Author: straightnewsng.com

No fewer than117 persons under All Progressives Congress, APC, are said to be jostling for  the 26 seats of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly during the 2019 general elections. The state APC Chairman, Ini Okopido, who told Team Nigeria programme sponsored by Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate) broadcast by Planet 101.1FM, Uyo, said the aspirants are undergoing screening exercise of the party in the state. Okopido in a telephone interview with the programme coordinator, Aniekan Udosen on Friday attributed the huge number of aspirants for the House of Assembly seats to…

Another minister in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet has been accused of not participating in the mandatory National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC). Adebayo Shittu, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, graduated from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) at age 25, according to The Nigerian Monitor. Shittu, who is currently in the race to become Oyo State governor, comes a week after Kemi Adeosun was compelled to step down from her post as Finance Minister, after allegations that she skipped the compulsory national service and then procured a fake exemption certificate. Months of discreet checks at the NYSC headquarters showed…

Bafana Bafana will return to their happy hunting ground at FNB Stadium when they host Nigeria in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Saturday, November 17. Coach Stuart Baxter’s troops last played at FNB stadium almost a year ago when they beat Burkina Faso 3-1 in the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers‚ with goals from Percy Tau‚ Themba Zwane and Sibusiso Vilakazi. Bafana host the clash against Nigeria at 2010 World Cup Final venue FNB in their penultimate 2019 AFCON qualifier (kickoff 3pm). Bafana have four points after an away win against Nigeria and this month’s 0-0 home…

In a rare show of astonishing brilliance, a 12-year-old pre-teen has received her second degree from Excelsior College in Chicago and is about attaining academic excellence. Dorothy Jean Tillman is a young student previously held an associates degree. She also plans to continue her pursuit of levelling up to a Master’s degree in environmental engineering, but first, she wants to take some time away from the classroom before she attains another diploma. Nicknamed Dorothy Genius by her mother, Jemelita Tillman said “With environmental engineering, it’s all about helping people, the environment, and that’s just what I love to do, that’s…

FIFA’s Ethics Committee imposed life ban on three officials for bribery and corruption after they pleaded guilty in the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation of international football. Marketing executive, Aaron Davidson, aide Costas Takkas and match agent, Miguel Trujillo were also fined 1 million Swiss francs ($1.03 million). It is unclear if FIFA has power to enforce the fines, though ethics judges have typically imposed large financial penalties in cases arising from the sprawling U.S. federal probe. In Brooklyn Federal Court, Davidson pleaded guilty to racketeering and wire fraud, Takkas admitted money laundering and Trujillo pleaded guilty to money laundering…

Defaced posters and billboards of some political leaders in Akwa Ibom State continue to pose ugly sight along some streets and roads in Uyo, the state capital, Straightnews has learnt. A reporter of Straightnews who went to town discovered that some billboards carrying the pictures of Governor Udom Emmanuel alone or with other leaders mostly along the road leading to Akwa Ibom International Airport, Uyo and Nwaniba junction close to Water Fountain were seen to be defaced by some suspected criminals. Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom Police Command is committed to prosecuting people caught destroying, defacing or removing the posters and…

Leaders, under the aegis of Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Afenifere, Ohaeneze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF and Middle Belt Forum, Thursday expressed pessimism over the successful conduct of the 2019 general elections. They, therefore, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly to resolve all matters relating to funding of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, without further rancour, in the interest of the nation. The leaders also said it had become imperative for there to be a strong synergy between the Executive and the Legislature for a successful amendment of the Electoral Act, even…

A Milan Court has sentenced two defendants to prison terms in a Nigerian corruption case related to a 2011 offshore oil-field purchase. Reuters reports that Nigerian Emeke Obi and Italian, Gianluca Di Nardo, were each given four-year jail sentences, Thursday. It did not provide much details of the case which stems from the 2011 purchase by energy companies, Eni and Shell, of the OPL-245 offshore oilfield in Nigeria for about $1.3 billion. Meanwhile, Shell stated: “Based on our review of the Prosecutor of Milan’s file and all of the information and facts available to us, we do not believe that…

Organised labour has threatened to vote out political leaders owing workers’ salaries, pensions and gratuities in the 2019 general elections. This formed one of the resolutions of the National Executive Council, NEC, of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Abuja The NLC in a communiqué issued Thursday and signed by Ayuba Wabba, its National President, said organized labour will interface with aspirants into different political positions to determine whether they were workers friendly and the welfare package they had for the Nigerian workers. Commenting on the importance of free, fair and credible 2019 general elections, NLC said: “Given the increased…

Amaju Pinnick has been re-elected as president of the Nigeria Football Federation after a flawless victory in Thursday’s presidential election. The Confederation of African Football first vice-president defeated Taiwo Ogunjobi, Aminu Maigari and Chinedu Okoye at the elective congress in Katsina state. The 45-year-old football chief scored 34 votes while Maigari, the former NFF president got eight votes.