Author: straightnewsng.com

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has given his own personal account of the circumstances around his concession of the 2015 presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari, the then candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). There are conflicting accounts of the final moments before that momentous phone call, with many believing that the former President had bowed to pressure from some of the nation’s former leaders to make the phone call. However, writing in ‘My Transition Hours’, a book he launched in Abuja on Tuesday, Jonathan said it was his own personal decision even though many of his supporters across the nation…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has condemned the “former speaker” in “acting as a god by declaring the seats of members whose matters were still pending in the courts vacant and who had existing court orders restraining him from such purported declarations.” The five lawmakers are Idongesit Ituen, Itu State Constituency; Nse Ntuen, Essien Udim; Otobong Ndem, Mkpat Enin; Gabriel Toby, Etim Ekpo/Ika; and Victor Udofia, Ikono. The chairman of APC in the state, Ini Okopido, who stated this on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the crisis rocking the house of assembly, condemned the action of…

Mr. Mustapha Maihaja, Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has denied receiving N5.8 billion for the Emergency Intervention of Food Security in the North East (EFINE) as contained in the House of Representatives committee’s report. The House of Representatives had accused Yemi Osinbajo, then the country’s acting President and NEMA board Chairman, of illegal approval of N5.8 billion. Maihaja explained that NEMA only got about N800 million while other funds were paid directly to contractors. This is even as he denied misappropriating N33 billion as alleged by the House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness. Maihaja denied…

South Korea’s Kim Jong-yang has been elected as Interpol’s next president, edging out a longtime veteran of Russia’s security services who was strongly opposed by the US, Britain and other European nations. The White House and its European partners had lobbied against Alexander Prokopchuk’s attempts to be named the next president of the international police body, saying his election would lead to further Russian abuses of Interpol’s “red notice” system to go after political opponents. Prokopchuk is a general in the Russian interior ministry and serves as an Interpol vice-president. Interpol’s 94 member states chose Kim at a meeting of…

The Turkish Court, Wednesday, sentenced at least 74 people, including soldiers, to life in prison for their role in an attempted coup. In a botched attempt to overthrow President Tayyip Erdogan, a group of rogue soldiers commandeered tanks and warplanes, killing more than 240 people, mostly civilians on July 15, 2016. The court sentenced the 74 defendants to aggregated life sentences for “attempting to disrupt the constitutional order,” Anadolu said. Aggravated life sentences are subject to a harsher regime in prison, and are not eligible for parole or general amnesty. It was not immediately clear how many soldiers were among…

Nigeria’s Super Falcons  got their first 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) victory by walloping Zambian Shepolopolo 4-0 on Wednesday evening. Zambia started the tournament with a 5-0 win over Equatorial Guinea while Nigeria lost 1-0 to South Africa. It took the alertness of the keeper to deny Asisat Oshoala from close range in the ninth minute of action. The tempo of the game gradually slowed down with the two teams failing to string passes together. Experienced defender Onome Ebi did well to direct her header on target but the keeper denied her with a timely save. Falcons deservedly…

A Nigerian social media commentator and critic alleges that he has uncovered plots by the Federal Government to impeach the governors of Akwa Ibom and Benue states. The governors are Udom Emmanuel and Samuel Ortom of Akwa Ibom and Benue states. Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide to to then Goodluck Jonathan, made this allegation via his Twitter handle on Wednesday, said he has it on good authority that Buhari-led government is doing all it could to impeach the two governors. It will be recalled that Ortom left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a little while ago, after some internal…

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Justice Musa Abaji as a new Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.  Dr. Bukola Saraki, the Senate President, stated this on Wednesday during plenary while reading letters from President Buhari. The appointment of Justice Abaji, according to the letter, was based on the advice of the National Judicial Council. “In line with the1999 constitution upon the advice of the National Judicial Council, I hereby refer for confirmation the appointment of Justice Musa Abaji as the Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. “While hoping that this is expeditiously considered by the Senate, accept the…

As fall-out of the ongoing drama at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, men of the Nigeria Police Force have taken over the premises of the complex, preventing staffers and lawmakers from gaining access to their offices. Currently, the main entrance of the building was under lock and keys while hundreds of policemen as well as men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp were seen blocking the roads that lead to the complex. When Straightnews visited the place, some staffers of the house were seen standing in small groups near the Mboho Mkparawa Hall at Udo Udoma…

A new Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Hyelasinda Musa Kimo has resumed duty. This follows the removal of Mr. John Abang, the Akwa Ibom State Commisioner of Police by Mr. Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector-General of Police. Abang, who was the 24th CP in the state, held the position for barely a month. Straightnews gathered that the sudden change may not be unconnected with the fracas at the state house of assembly Monday in which Idongesit Ituen of Itu State Constituency was reportedly beaten by some security operatives in the assembly premises. Until his present posting the Commissioner of…