The Nigerian press have zeroed in on governorship, legislative polls and an important bank merger.
The preparations for the governorship, the state legislative polls and the merger of two commercial banks dominated the headlines of Nigerian newspapers on Thursday, 7 March 2019.
The Punch newspaper states that Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has declared Friday, 8 March 2019 , a public holiday in the state ahead of Saturday’s governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
The governor, in a statement said that the public holiday was declared in order to enable public servants to travel to their respective Local Government Areas to participate in the elections.
The newspaper also said that, in January and February, Nigeria imported a total of 986, 492 metric tonnes of petroleum products representing 1,387,410,984.2 litres of fuel.
The Vanguard said that the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, (LCCI), has called on the Nigerian government to reduce the burden of excessive taxation on oil and gas investment in the country. The report added that there is currently a proposal by the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) to impose $1 levy on every barrel of oil export.
The newspaper also said that the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has commenced the fourth 60-day National Action Plan (NAP 4.0) on Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), in furtherance of the federal government’s reform plan aimed at improving the businesses environment in Nigeria through systemic interventions.
The Leadership newspaper reported that an Abuja Court of Appeal has granted the request of the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded presidential election. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has access to inspect the electoral materials used by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) during the elections.
Atiku Abubakar and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier filed an ex-parte motion seeking an order of the court to allow an inspection of the electoral document used by the Commission in order to maintain an election petition.
The Nation newspaper said that President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday renewed his pledge to work harder and consolidate the gains on security, economy, jobs creation, anti-graft corruption and infrastructure upgrade.
Receiving the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at the State House in Abuja, Buhari promised not to let Nigerians down.
The newspaper also reported that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, yesterday, assured that the National Microfinance Bank (MfB) will not crowd out other microfinance banks, saying the new bank will offer loans to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.
Thisday newspaper said that Access Bank Plc and Diamond Bank Plc are expected to start operating as a single entity from the beginning of April. This, according to the report, would be under a new enlarged Access Bank brand.
– APA
