Naira Continues Free Fall, Twist Of Fate For Osun Workers And Other Newspaper Headlines Today

Stories on petrol scarcity in some parts of the country, and the continued depreciation of the naira, dominate the front pages of Nigerian newspapers, today October 20.

Osun Defender reports that the Osun State government has concluded the distribution of the first and second batches of rice which was the palliative item to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal on the people of the state, but the palliative was still far from reaching the target beneficiaries. The newspaper says four siblings have been arrested by the police for allegedly hacking the email account of a Chief Magistrate in Osun State, Mr Emmanuel Aluko. 

The Punch reports that there have been disagreements between oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over the supply of petrol, as queues in filling stations worsen. The newspaper says the supreme court will begin hearing the appeal of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday.

Daily Trust reports that industries in the country are battling for survival owing to the continued slide of the naira against the dollar. The newspaper says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said that 891 petitions out of 1,196 on the 2023 elections have so far been either dismissed or withdrawn.

The Nation reports that the federal government and some Chinese firms have signed a $6 billion pact on power and automobiles. The newspaper says the federal government is set to pay N500 million fine for 4,000 inmates.

The Guardian’s cover story highlights the conditions of clinics in universities in some parts of the country. The newspaper reports that activists have lamented the non-implementation of #EndSARS panels’ recommendations.

Nigerian Tribune reports that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused Simon Lalong, minister of labour, of bias over its handling of the leadership crisis rocking the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). The newspaper says the federal government is set to commence rehabilitation works on the Third Mainland Bridge.