Author: straightnewsng.com

Barcelona and Argentina striker, Lionel Messi toppled a five-division boxing world champion, Floyd Mayweather as the highest paid athlete over the past year, according to the annual list published by business magazine Forbes. Messi, who scored 36 goals for Barcelona in the La Liga title this year, earned £99.8 million in salary and endorsements to move up one spot on the list of the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes. Juventus forward, Cristiano Ronaldo (£86 million), Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar (£83m million), Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez (£74 million) and Swiss tennis great Roger Federer (£73m million) rounded off the top five. Mayweather,…

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, Thursday, swore in a former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, as a senator. Okorocha was not inaugurated on Tuesday because he had yet to collect his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The former governor will represent the Imo West Senatorial District at the red chamber. The former governor’s certificate was initially withdrawn after the electoral umpire, INEC, said the issuing officer declared the result under duress after the February 23 senatorial elections. On day of inauguration of the ninth Senate, Mr Okorocha made himself available in the morning…

By Israel Umoh The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is still basking in the euphoria of sweeping the electoral polls in Akwa Ibom State. Away from the celebrations, elections are over. Lobbying for various political offices is being intensified. Intrigues and power undercurrents assume a higher stake in an effort to consolidate onto power. Governor Udom Emmanuel is busy with corporate governance as well as plotting a grab-and-reserve antics of political power. At the same time, his minions and other political gladiators are fine tuning intrigues and political brinkmanship to leverage grip on power in the present and in the next…

By Akanimo Sampson Following the outcome of the 2019 polls, coupled with the Tuesday’s election of presiding officers of the National Assembly, Lower Niger Congress (LNC), a pro-restructuring group, has doubted if there is future for Igbo people in Nigeria. LNC said it was high time the Igbo people awakened to what it described as ‘’the obdurate One-Nigeria.’’ The Coordinator of the LNC, Tony Nnadi, a lawyer, in a statement sent to this reporter, claimed that “there is absolutely no future for Eastern Nigeria in Nigeria’s political firmament and it’s better for the Igbo people to begin to shift discussions…

By Akanimo Sampson Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has dropped another bombshell that oil bunkering is done in connivance with security agents in the state. In May 2019, the outspoken Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor accused Jamil Sarham, general officer commanding (GOC) 6th division of the Nigerian army, of running an oil theft ring in the state. Over the years, Nigeria has lost billions of Naira to oil bunkering activities on a yearly basis. “Oil bunkering is fueled in connivance and participation of security agencies. Security agencies are involved in oil bunkering,’’ Governor Wike said. Speaking when a Political Team from…

President Muhammad Buhari, Wednesday, announced the change of name of the National Stadium, Abuja to MKO Abiola Stadium. Buhari made this pronouncement during his speech at the Democracy Day celebration on Wednesday at the Eagle Square, Abuja. June 12 was on Monday officially declared as Democracy Day as a mark of honour to Abiola, the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election. (NAN)

Saturday, June 15 will witness another football cracker as two debutants ply their arsenals to decide the FIFA Under-20 World Cup champion in Poland 2019. After a pair of hotly contested semi-finals, the first-time finalists- Ukraine and Korea Republic- will trade tackles in Lodz on Saturday. To notch the spots, Ukraine cracked Italy 1-0 while South Korea benched Ecuador 1-0. The Ukrainians proved unbreakable for Captain Andrea Pinamonti and the Italian attack. A tense opening period gave way to both sides generating more scoring opportunities in the second half. In the semi-finals explosive encounter, Ukraine took advantage of their opponents’…

By Israel Umoh A Nigerian clergyman has raised alarm: “Nigeria should stop celebrating laziness as we are yet to come out of the cocoon of the Fourth World country in the world.” Rev Fr. Patrick Henry Edet of Grace Family who threw the challenge as Nigeria is celebrating the inaugural June 12 Democracy Day is uncomfortable with the observance of many public holidays every year in Nigeria. Two days last week were observed as public holidays that marked Ed-El Fitr celebration while the hitherto May 29 Democracy Day was observed as public day in a row of period that the…

Activities marking the inaugural June 12 Democracy Day celebrations have commenced at Eagle Square, Abuja. President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday signed the new Public Holiday Act into law altering May 29 to June 12 as Democracy Day. Though the day is observed as public day in Nigeria, it is set aside to commemorate the 20 years of democracy in the country which commenced in 1999. The day is also set aside to honour the acclaimed winner of June 12 presidential election, M.K.O Abiola who fought for the country’s democracy in 1993. President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as…

A new speaker and deputy speaker were, Tuesday, elected for the ninth House of Representatives. Former Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, representing Sulurere 1 in Lagos State has been declared the new speaker of the ninth House of Representatives. Also, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase (APC, Wase federal constituency, Plateau) was elected unopposed as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. Both were backed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Mr Gbajabiamila garnered 281 votes to floor his rival, Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago (APC, Niger), who polled paltry 76 votes.…