The Brief: States facing bankruptcy; PDP 2023 uncertainty; Saudi 9/11 innocence

There is uncertainty in the air as the national executive committee of the main opposition PDP meets today. On the front burner is zoning leadership of the party and what to do about a presidential ticket for 2023 polls.

Ahead of release of previously classified documents related to the 9/11 terror attacks in which nearly 3,000 people were killed,, Saudi Arabia has issued a document of innocence vehemently denying any complicity in the incident.

Many states in Nigeria may not be able to meet their financial commitments as the federal government could lose revenue from taxes amidst dwindling revenue in recent times with a court ruling assigning the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) and two other taxes to states.

VAT contributes significantly to the total revenue generated by the government, accounting for over 16.2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019.

President Muhammadu Buhari has fired Senator Basheer Mohammed, the Director-General of the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). Mohammed was sacked less than four months after he took control of the agency.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the president has approved the appointment of Fatima Waziri-Azi as the replacement of Mohammed.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned of possible flash floods in many states across the country, causing building collapses and road crashes.

Waste management is one of the factors that can make a lot of difference. On Nigeria Daily, we look at how poor waste management in Nigeria has caused flooding. Listen to or download the podcast here.

A meeting of National Executive Committee (NEC) of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds today at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja amid uncertainty over the zoning of top party positions and presidential ticket ahead of 2023.

The meeting is expected to discuss the constitution of the national convention committee and the zoning of positions in the National Working Committee (NWC) after the submission of a recommendation on the micro-zoning of the leadership positions at last NEC.

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has appealed to Lagos State government to amend the anti-open grazing bill, which is currently being considered by the state’s House of Assembly.

Speaking at a public hearing on the bill Wednesday in Lagos, MACBAN’s secretary in the state, Alhaji Maikudi Usman, said it is expensive to breed cattle in one place.

Get access to all Daily Trust publications on your devices to read for as low as N1200 per annum.
Stop waiting. Subscribe here, now, right now, right here

Saudi Arabia Wednesday said it welcomed the release of classified documents related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which killed almost 3,000 people in the United States.

But Riyadh vehemently rejected any allegations that Saudi Arabia was complicit in the attacks, according to a statement by the Saudi Embassy in Washington. “Any allegation that Saudi Arabia is complicit in the September 11 attacks is categorically false,” the statement read.

Residents of Magama town in Jibia local government area of Katsina state have reportedly intercepted and manhandled a suspected bandit.

Daily Trust gathered that the suspected bandit, simply identified as Baleri, allegedly disguised in order to purchase some drugs in the town.

Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari made minor changes in his cabinet.  The changes affected the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, where the minister, Ahaji Sabo Nanono, was dropped and Dr Mohammad Mahmood was redeployed from the Ministry of Environment to head the ministry.

Stakeholders in the sector, including farmers and local and international agencies, have drawn the attention of the new minister to areas they think need urgent attention in order to strengthen the sector.