As expected, Nigerian daily newspapers continue their focus on the ministerial screening by the senate which is now in its third day

Guardian newspaper focused on the screening of former governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Fashola, who spoke on the need to decentralise the police.

“There is a necessity first to decentralise the police. The number available to me is that we have probably a police force of about 500, 000 for a population that is heading towards 180 million. We are under-policed and even if the Federal Government decided to take on the responsibility on its own, can it really do so on the micro level that is necessary for the state, the local government and all other levels?”

Fashola recommended a compelling urgency for decentralisation, saying: “I have made those recommendations to some of the committees of Constitutional Amendments where I was privileged to make representations. But the arguments about why we should not decentralise the police, with due respect distinguished senators, do not go far. They did not address the fundamental responsibilities that the government has. Such argument that government will abuse state police for political purposes pales before the fact that the abuse of political power is not as important as the loss of life.”

On its front page, Vanguard leads with how Fashola and current GMD of the NNPC, Ibe Kachikwu, stole the show during the screening.

Kachikwu noted that there will be no removal of subsidy until palliatives were put in place, adding that with the non-passage of Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, Nigeria was losing 15 billion dollars yearly.

“First of all, let me say that one of the things I’ve said to myself since resuming as GMD of NNPC is that I will not be constrained by the lack of PIB in making sure that holistic solutions to the industry continue to be propelled. So, using existing laws, we have continued to make changes.

“Because at the end of the day, whether or not PIB is available and passed, it really doesn’t lie within the umbrella of the executive, it lies with this revered Assembly. But I also do not think that the problem with PIB has been the facts of the versions.

Also, it reported the drama over Lai Mohammed’s confirmation during the screening when Saraki called for yes or nay chant over the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed as nay chants from Senators of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP appeared to have overtaken that of the ayes during the Committee of the Whole because of their large number in the chambers, but Senate President Saraki had his way and confirmed Mohammed.

Daily Sun focused on the confirmed ministers by the senate.19 nominees were confirmed by the senate. Udoma Udo-Udoma, Kayode Fayemi, Audu Ogbeh, Ogbonnaya Onu, Osagie Ehanire, Abdurrahman Dambazzau, Lai Mohammed, Amina Mohammed, Sulaiman Adamu, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, Babatunde Fashola, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Chris Nwabueze Ngige, Aisha Jummai Alhassan, Solomon Dalong, Kemi Adeosun, Hadi Sirika were all confirmed.

The Nation newspaper equally focused on the ministerial screening, but has an interesting on the lagos bank robbery as one of its lead story.

According to the report, the police have deployed a special squad to collect fingerprints from the two banks attacked by robbers in Festac Town, a suburb of Lagos on Tuesday. It added that the anti-bomb squad concentrated efforts in areas, such as the strong room and other places the hoodlums went to.

Punch newspaper equally reported the senate ministerial screening just as other newspapers did. But also reported on why President Muhammadu Buhari withdrew the ministerial nominee of Ahmed Ibeto.

According to the report, Ibeto who is from Niger state is from the same senatorial district as the state governor and the secretary to the state government.

culled from naij.com, edited by Hector-Festus.