Author: straightnewsng.com

By: Imo Etimudo Thursday, February 21 was a day two banana hawkers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State made my day. Miss Edidiong Okokon and her mother, Mrs Okokon spoke to me as if they knew me before. So, I could not pass them even when I was on an official assignment. What captured my attention was not the attractive bunches of banana. Yes I love bananas. It was the quality of English Language that came out of their mouths. One said, “Brother, I feel that those of you in government should be bothered about the image of our nation especially…

Ahead of the Saturday’s Presidential election in the country, the Chinese government has said that it believes in the principle of non-interference in other country’s internal affairs. The Chinese government also expressed its readiness to continue to support Nigeria to manage its own internal affairs without any interference. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Geng Shuang, made the disclosure while fielding questions during a press conference on Nigeria’s coming general election, which is starting with the Presidential and National Assembly elections. On the Chinese government’s position on the elections in Nigeria against the backdrop of the postponement and the reactions it generated…

With barely 48 hours to the rescheduled presidential and National Assembly polls on Saturday, an election observer, YIAGA AFRICA, Thursday, expressed worry over the shortfalls in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s election materials. Executive Director, YIAGA AFRICA, Samson Itodo and Chair, Watching The Vote Working Group, Dr. Hussaini Abdu, who addressed newsmen in Abuja, said INEC needs to step up its game as the clock ticks fast to avoid what happened on February 16, 2019, following “reports of shortfalls in sensitive and non-sensitive materials like results sheets, stamps and indelible ink.” They said that had observed and assessed INEC…

The Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, has generated over N23 billion in unpaid taxes from the recently suspended substitution exercise on corporate bank accounts, which was marked by the imposition of restriction on the accounts of tax-defaulting organisations. FIRS Chairman, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, made the disclosed in Lagos yesterday at the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, Interactive Forum on Tax Matters. Fowler, who was guest speaker at the event, explained that the focus of exercise were 3,000 companies deducting Value Added Tax, VAT and Withholding Tax, VHT, on behalf of the Federal Government without remitting such. The companies, he said,…

The Nigerian Army and the police have said they have commenced investigations into pictures of soldiers and policemen seen doing the “4 + 4” signal, President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign signature. Pictures of the soldiers and policemen portraying the sign while on duty began circulating on the social media on Friday. Though the authenticity of the pictures which generated backlash, with Nigerians accusing both security agencies of being compromised, had not been authenticated, but reacting in separate statements, the army and the police said they were working to verify the authenticity of the pictures and to carry out action afterwards. Colonel…

Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, Thursday, teamed with the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC and other government agencies, set up committees to combat the fake and cloned mobile phones entering the Nigerian market. The committees are the Project Steering Committee, PSC, comprising the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission, ICRC, the Federal Ministry of Communications and the NCC; and the Project Delivery Team, PDT, which draws representation from the Federal Ministry of Communications, the ICRC, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the NCC. The committees are to work together to ensure the implementation of Mobile Devices Management Systems DMS, a…

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said 72.7 million Nigerians have collected their Permanent Voters Card, PVCs. Speaking during a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja, Yakubu said this represents 86.3 per cent of the more than 84 million registered voters. The INEC boss also said he did not contemplate resignation from office, noting that there is no reason for such. Responding to a question on whether he was under pressure from government or the parties in his preparation for the upcoming elections, the INEC boss said he was not under prossure from any…

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League mission with Juventus stalled on Wednesday as Atletico Madrid secured a deserved 2-0 victory from a thrilling first leg at the Wanda Metropolitano. Ronaldo returned to the Spanish capital, where he enjoyed unprecedented success in this tournament with Real, but it was their rivals celebrating at the final whistle as goals from Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin put Atletico within sight of the quarter-finals. This was a victory that Diego Simeone’s side fully deserved. Antoine Griezmann had hit the crossbar while VAR twice intervened, correctly, in Juve’s favour, cancelling a first-half penalty for a foul on…

As June 1 bout draws closer, Jarrell Miller boasted that Anthony Joshua would “crack like an egg” before they met face-to-face at the press conference. Miller will challenge Joshua for the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight titles on June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Miller, however, branded Anthony Joshua a “prima donna” as their rivalry ignited in New York. The pair moved to face off at Madison Square Garden in front of the media yesterday but Miller instead shoved his opponent. Security descended on the stage in order to keep the rivals apart before Joshua jumped…

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has pledged automatic employment to members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who are outstanding during the general elections, starting from Saturday. INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu who gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja, said: “The youth corps members are among the most educated, most reliable, most patriotic, and most readily available ad-hoc staff we have… so we don’t joke with the well-being of corps members.” Answering questions on the welfare of corps members seen sleeping on the floor the night before the postponed elections, Yakubu assured that the welfare NYSC Corps members…