Author: straightnewsng.com

Some experts have decried the growing opaqueness in the petroleum industry, saying from 2007 to 2017 the country could not account for about $83 billion of the withdrawals made from the Excess Crude Account, ECA. The administration of Nigeria’s Excess Crude Account, ECA has for several years been shrouded in secrecy as experts have continued to query the “loss” of a substantial part of the fund through shady circumstances. At a round table on Savings and Stabilization Mechanism for Nigeria, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, a former Vice President (Africa Region) of the World Bank, and Odein Ajumogobia, SAN, a…

The Senator Bukola Saraki led new Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP tendency in the All Progressives Congress, APC has said it is waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling party to call its bluff for it take a decision. The nominal chairman of the group, Alhaji Kawu Baraje had in an interview at the weekend said the group, however, is committed to remaining within the party but under acceptable conditions. The nPDP comprising Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara at least two governors and more than 20 senators among others had walked out of the negotiations with the party following…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has seized no fewer than 35 containers of tramadol at various ports in the country. Prof. Moji Adeyeye, Director-General of the agency, who stated this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said nine of the seized containers of tramadol were released to NAFDAC by the Nigeria Custom Service, NCS, and had been destroyed by her agency. “We are seriously working with the custom on this and each time they seize any container, they usually invite us to come and see the containers with tramadol.…

Ekeleke Elumelu, the iconic reggae star of Rumbar Stylee fame, popularly known as Ras Kimono, Sunday, passed onto eternity. The singer reportedly died in a Lagos hospital after a brief illness. Born on May 9, 1958, Ras Kimomo started his music career as a member of the legendary Jastix Reggae Ital, alongside Majek Fashek, Amos McRoy Jegg and Black Rice Osagie. His music was greatly influenced by the poverty, inequality and hardship he witnessed in his early life. He released his solo debut album “Under pressure” on the Premier Music label in 1989, which propelled him to instant continental stardom.…

World number one Rafael Nadal won an 11th French Open title by beating Austrian Dominic Thiem in straight sets. Nadal, 32, won 6-4 6-3 6-2 to earn his 17th Grand Slam, three adrift of Roger Federer’s all-time men’s record. The Spaniard edged an intense opening set, tightening his grip in the second. And despite having cramp in the third he increased the tempo further, beating Thiem in his first major final when the 24-year-old returned long. “It’s a dream to win 11 times,” Nadal said. “It was important to play the way I did. It was a tough moment…

President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration of June 12 as Democraciy Day is seen as a mere jamboree because it is not yet entrenched in the nation’s Public Holidays Act. Wednesday last week, Buhari issued a press release declaring June 12 as Democracy Day to replace the known May 29 usually set aside for the swearing in of the country’s President, vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors  and conferment of post-humous award of GCON on M.K.O. Abiola, the presumed winner. However, the President issued another press release Friday last week that June 12, 2018 would not be marked as public holiday, though…

Simona Halep fought back from a set and a break down to finally achieve her “dream” of winning a Grand Slam title. She beat Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in a gruelling French Open final on Saturday. The world number one had lost all three of her previous major finals, including two at Roland Garros, and said she struggled to contain her emotions after staging a thrilling comeback. “In the last game I felt like I could not breathe anymore”, said Halep. It was the perfect way for the Romanian to banish the demons of her painful final defeat by…

Mixed reactions continue to trail the President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-invalidation of June 12 presidential elections presumably won by the late M. O. K . Abiola but was truncated by the then military junta. In this vein, a Nigerian university don has reminded military despots and apologists of June 12, 1993 presidential elections that nemesis cannot be averted by bribery or by divine retribution wished away by lip service. This came on the heels of a statement further collaborated by Prince Williams Akporeha, President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, indicated that ”Without contradiction, the democracy Nigeria…

Today, we add a new page to our pledge to serve humanity. In our mission statement, we promise to give voice to the voiceless. And we start by introducing spicy, awed, and inspiring story under we aptly tag Street Interview, a maiden edition to enrich our reading menu daily for our teeming readers and followers. Please, send yours and your picture to us at no cost for publication in this page. Happy reading! “During my stint in the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State at the wake of militancy in the Niger Delta, I visited a friend at Abuloma Amadi…

It was a black Saturday as members of a protestant church in Ethiopia watched helplessly as their pastor who was baptising faithful at Lake Abaya was reportedly attacked and devoured by a crocodile. The lake covering 1,162 km² is known to host huge crocodile population and is close to Arba Minch city, some 500 kilometres to the South west of the capital Addis Ababa. An eye witness accounts who took the news to social media simply identified the victim as Doche. According to the eye witness, the pastor was reportedly baptising members of his congregation in the Lante locality of…