Author: straightnewsng.com

There were indications Monday that the governors and the Federal Government could not reach an agreement over the exact figure for the new minimum wage. The federal government had put forward a new minimum wage of N24,000, while Organised Labour insisted on N30,000. At the meeting of the governors with government’s Economic Management Team, EMT, chaired by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, the governors had requested to meet Tuesday on the platform of the Nigeria`s Governors Forum, NGF, to critically analyse the memo from the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, to them for them to take a…

MTN Group, Monday, announced a 28.5 per cent revenue decline on MTN Nigeria services, blaming the continued optimisation of its Value Added Services, VAS. This is also as the telco blamed the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, for its inability to accomplish listing process in the Nigerian Stock Exchange market. MTN Group president/Chief Executive Officer, Rob Shuter while delivering the Q3, 2018 financial year report, said the loss was expected to continue to the next quarter due to expected low VAS revenue earnings. The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, had on May 21, 2018 issued a…

More than 16 members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, also known as Shi’ites, were reportedly killed when a combined force of the Nigerian Army and police Monday engaged them in a bloody clash in Abuja. Trouble was said to have started as the Shi’ite poured into the FCT from all major routes leading to the city centre to observe the Arbaeen mourning processions, despite warnings from the security agencies not to do so. The Shi’ites said to have failed in breaking a barricade formed by the security men pelted them with stones, an action that infuriated the security…

Some prominent Nigerians, Sunday, commiserated with the family of Chief Tony Anenih, a one-time Board of Trustees Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over his demise. Chief Tony Anenih, 85, died on Sunday evening at Cedarcrest Hospital, Abuja, where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment. Bukola Saraki, Senate President Sunday tweeted “Chief Tony Anenih, was a consummate elder statesman who played several defining roles throughout Nigeria’s democracy. He will be remembered for his great patriotism and his insight into national issues. He will be dearly missed. Rest in Peace, Chief.” Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (@HEDankwambo) tweeted Sunday “I…

A former Nigerian President, Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo, Sunday, canvassed support of Akwa Ibom people for the second term bid of Governor Udom Emmanuel. Dr. Obasanjo who worshipped with the Akwa Ibom governor at Qua Iboe Church, 112, Ikot Ekpene Road, Uyo said “God is a God of continuity since he created the world. I always say to myself and my family: if something is good, keep it. “We have a good product in our hand and if I have a good product in my hand, I will not change it, I will keep it. “This is a good product, let’s…

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…