Popular news tends for Monday September 14

Payroll Support

The hashtag trended on social media as the federal government officially flagged off the N60 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Survival Fund and Payroll Support Scheme across the country.

These two schemes were part of the government’s N2.3 trillion Economic Sustainability Plan.

Registration for the scheme will commence from September 21, 2020. Nigerians, however, have commended the Federal Government for the laudable initiative.

Obaseki/Ize-Iyamu

Both top contenders in the Edo Governoship Election were on the trends as Nigerians gave a review of their performance at the just concluded Governoship Election debate hosted by the Channels Television.

While many gave thumbs up to the incumbent governor for addressing issues, others said that Ize-Iyamu could have done better if he had focused on the issues at hand than launching personal attack on his opponent.

Lai Mohammed

Nigerians seem to have received with incredulity the statement by Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, that Nigeria is fortunate to have President Muhammadu Buhari at the helm of affairs.

The Minister stated this while reacting to the recent statement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that Nigeria was becoming a failed state.

Without taking sides, some Nigerians opined that criticism was not what the country needed, emphasizing that both Obasanjo and President Buhari should work collectively to unite the country, especially now that tensions among various ethno-religious groups are high.

ASUU

Nigerians have blasted the the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for blocking the entrance to the Lagos State University (LASU), following the reopening of the institution today.

The Union said it would not allow universities to reopen until its demands are met.

While some Nigerians urged the Federal Government to resolve the dispute with ASUU, others said that government should immediately suspend payment of salaries to lecturers, having stayed at home for over 6 months without doing any work.

They also insisted that ASUU has been partly responsible for the rot in the nation’s education system.

Dangote

The assertion by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, that Dangote refinery will sell petrol at international price, seems not to go down well with some Nigerians.

The minister, who said this on NTA’s ‘Good Morning Nigeria’ programme, explained that Dangote refinery is located at the Export Processing Zone in Lagos State, and as a result, would be selling at the international price.

But reacting to this on social media, a cross section of Nigerians said that if the anticipated indigenous refinery would not translate to cheaper fuel price, then there was absolutely nothing to write home about.

Arik Air

Reactions have trailed the grounding of operations of Arik Air in Lagos, which caused passengers to be stranded, after the airline workers embarked on indefinite strike.

Lamenting the incessant industrial action in the aviation industry, some Nigerians called for government intervention in the sector. According to them, if the trend is left unchecked, it is capable of hampering development in the aviation industry.

NigeriansMustGo

There seems to be some kind of resurgence of xenophobic campaign against Nigerians in South Africa.

Those who pushed the NigeriansMustGo hashtag on social media, went further to openly expressed disdain for Nigerians living in South Africa, as they listed several social vices, which according to them, were perpetrated by Nigerians.

The few opposing voices, however, called for peaceful co-existence among people of diverse background living in South Africa.

This was even as Nigerians back home called on the Federal Government to do something now to protect Nigerians in the Southern African nation.