Author: straightnewsng.com

Nigeria’s crude oil production increase rose to 2.09 million barrels daily or nine per cent in 2018, compared to 1.86 million barrels average production recorded in the previous year. Maikanti Baru, the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) who made this known in Twitter handle on Tuesday said the nation has maintained consistent year-on-year improvement in its daily crude oil production. The NNPC boss explained that the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Nigerian Gas Company, Petroleum Products Marketing Company, Duke Oil, Nidas and Integrated Data Services Limited, are among the companies that boosted the corporation’s performance in 2018. In a…

Genevieve Nnaji, veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker, has marked 20 years in the movie industry. Nnaji, through her Twitter handle @GenevieveNnaji1, shared an appreciative message to her fans, which doubled as her New Year message. Sharing a picture of ‘Lion Heart’s script, she wrote, “As 2018 comes to an end, I mark 20 years in the art of film making. I am grateful for my life, journey, and growth thus far.’’ “I am happy I could celebrate with you through a product that embodied all of me mentally and spiritually, for all of your pleasure. I love you guys! Happy…

What was supposed to be annual Thanksgiving/Solemn Assembly for 2019 was easily turned by Governor Udom Emmanuel to arena of politiking, curses, bragging, attacks and accusations of opposition in Akwa Ibom State. In what appeared as anger and fear of the moment, Emmanuel had, during the event held at Ibom Hall grounds, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital on Wednesday, January 2, invoked calamity on any opposition in the state against him in the next month’s governorship election which is slated for March 2. January 2 every year is usually set aside by the government and people since the era of…

Christian Pulisic has joined Chelsea in a £57.6 million move from Borussia Dortmund but will be immediately loaned back to the German club for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. The 20-year-old United States international becomes the second most expensive outfield player in Chelsea’s history, after Alvaro Morata. “In summer of 2019, I move on to Chelsea and to a new competition, the English Premier League,” said Pulisic, who has scored 15 goals in 114 games for Dortmund since breaking into the first team during the 2015/16 season. “It’s a privilege to have signed for such a legendary club and…

Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze in Spanish Villarreal is among the top 50 youngsters listed for stardom in 2020, according to UEFA.com report. Chukwueze is shortlisted alongside Chelsea’s teenage sensation, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Jadon Sancho, Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid and Brazil, Ethan Ampadu of Wales, Gelson Fernandes of Portugal, Achraf Hakimi of Morocco. Likened to the legendary Arjen Robben, Chukwueze has been shaking up the Spanish Liga and UEFA Europa League this term with his skills and aggressive play for Villarreal. The 19-year-old broke into Villarreal’s first team this season after impressing with the B team and has so far scored…

The Federal Government has earmark N160 billion this year to accommodate adjustments that may arise as a result of the planned increase in minimum wage. The amount is to take care of arrears of promotion and severance benefits to civil servants. Captured under service wide vote, the amount is contained in the 2019 budget proposal which was submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly. The 2019 budget has an estimate of N8.83 trillion made up of N4.04 trillion for recurrent expenditure, N2.03 trillion for capital expenditure and N2.14 trillion for debt servicing, among others. An analysis of the…

The contrversial Catholic Priest and Spiritual Director, Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria, Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka, has made a volte-face on President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election by endorsing him for a second term. Although Mbaka predicted the election of Muhammadu Buhari in 2014, he in his 2018 New Year message predicted that President Buhari would not be re-elected during the February 2019 presidential election. In October 2018, he predicted that Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, would defeat Buhari during the forthcoming general election. Contrary to public expectation, the Rev Father pulled out another one that neither Buhari nor…

Children born in Nigeria in 2019 face low life expectancy rate and may not live beyond 2074, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has stated. This is contained in a press statement issued in Abuja Tuesday by UNICEF Nigeria’s Communication Specialist, Eva Hinds. Hinds, who described Nigeria’s performance on the global life expectancy index for children as comparatively unimpressive, said a child born this year in Denmark was likely to live until the 22nd century. Within Africa, according to the UNICEF expert, only children delivered in Central African Republic, Chad and Sierra Leone have a lower life expectancy than those born…

The Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, on Monday night raised alarm that the security situation in the state was getting worse. He also explained why he has not criticised President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue, saying the President had given him unfettered access to the Presidency on the crisis. Governor Shettima’s statement came at a time the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, warned the federal government to quickly nip in the bud the killings in Zamfara State to prevent emergence of another Boko Haram crisis in the state. The governor, who spoke an at extraordinary security meeting at Government House, Maiduguri,…

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has advised the Federal Government to ensure proper use of security agents during the forthcoming general elections to avoid intimidation of electorate. Onaiyekan gave the advice in Abuja Tuesday, while celebrating the New Year mass at SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Nyanya. He reminded President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to ensure free and fair election, praying for God’s intervention to make it come true. “It is the government that is responsible for free and fair election in any country, the government has all the necessary things to make it free and fair,”…