Registered Voters: N’West, S’West Lead And Other Newspaper Headlines Today

The North-West geopolitical zone has the highest number of registered voters in the country with a total of 18,505,984 voters, according to statistics obtained by The PUNCH from the Independent National Electoral Commission. The South-West zone, which comprises Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Osun and Oyo states, comes second with a total number of 14,626,800 registered voters, while the South-East which has the lowest number of states has 8,293,093 registered voters.

The VANGUARD moves to disclose the thoughts of Osinbajo saying; Why We Can’t Deliver On Our Promises- Osinbajo. The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, blamed government’s inability to deliver on its promises on socio-political inequality, weak justice system, absence of rule of law and lack of state capacity to maintain law and order.
He also expressed frustrations at the inability of anti-graft agencies to secure convictions for the many suspects brought before the courts for corruption due to the manipulative tendencies of the elite class.
The SGF has said Buhari’ll Run In 2019. According to THE NATION, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha yesterday said President Muhammadu Buhari will continue in office in 2019. “We don’t have an alternative to President Buhari for now. He will continue. The politics of this nation is no more the politics of money or do-or-die … Anybody who wants to lead this nation must make sacrifices. Buhari has already transformed and changed the image of leadership and that of our leaders in this country both locally and internationally,” he said.

The Govt Admits Fraud In N1tr Social Investment Fund heads THE GUARDIAN this morning. The Federal Government, yesterday, admitted there had been fraud in its Social Investments Programme (SIP), prompting an investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The revelation followed the release of just 15 per cent of the N1 trillion budgeted for the initiative. The Special Adviser on SIP, Maryam Uwais, made the disclosure while briefing State House correspondents on the implementation of the scheme and her presentation at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

On the issue of Fuel Scarcity: NEC, NNPC To Interface On Correct Petrol Pricing. The National Economic Council (NEC) has directed its sub-committee on Forensic Audit on Revenue Accruing Revenue Agencies headed by Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe state to interface with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to determine the correct pricing of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) considering the price obtainable in neighbouring countries. According to Nigerian Tribune, This followed a presentation NNPC Group Managing Director (GMD), Maikanti Baru, to the council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the presidential villa, Abuja on Thursday.

Finally on BUSINESS DAY, Quality Education: Private Equity Firms Targets Secondary Schools. Private equity firms are expanding their investments in secondary school education in Nigeria and across Africa to meet the rising demand for quality education by the country’s expanding middle-class parents. The sharp depreciation in the naira, which has led to a significant rise in the cost of educating children abroad, and the deplorable state of public funded educational institution that are located in the country but can provide international standard educational environment, facilities and teachers.