Author: straightnewsng.com

Nigeria’s largest power generation company, Egbin Power Plc, has raised alarm over the Federal Government’s indebtedness to its company, which averaged N100 billion as at 2019. The company announced its plans to generate and evacuate power at installed capacity of about 1,320 MegaWatts, MW, before end of this month. Chief Executive Officer Sahara Group, Mr. Kola Adesina, who stated this Tuesday, noted that the Egbin Power Plc has escalated both technical and engineering works in its plants to enable it generate power at installed capacity of about 1,320Mega Watts, MW, before end of this month. Speaking at the induction of…

The Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Audu Ogbeh, Tuesday, said the federal government will place a final ban on the importation of tomato paste before the end of 2019. Speaking in Kano during a tour of Dangote Tomato Processing Plant in Kadawa, Kano State, Ogbeh said the ban will encourage massive tomato production. According to him, the federal government has set aside N250 billion, through the Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank Agriculture, to disburse as soft loans to tomato farmers as part of the Anchor Borrower scheme. “Federal government will continue to encourage Dangote agro-farms and the farmers…

Son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo has taken his campaign for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari to the United States. Olujonwo Obasanjo, who is the President of Buhari Youth Organisation, BYO, said he was in the United States to solicit support for Buhari’s re-election among Nigerians in the Diaspora and other members of the international community. He explained that his support for the re-election of the President was borne out of his focus on youth empowerment and securing the future of the country for the Nigerian youth. Obasanjo said while in the United States, he participated in several activities…

President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted that despite the anti-corruption drive of the federal government, some government agencies are still diverting or refusing to fully account for  generated revenue. Buhari, speaking after inaugurating the new board of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC on Monday, did not, however, give the names of the defaulting agencies. He also did not indicate whether there were plans to sanction the officials responsible for the diversion. President Buhari said rather than obey constitutional provisions and extant rules and regulations, such agencies continued as if nothing has changed. He vowed that he was determined to ensure…

The trial of president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro, over N1.4 billion fraud, could not proceed on Tuesday before Justice Muslim Hassan of Federal High Court Lagos, following the transfer of the case to a new judge, Prof. Chuka Obiozor. Usoro is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on 10 counts bordering on fraud. Also named in the charge is the incumbent governor of Akwa Ibom, Governor Emmanuel Udom, who is described in the charge as being “currently constitutionally immune from prosecution.” Others charged are, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance, Nsikan Nkan; Accountant-General…

A Grammy award nominee and rapper, arrested by officers of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly overstaying his visa in the state, is in detention. Savage, 21, whose original name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham Joseph, was arrested on Sunday with officers claiming that he is a British national and not from Georgia as he claimed. This is as Dina LaPolt, the rapper’s lawyer, described the arrest as only a misunderstanding, saying necessary steps are being taken to get Savage out of detention. However, Bryn Cox, a spokesman of the ICE, told a local Atlanta paper…

The Special Adviser, Political/Legislative Affairs and Water Resources, Pastor Sunny Ibuot wants the aggrieved members of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Akwa Ibom State to bury hatchet and embrace peace as the general elections approach. Ibuot, speaking when IPAC members paid him a courtesy visit on Monday in Uyo, condemned squabbles and disagreement in the group which created disaffection among the members. While thanking the IPAC members for their co-operation with and support to the state government, he however, advised them to forge a common front to actualising their visions. He assured to bring sanity to the IPAC operations, and…

Williams and Associates, the United States-based polling firm that predicted victory for Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 has predicted victory for Atiku Abubakar in the forthcoming presidential polls. The company was initially hired by the Goodluck Jonathan administration ahead of the 2015 presidential election. The company in its analysis of the Nigerian presidential election said that Atiku will win with less than a majority of the votes cast with 45% while Buhari will take 33% of the votes. The polling sample produced Kingsley Moghalu, the candidate of the Young Peoples Party, YPP with 9% of the votes, Omoyele Sowore of the…

The acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, Monday, harped on the need for police authority in the country to re-strategise and take the police back to the community. This may not be unconnected with the numerous complaints and human rights abuses perpetrated by the police against some members of the public which eventually led to the banning of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Nigeria) -FSARS by the acting Inspector-General of Police. Speaking after decorating the newly promoted Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, DIGs, in Abuja, Adamu also stressed the need to stop policing standards and practices for police to regain citizens’ trust.…

The presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to end the lingering strike by university lecturers in the country, from his first day at work, if elected the next president of the country. Atiku who is also a former Vice President of Nigeria, stated this in Lagos, Sunday evening, at the Silverbird Man of the Year event. According to him, the industrial action which has denied university students in the country access to education for a period running into four months is disgraceful and will receive his first attention as president if voted into office in…