Author: straightnewsng.com

Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, DAPPMA, said Sunday that unpaid subsidy arrears of over N650 billion by the Federal Government posed huge financial challenges to the downstream operations. DAPPMA Executive Secretary, Mr Olufemi Adewole, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the settlement of the debts owed them would save their assets from being taken over by banks. Adewole said the downstream segment of Nigeria’s petroleum industry was fast becoming unattractive to lending institutions owing to rising debt profiles of its players on account of unpaid subsidy arrears by government. “This is posing a huge financial…

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says that President Muhammmadu Buhari administration has borrowed $10 billion since it took office in 2015. Osinbajo who stated this in Ibadan on Saturday during the 9th public lecture entitled ‘Developing the Nation Through Youth Empowerment’ of Sigma Club at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan inherited a debt of $63 billion. “In 2010, our debt was $35 billion, $41 billion in 2011, $48 billion in 2012, $64 billion in 2013, $67.7 billion in 2014, $63.8 billion in 2015, $57.8 billion in 2016, $70 billion in 2017 and $73 billion in 2018” he said. “The…

The presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, Sunday, reviled the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on his long-standing record on restructuring, insisting that history must not be distorted for political expediency. Osinbajo had on Saturday accused Atiku Abubakar of being disingenuous with his campaign on restructuring Nigeria, saying he was among the earliest proponents of restructuring even at a time Abubakar was frustrating the cause. Osinbajo, who spoke at the 9th Public Lecture of Sigma Club at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, said Abubakar was among those who opposed every step which he and other…

The Defence Headquarters has explained why the military killed three members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, weekend, saying they attempted to overrun soldiers who were on escort to Kaduna, with a view to carting away the ammunition and missiles they were escorting to the state. The IMN in a swift response Sunday, said the Army lied, in its bid to justify the killing of some of its members. The DHQ in a statement released through its spokesman, Brigadier-General John Agim, Sunday, said the soldiers from Army Headquarters Garrison were on official duty escorting ammunition and missiles from Abuja to…

As Akwa Ibom government commenced payment of gratuity to 306 public servants comprising civil servants from ministries, parastatals, agencies and commissions as well as teaching and non-teaching staff of public secondary schools who retired and obtained their relevant documents in December 2015 in the state, many being owed arrears of gratuity and pensions for years are still groaning under hardships. The then Godswill Akpabio administration paid gratuity to retired public servants up to August 2015 while Governor Udom Emmanuel administration has so far paid five months of gratuity (July, September, October, November and December 2015) to the retirees. However, some…

The controversy is dug up again. Yes, intense debate. Barbs are being traded. Jeers at the saga. Reasons fly away. But emotions rule the space. All in search and the need for President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s sitting President to submit his West African School Certificate (WASC) result to INEC for clearance. It is not a new thing. Old, you may say. And remember too. In 2014, the storm in search of the certificate raged.  The smoke did not simmer, but dragged into 2015. ‘Produce your certificate’, some members of the public indeed those of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP sought. ‘Why…

More revelations are emerging on what led to the protracted feud between Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC, in Akwa Ibom State over the siting of a billboard at Akpan Andem Market in Uyo local government area, Straightnews has gathered. The giant billboard with three phases conspicuously displayed is standing few metres from the main entrance of the market accessed through Udo Umanah Street in Uyo. Following accusations and counter accusations from various quarters, Straightnews decided to investigate why the two governments are locked in a battle with the contractor in the siting of the billboard in…

The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Akwa Ibom State has raised alarm over the disturbing trend by political parties in the state using violent pronouncements to heat up the polity, which if not checked, is capable of igniting avoidable carnage in the state during the 2019 general elections. Rather, the organisation wants “The parties should tell the people what they intend to do to pull them out of poverty and ignorance. They should tell the people what programmes they have and how they intend to use such programmes to develop the state and make life better for the people.” A press…

The Nigerian Army says it has discovered a shallow grave in its search for the immediate past Chief of Administration (Army), retired Major-General Idris Alkali. General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Major-General Benson Akinroluyo, stated this at a press briefing on Friday in Plateau State. According to him, Major General Alkali was killed and buried in a shallow grave, in an area popularly known as “No man’s land” in Lafande community, on the outskirt of Jos metropolis. “You would recall that on September 2, 2018, at about 8:00 pm, unknown gunmen attacked a shopping complex located a Lafande community on the…

The Federal Government has banned unauthorised acquisition of firearms, drones and some specialized broadcast equipment, Major General Babagana Monguno, retd, the National Security Adviser, announced Thursday. This is as the chief intelligence chief blamed several of the crises and killings taking place in the country, particularly Kaduna, Zamfara, Benue and Plateau states, on abuse of the social media by people who do not mean well for the country. Speaking during the General Security Appraisal Committee Meeting at the Office of NSA, ONSA, in Abuja, Mongonu warned those already in possession of these unauthorised items to surrender them to the appropriate…