Author: straightnewsng.com

The Federal Government is not leaving any stone unturned in its effort to trace and repatriate illicit funds that might have been looted and stashed away in far away in Dubai, United Arab Emirate by some influential politicians and top government officials. The government fears that such stolen fund might find its way into the hands of desperate politicians, who may use it to unduly influence the outcome of the forthcoming general elections. Beyond blocking the entry of the cash into the country, Nigeria is also desirous of tracing and seizing choice property said to have been acquired in questionable…

Serena Williams has been knocked out of the Australian Open in the quarter finals match played at Melbourne Park. The 16th seed was beaten 4-6 6-4 5-7 by Karolina Pliskova after Williams injured an ankle when 5-1 up in the deciding set. Pliskova saved four match points against the seven-time champ and will now play Japanese fourth seed and reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka in Thursday’s semifinals. Williams remains stranded one grand slam shy of Margaret Court’s all-time record 24 major singles titles. Williams appeared to jar her ankle on her first match point. With the American seemingly troubled by the…

A bill seeking to amend the Electric Power Reform Act, prohibit and criminalise estimated billing of consumers passed the third reading at the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The Majority Leader, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, sponsored the bill in protest against the “crazy bills” Electricity Distribution Companies force their customers to pay. The report submitted by the committee set up by the House to the matter was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers,   after a public hearing on June 5, 2018. The Deputy Speaker, Mr Yusuf Lasun, who presided over the session, put the report to a voice vote and it was…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the N27,000 new National Minimum Wage adopted by the National Council of State on Tuesday. Peter Ozo-Eson, the NLC General Secretary, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja. According to him, the council has no jurisdiction determining another amount after a Tripartite Committee has submitted its report. “It is abysmal of government to be delaying the submission of an Executive Bill to the National Assembly and by wrongfully adopting N27,000 through the council of states,” he said. Mr Ozo-Eson, however, said the NLC has called an…

As part of its plans to conduct credible and acceptable elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State has embarked on a shake-up exercise aimed at repositioning the commission for the forthcoming general elections, Straightnews has gathered. Consequently, the commission has dropped and re-assigned 10 electoral officers in addition to re-deploying assistant electoral officers initially attached to the local government areas and post new ones to the areas. Straightnews was reliably informed that the electoral officers were dropped in the last eight weeks, though Don Etukudo, the state Public Affairs Officer of the commission, said only five…

A little chicken stood outside scratching the ground. It lifted its beak and kept on pecking the items on the ground. Within the premises, charred electronics, broken bottles, burnt zinc and household items littered the place. Thereafter, the chicken roosted on the debris of the inferno. While the chicken perched few metres from the scene, Enobong Isaac, the owner of the burnt electronics shop, is rueing over the loss of the items and other valuables belonging to his customers. Isaac’s electronics shop was vandalised. His three generating sets, 17 plasma televisions, 32 speakers, three amplifiers, among other items, were vandalised…

The Federal Government through Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has released N163 billion to the universities, but the striking lecturers are not ready to call off their strike. Senator Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, said this while addressing newsmen after a closed door reconciliatory meeting with leaders of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday in Abuja. A meeting between the Federal Government and ASUU on Tuesday ended in a deadlock. Recall that the striking lecturers embarked on strike on November 5, 2018, to press home their demands. ASUU demands included some areas of understanding in the…

Farmers and investors in the cashew industry in Kogi State faced a major glut and poor turn-over due to poor quality control resulting in heavy losses put at N50 billion in the 2018 farming season. Kogi is the highest cashew producing state in Nigeria, exporting about 100 metric tonnes out of the 220 metric tonnes of cashew nuts exported by the entire country annually. However, the glut that hit the cashew industry in Kogi State is giving farmers and other dealers’ worries. A big-time cashew farmer in the state and first Vice President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria…

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Monday, said there was no law which compelled President Muhammadu Buhari to attend the debate. Buhari, who is presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, was absent at the debate held on Saturday. Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had withdrawn from the exercise, citing Buhari’s absence. Adesina, who spoke on Channels Television programme, Sunrise, said Buhari is never committed to attending the presidential debate. “I am not sure he also gave a commitment that he was going to be there. If he gave a firm…

Jamiu Abiola, a son to late MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential elections, has slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for benefitting on his father’s blood but failing to recognise his contribution to the nation’s democracy. MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled election, died fighting for his mandate, while Obasanjo was elected President in 1999 on the country’s return to democracy. Jamiu spoke on Sunday in Abuja at an event tagged “Testimonies of Change”, designed to showcase the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, organised by…