Pulse Frontpage: Read today's newspaper headlines [Monday, February 8, 2016]

Read today's newspaper headlines [Monday, February 8, 2016]

Pulse brings you front page stories from Nigeria’s leading newspapers on a day-to-day basis.

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

For today, Monday, February 8, 2016:

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

Presidency unfolds N500bn social welfare programmes

ABUJA — The Presidency has unfurled tentative details on the implementation of its N500 billion social welfare programme, revealing that one million extremely poor Nigerians would be direct beneficiaries of the N5,000 monthly cash transfer. The payment which is to commence once the budget is approved by the National Assembly, is besides another five social interventions that include the provision of one meal a day to school pupils in some selected states.

Oliseh flees Nigeria, accuses staff of witchcraft

As the zero hour approaches for the must win double header AFCON qualifier against the Pharaohs of Egypt on March 23, Sports Vanguard can reveal the real reasons why coach Sunday Oliseh may continue to tinker the Eagles from his base in Belgium. After contracting a virus in one of his official assignments, camp sources informed that the former Juventus player has alleged occultic manipulations by his enemies on his life and has vowed to flee far from the country to where they could not fly to attack him. READ MORE:

10 killed, 300 homeless as Fulani herdsmen invade Benue villages

MAKURDI—No fewer than 10 persons were feared dead yesterday, in an outbreak of fresh hostilities between Fulani herdsmen and farmers at Tom-Anyiin and Tom-Ataan communities, Mbaya, Tombu in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State. This is just as the Council Chairman, Godwin Iorsue, the Divisional Police Officer at Buruku, the Area Commander and other stakeholders in the area, on assessment tour of the communities, were ambushed and attacked by the herdsmen who had seized the area and sacked the inhabitants.

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THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Fayose withdraws workers’ salaries after payment

It was a disappointing weekend for workers in Ekiti State as the state government on Thursday withdrew two months’ salaries already paid into their bank accounts. This was as teachers in the state declared a two-day warning strike over the refusal of Governor Ayodele Fayose to pay their September 2014 salary arrears and 2014 leave bonuses. The state chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Samuel Akosile, told our correspondent that the union would consider the next step to take at the expiration of the warning strike beginning today (Monday).

Arms scam: Badeh faces EFCC interrogators today

A former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, who is scheduled to return to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, today (Monday), is expected to have a tough day at the anti-graft agency. It was learnt in Abuja, late on Sunday, that the commission had assembled two teams of its toughest operatives to engage the ex-CDS in a marathon session to find out his level of complicity in the $2.1bn arms deal scandal. Close associates of the former CDS citing sources within the anti-graft agency also alleged that “plans are afoot to bring fresh charges” other than those Badeh was originally invited for against the ex-military chief. READ MORE:

Ekiti poll scandal: DSS quizzes ex-PDP secretary, Aluko

The Department of State Services has interrogated a former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Dr. Temitope Aluko. Our correspondent gathered that Aluko arrived at the national headquarters of the service in Abuja on Friday where he was interrogated on the allegation of rigging, which he made against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and the state chapter of the PDP. The former secretary had told the nation last week that he and others helped Fayose to rig the June 21, 2014 Ekiti State governorship poll. READ MORE:

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THE GUARDIAN

Heavy rainfall, flooding, malaria, cholera expected in Nigeria

NIGERIANS should brace for adverse weather conditions such as heavy rainfall and flooding, and diseases like cholera this year. This is against the backdrop of predictions by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that rainfall patterns will be unusually heavy and lead to serious flooding and major outbreaks of malaria, cholera and Rift Valley Fever. Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis that primarily affects animals but also has the capacity to infect humans. The disease also results in significant economic losses due to death and abortion among RVF-infected livestock.

Pressure on Saraki to resign ahead of CCT trial

WITH the impending trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over an alleged false declaration of assets, the days of intrigues may have returned to the upper legislative chamber. Already, Saraki has allegedly come under immense pressure from within the National Assembly to resign and face his trial. Some senators are canvassing the appointment of a Senate president pro tempore to allow Saraki effectively take care of his trial while still being assured of the safety of his position at the end of the CCT trial. READ MORE:

Mixed fortunes await operators over N300 billion market transactions this week

A combination of scheduled monetary policy actions this week, projected at over N300 billion, would lead to mixed fortunes at the interbank market, as rates respond to liquidity dynamics. Though early trading in the week would be marked by low rates due to high liquidity, there would be volatile sessions in the middle of the week as the banks begin to make provisions for the weekly foreign exchange auction.

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THE NATION NEWSPAPER

DHQ: Sambisa is last battle ground with Boko Haram

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday said Boko Haram has been knocked down in Borno and other parts of the Northeast. It said the only battle ground left is in the Sambisa Forest, the about 80 kilometres swathe of thick bush that is the sect’s stronghold. It said once the battle for Sambisa is over, Boko Haram will become a thing of the past. But the DHQ pleaded for support from every citizen because it is a Nigerian war against Boko Haram insurgents.

Etisalat sues MTN over Visafone acquisition

Etisalat Nigeria has sued MTN Nigeria and Visafone Ltd, challenging MTN’s use of the 800megahertz (MHZ) spectrum following the acquisition of Visafone. MTN sued the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the imposition of N780billion fine on it by the regulator for harbouring some 5.2million pre-registered subscriber identity module (SIM) cards on its network in violation of extant rules. Etisalat said it considered the action necessary to prevent the use of the spectrum by MTN at this time, as it will entrench the dominance of MTN in the retail data services market.

17 die in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway accident

Seventeen people died and 74others injured in an accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway yesterday morning. The accident, which occurred shortly after Ibadan, involved two vehicles. There were 96 people inside the vehicles. The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) gave the cause of the accident as over speeding, which led to loss of control by one of the drivers.

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Business Day

Dangote to raise cement capacity by 9mmtpa

Dangote Cement plc has disclosed the start of the construction of new cement plants in two communities in Nigeria, in a move to consolidate on its leadership in the sector. The new plants are expected to add 9 million metric tons per annum (mmtpa) to the company’s current local cement output of 29.25mmtpa, bringing it…

Governors begin secret talks for fresh bailout

Nigerian state governors are seeking a new round of bailout from the Federal Government, less than a year after the previous one, sources privy to the discussions tell BusinessDay. President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration announced a bailout for struggling Nigerian states six-weeks after being sworn in, of as much as $3 billion to help them pay…

Analysts insist on naira adjustment before passing budget 

Although arguments in favour of devaluation remain peak in foreign exchange (FX) analysis across the industry, official statements from fiscal and monetary authorities suggest an adjustment will not be made in the short term. However, against the fiscal plan to borrow $3.5 billion from multi-lateral sources to finance the 2016 budget deficit, an adjustment will…