Author: straightnewsng.com

Staffers of National Health Insusrance Scheme, NHIS, numbering 60, Wednesday openly protested against the reinstated Executive Secretary of NHIS, Prof. Yusuf Usman, who resumed work in the office. Prof. Usman had been suspended from office by Prof. Isaac Adewole, the Minister of Health, following an indictment by an administrative panel which found him culpable of mismanaging NHIS funds, totaling N919 million and gross insubordination. The staffers, under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, led by Mr. Razak Omomeji, the Branch Chairman, called out its members to express their rejection of President Buhari’s decision to…

The presidency’s backing for state and community policing, Wednesday, has elicited mixed reactions from some eminent Nigerians. Why we need state, community police – Osinbajo Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President who disclosed that 15 states have agreed to allocate 5000 hectares of land for cattle ranching and livestock production: “It will be recalled that the Senate had, on November 30, 2017, inaugurated the Ad-Hoc Committee on Review of Security Infrastructure in the Country. This came about because we were increasingly concerned at the spate of crises and insecurity in many parts of the country, and knew that we needed to do…

The 36 governors in the country Wednesday shunned the two-day Summit on National Security organized by Senate in Abuja. The governors who were officially invited to the summit neither attended nor their representatives. The boycott might not be unconnected with the divergent views the governors who in recent past have been faced with some security infrations on how they could control and own state police to contain with such. However, the Presidency threw its weight behind state and community policing to address the prevailing wave of insecurity across the country. Declaring open a two-day Summit, President Muhammadu Buhari, who was…

South Africa’s beleaguered president, Jacob Zuma is said to be negotiating terms to step down as president, according to a top ANC official in a leaked recording published by Timeslive. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) had scheduled a meeting on Wednesday evening of its National Executive Committee (NEC), which has the authority to fire Zuma, but canceled it late on Tuesday after “constructive” talks between new ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa and Zuma. Ramaphosa said Wednesday he was holding direct talks with Zuma over a transition of power and he hoped to conclude their discussions “in coming days.” But leaked…

Chinese Super League club, Hebei China Fortune, are reportedly prepared to meet the €700m release clause of Barcelona’s Argentine wizard, Lionel Messi. Messi recently signed a new long-term deal at the Nou Camp with a €700m release clause. New rules in Chinese football mean any deal would cost Hebei a staggering €1.4bn (£1.2bn). Reports in various European news media said Hebei China Fortune, which signed Javier Mascherano from the Catalan side in January, are preparing another bid for Messi after their first move was rejected. Hebei also signed Ezequiel Lavezzi and reports claimed the two signings were aimed at convincing…

The federal government has announced the appointment of a consortium of banks including Citi Group, Standard Chartered, StanbicIBTC, Whitten-Case and African Practice to handle the $2.5b Eurobond. Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance, stated this while briefing journalists on the USD2.5 billion External Borrowing for refinancing. Adeosun speaking on the impact of the use of the Proceeds of the USD500 million issued in November 2017, hinted that the proceeds, about N162.50 billion, were used to redeem Nigerian Treasury Bills, NTBs, which matured in December 2017. She said: ” The immediate impact was a significant drop in the Bid Rates at the Auctions of…

Four suspected robbery suspect were Tuesday killed in a gun battle with operatives of the Anti -Crime Patrol Squad of the Nigeria Police Force in Sapele, Delta State. Andrew Anieamaka, the Delta State Police Command’s spokesman, who confirmed the incident via telephone conversation with Vanguard, said the hoodlums met their waterloo in the early hours of yesterday when they invaded a brothel along Adeola by Crudas road junction in Sapele. A police source stated that the robbery suspects who were on rampage in Sapele and its environs have been on the police wanted list for some time now. “They robbed…

Five policemen allegedly involved in the death of a commercial bus driver in Benin City were Tuesday arrested, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Babatunde Kokumo stated. The policemen were alleged to have pushed the bus driver into the upcoming vehicle before the trailer crushed him to death. Though CP Kokumo did not confirm the number of arrested policemen but Vanguard gathered they were five of them currently in detention. The death of the driver identified John sparked protests in some parts of Benin City which led to the burning of five police Hilux vans and killing of three…

A High Court sitting in Yenagoa in Bayelsa State has sentenced to death by hanging a 30-year-old woman for killing her husband. The unfortunate incident occurred on February 4, 2015 at the couple’s residence on Ebisam road at the Akenfa suburb of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. The deceased, Henry Gagariga, a lawyer and his wife, Victoria, a staff of the Bayelsa Arts and Culture, both of Bayelsa State origin got married in 2014, though the union was yet to produce any child before the unfortunate incident. Victoria was said to have stabbed Henry on the neck after a misunderstanding…

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has feigned he was unaware that the reinstated Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Usman Yusuf was being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over allegation of corruption. Mohammed was fielding questions from State House correspondents on why the Federal Government decided to upturn the suspension slammed on the Executive Secretary when he was allegedly being investigated by EFCC. “I am not aware that the EFCC is investigating the recently reinstated Executive Secretary of the NHIS. But if that is the case, I don’t think…