1. Nigerians Fume Over Electricity Tariff Hike [LEADERSHIP]
Nigerians have roundly rejected the resolve of the industry regulators to hike electricity tariffs across board from April 1, 2020. They described as epileptic and grossly unavailable power supply to all end users across the country that make any rate hike inadvisable.
To avoid any untoward actions, they citizens appealed to the federal government not to allow a few individuals to further milk them by paying more for darkness instead of stable power supply they critically need for domestic and commercial uses.
In separate reactions yesterday to media reports at the weekend that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) would from April 1, 2020, unveil a higher tariff regime, the citizens warned against overstretching their lean financial resources.
2. US/Iran Standoff: IGP Places Policemen On Red Alert Nationwide [LEADERSHIP]
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu has placed Police Commands and formations nationwide on red alert.
Force PRO, Frank Mba, explained in a statement that “this proactive measure follows Intelligence Report that sequel to the recent killing of an Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani;
some domestic interests are planning to embark on massive public disturbances and sabotage.
3. Kaduna Explosion: DPR Warns Illegal Cooking Gas Retailers [LEADERSHIP]
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has vowed to address cases of illegal Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, also called cooking gas operations in the country, as it called on the public to report cases of suspected unauthorised gas operations to the agency.
This warning is coming after preliminary investigation revealed that the cause of the Kaduna gas explosion was as a result of illegal decanting (transfer) of LPG into another cylinder by operators of the facility.
4. Electricity Tariff Hike: It’s Daylight Robbery, Labour, Others Tell FG [PUNCH]
Organised labour, industrialists and civil rights groups on Sunday condemned the hike in electricity tariffs by the Federal Government.
Labour, in an interview with The PUNCH, described the electricity tariff hike as a daylight robbery considering the epileptic power supply in the country.
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on its part, berated the Federal Government for increasing the tariffs and doing nothing about estimated billing by distribution companies.
5. Extortion: CJN disowns Shehu Sani, says x-lawmaker a liar [PUNCH]
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, on Sunday denied links with a former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, who is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged extortion.
The complainant, Alhaji Sani Dauda, who reported Sani to the EFCC had claimed that the former senator demanded N4m from him to give to the CJN and four other judges to influence some pending cases in court.
But the CJN, through a statement by the Supreme Court’s Director, Press and Information, Dr Festus Akande, described the claim as a blatant lie.
6. Pick Your Successor, Bakare Urges Buhari [PUNCH]
The Serving Overseer, Citadel Global Community Church, formerly known as Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), not to leave the choice of his successor in 2023 to chance.
In a nationwide live broadcast in his church on Sunday, Bakare, who paid Buhari a visit last week, said it was important for the retired Major General to influence who would emerge his successor in 2023 so that his legacies would not be rubbished.
Buhari had last year declared that he had no intention of grooming anyone to succeed him in office.
7. How Physics Professor Was Killed In Kaduna Gas Explosion [NATION]
More facts emerged on Sunday how a gas explosion killed the Chairman of Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, Prof. Simon Mallam, and five others at Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna metropolis.
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) said the gas vending shop where the explosion occurred was illegal, adding that it used wrong and expired cylinders to do business.
Prof. Mallam, who according to a source close to the family, had just returned from the United States of America on an official tour, was at Sabon Tasha to have a haircut close to the gas shop when the incident happened.
The source said: “Mallam, a professor of physics, just returned a few days ago from the United States. On his return, he went to his village, Kagoro, in Kaura Local Government.
“After he returned from the village for the Yuletide, he went to have a haircut in preparation for the Sunday service and subsequent movement to Abuja.
“We learnt that he had just finished having his haircut when the gas exploded from the next shop to the barbing salon. The professor and three others died instantly. Two others died later.”
8. NERC Denies Increase In Electricity Tariff As Consumer Groups Kick [VANGUARD]
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) says no tariff increase has been approved by the commission yet.
Mr Usman Arabi, General Manager, Public Affairs (NERC) made the clarification in a statement issued on the agency’s website, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.
9. Several Nigerian Leaders’ll Be Shifted Away In 2020 –Olukoya [SUN]
General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Olukoya, has declared that many Nigerian leaders will be shifted away in the New Year, noting that 2020 is a year disobedience to God will yield terrible results that no deliverance could reverse.
In his 2020 ‘prophecy window’ released during the cross-over vigil, Pastor Olukoya charged Nigerians to pray, because the year would be messy and confusing to all.
He tagged 2020 as ‘Year of Revival and New Glory’ and said it portends re-writing negative family history and aggressive prayers against evil voices from foundation.
10. Obiano Under Fire Over Wife’s Charity In US [SUN]
…Diaspora Igbo say she’s wasteful
Anambra state Governor; Chief Willie Obiano and his wife, Ebelechukwu, have come under severe attack following a recent video of Mrs. Obiano giving charity in downtown Houston, Texas, USA under her pet project, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE).
In the video, Mrs. Obiano was seen feeding homeless Houstonians and distributing gifts of chairs, electric fans and clothes, among others to them in U-Hauls.
Many have described the act as misplaced priority while others equated it to one gaming while his house was on fire.
The World Igbo Congress (WIC) and Diaspora Igbo in a letter to the Governor by its Secretary General, Dr. Richard Nwachukwu, said his wife’s act was wasteful.
