That’s one issue that I think is affecting the fight against corruption. Where people cannot be prosecuted while in office, after they leave office, they would use their influence and resources they have accumulated to frustrate prosecution.”
Moving away from Buhari’s anti-corruption fight, Complete Sports have focused on the drama that unfolded in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The Executive Committee of the NFF on Tuesday, July 19, attempted to clarify the situation with regards to the recommendation of their Technical and Development Committee that Paul Le Guen be named the new Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles.
After Le Guen shamed the NFF by openly distancing himself from the job, the NFF have explained that all sub-committees of the body can only make recommendations to the board, therefore the Frenchman had not been named as head coach yet.
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