Author: straightnewsng.com

Since the inauguration of the 8th Senate headed by Dr. Bukola Saraki, President Muhammadu Buhari has declined assent to 31 bills. Buhari had on March 20, declined assent to five bills that were passed by the National Assembly and forwarded to him to sign into law. In separate letters addressed to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and which will be read when Senate resumes plenary next week, President Buhari listed the latest rejected Bills as the National Institute of Credit Administration Bill, 2018; Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency Bill, 2018; Ajaokuta Steel Company Completion Fund Bill, 2018; the National…

Election observer groups have asked the National Assembly to immediately convene public hearing on the 2019 elections, saying that the conducts and subsequent outcomes were questionable. The accredited local and international observers, speaking at a post election assessment forum, Thursday, in Abuja, lamented how rampant vote-buying and inducement of voters were, demanding complete audit of the general exercise. The observers, under the aegis of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC, Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, Human and Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA, and Election Observation Platforms, insisted that the 2019 general election cannot pass integrity test. In their various reports presented…

Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has denied being under any form of pressure to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at last month’s presidential election. CAN said that, as a religious group, it remains apolitical and would congratulate and rejoice with whoever the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared winner of the fiercely contested poll. Recall that a source within the national leadership of CAN had, in a recorded conversation, told Vanguard on Wednesday, that some influential persons in government were unrelenting in their persuasion for the Church to pay the President a congratulatory visit. However, CAN President,…

While Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, handed an indefinite suspension on Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State for supporting the governorship candidate of another party, it has not applied the same sanction on Rotimi Amaechi for doing something similar in Rivers State. The APC, however, justifies its action, saying the issues of the two officials, though similar, are different. In Imo, Okorocha backed Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance against Hope Uzodinma of the APC. Both candidates, however, lost to Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In Rivers State, the Supreme Court barred the Independent…

The Senate, Thursday, heard that Nigeria Defence Academy, NDA, is suffering shortfalls of more than N1.3 billion in budgetary releases by the Ministry of Finance. The Commandant of the academy, Major-General Adeniyi Oyebade lamented that the shortfalls had made it almost impossible for the Military institution to pay non-regular allowances to its personnel, adding that the allowances affected by the N1.3 billion shortfall in 2018 budget releases, are hazard, responsible and excess workload allowances. Oyebade who appeared before the Senate Committee on Defence in presentation on performance of 2018 budget allocations to the Academy and proposals for the 2019 fiscal…

The Ship Owners Association of Nigeria, SOAN has pleged to exploit legal opportunities in the Cabotage Act for the development of shipping in the country. Newly elected president of the body, Mkgoerge Onyung who made the pledge after the election of the association that took place Thursday in Lagos, said there are lots of opportunities yet untapped in the Cabotage Act and that his priority would be to work at bringing benefits to SOAN members legally through the Act. Onyung assured members of SOAN that the new executive under his leadership will continue to work with the Nigerian Maritime Administration…

President Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday, assured that his government will give serious attention to the provision of critical infrastructure and stabilization of the economy as well as the political environment in the second term. President Buhari stated this when he received the Special Envoy of the President of Republic of Congo at the presidential villa, Abuja. Mr Jean Claude Gakosso, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Congolese in Diaspora conveyed a special message on behalf of President Denis Sassou Nguesso to President Buhari. The President said “Stability is critical, if a country would manage its resources effectively. I am aware of the…

The Senate, Thursday, lampooned the Federal Government over what it described as the poor implementation of the 2018 budget, noting that Nigerians were not feeling the impact of government because of the failure of the executive to adequately fund the budget. The Senate also blamed the government for not releasing adequate funds that would enable the federal agencies to execute developmental projects. Speaking to Journalists Thursday, in Abuja shortly after the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed appeared before the Senate Committee Chairman on Information, Senator Suleiman Adokwe (PDP, Nasarawa South), said: Before the budget defence exercise, we have done a…

The United States of America recognition of Golan Heights as an occupied territory of Israel Monday sparked global condemnations and criticisms. President Donald Trump, Monday, officially recognised Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, seized from Syria in 1967, in a move hailed as “historic” by Israel’s prime minister. Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an election next month, was by Mr Trump’s side as he signed the proclamation. Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, in a move that is not recognised internationally. A spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday he was “clear that the status of…

Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel and Moses Ekpo, the deputy governor on Thursday, March 28, received Certificates of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The duo who were re-elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP during the March 9 Governorship election collected their certificates from Mike Igini, the Akwa Ibom resident electoral commissioner at INEC headquarters along Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo. Emmanuel and Ekpo were earlier elected in 2015 for a four-year mandate which will expire on May 28, 2019. In addition, the 25 members-elect of the yet-to-be inaugurated seventh Akwa Ibom State House of…