Author: straightnewsng.com

By Abasifreke Effiong General Notes: I will use public relations officers and media relations or media mangers interchangeably throughout this short presentation to refer to the same set of persons – Corporate Affairs Managers, Press Secretaries, Publicity Secretaries, Information Officers, Spokespersons, Media Advisers, Media Aides, and the latest additions, Media team and Media unit. This is my 18th year in practice as a journalist, so I’d speak objectively from my observations and experiences about the relationship between media managers and journalists in Akwa Ibom State. The Reality The relationship between media managers and journalists in Akwa Ibom state has evolved…

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly (AKHA) has resolved controversies that arose during the Second Amendment of the Traditional Rulers Council law last year.  The Office of the President-General to last four would be ceremonial and be rotated among the three ethnic groups in the state.  Consequently, the House has given an accelerated hearing for a law to further amend the Traditional Rulers Law Cap 155 Law of Akwa Ibom State 2022 (as amended). The Speaker, Elder Udeme Otong, who presided over plenary directed the Clerk to read the Executive bill at plenary on Friday, September 20, 2024. Related…

By Israel Umoh Today, I don’t only see you as stakeholders selected from a gamut of more than 800 journalists, but also as brethren. As brethren, red blood flows in us, our flesh is Mammalian, we breathe the same oxygen and we feel pain as humans.  Brethren, we played the Biblical Gideon’s card in selecting you to join in the clamour of rebuilding the near-broken walls of media industry in the state. Gideon divided his army into two groups—those who lap the water like a dog and those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred men scooped up water in…

As the Edo State governorship election holds on Saturday, September 21, 2024, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has deployed its operatives to all local government areas in Edo State to tackle voters’ inducement. A statement on Friday by the Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale said the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede, stated that the EFCC was committed to ensuring electoral integrity. He vowed to insulate voters from financial inducement in exercising their franchise. The statement read, “Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have deployed operatives to all local government areas in Edo State to tackle voters’ inducement…

By Straightnews The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has bewailed that the current price of petrol has eroded the gains of the yet-to-be-implemented N70,000 new national minimum wage.  In July 2024, NLC President Joe Ajaero said Mr Ajaero said the labour union “accepted the president’s offer of N70,000…as the new National Minimum Wage and the 3-yearly tenure for its review.” The Organised Labour initially demanded a minimum wage of N615,000, citing economic challenges and the rising cost of living, until the President tricked the labour to accepting and therefore went ahead to increase the petrol pump price per litre. President of…

By Straightnews Ahead of the October 5 local government elections, All Progressives Congress (APC), Akwa Ibom State chapter says 29 chairmanship and 368 councillorship candidates have been cleared. But, the party says it is contesting against the decision of Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) in failing to clear the two disqualified chairmanship candidates. Addressing a press conference at the NUJ secretariat, Uyo on Tuesday, ahead of September 18 flag-off at Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium, Chairman, APC Local Government Elections Campaign/Planning Committee, Senator Ita Enang announced the party’s preparedness to surmount all odds to secure victory for its candidates.…

By Straightnews The South South geo-political zone under the aegis of Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to create modular refineries in the Niger Delta to complement the efforts of Dangote Refinery. To tackle the menace of illegal oil refining and crude oil theft, Nigerian military forces have destroyed no fewer than 137 illegal refineries in a series of operations carried out between August 2023 and July 2024, The Punch reported. PANDEF, in a statement by its Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, said the policy of Modular Refineries was already endorsed by the administration of former President…

A total of 828,284 candidates representing 60.55 per cent who sat for the 2024 Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) internal examination conducted by the National Examination Council (NECO) got credit in English Language and Mathematics. For three years, the pass rate among NECO candidates for the school-based examination has hovered around the same figure- 61.60 per cent in 2023 and 60 per cent in 2022. Announcing the results at the headquarters of the council in Minna, the Niger State capital on Thursday, NECO Registrar, Prof Dantani Wushishi, said 1,376,436 candidates sat for the examination and that the results are coming…

Akwa Ibom State lost several laurels in arts and culture at the national level for failing to participate in the National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST) for 12 years. The Director, Akwa Ibom State Council for Arts and Culture, Uyo, Dr. Unwana Joshua Udo, who stated this while fielding questions from journalists in his office, said the state contingents also lost relevance at the national scene due to their non-participation. Udo who just returned from a summit organised by the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) in Abuja narrated the hazzles he passed through in an effort to…

By Aniefiok Christopher The members of Nsit Atai Village Youth Leaders Forum Wednesday impeached Comrade Ndu Davis Akpan led executive of the forum over allegations bordering on abuse of office and financial impropriety. The decision to impeach Comr. Ndu Akpan was reached during an emergency meeting of the forum held at Afaha Unity Hall, Odot in Nsit Atai Local Government Area where the Village Youth Leaders unanimously passed a vote of no confidence on his administration. In a communique jointly endorsed by its Vice President, Mr Effiong Udo Akpan, Mr. Williams Sunday, Youth Leader, Afaha Clan, Mr Bassey Okon Bassey,…