Author: straightnewsng.com

The Senate was Wednesday, thrown into a stormy session when senators discussed the alleged militarization and rigging of the 2019 polls. Nigeria held her Presidential, and National Assembly polls on February 23; and governorship, state Houses of Assembly and Federal Capital Territory, FCT Area Council elections on March 9. The governorship polls were declared inconclusive in six states and suspended in Rivers. So also were a host of senatorial, House of Representatives and state assembly polls declared inconclusive, while the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, will conduct make-up polls in the affected constituencies on March 23. Currently, the outcome of…

Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Wednesday, said the value the N30, 000 new minimum had already been eroded before implementation by rising inflation. The umbrella body for senior staff associations in the country, however, commended the Senate for aligning with the House of Representatives in endorsing the N30, 000 monthly National Minimum Wage as recommended by the Tripartite Committee set up by the Federal Government. TUC in a statement by its President and Secretary General, Bobboi Kaigama and Musa-Lawal Ozigi, said never the less, the new wage would in no small measure give the workers a sense of belonging.…

Former Vice President and the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the just concluded Presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, Wednesday, expressed optimism that he would claim what he described as his stolen mandate at the tribunal. Atiku who reaffirmed his rejection of the outcome of the presidential election and his decision to challenge it at the court, expressed confidence that there will be justice and the Judiciary would live up to expectation by giving him the mandate as the rightful winner of the election. Speaking yesterday in Abuja when he paid a thank you visit on the leaders…

Former U.S President, Bill Clinton has congratulated an eight-year-old Nigerian chess champion and invited him and his parents to his office for personal introduction. The young Nigerian, Tanitoluwa Adewunmi recently won the New York State Chess championship for his age bracket. The New York Times reported that Adewunmi had won seven chess trophies including the state tournament, where he outwitted other children. According to the New York Times, the young chess champion’s family are taking asylum in a homeless shelter in Manhattan after they fled the Boko Haram insurgency since 2018. Adewunmi, went undefeated at the state tournament, outwitting children…

The acceleratory approval granted the Governor Udom Emmanuel administration by assemblymen to raise N1.728 billion loan to purchase and install Closed Circuit Television cameras (CCTV) in Uyo metropolis has continued to generate ripples from some members of the public. During the plenary session of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, March 14, 2019, Governor Emmanuel’s letter was granted acceleratory approval by the assemblymen to obtain the loan. Since its inception on May 29, 2015, the administration has collected loans amounting to N50 billion for various purposes, investigation has shown. However, Franklyn Isong, the state Chairman of Civil…

Christopher  Ekpenyong, the Senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, has acknowleged receipt of a copy of the petition by Senator Godswill Akpabio to appear before the election petition tribunal. Ekpenyong acknowledged the receipt of the petition from the tribunal’s secretary on Tuesday at his EEMJM Hotel, Uyo, the state capital. However, Ekpenyong, the former Deputy Governor, had last Thursday collected a Certificate of Return (CoR) from INEC in Abuja, maintained he won the poll through a free, fair and credible process, urging Akpabio to accept defeat in good faith. According to him, ”I am not perturbed by Akpabio’s…

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has assured its supporters across the country that the votes they freely gave to its candidates in the 2019 general election will not be in vain. It also expressed optimism that its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar will reclaim the mandate of the Nigerian people in court. National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, the party’s spokesperson, Tuesday, made the pledge while on a solidarity visit by the leadership of the party to the Sokoto State governor, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, ahead of Saturday’s supplementary elections. Prince Secondus said that…

Mr Danladi Umar, Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, has said that he ordered the suspension of Walter Onnoghen, Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, in line with the inherent powers and jurisdiction of the tribunal. Umar also said “It is left to the appellate court to determine whether or not the order was rightly or wrongly granted.” The CCT chairman made the clarifications in response to a petition filed by Grace Wogor, a lawyer that he acted beyond his legal authority in granting an order for the suspension of the CJN. The petition was forwarded to him by the Federal…

The Senate, Tuesday, urged the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to ensure that all aircrafts operating within the country are air worthy in order to keep Nigerian air travellers safe at all times. The Senate has also hailed the Ministry and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, for moving swiftly in mitigating the operations of the Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 series aircraft within the Nigerian airspace in order to ensure the safety of all Nigerians, following the death of two Nigerians in recent crashed Boeing 737 Max 8. The Upper Chamber also observed…

The Senate has concurred with the House of Representatives, approving N30,000 as the accepted national minimum wage for the Nigerian workers following the prevailing economic realities in the country as against the N27,000 proposed by the Federal Government. After the Senate dissolved into the Committee of the Whole for the clause by clause consideration of the report of the Ad-hoc Committee on the National Minimum Wage on the National Minimum Wage Act CAP N61 LFN (repeal and re-enactment) Bill, 2019 (SB. 722), it then reverted to plenary and reported progress. The National Minimum Wage Act CAP N61 LFN (repeal and…