Author: straightnewsng.com

Ahead of the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly and election of Presiding officers, youths, under the aegis of Progressives Youth Forum, Tuesday, endorsed the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, All Progressives Congress, APC, Yobe North as the next Senate President. The adoption of Senator Lawan as the Senate President for the 9th Senate by the youths, is coming, barely 24 hours after Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State threw his weight behind the aspiration of the Senate leader for the position. Speaking on behalf of the youths Tuesday, at Lawan’s Campaign Headquarters in Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, the Chairman, Ife…

The Nigerian Navy has declared four crew members of (MV Grace Water) wanted for the theft of 90 tons of crude oil in the nation’s exclusive economic zone. This follows the complicity the crew members in illegally sourced petroleum products aboard the Merchant Vessel. A statement by Commodore Suleman Dahun, Director of Naval Information gave further details saying, “The Nigerian Navy wishes to inform members of the public that four persons are hereby declared wanted for complicity in theft of petroleum products in Nigeria’s maritime environment. “They include Mr. Enikanologbon Happy, Mr. Arumona Daniel, Mr. Egbujie Chinonso and Mr. Ogori…

The Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, Tuesday, sought President Muhammadu Buhari’s intervention in the release of funds for three major competitions coming up between now and August this year. The three competitions coming up soon are the 2019 Africa Beach soccer games in Cape Verde, in June, 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, starting from June 7 to July 7 in France and 12th All African Games scheduled to take place in Rabat, Morocco from August 19 to 31, 2019. Dalung also said that he will be remembered for his insistence on democratising the leadership and membership…

The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Tuesday, demolished some structures at the premises of Daar Communications, owners of Africa Independent Television, AIT, in Abuja, the nation’s capital city. The structures removed by the FCTA were the security office, the gate and a section of the fence in the premises said to have hitherto encroached into other people’s property and blocked their access in Asokoro District, Abuja. According to Muktar Galadima, Director, Department of Development Control, the parcel of land belonging to AIT was only 18 hackers, adding that the media outfit had just submitted application for building approval which the…

Ajax stunned Juventus to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 1997 as Matthijs de Ligt’s thumping second-half header secured a 2-1 second-leg victory in the last eight in Turin on Tuesday. Cristiano Ronaldo, bidding for his sixth Champions League title, scored a 28th-minute header to put Juve ahead after a 1-1 first-leg draw, but Donny van de Beek levelled for Ajax before half-time. Teenage centre-back De Ligt struck midway through the second period, though, to seal a 3-2 aggregate win and set up a last-four clash with either Manchester City or Tottenham. The young Dutch side…

Lionel Messi pounced on two Manchester United mistakes to score twice and end their hopes of another Camp Nou comeback as Barcelona breezed into the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday. After an excellent start, United were undone twice in four minutes by Messi, who first nicked the ball off the careless Ashley Young and then watched as a weak shot from distance squirmed underneath David de Gea. Philippe Coutinho, in perhaps his best performance of the season, added a third with a curling effort into the top corner and by the end, an outclassed United might have been relieved the…

The Federal Government has granted approval to three consortia to participate in the financial bids opening for the acquisition of 100 per cent shares in Afam Electricity Generation Company. A statement by Amina Othman, Head, Public Communications, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) on Monday in Abuja, said that the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) gave the approval after its first meeting in 2019, held on April 12. The companies were Diamond Stripes Consortium, Transcorp Power Consortium and Unicorn Consortium. According to her, the three consortia met the benchmark score of 750 points after evaluation in accordance with the criteria set…

As the tussle for the 9th Senate presidency between Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North) and Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) rages, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State and elders of the state, Monday, are torn on who to support. While Borno elders and stakeholders threw their weight behind former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, Governor Shettima dumped his kinsman, Ndume, and endorsed Ahmad Lawan. Speaking through their spokesman, Alhaji Yakubu Umar, in reaction to the All Progressives Congress, APC, reported endorsement of Senator Ahmad Lawan, the elders said President Muhammadu Buhari had last December backed Ndume for the job.…

Preparations for the forthcoming tripartite anti-smuggling committee meeting comprising Nigeria, Benin, and the Republic of Niger are in advance. Consequently, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Audu Ogbeh, his Agriculture and Rural Development counterpart, Monday, met over cross-border issues. In the joint ministerial meeting too were Mohammed Babandede, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, and Colonel Hameed Ali, the Comptroller-General of Customs. Speaking after the meeting, Onyeama said President Muhammadu Muhammadu Buhari set up a committee comprising the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Justice, Finance, Interior, including the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigeria Customs Service to ask…

Unknown gunmen, Sunday night, killed a pregnant woman and 15 others in Numa village Akwanga local government area of Nasarawa State, Mr. Samuel Mashi, Chairman of the local government area, told newsmen. Mashi said on Monday that the gunmen attacked the community at about 10 p.m. during a naming ceremony. “They just started shooting endlessly on a community that was just having merriment. “Unfortunately, 16 people were killed in cold blood for just no reason,” he said. The chairman said that security had been beefed up in the affected community and environs to forestall reprisal attacks and further breakdown of…