Author: straightnewsng.com

Nigeria’s four representatives in the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup discovered their playoff-round opponents after Wednesday’s draw in Cairo. Plateau United, MFM FC, Enyimba and Akwa United are all seeking to reach the group stage of Africa’s secondary club competition. Reigning NPFL champions, Plateau United, who dropped from the CAF Champions League after being eliminated by Etoile du Sahel, are scheduled to play USM Alger of Algeria in arguably the toughest of the four draws. MFM FC, who were also dumped out of the CAF Champions League, will take on Djoliba of Mali. Enyimba face South African champions Bidvest Wits. After…

Co-founder of Bill and Melinda Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates at the special and expanded National Economic Council, held in Abuja on Thursday made some suggestions that could help the country position properly in terms of growth. Here are 7 points. 1.Growth is inevitable, Nigeria has unmatched economic potentials, but what becomes of that potential depends on the choices you make as Nigeria leaders. – 2.The most important choice you can make is to maximize your greatest resource, the Nigerian people. Nigeria will thrive when every Nigerian is able to thrive. 3.If you invest in their health, education, and opportunities- the…

Customers are to pay new charges for the installation of meters in their houses. Already, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has approved the new charges. This follows the commission’s scrapping of payment of the market prices of both prepaid and manual meters under the new electricity tariff regime. Under the new tariff regime that takes effect from June 1, 2012, customers will no longer pay the market price for prepaid meters as both the costs of meters and their maintenance have been factored into the new tariff. The new charges, which will serve as meter connection fees, will be less…

Chinese authorities in Shangqiu, Central Henan province have reportedly issued a warning forbidding Christian gatherings and placing Christians under house arrest in the area. The warning allegedly stipulates that any Christian who refuses to comply will be punished but does not specify the nature of that punishment. China Aid reports that Chinese officials are also tearing down couplet door decorations that use Christian language. According to an anonymous source in Henan, Christians in the province have been placed under house arrest without charge, with police officers watching their residence. Our source gathered that the Christians are also required to report…

Two bills seeking to stop the concession of Ajaokuta Steel Company scaled second reading at the House of Representatives on Thursday. They include a bill for an act to provide for the Ajaokuta Steel Company completion fund and a bill for an act to amend the public enterprise privatisation and commercialisation act. Nkem Uzoma from Abia state and 300 other lawmakers are sponsoring each of the bills. There has been a lingering controversy surrounding the Ajaokuta Steel Company. Last week, lawmakers asked President Muhammadu Buhari to direct Kayode Fayemi, minister of mines and steel development, to stop the process of the…

The Galaxy S9 preorder started shipping out some days ago, and we got our unit on Monday. It’s no longer news that this phone looks quite a lot like the Galaxy S8 except for some little changes here and there. It still has the same general design and button placement. If you have the Galaxy S8+ and you’re wondering whether you should upgrade to the Galaxy S9+ or not, the major differences are the bigger 6GBs of RAM, the upgraded rear camera with variable aperture, the new telephoto lens for better zoom and portrait mode, super slow motion, much better…

Criticisms have continued to trail the purported refusal by Federal Government to negotiate for the release of a student of Government Girls Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi in Yunusari local government area of Yobe State said to be detained for refusing to renounce her Christian faith. Nathan Sharibu, father of the only student, Leah who is yet to be freed, confirmed that Boko Haram insurgents decided not to release his daughter because she refused to renounce Christ, noting “They gave her the option of converting in order to be released but she said she will never become a Muslim……

Oprah Winfrey, American television personality and film star, has offered advice to Lionel Messi on how he can win the World Cup with Argentina, Goal reports. Messi is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, but his detractors often point to the fact that he has never won international football’s biggest trophy in order to rule out his eligibility as the best ever. Argentina’s best finish during the Messi era came four years ago when they knocked out Belgium and Holland  en route to the final, only to come undone by Germany after extra time in Rio…

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, Wednesday, substituted the sentence of Yakubu Yusuf, a former official of the Police Pension Office, said to have stolen N24 billion pension funds with a total of six years’ imprisonment with an addition of N22.9 billion fine. Justice Abubakar Talba of the Federal High Court in Gudu, Abuja, had in his judgment delivered on January 28, 2013 convicted Yusuf and sentenced him to two years imprisonment with an option of N750,000 fine. A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal headed by Justice Abdu Aboki, in a unanimous judgment, quashed the ruling and described…

An 18-year-old nursing mother, Wednesday, dragged her lover to a Sharia Court at Magajin Gari, Kaduna, for refusing to marry her. Maryam Magaji told the court that Badamasi Salihu, 20, dated her for a year and promised to marry her, only to turn his back on her after getting her pregnant. “I reported the matter to our district head, and he agreed to marry me after I deliver but he denied me after giving birth to his child saying he cannot marry me,” the complainant lamented. Maryam begged the court to compel the defendant to accept the three weeks’ old…