Author: straightnewsng.com

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…

The price of crude oil, Sunday, hovered around $57.00, after hitting $58.00 on Saturday in the international market, as Saudi Arabia cuts output by 500,000 barrel per day, bpd. Specifically, the price of many light crude, including Nigeria’s Bonny Light stood, at $53.06, while the price of Brent, West Texas Intermediate, WTI and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, basket of 15 crude stood at $57.06, $47.96 and $52.95 respectively. The latest oil price showed over $6.00 below the $60.00 per barrel benchmark of Nigeria’s 2019 budget. The price which rose to as high as $85 per barrel in…

Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, the Catholic Archbishop of Jos, has decried the increasing rate at which fake news and hate speeches were flying in Nigeria. Kaigama, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Monday in Jos, also expressed regrets that Nigerians were engaging more on things that divided, rather than those that built and united them. “It is so sad that Nigerians engage in negative things that easily divide us, instead of promoting issues that will unite and bind us together. “This is why we have fake news and hate speeches being peeled around everyday. People tell…

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has dragged President Muhammadu Buhari to United Nations, UN to call him to order for constituting a big threat to conducting credible elections in 2019. It also appealed to the National Peace Committee led by former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, retd, to call the first citizen to order. The PDP Presidential Campaign Council, PPCO, stated this Sunday while addressing a press conference in Abuja said the “desperation” to succeed himself has made the President to put national unity and stability on the line, damning the consequence. “We want the whole world to…

Japan’s Kei Nishikori celebrates his victory over Jeremy Chardy of France in their men’s semi-final match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane. Japanese star Kei Nishikori claimed his first title since 2016 when he downed Russia’s Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the final of the Brisbane International on Sunday. The Japanese star had not won a tournament since Memphis in 2016 and was hampered by a wrist injury the following year which forced a break from the 2018 tour. He was runner-up in Brisbane in 2017 but went one better this year in a superb final. Nishikori…

As an alleged relationship between President Muhammadu Buhari and Mrs Amina Zakari continues to spark a row, the duos are standing on different pages in defending the allegation. Zakari who is a national Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was appointed a Chairperson of the INEC Advisory Committee and Presidential Election Collation Centre Committee, while Buhari is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Since the appointment of Zakari Thursday last week, the political space in the country does not know peace as it is alleged that she is a niece to Buhari and that she…

After months of buck-passing, accusations and name callings, some political heavyweights in Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC of Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom State observed what looked like political ceasefire and worshipped at Cardinal Ekanem Seminary Grounds, Dominic Utuk Avenue, Uyo. The event was the New Year Prayer and Fasting Assembly 2019 of the Catholic Diocese of Uyo held on Sunday, January 6. Despite their political rivalry and feud over the months, Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, his deputy, Mr Moses Ekpo; Senator Godswill Akpabio representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District and Mr. Nsima Ekere,…