Author: straightnewsng.com

The Federal Government, Wednesday, approved N6.071 trillion for a comprehensive National Health Strategic Plan 2. The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, stated this while briefing State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Minister, flanked by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, said the new comprehensive health plan covering 2018 to 2022, involved the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja. He explained that 38.2 percent of the total amount would be spent on human…

Some unknown gunmen over the weekend murdered Mr. Emmanuel Emeka Agundu, the branch Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, for Obollo Afor, Udenu local government area of Enugu State. Agundu was lured out of his base at Obollo Afor to Nsukka local government area in the state where he was shot severally at Nru area of the town. One month ago, some unknown gunmen shot him on the head, but he was revived in hospital. State Police Spokesman, Ebere Amaraizu confirmed the killing of Agundu on Sunday, saying that “we are on the matter.” The late NBA chairman, according…

No less than 635 teachers in Enugu have commenced training on software coding course in Africa Code Week train-the-trainer programme. The digital literacy initative is geared towards sparking the interest of children, teenagers and young adults in software coding, which is a new global language that fuels innovation and development. The teachers were drawn from primary, secondary, vocational and technical schools, including the Enugu Small and Medium Enterprises, SME centres. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state described Enugu youths as the engine of economic growth, adding that digital literacy would empower the youths to contribute to the sustainable economic growth…

The Presidency, Wednesday, gave reasons behind the alleged uncompromising stance of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying the President exhibits such posture when he discovered that some privileged people were out to loot the commonwealth. The explanation was contained in a statement by Femi Adesina,  the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in Abuja while reacting to allegations by the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar where he was said to  have accused President Buhari of being power drunk and uncompromising. Adesina in the statement denied the allegation that the President was power drunk, describing his as a democrat who has wielded…

A Nigerian critic and social media commentator, Wednesday, said each citizen is owing N105,000 because the country is indebted to the tune of N21 trillion under the three years of President Muhammadu Buhari administration. However, Nigeria’s population census figure is estimated at 195,875,237 as at 2018. In his Twitter handle, Reno Omokri, a one-time special assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan said ‘’ When GEJ handed power to @Mbuhari on May 29, 2015, Nigeria owed ₦9 trillion (₦6 trillion was borrowed in 16 years) meaning every Nigerian owed ₦45,000.’’ The tweet is against the background of $328 million loan Muhammadu Buhari…

The UN Refugee Agency is alarmed over the continued xenophobic attacks resulting in loss of lives and property of non-indigenes in South Africa. South Africa was gruelled under Apartheid regime that ended in 1994 but was rescued by fellow Afrcian coutries including some foreign countries from the clutches of her colonial masters now turn to bite the fingers that fed her. In a press release, Charlie Yaxley, the UNHCR spokesman, expressed his displeasure at the recent attacks against foreigners, including refugees, by South Africans during a deadly rally and looting on August 29.. Apart from the death of four people mostly foreigners, reports has it…

Some human right lawyers in the country have risen in support of Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West over allegations of corruption levelled him by political opponents and mischief-makers. These allegations came to a head when the senator defected from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to All Progressives Congress, APC that former Senate Minority Leader might have dumped his erstwhile party to avoid prosecution by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Addressing a press conference in Abuja, Leo Ekpenyong who led the lawyers revealed that their law firm was briefed by clients who made allegations about N100 billion…

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has placed a one-year ban from all football-related activities on Super Eagles’ Chief Coach, Salisu Yusuf. Yusuf was caught on camera collecting bribe from undercover journalists who pretended to be football agents. The footage, shot by BBC’s Ghanaian reporter, Anas Aremeyaw Anas in September 2017, showed Yusuf collecting a handful of money, reportedly, $1000 cash. In a statement on Wednesday, by the NFF Committee on Ethics and Fair Play, said it considered the complaint by the NFF and the coach’s defence of a video documentary. However, the coach has also been told to pay a…

 MTN Nigeria, an offshore South African company in joint ownership with some influential Nigerians capitalising on the fluidity of Nigerian laws to foreign businesses, has again been caught in the surreptious under-hand dealing and short-changing of the Federal Government. Consequently, the Federal Government has asked MTN Nigeria to pay fresh $2 billion in tax arrears on imported equipment and payments to suppliers. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in a letter to the company, said the import duties, Value Added Tax and withholding taxes on foreign imports/payments dated back to 10 years. Recall…

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his predecessor, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar were at each other’s jugular, Tuesday, over restructuring, what it meant and how it should be implemented. The intellectual tango started with Osinbajo’s letter to the Premium Times, an online news media, in which he responded to Atiku’s critique of his recent comments that Nigeria does not need geographical restructuring but fiscal federalism and good governance. Describing Atiku’s concept of restructuring as vague, Osinbajo, who recalled how he fought for fiscal federalism and resource control and devolution of more powers to the states as the Attorney General of Lagos State…