Author: straightnewsng.com

A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, Wednesday, declared the seat of the member representing Itu State Constituency at the state House of Assembly, Mr Idongesit Ituen, vacant. This came after his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ituen had defected from PDP in September 2018 to the APC, and in a bid to pre-empt the House of Assembly from declaring his seat vacant, approached the court. But the Federal High Court ruled against his defection, describing it as unlawful since the party was not witnessing any internal…

By 2050, most technologically advanced countries in the world are expected to ditch gasoline and diesel cars for the ones with zero emissions. Spain says from 2040 it will outlaw the outlaw the sale of new diesel and petrol cars to reduce polluting vehicles as a way of cutting emissions, while Norway is aiming to end the use of all cars running on fossil fuels by 2025. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government included the proposal in a draft document for an energy transition law which also calls for Spain to completely decarbonise its economy by 2050. Before now, Britain…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the 2,045 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) stolen from its office in Akwa Ibom State as a nullity. “Those things were stolen from the office where we kept them for safe keeping. It is a nullity because we have the list of everybody, their names, pin number, picture and data register.” Dr. Mohammed Lecky, INEC’s National Commissioner in-charge of Akwa Ibom, Delta and Cross River, who stated this on Tuesday at a news briefing in Uyo, observed that it was a sheer waste of time to steal the PVCs. “It will only cost…

Nigeria’s delegation to Saturday’s big match ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will depart the country aboard a chartered flight from the Benin City Airport on Thursday evening for South Africa. Super Eagles will battle the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in Johannesburg. So far, Nigeria and South Africa have clashed 13 times in the friendly and competitive football matches. Of these times, Nigeria won seven, lost two and drew four times with South Africa. Already, the Super Eagles team captained by Ahmed Musa and 21, Tuesday evening, trained at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba. Ademola Olajire,…

MTN Group will apply for a mobile banking licence in Nigeria and launch a service there next year, its CEO said on Tuesday, further embedding the South African telecoms company in its biggest but increasingly problematic market. “We will be applying for a payment service banking licence in Nigeria in the next month or so, and if all goes according to plan, we will also be launching Mobile Money in Nigeria probably around Q2 of 2019,” Rob Shuter told a telecoms conference in Cape Town. MTN, Africa’s biggest telecoms company, has faced challenges in Nigeria where it has been ordered…

The solid minerals sector contributed N43.22 billion to government coffers in 2016, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) said. In a report released by the agency on Tuesday, it was also recorded that Nigeria’s solid minerals production jumped by 33 per cent in the same year, with Ogun state taking the lead in production and revenue receipt. The report, signed by Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, NEITI’s director, communications and advocacy, gave a breakdown of figures generated from the sector and how it fared in the 2016 fiscal year. Taxes collected by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) accounted for N40.38 billion…

As the 2019 general elections approach, Akwa Ibom government has declared a three-day fasting and prayer programme beginning from Thursday, November 15 to usher in peace during the political campaigns and other political activities in the state. The political campaigns by political parties for Presidential Election and NASS elections would commence on November 18 and end on January 14, 2019; while that of governorship and State Houses of Assembly would start on December 1 and end on February 28, 2019, according to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable. In Akwa Ibom, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC…

Teleogy, Monday, has  taken over the management and ownership of 9Mobile and announced the constitution of a new board of directors for the company in Lagos. It said that the constitution of the new board followed the successful completion of the tenure of the former board appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and in fulfillment of the consequential transfer of final ownership to the new investors, Teleology Nigeria Limited. “We thank all out-going members of the board for helping to shepherd 9mobile through the critical transition phase it has passed through since July 2017 and wish them the…

The Interim Real Madrid manager, Santiago Solari, has been appointed as a replacement for Julen Lopetegun on Monday, after overseeing a startling upturn in the European champions’ fortunes. Solari has led Real to four wins out of four since being installed on a caretaker basis following Lopetegui’s abrupt sacking last month. The upturn has left Madrid only four points adrift of league leaders Barcelona and on the brink of qualification for the last 16 in Europe. “Everything is in order. Real Madrid have worked out his contract and there are no problems,” the Spanish football federation stated. Solari, who spent five years…

In the aftermath of the crisis that paralysed the socio-economic activities in Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun local government areas, crisis-torn communities whose ailing mono-economy further nosedived are still counting their losses that ran into millions of naira. The crisis spawned by the then aggrieved youths grounded all activities in areas and hit agrarian businesses mainly palm oil production and subsistence farming, the major sources of livelihood of the people. Though Ukanafun local government council had on Friday, November 9 organised solemn assembly followed by tree planting to signal a return of peace to the deserted area, the spill over effects…