Nigerian newspapers were dominated this week with the move by the Federal Government to cut down on expenditures of political office holders’ salaries.
Also on the front burner of the national dailies was the story on the suspension of the three-day strike action of the nation’s Customs agents as well as that to be embarked upon by oil sector workers.
The Sun newspaper headlined the pay-cut story “Moves to cut N1.3 tr political office holders’ pay begin”; Vanguard headlined it: “Yar’Adua’s pay cut not automatic – RMAFC” and another also on the paper’s front page “Brace up for tough times, Yar’Adua warns”.
The Punch headline was “Political office holders earn N1.13 tr yearly – RMAFC” with riders “Senators show no interest in salary cut…Yar’Adua laments effect of meltdown” and again, another headline on the Punch’s front page: “Financial melt down won’t derail Vision 20-20 – FG”.
For the Guardian newspaper, the headline was “Govt goes after tax evaders, sets up special tribunals…Minister bars agency heads from foreign trips..”
The Nigerian government, preparing hays while the sun is still shinning, decided to cut down on the pay of political office holders, whose total emoluments is 1.3 trillion naira, in view of the global economic meltdown.
President Yar’Adua also prepared the minds of the citizens to the unfolding realities of the world economic downturn.
The other story on strike actions was titled “Oil workers shelve strike” in the Guardian; “Oil workers, Custom agents shelve strike” in the Punch; “Agents suspend strike at Lagos ports” in the Nation and “NUPENG, PENGASSAN shelve strike…as Reps intervene” in the Sun newspapers.
The Customs agents had embarked on a strike action to make the government allow them have an input into the port charges as they complain they were the ones feeling the pinch and for the three days they down tools, the nation lost several billions of naira income.
However, the other strike action by the oil workers that was to have started Wednesday was called off as government entered into negotiations with the aggrieved oil workers.
Also in the news was the Apeal Court’s ruling that upheld the election of the governor of southeast Abia State, Theodore Orji.
The election of Orji, of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) candidate was contested by rival Onyema Ugochukwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the story was used by all national dailies.