Author: straightnewsng.com

Global Amnesty Watch, GAW, an International human rights organisation, Monday, urged the Federal Government to exit the International Criminal Court, ICC, saying it was the only way that on-going war against terrorism in the country could be won without repercussions. The Geneva based group made the call in a communique it issued at the end of the 2nd International Human Rights Conference on Local Armed Conflict in Nigeria, held in Abuja. The conference, with the theme: “Assessing Nigeria’s response to the global security threats & its implications for world peace”, was organised in partnership with Institute for African Studies, University…

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Monday, raised the alarm, saying there were danger signals over the 2019 general elections. He also noted that said it was through God’s intervention that the country was not thrown into constitutional crisis during the 2015 general elections. Prof. Jega, who raised the alarm while delivering the 2018 Democracy Day lecture in Abuja, also told the federal government to ensure that security operatives display high sense of professionalism and neutrality in the forthcoming elections.. He further said there was deficit of good governance in the country and that…

The Ministry of Finance is yet to submit its report to the House of Representatives’ ad-hoc committee investigating the $17 million fee for lawyers involved in the transfer of $321 million Abacha loot to Nigeria. Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, had engaged Oladipo Okpeseyi, a senior advocate, and Temitope Adebayo, two Nigerian lawyers to do a job that had already been completed by Enrico Monfrini, the Swiss lawyer hired by the Nigerian government since 1999 to work on recovering the loot. Monfrini had questioned the engagement of the lawyers in an e-mail interview with online portal, TheCable, saying there was…

Former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has revealed that in 2015 the National Assembly leadership allegedly coerced the executive arm to part with an additional N17 billion before the year’s budget was passed into law. Okonjo-Iweala responded to allegation by Femi Gbajabiamila, the Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, over claims that she and her aides inserted their own projects into the 2015 budget. Clarifying the issues on her verified Twitter handle on Sunday, she said the lawmaker’s claims were inaccurate. The former minister had in her book, ‘Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines,’ revealed…

Transparency International, anti-corruption group, said Monday that the government has in the run-up to elections, expanded the use of opaque $670 million-a-year funds that fuel graft. The funds, known as “security votes”, are a relic of military rule, mainly disbursed in hard cash and nominally released for dealing with unexpected security issues. They come from both federal and state governments, although the vast majority is disbursed under the latter. According to Transparency International’s report, they have become “synonymous with official corruption and abuse of power.” The watchdog’s report comes as President Muhammadu Buhari is gearing up to run for a…

Withhold not discipline from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall die admonished by the Holy Book if not obeyed by parents in child upbringing is said to attract shame and embarrassment to the family and the society, declared a clergyman. Speaking during this year’s Children’s Day celebrations, Pastor Sam Etok observed that inability by many parents in the society to instill discipline in their children through corporal punishment has compelled them to wrong doings. Etok preaching a sermon at Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, South South 33 Region, Uyo on Sunday decried the…

Analysts and callers on a privately owned radio station in Uyo, Monday, have unanimously raised alarm: Declare state of emergency on public primary and secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State said to be in deplorable conditions to forstall dwindling standard of education. The alarm came against the background of various publications based on thorough investigations by Premium Times, online newspapers further collaborated by Uyo-based Radar newspapers that the schools were stinking in terms of infrastructural facilities coupled with dearth of committed teachers due to lack of motivation. Of course, the analysts were not oblivious of the fact that most of…

In a bid to address the increased demand for dollars which led to N2 depreciation of the naira in the parallel market last week, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Sunday, increased dollar sales to bureaux de change, BDCs, by 50 percent, saying it was compulsory that each BDCs purchased $60,000 per week. The apex bank also directed banks to begin to sell dollars across the counter to all travellers with valid documents, both customers and non customers. Meanwhile, the Association of Bureaux De Change Operators (ABCON) has kicked against the CBN order, describing it as ‘unfair.’ The directives of…

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has cautioned aspiring political office seekers and their supporters in the state against arming youths to disrupt elections. Emmanuel gave the warning Sunday during an inter-denominational thanksgiving service that marked the 2018 Democracy Day and the third year anniversary of his administration, at the Uyo Township Stadium, Uyo. The Governor, who took Bible readings from Proverbs 2: 5, Isaiah 20:27 and Psalms 18: 28, remarked that state has enjoyed relative peace in the last three years, observed that it would be unpatriotic for individuals to attempt to create anarchy…

As part of the on-going dialogue and consultations between the All Progressives Congress, APC, and members of the aggrieved new People’s Democratic Party, nPDP, led by Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, the group will Monday meet with the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to further chat a way forward. The outcome of the meetings with the Vice president and President Muhammad Buhari will determine whether members of the aggrieved nPDP in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, will still stay in the party or consider other alternatives. The meeting as scheduled will later take in the office of the President, Muhammadu Buhari…