Author: straightnewsng.com

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said the National Executive Committee of the union will review the ongoing industrial action after the Nigerian government made a new commitment at a meeting with the union on Monday. “The National Executive Committee of the union will review its decisions based on the new commitment by the federal government,” ASUU tweeted late on Monday. “Until then, the strike is still in progress.” Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, national president of ASUU, said the strike could only be called off after the ASUU NEC meeting. He did not say when the meeting will hold.…

South Sudan has resumed oil production in the Northern Unity region after disruption by a five-year old conflict which damaged oil wells. Ezekiel Gatkuoth, Minister of Petroleum, stated on Tuesday that he authorised the first phase resumption of oil production on December 31 in five wells from the 16 wells. “The initial target of the oil production at Phase One will be 20,000 bpd (barrels per day),” Gatkuoth said in Juba. He said they would launch full resumption plan in Unity oilfields together with Azhari A. Abdallah, Sudan’s minister of petroleum and minerals on January 21. South Sudan since in…

The Federal Government has set January 23 deadline to transmit the N30,000 new minimum wage recommendation by the Tripartite Committee to the National Assembly. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who stateed this after meeting with the leadership of organized labour in Abuja Tuesday, also stated that before transmitting the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly, it had to be taken first to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, National Economic Council, NEC and the National Council of States. But National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, has urged the government to respect…

Nigeria lost an estimated $2.8 billion in revenues in 2018, due to oil-related crimes, according to a new ‘Report by the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS)’ published on Monday in New York. The report, which covered July 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, said: “Maritime crime and piracy off the coast of West Africa continued to pose a threat to peace, security and development in the region. “Oil-related crimes resulted in the loss of nearly $2.8 billion in revenues last year in Nigeria. “Between January 1 and November 23,…

Lecturers in Nigerian universities are yet to return to classes despite an agreement the Federal Government reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The on-going strike that started on November 4, last year can be called off or be continued after a meeting of ASUU’S National Executive Committee yet to be fixed. Senator Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, stated on Monday that the government and ASUU members, had reached a reconciliatory agreement in Abuja, describing it as ”fruitful.” Ngige said the Federal Government has released N15.4 billion for the payment of the salary shortfalls, which was…

If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you might be worried about taking medication to bring your numbers down. Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure. If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you might avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication. Here are 10 lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure and keep it down. Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. Being overweight also can cause disrupted breathing while you sleep (sleep apnea), which further raises your blood…

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…