Author: straightnewsng.com

Oil prices rose by more than 1.5 percent Monday on hopes that talks in Beijing can resolve a trade war between the United States and China, while supply cuts by major producers also supported crude. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were at $58.04 per barrel at 0751 GMT, up 98 cents, or 1.7 per cent, from their last close. US West Texas Intermediate, WTI, crude oil futures CLc1 were at $48.85 per barrel, up 89 cents, or 1.9 per cent. Financial markets were riding a relief rally Monday on expectations that face-to-face trade negotiations between delegates from Washington and Beijing, which…

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has formally presented a register more than 84 million voters to the nation’s 91 political parties in this year’s general elections. Presenting the register at Monday’s quarterly consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the commission, told Nigerians that there was no plan to create new polling units or voting points, aside those used for the 2015 general elections. Yakubu said: “As you would have noticed, the commission has been diligently implementing the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2019 general elections. We have so far implemented eight…

The Zakari family of Kazaure in Jigawa State has denied any relationship between President Muhammadu Buhari and their daughter, Hajia Amina Zakari, a national commissioner with the Independent National Commission, INEC, and asked that she be left out of partisan political jockeying. The family in a statement issued Tuesday, said it was also not aware of any role played by Buhari in her appointment by the immediate past administration. A statement issued by a member of the family, Isah Zakari, said that all her positions in the recent past, including duties at the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, were achieved…

Negotiations between Federal Government and Organised Labour have broken down over the implementation of N30,000 New Minimum Wage. The Federal Government has refused to send a draft bill on the National Minimum Wage to the National Assembly to legislate into law. While the State governors are undecided in reaching agreement for payment of the money, Organised Labour insist that the N30,000 a month is no longer negotiable. Tuesday is fixed by Organised Labour and its civil society allies to hold a nationwide mobilisation and mass protest to force government into action. As the deadline eats up, nationwide strike is looming…

The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Monday nullified primaries conducted by both factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. The court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from presenting Tonye Cole and Magnus Abe as candidates of the party in the 2019 elections in the state. Tony Cole said to have won the party’s governorship primary was given a flag by Adams Oshiomhole, National APC Chairman during the party’s South South rally in Uyo on December 28. Delivering judgment, Justice James Omotosho said none of the primaries were conducted according…

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has rewarded Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr with an improved salary after his contract renewal. Mr. Amaju Pinnick, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), told Daily Sun Sports that the German coach’s contract was recently renewed and part of the clause in the new contract was $10,000 addition to his salary. The CAF first vice president stated “We recently renewed the contract of Rohr and in the new contract is an addition of $10,000 to his monthly salary. His new salary is $55,000 (about N20 million),” Pinnick said. The NFF boss also dispelled reports that the Super…

The presidential candidate of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) in the country says her administration plans to lift 80 million Nigerians out of poverty through gains from oil sector deregulation, value added tax and gains from public sector efficiency. Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili who stated this in her Twitter handle on Sunday said there was urgent need to do so because in the next 12 years, more than 30 million more Nigerians will join the infamous number of extremely poor people who live on less than N700 per day. Ezekwesili who was Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria…

Nigeria’s electronic payment (e-payment) services, Nigerian Interbank Settlement System-NIBSS, ATMs, POS, Dr Patricia Auta-a financial analyst, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerians Nigeria’s electronic payment (e-payment) services recorded transactions worth N56.85 trillion from January to September, last year, Nigerian Interbank Settlement System, NIBSS, reports have indicated. The report, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Sunday, showed an increase of N16.4 trillion compared to the N40.45 trillion recorded in the corresponding period of 2017. The report showed that most of the electronic transactions were done through the NIBSS Instant Payment, NIP, Point of Sale, PoS, Automated Transfer Machines, ATMs,…

The Coalition of Opposition Political Parties, CUPP, said Sunday it would embark on mass protest on January 15 against the continued stay of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. To this end, it has directed all member political parties in the 36 states of Nigeria, made up of about 57 registered parties, to gear up for action. CUPP in a statement signed by the 1st national spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a serving police officer into the vacant office of Inspector General of Police as required by the 1999 constitution since IGP Ibrahim Idris…

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has confirmed that, based on empirical indices, Nigeria attained 31 per cent broadband penetration. NCC management said in a statement on Sunday that this was contrary to insinuations in some quarters that the country was far away from the 30 per cent target. NCC said that by the five-year National Broadband Plan (NBP), 2013-2018, it was targeted that the country should be able to attain a minimum of 30 per cent from the five per cent it had in 2013. It said that expectedly, based on the population of Nigeria, estimated at 190 million, and connected…