Author: straightnewsng.com

By Straightnews The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has denied a claim by Simon Ekpa, a Biafran political activist, that she facilitated a $57.5 billion loan for the Biafra Republic Government in exile. The rebuttal came in response to a post by Ekpa on X (formerly Twitter), where he falsely claimed that Okonjo-Iweala had helped secure a loan from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Ekpa’s tweet dated October 23, 2024, implied that the loan was meant to support the formation of the Biafra government following a planned declaration of independence on December…

Tragedy has struck Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) following the inability to recover eight persons on board helicopter it engaged, which crashed in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, on Thursday. Confirming this, NNPCL  spokesperson, Oluwafemi Soneye, said the helicopter engaged by the company and operated by East Winds Aviation was heading to its floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility. Already, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has confirmed a helicopter crash involving a Sikorsky SK76 operated by East Wind Aviation. The accident occurred at approximately 11:22 am on Thursday along the waterways near Bonny…

By Israel Umoh  Adorning both sides of the road are storey buildings, Deeper Life Bible Church, New Faith in Christ Church, residential buildings standing at the mercy of the excavated site. Within the site were some staffers of Nsik Engineering Construction Company donned in the company’s aprons. More than five of them paraded around the parked bus with insignia: ‘‘Government of Akwa Ibom State.’’ Four staffers of the company were struggling to bind rods for the manhole linked to the pipe jacking project. As soon as the torrential rain pounded the vicinity, they quickly deserted the area while the ‘angry’ rain…

By Israel Umoh’ The Federal Government plans to establish gas mother stations in Akwa Ibom State. Announcing this during a telephone interview with Straightnews publisher on Thursday, October 24, the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo said ‘‘We will also establish gas mother stations in the state.’’ Commenting on if Federal Government has plans to establish Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) depots in Akwa Ibom State, he said ‘‘I have to do that in consultation with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and Akwa Ibom State Government. The discussion is ongoing.’’ Related news:  Nigerian Govt Poised to crash…

By Straightnews Former Chairman of the National Electoral Commission, NEC, Professor Humphrey Nwosu, has passed away. He died in a hospital in the United States, according to a reliable source who confirmed the news to Vanguard. An official statement regarding his death is expected to be released soon. Born on October 2, 1941, Nwosu was appointed NEC Chairman by then Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, serving from 1989 to 1993. During his tenure, he conducted Nigeria’s historic June 12, 1993 election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in the country’s history. Related news Akwa Ibom: NGF Mourns, PDP Suspends LG…

By Israel Umoh The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo, says Federal Government has come out with a new roadmap to force down the soaring prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (cooking gas) in the country. Ekperikpe, who was sworn into office on August 21, 2023 by President Bola Tinubu, is among the Ministers who have retained his office amid the President’s cabinet rejig on Wednesday. The Minister had, in a bid to tackle the soaring price of cooking gas, established a high-level committee in November 2023, led by the Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream Downstream…

By Straightnews The Federal Government said it will examine state laws on the conduct of local government polls, as well as scrutinise why some state governments have delayed the conduct of their local government elections. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, who stated this in Ekiti on Tuesday, said there was no going back on the Federal Government’s plan to implement the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy. Currently, no fewer than 164 local government councils in eight states are yet to conduct the elections. There have been reports President Bola Tinubu may…

The Akwa Ibom State government is the third state in Nigeria to pay a new Minimum Wage of N80,000 above the N70,000 approved by the Federal Government for its public servants.  The state Commissioner of Information, Mr Ini Ememobong, stated that the N80,000 minimum wage is a reflection that the government is  committed to the welfare of workers. Already, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on October 16, announced that his government plans to pay workers a minimum wage of N85,000, while Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on October 19, approved the payment of N85,000 as the new minimum wage for…

By Israel Umoh  The closure of the busy Calabar-Itu Federal Highway was to aid the reconstruction and halt the ravaging gully erosion menace from dividing a portion of Nwut Usiong community in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The looming gully that threatened the mouth of the highway was a source of concern to the road users and residents of the area. And the Akwa Ibom State Government, based on the advice of experts for the reconstruction of the deplorable portion, awarded contract that included excavation of popular Afaha Ube Itam Road, which is adjacent to the affected…

By Straightnews Apostle Johnson Suleman, the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, has responded to Nollywood actress Halima Abubakar’s public apology for her defamatory comments, asserting that forgiveness does not equate to memory loss. In a terse statement on X.com on Wednesday, Suleman who is also the Senior Pastor of the church said, “You all stop calling my phone. Forgiveness is not memory loss! Status quo maintained!” The statement comes after Abubakar issued a public apology to Suleman for her defamatory remarks against him. Related news ‘I’m not angry at those insulting me on social media’ Apostle Suleman Apostle…