Newspapers Today: 10 things to know this Thursday morning

Good morning, here are 10 things to know this Thursday morning in today’s newspapers.

1. The national airline, Nigeria Air will take off by December, the Federal Government declared Wednesday, despite opposition against the plan by domestic airline operators. Domestic airline operators in Nigeria have been kicking against the project on the ground of making Ethiopian Airline major investor in the business.

But the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika said no going back on the project scheduled to take off in December this year.

2. The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) said it expects the Federal Government to pay salary arrears for the four months their industrial action lasted. NASU said it expects the federal government to make arrangements for payment of the salary arrears.

3. Governor Samuel Ortom says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, must apologise to the people of Benue State if he indeed needs their votes in the 2023 general election. Ortom said the apology must be made public because the presidential candidate lied against him recently during his outing in Kaduna State.

4. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has made preparation to circulate the redesined naira notes by December 15. Affected denominations include N200, N500 and N1000. Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) and economic experts have lauded the CBN for the initiative as it will have positive effect on the economy.

5. The All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, says he has forgiven Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, noting that he doesn’t harbour any ill-feeling against the former presidential aspirant. Osinbajo, who used to be Tinubu’s close ally, was a major contender for the APC presidential ticket, which the latter eventually clinched.

6. The Federal High Court, Umuahia, Abia State, yesterday, ordered the Federal Government to pay the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, the sum of N500 million as aggregated damages as a result of his illegal abduction from Kenya and human rights abuse.

7. The suspended Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, and three others have been re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday. Idris was arrigned before the Federal High Court FCT over alleged N109.5 billion fraud. He and other defendants pleaded not guity to the charges.

8. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers voters top its register. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Wednesday, announced that the voter register had swollen up to 93.5m. According to the preliminary voter register, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna and Rivers states lead with 7,075,192; 5,927,565; 4,345,469 and 3,532,990, respectively. They are followed by Katsina with 3,519,260 and Oyo, with 3,275,045.

9. Chief Olisa Metuh, a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has resigned his membership of the party. He indicated in his resignation letter addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, he was quitting PDP because he could no longer play partisan politics in Nigeria, believing that he would contribute more to democracy and good governance in Nigeria by being non-partisan.

10. Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has donated N50m to flood victims in Bayelsa State, following the deadly floods that hit the some states in the country. Over 600 persons have so far died from the floods in Nigeria, according to report.

Atiku noted that it is a national emergency relief fund similar in scope to what was initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, while appealing to donors to extend more support towards the victims of the flooding.