Author: straightnewsng.com

Elder statesman and former Minister of Steel, Wantaregh Paul Unongo, Monday, alerted that the country is sliding into a no-state owing to the ceaseless killings in Benue State and other parts of the country. Unongo’s reaction came on the heels of last Sunday’s attack on Kwande, his home local government area, by suspected militant herdsmen that left eight dead, many injured and several property destroyed. The elder statesman, who spoke shortly after leading his kinsmen from Kwande to a meeting with Governor Samuel Ortom in Makurdi, urged the federal government to stand up to its responsibility by ending the bloodbath…

A total of two pregnant girls and 58 women used as s3x slaves were freed from Boko Haram captivity on Sunday during a joint operation carried out by military troops and Civilian Task Force in Borno State. They were among the 148 hostages rescued by the troops of 21 Brigade, in Modu Kinetic, a remote village in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, were also 75 children and 15 men. A statement yesterday by Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, Deputy Director, Public Relations of Theatre Command Operation, Lafiya DoleThe statement read: “Troops of 21 Brigade supported by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force deployed in Operation…

Factional state chairmen of All Progressives Party, APC, and a horde of their supporters who besieged the party’s secretariat in Abuja Monday and attempted to gain entrance into the inauguration hall were shut out. With the development, the factional chairmen in Oyo, Bayelsa, Enugu and Delta states who had earlier accessed the hall, were shown the way out, while Oyo State Unity Forum, led by Communications Minister, Adebayo Shittu, were booted out. Among the members of the Unity Forum locked out were Sen. Munsorat Sumonu, and some members of the House of Representatives who chanted solidarity songs and who protested…

Lionel Messi, the two-time world champions Argentine is expected to play at Jerusalem’s Teddy Kollek Stadium on Saturday night in a World Cup warm-up match. But, the Palestine Football Association head is angry, urging fans to burn pictures of the Argentina striker and replicas of his shirt if he plays against Israel in Jerusalem next weekend. Again, the Palestinians are not happy that the match will be held at a stadium in west Jerusalem. The game has attracted huge interest among the Israeli fans, mainly because of Messi’s planned participation. Palestinian FA chief Jibril Rajoub wrote on Sunday to Claudio…

Bukola Saraki, the nation’s Senate President has distanced himself from the bank robbery incident of April 2018 in Offa, Kwara State that claimed more than 33 lives. This is sequel to invitation by the police to defend himself on his alleged involvement leveled against him by some suspects in the recent fatal bank robbery incident. In a Twitter account Monday, Saraki stated “There’s no way I could’ve been associated with armed robbery against my people.” This refutal followed confessions by the suspects in the incident who told journalists Sunday that they were working as political thugs for Bukola Saraki, Senate…

Electricity Generating Companies, Gencos, weekend accused the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, of rubbishing the Federal Government’s and stakeholders’ efforts at ensuring stable electricity across the country. The Gencos, under the auspices of the Association of Power Generation Companies, APGC, were reacting to comments by TCN, that power generating companies falsify their capacity declarations for financial claims. In a statement in Abuja, Mrs. Joy Ogaji, Executive Secretary of the APGC, Mrs. Joy Ogaji, described TCN’s allegation as malicious, baseless and an exhibition of ignorance of the electricity market proceedings. Ogaji noted that it was important to state for clarity sake,…

The Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, is seeking the intervention of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo over non-compliance by some government agencies with the Presidential Order on the Ease of Doing Business at Ports. The Managing Director of NPA, Ms Hadiza Usman, stated this in Lagos weekend. Recall that the office of the vice president oversees the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, which issued the Presidential Order. The Order streamlined the activities of all agencies in the nation’s ports to achieve a 24-hour cargo clearance target. The NPA managing director was told by a delegation of the Association of Nigerian Licensed…

President Muhammadu Buhari weekend approved an amendment to the excise duty rates for alcoholic beverages and tobacco with effect from today, Monday, June 4, 2018. The President also granted a grace period of 90 days (three months) to all manufacturers before the commencement of the new excise duty regime. There is, however, no increase in excise duty of other locally excisable products. Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the Minister of Finance, who stated this in Abuja, remarked that the new excise duty rates were spread over a three-year period from 2018 to 2020 in order to moderate the impact on prices of…

The Federal Government said President Muhammadu Buhari administration has spent $9 billion on the building of infrastructure across the country. Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, stated this during a press briefing in Abuja Sunday to herald the 61st Meeting of the UNWTO-CAF, which is due to start today and run through Wednesday, June 6, 2018. The minister contended that whatever pockets of criminal acts that existed were being addressed squarely, insisting that ‘four years ago, hosting this event in Abuja would have been a pipe dream, considering the level of insecurity. He said, ‘‘Nigeria is safe…

Ibeto Cement Company Limited has announced a historic reverse merger through its acquisition of Century Petroleum Corporation, a United States of America publicly traded petroleum exploration and production company. In a statement issued Sunday, Ibeto Cement stated that it has acquired 70 per cent control of Century Petroleum Corp, resulting in the reverse merging of Ibeto Cement’s assets into Century Petroleum. It stated that Dr. Cletus M. Ibeto has already taken over as Chairman of the Board of Directors. By this reverse merger which is expected to be sealed and publicly presented in 90 days, Ibeto Cement will achieve the…