Read today's newspaper headlines [Thursday, February 11, 2016]

Find out what is making headlines all over the country from the covers of The Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian and more.

For today, Thursday, February 11, 2016:

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

FG spends N825bn on travel allowances, stationery, others in 3 years —Finance ministry

LAGOS—THE Federal Government spent N825 billion in three years on travels, maintenance, local and international training, welfare and stationery/computer consumables. Disclosing this, yesterday, Head of the Efficiency Unit, set up by the Ministry of Finance to streamline government overhead expenditure, Patience Oniha, said from the study of government overhead expenditure it carried out between 2012 and 2014, 60 per cent of Federal Government’s overhead expenditure were, on the average, incurred through local and international travels, maintenance, local and international training, welfare, office stationery and consumables, honourarium and sitting allowance, meals and refreshment and books. READ MORE:

N-EAST: Senate turns down budget proposal for Information Ministry

ABUJA—THE Senate, yesterday, refused to treat the budget proposal for the Federal Ministry of Information due to lack of provision for media propaganda in the North East. The Senate Committee on Information, which took the decision during the ministry’s budget defence, insisted that the ministry must not only rework but also re-present its budget with provisions for effective media propaganda in the North East.

Why we can’t probe ex-service chiefs — ARMY

ABUJA—The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, said yesterday that the Army cannot probe ex-service chiefs involved in procurement of weapons for the fight against Boko Haram because they had retired. Buratai, who disclosed this while defending Army’s budget proposal before the House of Representatives Committee on Army, also lamented that the N160 billion budget approved for the Army by the Ministry of Budget and Planning was grossly inadequate to prosecute the war against insurgency in the North East.

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THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Suicide bombers kill 30 in Borno IDPs camp

Thirty persons were killed when two female suicide bombers attacked an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Borno State on Tuesday, the Chairman of Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Ahmed Satomi, has said. Satomi said 78 persons were injured in the attack, which occurred at the camp in Dikwa at about 6.30am on Tuesday. But AP quoting some unnamed officials said that at least 56 people were killed in the attack. READ MORE:

Aso Rock security operatives grumble over unpaid allowances

There is currently a disquiet among security operatives attached to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, over their unpaid allowances, The PUNCH has learnt. If not addressed quickly, the situation, our correspondent learnt on Wednesday, might degenerate into a security breach. Multiple sources who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said “loyalty of the security operatives had dropped drastically” over the non-payment of the allowance.

READ MORE:

EFCC seizes N5bn houses of ex-NAF chief, Amosu, others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized houses and other properties belonging to the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.), and other senior military officers worth N5bn. Our correspondent learnt on Wednesday that the properties, which were seized in the Ikoyi, Ikeja GRA and Badagry areas of Lagos State, allegedly belonged to Amosu; the immediate past Chief of Accounts and Budgeting of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal J.B. Adigun; and Air Commodore O. O. Gbadebo, who was the Director of Finance and Budget at NAF.

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THE GUARDIAN

Nigeria’s crude oil production up by 252,800bpd

Nigeria’s crude oil output increased by 252,800 barrels per day in January, up from the 1.697 million barrels per day it recorded in December to 1.949 million barrels per day. This development has also boosted the total production of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in the month under review.

NNPC raises fuel import, as Kaduna, P’Harcourt refineries remain shut

TO close the gap created by the shutdown of Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has embarked on a massive importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Also, major and independent petroleum marketers have continued to import PMS into the country despite the absence of subsidy in the 2016 budget.

NFF not replacing Oliseh, says Pinnick

Insinuations in some quarters that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), is making underground moves to replace Super Eagles Head Coach, Sunday Oliseh, may not be true afterall. One local media (not The Guardian) had reported yesterday that the soccer body had solidified moves to replace Oliseh before Nigeria’s 2017 AFCON qualifiers against Egypt next month. READ MORE:

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THE NATION NEWSPAPER

Jonathan, Alison-Madueke named in Abuja land grab

The Senate is exploring ways and means of invoking sanctions against former President Goodluck Jonathan and some former ministers for allegedly appropriating reserved plots of land in Abuja. According to the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the plots acquired by Jonathan and his ministers were designated as green areas, flood drains, city buffers, recreation centres, sewage lines, urban farming and city monuments. At a briefing yesterday, the chairman of the Committee, Senator Dino Melaye, said the illegally acquired areas fall within the highbrow Maitama District.

Nigeria seeks $2b Chinese loan to fund budget

Nigeria is seeking a $2billion loan from China to fund the 2016 budget. Finance Minister Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, according to sources, will travel to China next week to negotiate the loan to help fund the record budget spending, financial and government sources were yesterday quoted by News Agency Reuters. Sources said Nigeria has shelved plans to meet investors about returning to commercial borrowing on the Eurobond market.

Female suicide bombers blast 56 to death in IDPs camp

Two female suicide bombers have blown themselves up in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Borno State, killing no fewer than 56 people. Health and rescue officials, who confirmed Tuesday’s bombings, said 78 people were taken away injured from the Dikwa IDPs camp. Dikwa is 85 kilometres outside Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. There are about 50,000 IDPs in the camp, it was learnt.

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Business Day

Budget defence: FG pleads for retention of N1.8trn for capital projects

Minister of budget and national planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, has called for the retention of N1.8 trillion, about 30 percent of the total budget proposal earmarked for capital projects, by the National Assembly, saying the country cannot afford to make the same mistake of the past where only 10 percent were allocated to that component….

FG to eliminate wastes, improve efficiency using price guideline

Against the urgent need to achieve a better-cost structure for the government and derive maximum value for money spent, the Federal Government says it is set cut cost, eliminate wastes and duplications in government’s working processes and activities with the use of ‘Price Guideline.’ “Our mandate is on overhead expenditure, to eliminate wastes and duplications…

‘Dont change our road plan’, Fashola appeals to Senate

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola on Wednesday led the management team of his Ministry at the 2016 Budget Defence Session of the Senate Committee on Works with a passionate appeal that the focus and plan of the proposed plans be retained in order to achieve the much desired change and positive objectives…