Author: straightnewsng.com

Torrents of congratulation in the social media are being showered on a Nigerian student who was honoured for breaking again the existing academic record at the Imperial College, London. Christiana Esio Udoh, 26, the Akwa Ibom mmatang (oyibo) was Monday, February 26, honoured by the college with the enviable Dudley Newitt Prize for Experimental Excellence. Udoh had, since the first six months of enrolling for a Ph.D in Chemical Engineering, exuded exceptional academic feat which attracted a complete scholarship from the school. The award was officially announced during the Dudley Newitt Lecture at the university campus, London. Reacting to the…

Since the inception of the persisting civil rule in 1999, the reform programmes of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) beginning with the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo to that of the home boy, Goodluck Jonathan and those of the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari do not appear to be responsive to the plight of the oil-bearing communities of the Niger Delta. The Nigerian state tends to define energy security primarily as promoting the expansion of oil production in the Niger Delta region.  While this tends to further increase the country’s dependence on oil,…

The Federal Government has set up a12-member committee to unravel the circumstances surrounding the recent abduction of 110 students in Yobe State by Boko Haram fighters. The committee was convened by the National Security Adviser, NSA, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, retd. Lai Mohammed, the information minister, who stated this Tuesday, said the committee, to be chaired by a military officer of the rank of Major General, comprises one senior Provost each from the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force; representatives of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA; Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA; Nigeria Police Force, NPF; Department of State…

The ex-governor of Anambra State Monday in London proffered two conditions needed for Nigeria to overcome its economic difficulties and for Africa to develop. Speaking to newsmen after the high-level discussions at the British House of Commons, Mr. Peter Obi mentioned the conditions include huge investment in education and skill acquisition as well as meaningful support for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). “Nigeria must focus on investing in education and skill acquisition in order to turn round its economy, and drastically reduce the levels of youth unemployment,” Obi He revolutionised the education sector in Anambra during his days as Governor,…

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…