Author: straightnewsng.com

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…

The 20-year-old intra-communal crisis that rocked Isuofia town in Aguata local government area of Anambra State was Tuesday resolved following the reconciliation of the two factions and the ultimate election of a new town union Executive Council. Trouble was said to have started in 1997 when a quarter of Isuofia community announced its secession from the town and proclaiming Isuanioma community, an action that led to a breakdown of law and order in the area. During the crisis, more than nine buildings were torched, 36 families fled their homes for fear of attacks, while two persons were alleged to have…

Four Chinese and 16 other persons suspected to be engaged in illegal mining operations at Echara Unuphu, Abakaliki local government area of Ebonyi state have been arrested by officials of the state government and security operatives in the state. Addressing newsmen at the mining site, Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, the Senior Special Adviser to the governor on Internal Security, condemned the activities of illegal miners across the state, noting that the state government would no longer fold its arms and allow the fortunes of the state to end in private pockets. “The future of this state is at stake because of…

Apparently peeved by the state of insecurity in the country, the House of Representatives Wednesday asked President Muhmmadu Buhari to sack Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and replace him with a more professional officer. This came on a day the Senate threw out the report of Committee on Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence over recent killings in Benue State, and scolded the committee for writing and presenting what it described as unbalanced and incomplete report. Lawmakers in the House of Representatives, after listening to two separate motions by Mark Gbillah and Nuhu Damburam from Benue and Kano on…

The Senate has summoned the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, to appear before it and explain the reason behind the influx of refugees from the Republic of Cameroon to some border communities in Cross River State and its attendant security fallout. It also called on the authorities to increase military presence and intensify border patrol within the area to prevent further acts of trespass by Cameroonian soldiers, and asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, to urgently liaise with his Cameroonian counterpart to secure the release of innocent Nigerians. Resolutions of the Senate Tuesday were sequel to a…

A middle-aged man, who has been parading as a lawyer for 15 years, was Tuesday nabbed at a magistrate court in Ojo area of Lagos for his inability to move a motion for bail. The suspect identified as Barrister Elisha Chris was apprehended in the full regalia of a lawyer at Ojo Magistrate court where he attempted to stand as a lawyer for an accused person on a criminal case. But the prosecuting counsel, Barrister Nnamdi Nwafor, who observed that the suspect could not move a motion for the variation of the bail condition of the accused, challenged his claim…

Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, Concessionaire of Jebba in collaboration with Kainji Hydro Power Plants has invested N288.414 million in its Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, projects in the host communities. Col. Sani Bello, retd, chairman of the company, stated this at a forum with representatives of host communities around both Jebba and Kainji Dams explained that the investments were made in education, health, water and power supply, through its subsidiary, Mainstream Energy Solutions Foundation. Col. Bello urged the host communities to guarantee Mainstream peaceful environment to operate as the company was committed to providing more development projects for them. In his…

Nigeria has resumed production and export of additional 225,000 barrels per day, bpd, following the resumption of operations at Bonga which was shut down for maintenance in March 2017. Investigations by Vanguard showed that the rehabilitation carried out by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited, SNEPCo, was completed a few weeks ago, thus enabling the company to produce one million barrels of oil worth $6.7 million at the current $67.00 per barrel. The one million barrels, it was gathered, left the Bonga terminal in a vessel known as Suezmax Narmada Spirit for the export market, Tuesday. SNEPCo had earlier…

The Federal Government through Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) has targeted to create 15 million jobs over a four-year period. Senator Udo Udoma, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, stated this during the presentation on ERGP Focus Labs at the inauguration of the Core Teams at State House, Abuja. Udoma further stated that the government requires $245 billion to fund the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP, implementation over the same period. Udoma said the amount was needed to sustain the momentum of the gains so far made from the ERGP, which recorded 1.40 per cent growth in…

Following ground-breaking DNA analysis of the remains of a man who lived 10,000 years ago, London scientists agreed Wednesday that the first modern Briton had dark skin and blue eyes. Known as “Cheddar Man” after the area in southwest England where his skeleton was discovered in a cave in 1903, the ancient man has been brought to life through the first ever full DNA analysis of his remains. In a joint project between Britain’s Natural History Museum and University College London, scientists drilled a 2mm hole into the skull and extracted bone powder for analysis. Their findings transformed the way…