Watch SignatureTV News Update: Secondus Asked to Resign as PDP Governors Meet In Abuja

Nigerians reacts as government threatens to replace striking resident doctors

It is one week since resident doctors in Nigeria embarked on strike to protest the non-implementation of the agreement it reached with the federal government.
The federal government says most of the unfulfilled items in the agreement are the responsibilities of the states and threatened to sack the striking doctors.
President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi is now calling for the sack of the Minister of Health and that of labour.
As the strike takes its toll on health services across the country, Signature TV Correspondent went to the streets of Abuja, the nation’s capital to get the reaction of the residents on the Doctor’s strike.

Subsidize Agriculture Activities instead of petroleum- Expert
Development Economist and farmer, Effiom Ikpi Ikpi has called on the Nigerian government to subsidize agriculture inputs and provide measurable assistance to Nigerian farmers instead of subsidizing petroleum.
Effiom made the call in an interview with Signature TV in Abuja at the weekend.
He stated that subsidy on petroleum in Nigeria does not address the need of the ordinary Nigerian and opined that since agriculture employes over seventy percent of the Nigerian population, poverty would be a thing of the past if farm inputs and produce are subsidized.
In addition, Marcus Gyet a staff of Open University of Nigeria told Signature TV that government should provide more loans to farmers as well as directly subsidizing farm produce to enable ordinary Nigerians to have access to food at a low cost.

Secondus Asked to Resign as PDP Governors Meet In Abuja
A caucus of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in the House of Representatives has asked their party’s National Chairman, Uche Secondus, to “honourably” resign from his position.
At the PDP National Secretariat on Monday, some party members also held placards calling for Secondus’ resignation.
However, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Secondus said nothing, so far, warrants his resignation as National Chairman.
The calls for Secondus’ resignation come as PDP Governors met in Abuja on Monday to discuss recent events that threaten the unity of the party.
At least seven principal officers of the party resigned from the party in recent weeks, although two later withdrew their resignation after a meeting of the Board of Trustees.
The PDP has also lost the Governors of Ebonyi, Cross River, and Zamfara to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to the PDP House caucus, which met virtually on Saturday, Secondus was more “preoccupied with holding onto his position rather than preparing for next elections.”
They accused him of having “no clear road map, blueprint or policy programme for the PDP.”

Court Orders Final Forfeiture of Properties Linked To Okorocha
A State High Court in Owerri has ordered the final and absolute forfeiture of Royal Palm Springs Hotel and other properties said to belong to Senator Rochas Okorocha and other members of his family.
The forfeited properties are contained on pages 226 to 272 of the Imo state Government white paper report by a Judicial Commission of Enquiry on Recovery of Lands and other related matters.
According to the ruling by Justice Fred Njemanze, who was sitting as a vacation judge, Okorocha’s counsel failed to give concrete and verifiable reasons why a final and absolute forfeiture order should not be given in favour of the Imo state government.
Justice Njemanze maintained that the white paper gazette by the Imo State Government is a legal binding document.
The judge concluded that there was no concrete reason before it why the forfeiture should not be made absolute and final, hence the Imo state Government can go ahead and do whatever it deems fit to do with the properties.

Super TV CEO: Court remands Chidinma in prison for 30 days
Chidinma Ojukwu, the prime suspect in the murder of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, has been ordered by a Yaba Chief Magistrate Court to be remanded in prison for 30 days.
The order was issued by Magistrate Adeola Adedayo pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution.
Ataga’s body was found in a pool of blood inside a hotel room where he and Chidinma had spent the night.
When paraded by the police after her arrest, Chidinma, a 300 Level student of the University of Lagos, admitted to having stabbed the Super TV CEO thrice.
She, however, later changed her position in another interview, saying she knows nothing about his death.
Ataga has since been buried at Ebony Vaults, Ikoyi, Lagos.

IN BUSINESS

Debt servicing consuming Nigeria’s revenues, says LCCI
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry has advised the Federal and State Governments to liberalize the infrastructure sector by breaking government monopoly and securitize corporate assets via public offerings to attract investment.
According to an official statement released on Sunday and titled ‘Practical steps for boosting revenue and foreign exchange inflows’ and signed by the Director-General of the Chamber, Dr Chinyere Almona, the chamber said that there was an urgent need for the federal and state governments to do an official identification of public assets with proper documentation in a national asset register.
The chamber clarified that its recommendations did not mean the sale of national assets, rather they were mechanisms to generate more revenue from them without outright sale.
The LCCI said this was a more sustainable way of revenue generation and boosting foreign exchange inflows.

ON THE FOREIGN SCENE

Suspected Islamists kill more than 40 in northern Mali
Officials in Mali say more than 40 people have been killed by suspected jihadists in the north of the country.
Militants on motorbikes attacked three villages, killing as many people as they could.
In neighbouring Burkina Faso at least 12 soldiers were killed in a suspected Islamist attack near the border with Mali.
Security sources said they believed the attack was in revenge for the killing by the military of two senior jihadist leaders on Saturday.
Islamist violence is intensifying across the Sahel despite the presence of local, regional and international forces. #

In sports

Bayelsa State Teams Dominate AITEO Cup Finale
For the first time in the history of Nigeria’s Cup competitions, one State claimed both the women and men titles as Nigeria National League side, Bayelsa United and Bayelsa Queens were crowned champions of the 2021 AITEO Cup competition at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin city, Edo state.
The teams ignored the rain to play breathtaking football and the epic battles produced 10 goals to the delight of football officials, state dignitaries, and spectators.
In the men’s final, with the fine run of Bayelsa United to the final, Nigeria Professional Football League side Nasarawa United had no reason to be complacent. The Bayelsa team is coached by former international Dipreye Teibowei and they stunned Rangers International, Lobi Stars, and Rivers United on their way to the final.
Bayelsa United confirmed they meant business in the penalty shootout, the boys from Bayelsa prevailed 4-3 to claim their first-ever national silverware.
Bayelsa United pocketed the sum of N25million Naira for their triumph, with Nasarawa United earning N10million. Bayelsa Queens also secured N10million Naira while FC Robo Queens returned to Lagos with N5million Naira.