Author: straightnewsng.com

House of Representatives Wednesday, approved N1.64 trillion as benchmark for loan to fund the 2019 budget of the Federal Government. It will be recalled that the Federal Government had proposed N1.86 trillion in the 2019-2021 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019 submitted to the National Assembly last year. The amount approved was recommended by Committees on Finance, Appropriations, Aids, Loans and Debt Management, Legislative Budget and Research and National Planning and Economic Development which sat on the MTEF and FSP documents. Considering the report of the committees in the…

For implementation to commence in earnest, Organised Labour and Civil society organisations have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to assent the N30,000 Minimum Wage Bill transmitted by the National Assembly to him over two weeks ago. Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, Trade Union Side, TUS, of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNPSNC, United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, and umbrella body for pro-labour civil society groups in the country; Joint Action Front, JAF, urged President Buhari to quicken action on the bill by signing it. Speaking, Timothy Olawale, Director General of NECA, said “We have been made to…

Following the incessant high cases of electoral offences in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has proposed a fine of N500,000 or three years imprisonment or both for persons convicted of vote buying and selling. The commission said that the adoption of the measure would in a greater way curb the menace. Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu stated this at the 9th Forum of the Anti-Corruption Situation Room, organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA, held in Abuja, Wednesday. Represented at the event by INEC National Commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye,…

The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Wednesday, stated that it had concluded arrangements to carry out a comprehensive audit of all the Orphanage homes operating in the nation’s capital. The audit, according to the FCTA, will be carried out to ascertain the number of such homes operating in the territory and to know the level of compliance in accordance with the Child Rights Act. Reacting to allegations that the authorities of the FCT administration were out to forcefully outlaw the operation of orphanage homes in the nation’s capital, Tpl. Umar Shuaibu, Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AMMC, maintained that…

Of the 17 bills President Muhammadu Buhari declined to assent, the Senate, Wednesday, resolved to override his veto on two bills out of others passed and forwarded to him. Specifically, the Senate vowed to override President’s veto on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(Fourth Alteration, No.28)Bill, 2018 and the Industrial Development(Income Tax Relief) Amendment Bill, 2018. The upper chamber also resolved to reconsider 11 out of the 17 bills the President declined assent, just as the lawmakers agreed to withdraw four out of the 17 rejected bills, apparently because of the observation raised by the president. Resolutions…

Manchester United have another monumental task on their hands in the Champions League after Luke Shaw’s own goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 quarter-final, first leg lead at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Shaw turned Luis Suarez’s header into his own net after just 12 minutes and despite being far from their best, Barca comfortably held out to edge towards a first Champions League semi-final in four years. United produced one of the European Cup’s finest ever comebacks from a 2-0 first-leg defeat at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16. However, on the ground where manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer completed…

Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return from injury with a precious away goal as Juventus drew 1-1 with an excellent Ajax in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Amsterdam on Wednesday. Ronaldo subdued the 50,000 home fans in the Johan Cruyff Arena when he headed Juventus in front on the stroke of half-time to take his record goal tally in the competition to 125. Brazilian winger David Neres conjured a stunning equaliser almost immediately after half-time to give Ajax a draw that was the very least they deserved. However, it is Juventus — for whom substitute Douglas Costa…

Nigeria has established Cultural Centres in China and Brazil to market the country’s image and make the outside world to appreciate Nigeria and Nigerians better. This is as the 2019 edition of Abuja Cultural Carnival coordinated by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism would gulp N82.109 million. Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, stated this Wednesday while defending the Ministry’s 2019 budget proposals and the 2018 estimates before the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, told the Senators. Earlier, the Committee headed by Senator Fatimah Raji–Rasaki, had taken the Minister to task on why N82 million…

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, may have bowed to the intense pressure from governors and politicians from the North Central geopolitical zone over the adoption of Femi Gbajabiamila as the Speaker of the incoming 9th House of Representatives. Already, three lawmakers from the zone are in the race to succeed Speaker Yakubu Dogara. They are Mohammed Bago from Niger State, Idris Wase, the current Deputy Majority Leader from Plateau State and John Dyegh from Benue State who is likely to formerly declare his interest on Wednesday at the National Assembly. At the moment, Bago’s candidacy is gathering momentum as…

A former Nigerian Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the recommendation of the Mohammed Uwais Committee report on the nation’s electoral system. Nnamani who made the plea, Wednesday, in his keynote address at the third Oronto Douglas Memorial Dialogue in Abuja noted, “It is obvious that the Uwais Report represents a high point in the search for an electoral system that will suit Nigeria’s peculiar circumstances. “The eminent members of that committee proposed many innovations that could restore credibility and fairness to our electoral system. Unfortunately, many of these innovative proposals were not…