Author: straightnewsng.com

The Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, has settled 16,873 pensioners of seven defunct/privatised agencies in the country. This excludes 759 next-of-kins of deceased pensioners of the defunct agencies that had equally been paid their departed breadwinner’s final entitlements. A breakdown shows NITEL/MTEL- 10,801; Delta Steel Company- 3,593; NICON Insurance- 949; Nigeria Reinsurance- 292; New Nigeria Newspapers- 507; Nigerian Defense Academy (Civilians)- 79; and Federal Housing Authority- 652. Executive Secretary of PTAD, Sharon Ikeazor said in a statement in Abuja Thursday that the agency had verified and placed the pensioners on a monthly pension payroll. Ikeazor used the occasion to advanced…

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, said he would not support the two presidential candidates of the two major parties- President Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressives Congress, APC, or Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Soyinka, who stated this at an interactive session, tagged citizen forum 2019, said: “It is time for a totally new direction, and when an alternative emerges, we will give the candidate our backing.” According to him, it is time to change the direction of the country in a positive way. Speaking further, Soyinka said: “For the avoidance of doubt, let me make my position quite clear…

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, said Wednesday night, he would concede defeat if he loses the February 16 election, provided the exercise is adjudged free and fair. Atiku, while fielding questions from an audience participation programme, tagged “The Candidates,” a Presidential interactive programme anchored by Kaderia Ahmed transmitted by NTA and TVC News. This is as he admitted that no politician has faced the kind of investigations he was subjected to while serving as Vice President in the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Responding to a question taken from a quote from Obasanjo”s Memoir, “My…

The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Abuja, Thursday, fixed February 4 to resume proceedings on the non-assets declaration charge pending against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen. The Danladi Umar-led tribunal, in a statement made available to Vanguard, stated that the Federal Government had in a letter signed by two legal officers at the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Musa Ibrahim Usman and Fatima Danjuma Ali, applied for continuation of hearing on the charge against Onnoghen. Onnoghen, who was last Friday, suspended from office by President Muhammadu Buhari, is facing a six-count charge bordering on alleged…

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri conceded “maybe I am not able to motivate these players” after the Blues suffered their heaviest league defeat for 23 years. Wednesday’s 4-0 loss at Bournemouth saw Chelsea slip to fifth in the table. Sarri kept his players in the dressing room for more than 40 minutes after the game, later explaining he wanted to “talk to them alone, without anybody”. Sarri had previously said his team were “difficult to motivate” – after a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal earlier in January. The Italian accepted responsibility for the defeat, saying it was “my fault”, but after his side…

President Muhammadu Buhari, Wednesday, bragged that he was not corrupt because in all the positions he has held in the country, he has never been found wanting. This is even as the national chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, accused Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of working seriously for the interest of the western world. President Buhari made the declaration while addressing members of All Progressives Congress, APC, as well as party supporters at the Presidential campaign rally in Abakaliki township stadium, Ebonyi State. Recall that Buhari was former Head of State in 1983-85,…

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has vowed to sanction some of the broadcast stations in the country for violating the nation’s broadcasting code in the course of their political broadcasts. The Director General of the commission, Dr. Modibbo Kawu, issued the threat Wednesday while briefing the media on next month’s general elections and the Digital Switch Over, DSO, in Abuja. Kawu, who said the commission had taken steps to forestall a repeat of the mistakes in 2015, said the commission had cautioned broadcast stations against breaching the extant code but expressed dismay that despite the…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Wednesday, articulated three reasons he is backing Atiku Abubakar for the 2019 presidential contest among which is the fact that he would not cede power to a cabal. Obasanjo spoke at the Island Club as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate enunciated his plans to get Nigeria working again. The Island Club Guest lecture addressed by Atiku had Senate President, Bukola Saraki, PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, among others as guests. Noting how he turned towards Atiku, despite his earlier castigation of his former deputy, Dr. Obasanjo said: “Atiku has done three things which…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Wednesday, slammed criminal charges against the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and former Director-General of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ambassador Ayodele Oke. The charge against Lawal came about two years after he was accused of diverting over N272 million contract the Presidential Initiative for North East, PINE, awarded for the removal of grasses in Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps, to his own company. The ex-SGF, who is facing a 10-count charge, will be docked alongside three other defendants, Hamidu David Lawal, Sulaiman Abubakar and Apeh John Monday,…

Reason has been given why Monday Udo Tom, resident Electoral Commissioner from Akwa Ibom State was not confirmed by the Senate since March 2018. It is alleged that Senator Bassey Albert Akpan representing Akwa Ibom North West in the Senate blocked the confirmation of Tom, an indigene of Ukat in Nsit Ubium local government area in Akwa Ibom on a purported political reason. The Senate had June 7, 2018 reversed the confirmation of Tom, as an INEC Commissioner after 24 hours of initially confirming him. The commissioner’s confirmation was reversed following a point of order raised by Senator Albert Akpan,…