10 Things You Need To Know This Sunday Morning

Good morning Nigerians. The below are things to know this Sunday morning.

1. Many persons have reportedly lost their lives in Gwoza, a town in Borno State, after a female suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at a wedding venue killing several wedding guests and injuring many others.

According to sources, the bomber was carrying a baby on her back when she stormed the venue and detonated the IED at the wedding held today, Saturday, in Tashan Mararaba near the Fire Service in Gwoza town.

The number of dead persons is yet to be ascertained but several of the injured persons are receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Gwoza including this source.

2. The Dauda Lawal-led Zamfara State Government has rejected the federal permanent secretary appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday night.

Recall that Tinubu had on June 28 approved the appointment of Maryam Ismaila Keshinro and seven others as permanent secretaries to fill existing and impending vacancies of some states and geo-political zones in the top administrative cadre of the Civil Service of the Federation.

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media, Ajuri Ngelale, disclose that the appointees were selected after a diligent selection process by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
But the Zamfara State government rejected the appointment of Ismaila, claiming that she is not an indigene of the state and is also not qualified to hold the position.

According to Premium Times, Zamfara’s Head of Service, Ahmad Liman, in an earlier letter in the selection process dated 24 May and addressed to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, claimed that Mrs Ismaila is not an indigene of the state and cannot legally represent the people of the state, hence, must be dropped.

3. Tinubu Govt Is Not Planning To Run Four Budgets Concurrently – Presidency (Yet to be published as at 7:40pm today)

3. The Presidency has debunked the claims of a non-profit organisation, BudgiT, that the administration of President Bola Tinubu, plans to run four budgets within a fiscal year.

Recall that the Senate resumed plenary on Thursday to extend the capital section of the 2023 supplementary budget.

In a statement on Friday, BudgIT’s Country Director, Gabriel Okeowo, said it was worrisome that the Federal Government could be drafting a 2024 supplementary budget to be implemented alongside the 2023 yearly budget, 2023 supplementary budget, and 2024 annual budget.

Okeowo condemned the development, stating it would amount to severe budget credibility issues.

Also, In a statement via X on Saturday, the 2023 presidential aspirant of the Labour Party, Peter Obi described the move as a blatant disregard for fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability.

He said the action of Tinubu’s government will lead to frivolous items in the approved budgets competing with essential projects for limited resources, further exacerbating the suffering of the Nigerian people.

However, while reacting to the development, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, in a statement via X, said the Federal Government is not planning to run four budgets within a fiscal year, as alleged.

Ajayi also slammed Peter Obi for jumping on the unverified report from BudgiT to spread misinformation.

4. Amidst the escalating tensions between the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Nigeria Police Force, the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam, has stepped in to mediate the ongoing dispute concerning the recent recruitment of constables and specialists into the force.

The controversy ignited when, on June 4, the PSC announced the successful recruitment of 10,000 applicants, a list that was later rejected by the police force on June 15.

The police, in a statement by its spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, claimed the recruitment process was fraught with corruption and irregularities, noting that the list included names of individuals who “did not even apply” for the positions.

The rejection of the recruitment list by the police led to a sharp response from the PSC’s union, which called for the removal of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, accusing him of misrepresenting facts related to the recruitment process.

In a defiant stance, the PSC maintained that the recruitment was conducted transparently and in accordance with the law.

PSC’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, affirmed on June 25 that the final list of successful candidates would remain unchanged, urging the police force to provide evidence to back their allegations of corruption.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Police Affairs, Bolaji Kazeem, in a chat with Punch, emphasized the minister’s commitment to resolving the issue discreetly and efficiently, stating, “Minister working underground to resolve the issue between the two organisations. He doesn’t want the matter to go out of hand.”

5. Organised Labour on Saturday tackled the state governors, accusing them of acting in bad faith towards the new minimum wage negotiations ongoing in the country. It said every part of the new minimum wage agreement should be implemented and any of the state governors who can’t pay should resign.

6. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested 127 suspected internet fraudsters during a “Yahoo Party” in Akure, Ondo State. The suspects were apprehended in an early morning raid on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at simultaneous parties held at Signature and Abah Clubs in the state capital.

7. More than 18 Nigerian girls whose age ranges between 16 and 18 years have been rescued from human traffickers in a daring operation by local security guards in Ghana. The girls were reportedly lured to Ghana with the promise of a better life but were instead forced into prostitution.

8. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, on Saturday, revealed that upon assumption of office on May 29, 2023, his administration met no fewer than 4.7 million pupils sitting on bare floors in primary schools across the state. Yusuf, who spoke while declaring a state of emergency on education in Kano at the Open Arena, Kano Government House, said the lack of instructional materials further compounded the problem.