Read today's newspaper headlines [Tuesday, February 9, 2016]

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

For today, Tuesday, February 9, 2016:

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

FG’ll renegotiate, not revoke inherited contracts —Fashola

THE Federal Government has pledged not to revoke any inherited contracts “ in the interest of Nigerians”. Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola who made the pledge on behalf of the government at the opening ceremony of a 3-day Nigerian Pension Industry Strategy Implementation Roadmap Retreat, said that the norms of reversing projects of previous government was wrong and not n the best interest of Nigerians.

Amaechi faults Wike on $150m allegation

Former governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has described the statement credited to Governor Nyesom Wike that he spent $150 million during the general election as an imaginary tale, a bogus and fallacious concoction. Amaechi also said that all efforts by Wike and his cohorts to denigrate his name in the media will fail.

We can’t identify true owners of oil blocs, assets — NEITI

ABUJA — The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, yesterday, lamented that the true owners of some oil blocs and other oil and gas assets in Nigeria cannot be identified from the records of the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC. It also accused owners of some of the assets of suppressing certain information and manipulating their records in the CAC, making it impossible to link them with the assets.

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THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Sanusi faults CBN on naira exchange rate

The Emir of Kano and immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has described the monetary policy regime of the CBN as wrong. Sanusi was quoted by Financial Times as saying that President Muhammadu Buhari risked exacerbating the country’s economic woes and undermining his government’s achievements on security and corruption by endorsing exchange rate policies that were doomed to fail. READ MORE:

We’ll probe Okonjo-Iweala, Diezani soon, says EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will soon begin the probe of the nation’s oil and gas industry as part of the current anti-corruption war of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. The roles of some principal officers in the former Goodluck Jonathan administration, including the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke; her counterpart in the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and an oil magnate, will come under intense scrutiny. READ MORE:

Electricity tariff: Labour stages nationwide protest, threatens strike

The organised labour on Monday paralysed business activities of the electricity distribution firms as it led a nationwide protest against the over 45 per cent increase in electricity tariffs, demanding an immediate reversal of the hike. Leaders and members of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress were joined in the simultaneous demonstrations in different parts of the country by those in the civil societies and students of tertiary institutions. READ MORE:

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THE GUARDIAN

Court renews arrest warrant against Tompolo

Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos yesterday renewed the bench warrant issued against a former Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo. The judge, by the decision, ordered security agencies in Nigeria to compel Tompolo’s appearance in court on February 19. Justice Buba renewed the order while ruling on an application challenging substituted service of a 40-count criminal charge on the accused. READ MORE:

TSA to cut N2.22tr budget deficit

THE N2.22 trillion deficit, projected for this year’s N6.08 trillion budget may be reduced after all, courtesy of the N2.2 trillion already realised by the Federal Government, from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) scheme. The budget deficit reduction prospect was disclosed yesterday by the Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, at a one-day TSA workshop, organised for state accountants-general in Abuja. READ MORE:

Protest against new electricity tariff paralyses Discos

ORGANISED labour and its civil society allies yesterday made good their threat as protests against the new Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO2015) which took off February 1 swept across the country, paralysing activities at many electricity distribution companies (Discos) in many cities. From Lagos to Abuja, Kaduna, Ibadan, Enugu, Maiduguri, Owerri, Port Harcourt and indeed all major cities in all states of the federation, the protesters were unequivocal in their rejection of the tariff increase. undefined

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THE NATION NEWSPAPER

Labour pickets electricity firms as govt urges acceptance of tariff hike

Labour unions and their allies yesterday shut down electricity distribution (Discos) and generation companies (Gencos) offices nationwide over the 45 per cent hike in the electricity tariff by Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). In most of the state capitals, where the protests led by leaders of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) were held, it resulted in heavy gridlocks and leading to businesses and offices being closed down. READ MORE:

MTN must pay fine, says govt

Mobile giant MTN must pay substantial part of the N780billion fine imposed on it for subscriber identity module (SIM)registration guideline infractions before any out of court settlement could honoured, the Federal Government said yesterday. The Minister of Communications and Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, said the telco violated extant laws for which it accepted responsibility and wrote a letter of apology, promising to be a responsible corporate citizen.

Federal Govt in order over Dasuki’s re-arrest, says court

Neither the Federal Government nor the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is in disobedience of any order of the court by re-arresting ex-National Security Adviser (NSA) Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, a court has said. A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja yesterday ruled that it was wrong for Dasuki to accuse the Federal Government and the EFCC of violating the order granting him bail when there was evidence that he was only arrested after he had earlier been released from the prison upon his meeting the bail conditions. READ MORE:

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Business Day

FG asks Discos to justify increase in tariff

The Federal Government has called of Electricity Distribution companies,(Discos) to justify the new tariff through quality services to consumers. In what observers regard as the endorsement of the hike, the Minister Of Power, Babatunde Raji Fashola at the monthly sectoral meeting of major stakeholders in the power sector in Lagos yesterday said meters must be… READ MORE:

Senate to interface with Executive over new electricity tariff

Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Monday, assured organised labour and civil society organisations (CSOs) of the National Assembly’s commitment to engage the Executive over the recent 45 percent hike in electricity tariff. Leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) also issued a two-week ultimatum to the 10-member Committee, set up…

‘Artificial’ forex rate hurts Buhari, says Lamido Sanusi

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, risks undermining progress in fighting Boko Haram and tackling corruption by endorsing exchange rate policies that are doomed to fail, an influential former central bank governor has said. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, governor from 2009 to 2014, told the Financial Times he was disappointed to see Buhari’s strong security and anti-corruption efforts…