Author: straightnewsng.com

The Federal Government has given official recognition to Messrs UC Rusal, a Russian Company, as the core investor of the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, following the signing of the Renewed Share Purchase Agreement between Government and the Russian company in Abuja, on Friday. The Renewed Share Purchase Agreement, was signed during a brief ceremony at the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Abuja, witnessed by the Minister, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Minister of State, Hon Abubakar Bawa Bwari; Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Alex Okoh; Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Nickolai Udovichenko; CEO/Member…

“I have spent many years of my life in stadiums, but today is a feeling like no other,” elated President George Weah told the mammoth crowds in the capital, Monrovia. Former international soccer star, Weah was sworn in as Liberia’s new president Monday, taking over the impoverished West African nation from Africa’s first female leader soon after 13:00GMT in front of an estimated 35,000 people. It is Liberia’s first transition between democratically-elected leaders since 1944. The 51-year-old, who was FIFA’s 1995 player of the year, took the oath of office dressed in all white at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports…

Federal High Court, Abuja has adjourned the on-going arms deal trial of former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Olisa Metuh to Tuesday. The adjournment came after counsel to Metuh informed the court Monday that his client is currently on admission at the Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital for an undisclosed ailment. The case was, therefore, adjourned to Tuesday, January 23, 2018 by the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang for the cross-examination of Metuh’s 9th witness. Recall that Metuh had allegedly collected N400 million from the former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) via…

The Senate Monday began investigation of local content elements and huge cost variations of the over $16 billion Egina Deep-sea oil project. This is as major stakeholders in the execution of the almost completed offshore oil project have been invited. This was disclosed Saturday by the Ad-hoc Committee set up to investigate the alleged abuse of local content by the company, led by Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West). Adeola noted that those invited for the five-day investigative hearing include chief executives of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, the National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, Nigerian Content Monitoring Development Board, NCMDB, Total Upstream…

Growth Enhancement Scheme Agro-dealers Association of Nigeria, GESAAN, has raised alarm over looming food scarcity in the country following the recent killings of famrers by suspected herdsmen in Benue and Taraba states. Kabiru Umar, National Chairman of GESAAN, who expressed the concern weekend, called on the federal government to quickly intervene on the matter to cushion the effects on food production and prices in the market in affected areas. Umar said: “The clash between the herdsmen and farmers in Benue and Taraba states will definitely affect food production in that part of the country. ”The problem of this country is…

Some of the suspected herdsmen going on killing spree in the country now in custody are said to be speaking none of the languages native to Nigeria but the French language, investigation has revealed. It has further been discovered that the Islamic State in West Africa, ISWA, has infiltrated the North Central and some South-South states of the country to carry out its dastardly act. Already, security operatives, especially the Department of State Services, DSS, is said to be on top of its game to monitor activities of the group and some herdsmen arrested in connection with the recent massacre…

A US government shutdown enters its third day on Monday as Senate negotiators failed to reach agreement late on Sunday to restore federal spending authority and deal with demands from Democrats that young “Dreamers” be protected from deportation. The Senate set a vote for 12 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Monday on advancing a measure to provide temporary government funding through Feb. 8, end the shutdown and allow hundreds of thousands of federal employees to return to work. Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell offered an olive branch to Democrats late on Sunday, pledging on the Senate floor to bring immigration legislation…

People suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on Sunday reportedly set ablaze the oil palm plantation of a one-time Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae. This was the third time the farm located at Ilado Village in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State was set ablaze. It was gathered that the hoodlums did not steal anything on the five-hectare but burnt the oil palm plantation to enable fresh gresh grass to grow for their cattle to eat, the an unidentified source stated. Falae was kidnapped in September 2015 by the herdsmen but was released three…

January 15 of every year in Nigeria is marked as Armed Forces Remembrance Day in commemoration of the soldiers who died in the cause of fighting for peace and unity of the country. Though governments in the country marked the day this year with pomp, most widows and children of the fallen soldiers on this day developed teary eyes and bleeding hearts due to the crushing poverty and unending hardships facing them. Faced by this agony, Mrs. Kanke Selfa Bali, a widow whose husband was killed by Boko Haram terrorists in 2014, says, to her, the day was full of…

A young Nigerian boy remains a stoic to the Biblical allusion “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…” as he uses carton scraps to fabricate a generator. Ernest Collins, a 13-year-old boy from Ekwuolobia Umuochuba, Aguata local government area of Anambra state has employed engineering virtuosity in fabricating a generator to power his mini house. The Junior Secondary School (JSS3) student has also utilised his skills to construct several houses with cartons and other common raw materials. Ernest Stanley, a Facebook user, who shared the story on his page, revealed that Collins used the newly…