Author: straightnewsng.com

Akwa Ibom youths have issued a 30-day ultimatum to ExxonMobil to employ youths of the catchment area in contracting firms of the multinational. The youths under the aegis of Nigeria Youth Initiative Forum, however, threatened to disrupt ExxonMobil operations after the expiration of the ultimatum over non-employment of the indigenes. In a letter addressed to the Chairman and Managing Director of ExxonMobil Nigeria, they also threatened to barricade QIT road and the Mobil airstrip for failure by the company to heed to their demand. The letter made available to the newsmen in Uyo was signed by Sammy Bassey, the forum…

Akwa Ibom government has unfolded plans to commence cargo operations at the Akwa Ibom International Airport, Uyo soon. Governor Udom Emmanuel stated this during an interaction with Government House Press, Uyo shortly on arrival from national engagements in Abuja at the Ibom International Airport, Uyo. Emmanuel stated that the entire Niger Delta Region is due for logistics operations both by air and sea, noting that “We can’t just wait any longer. We want to see how we can start cargo operations here, almost immediately.” He expressed he hope that Nigerian Air Force to collaborate with his administration and universities in…

More than 2,790 Akwa Ibom indigenes are to benefit from the Conditional Grant Scheme (CGS) of the Federal Government under job creation, wealth and poverty alleviation in the state. Dr. Dikko Radda, the Director-General of SMEDAN, stated this at the flag-off ceremony of the Conditional Grant Scheme (CGS) for Micro Enterprises in Nigeria held in Uyo Monday. Radda said that 90 beneficiaries were selected from the 31 local government areas of the state and each beneficiary would be given N50,000 to start business. The director-general said the pilot phase of the project was being conducted in six states of Katsina, Gombe,…

Suspected herdsmen have sacked 400 pupils of Local Government Education Authority Primary School, Daudu in Mbatoho Chile, an island close to Benue State Government House of Makurdi local government area from their school. This happened at the commencement of Exercise Ayem A’ Kpatuma by the military to check the incursion of herdsmen into parts of Benue State. Mr. Otave Ephraim, the head teacher of the school on the Island, said “All my pupils who are close to 400, have been chased out of school and displaced due to the activities of the herdsmen who have taken over the entire island…

A 75-year-old man, who allegedly attempted to exhume a dead body was Tuesday granted bail of N100,000 by Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate Court. The Magistrate, Mrs Modupe Afeniforo who gave the ruling, also granted the accused two sureties in like sum. Afeniforo said one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below level 8 and that sureties should reside within the jurisdiction of the court. Luiz, who reside at Orun-Ekiti, Ekiti state, pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of unlawfully digging of grave. Earlier, Oriyomi Akinwale, the police prosecutor had told the court that the accused committed the…

More than 5,000 people were reportedly rendered homeless and 321 houses wrecked by rainstorm in North and South Ukelle, Yala local government area of Cross River State. The first downpour of the year that lasted over four hours was reportedly accompanied by fierce wind and thunderstorm and Ipolo, Mfuma, Wanudu, Ntrigom villages were affected. Mr. Vincent Egbe, the Community Relations Officer for the area, told Vanguard that many families are now sleeping in the open, while some are taking refuge with neighbours and relatives whose houses were not affected. His words: “The damage is widespread and affected many villages. It is…

Unknown gunmen have kidnapped the Village Head of Ikot Edet in Etim Ekpo local government area of Akwa Ibom State. He is Chief Mfon Udoessien who was said to have been abducted from his palace, Monday, after a fierce gun battle between the gunmen and the security agents drafted to provide security in the volatile village. It was learned that the monarch is a brother-in-law to a former Head of Civil Service in Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Cecilia Udoessien. A resident of the area, who is simply identified as Eno, told newsmen that the monarch, a retired primary school headmaster and…

A Nigerian university has developed new drugs to treat diabetes and cancer. Fatima Batul Muktar, Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, who stated this at a press briefing to mark the third convocation of the university Monday, said the anti-diabetic drug has successfully passed pre-clinical stage and has gotten ”ethical approval for clinical trials by Kano State Hospital Management Board.” Salihu Ibrahim Isma’il, who is the researcher of the school’s Biochemistry department, developed the drugs, also confirmed this in an interview. Isma’il said the prevalence of diabetes and cancers motivated him into going into the research. He said he…

Analysts and callers in a private radio station in Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital have loathed Senator Ita Enang, the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Senate) on National Assembly Matters (Senate) for denying that the All Progressives Party-led Federal Government has no plan to re-introduce the abolished onshore/offshore dichotomy in revenue allocation or derivation. It was alleged that from the APC report on proposed restructuring, its recommendation intended to deprive the littoral states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Lagos, among others of the derivation content of revenue allocation. The analysts and callers who spoke Tuesday on Inspiration FM,…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Reconciliation Committee headed by Senator Bola Tinubu may be reconstituted by National Executive Committee (NEC) members of the party to include two new members at a meeting billed to hold few hours from now in Abuja. Last night, the National caucus of the party held a meeting in Abuja and endorsed the decision to appoint two persons- one from North and another from South- into the committee. It is speculated that Chief Don Dick Etiebet from the South and Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko from the North are being considered for the committee. The NEC meeting…