Author: straightnewsng.com

Investigations are ongoing to uncover more frauds perpetrated by some staffers of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) totaling N145 million in seven offices of the federation. The board had adopted sale of forms by scratch cards to intending applicants years ago and changed it to an online registration seen to be fraud-proof two years ago to stem the fraudulent practices by its staffers. Our correspondent gathered on Friday that while the board was investigating N31m misappropriated revenue in Edo and N20m in Kano, it was quizzing officials in Plateau and Gombe over N15m and N10m mismanaged in the…

Governor Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara state has accused the security agencies for failing to stop the killings that occured in the state despite a 24-hour notice prior to the attack. Yari speaking Friday while he led a group of five Northern governors on a sympathy visit to the Palace of Emir of Zurmi said the security agencies in the area failed to to prevent the killings that occurred in the state about 48 hours ago. He said the agencies and its operatives failed to tackle the problem of cross-border banditry and terrorism affecting communities in the area. The governor noted:…

Some Nigerians see local government council entrenched as third tier of government in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as a strange fellow to federalism in a presidential system of government. The people who were reacting to decision of members of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Wednesday to suspend voting for local government autonomy in the state described as strange the inclusion of local government as a third-tier system of government, saying “this is a laughable distortion of federalism.” In an interview with Straightnews, Dr. Effiong Edunam, an ex-university don, said “This is a federal system. And in a federal system,…

Most primary school teachers in Ukanafun local government area of Akwa Ibom State are gripped with fear following different notices of ransom pasted in their schools and compounds demanding payment of various sums of money to suspected kidnappers failure to do so they would risk being kidnapped, investigations by Straightnews have shown. Mostly head teachers of primary schools in Ikot Enang, Ikot Udo Obobo, Ikot Inyang Abia, Ikot Udombang and Ikot Ekperikpe, among others all in Ukanafun are said to be in the wanted list of the ransom-frenzied kidnappers. Some of them who are unable to meet their purported demands…

The World Bank Friday approved an International Development Association (IDA) Credit of 486 million dollars for the rehabilitation and upgrading of electricity transmission substations and lines in Nigeria. Olufunke Olofon, Senior Communications Officer, World Bank, Nigeria, made this known in a statement released on Friday. She said that the investments would increase the power transfer capacity of the transmission network. The World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mr Rachid Benmessaoud, said the Nigeria Electricity Transmission Project (NETP) would help address key bottlenecks in the transmission network. “It will also improve access to affordable and reliable electricity service to citizens. The…

Contrary to reports making the rounds, state Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State Friday said that their mission was not aimed at convincing the president to seek re-election in the forthcoming presidential election in 2019. The Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, who stated this while fielding questions from journalists after a closed door meeting with the president at his private resident in Daura, explained that the aim of the visit was to condole with the president over the loss of two members of…

The hope of two kidnapped teachers of Obong Christian High School, Obong Ntak in Etim Ekpo local government area of Akwa Ibom State regaining freedom is dimming following non-payment of ransom caused by inability of the school to pay their December and January salaries. Two weeks ago, two teachers of the school- Mr. Mfonobong Marcus Ukpong from Uruk Ata 2 village in Etim Ekpo and Pastor Aniekan Etim Enang from Ikot Ibekwe village in Ukanafun- said to be on their way to the school were kidnapped. Straightnews gathered that the kidnappers had earlier served Ukpong a letter demanding that he…

Governor Udom Emmnauel of Akwa Ibom State has vowed to bring all perpetrators of evil acts in the state to justice. Emmanuel speaking Friday at the funeral service of Mrs Enobong Monday Akpan at QIC Primary School, Ikot Edet in Etim Ekpo local government area said “As a government, be assured that we will be hunting for the perpetrators. The governor in an emotion-laden voice noted, “I hope you aware that we have gotten some of them. For the few remaining, we will do everything humanly possible to get all of them. It is not all through human effort, but…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has admitted that some underage citizens who are not up to the age of 18 years are being registered in the Northern part of the country. Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, the Director of Publicity and Voter Education of the commission, Wednesday stated that the young citizens were registered because the lives of its registration officers were being threatened by some members of the communities. Osaze-Uzzi made this known during a programme on the African Independent Television entitled, ‘Kakaaki,’ while answering questions over pictures and videos on the social media showing children registering and voting in…

South Africa’s parliament Thursday elected a new President for the country. He is Cyril Ramaphosa few hours after Jacob Zuma resigned in a late-night television address after a nine-year rule. Before now, he was Deputy President of African National Congress (ANC), which has a large majority in parliament, a wealthy former business man and Zuma’s vice president since 2014. Ramaphosa was born in Johannesburg, the industrial heartland of South Africa, on November 17, 1952. The second of three children, his father was a policeman. He grew up in Soweto where he attended primary and high school. He later went to…