1. President Muhammadu Buhari, Yesterday, signed the 2018 Appropriation Bill into law. The total budget is N9.1 trillion, up from the N8.6 trillion estimates presented to the National Assembly.
2. The Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife has sacked Professor Richard Akindele for allegedly demanding sex from Monica Osagie to upgrade her mark.
The Vice Chancellor of the school, Eyitope Ogunbodede on Wednesday announced the sack at a press conference in Ife following the numerous appearances and investigation by the school board.
3. A Makurdi High Court on Wednesday struck out the murder charge against former Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Arc. Joseph Kyaagba, for want of jurisdiction
Ruling on the application, Justice Theresa Igoche agreed with defense counsel that the case was not initiated by the due process of law.
4. The Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom has denied the report that he had agreed to cede a portion of land to the Nigerian government for ranching.
Ortom said he did not at any point during his speech at the media and communications briefing on the National Livestock Transformation Plan which took place in Abuja yesterday, agree that he would cede any land to the federal government.
5. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of 28 judicial officers for the Court of Appeal, Federal High Court and the high court of the Federal Capital Territory on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.
Among the 12 justices approved for the Court of Appeal were, Hon. (Mr) Justice P. A. Mahmud, Hon. (Mr) Justice F. O. Ojo, Hon. (Mr) Justice I. A. Andenyangsto, Hon. (Mr) Justice G. O. Kolawole and eight others.
6. The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, Wednesday, rejected the Federal Government’s decision to spend N179bn to build ranches, describing it as a vexatious declaration.
In a statement jointly signed by Messrs. Yinka Odumakin (South West), Senator Bassey Henshaw (South South), Prof Chigozie Ogbu (South East) and Dr Isuwa Dogo (Middle Belt), the forum, however, commended the decision of the government to embrace ranching for cattle rearers against the erstwhile insistence on archaic open grazing and old century cattle routes, but faulted the plan of using the public fund to set them up.
7. The Federal Government of Nigeria on Wednesday said it was not treating with levity the report that a terrorist group, the Islamic State, was sending insurgents trained in Syria to the country as part of a terror exchange programme.
It stated that the development was receiving the necessary attention, noting that all that needed to be done to protect the country was being implemented.
8. A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Adamawa State and political ally of former Vice President, Atiku Abubaka, Dr. Umar Ardo, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to set aside the posthumous national honours conferred on the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late Chief M.K.O Abiola, and human rights activist, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
Ardo, a former Special Assistant on Research and Strategy to Atiku Abubakar, also asked the court to strip Abiola’s running mate in the 1993 presidential election, Babagana Kingibe, of the national honour conferred on him.
9. The Peoples Democratic Party has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s submission that the 2018 budget, will be difficult to implement “is a clear admission that he lacks the capacity and competence to run a development-oriented economy as desired by Nigerians.”
The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja on Wednesday said the President’s action was an indication that “the economy is in very bad hands.”
10. Morocco and Egypt have crashed out of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Russia. The two teams crashed out after losing two consecutive matches in the group stage.