Author: straightnewsng.com

The romance between organised labour and the Federal Government over the new national minimum wage may be temporary as the 36 State governors burst the parley on Friday, saying they cannot sustain the N60,000 being proposed by the government. The governors said if they accept it, a few states would end up borrowing to pay workers monthly. According to the governors, if they sustained the proposed N60,000 minimum wage by the Federal Government, many states would spend all their Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC allocations on just paying salaries with nothing left for development purposes. The governors made their position…

The Super Eagles of Nigeria persevered agonising night as they were held to a 1-1 draw by South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday. Themba Zwane opened the scoring for the visitors with a superb strike in the 29th minute, giving South Africa a first-half lead against the three-time African champions. Nigeria’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru equalized in the second half, scoring his second goal for the national team to cancel out Zwane’s opener. Despite several opportunities, the Super Eagles were unable to secure a victory, leaving fans and players frustrated. Bafana Bafana executed…

With less than one day to go, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has eventually approved the extension of the local government transition administrations for the 31 local government areas in the state for another six months. The Assembly had on December 6, 2023 approved initial six months’ tenure for the transition committees, which elapsed June 6, 2024. It also approved another six month’s extension for the committee during the June 6, 2024 plenary, pending the conduct of elections into the local government councils in the state in October 2024. The resolution of the House is sequel to the adoption…

Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana of South Africa have landed in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital for Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Both teams played out a pulsating AFCON semifinal four months ago in Cote d’Ivoire, but it will be a different ball game tomorrow as the race for a ticket to the 2026 World Cup gathers steam. Antwerp midfielder Alhassan Yusuf said they plan to attack Bafana Bafana, which was not the case when both teams clashed in Bouake. “It will be a different approach for us,” he said. Also read Finidi George Appointed Head Coach of…

A suspected ex-convict who has been parading himself as a military personnel will appear in a court following his arrest by operatives of Akwa Ibom Police Command. In a statement at state police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia in Uyo on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, ASP Timfon John, who stated this said operatives of the command on crime prevention patrol, arrested the suspect, Edidiong Matthew, on Wednesday. According to John, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, a 35-year-old man was an ex-convict, noting that the suspect had perpetrated a series of crimes in the state…

Israel Umoh Distraught residents of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital have lamented the adverse impact of economic activities following the collapsed electricity infrastructure that has plunged the area into darkness, Straightnews can authoritatively report. Check by the newspaper revealed that about  200 households in parts of Uyo metropolis, Akwa Ibom capital are groaning over electricity blackout caused by a faulty transformer. It was gathered that the 500-KVA transformer that supplied electricity to more than 6,000 residents of the area, covering a portion of Udo Ekpo Mkpo Street up to Obong Udo Nkang, High Tension, Tonyleen, Ebong Akpakpan Streets, as…

‘Angry’ flood has claimed the life of a pensioner and destroyed properties worth millions of Naira in some parts of Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, traumatizing many residents and devastating others psychologically. The deceased identified as Mr. Anselem Thomas Etuk, a retired Director in the state Ministry of Education, lost his life as a result of flooding at Ewet Housing Extension, Uyo. Etuk who hailed from Ikpe in Ini Local Government Area of the state was said to have been woken up by the ferocious flood, and he escorted his wife out to a nearby son’s house.…

To ease tension in the political class, Akwa Ibom government on Tuesday announced October 26 for the election of Chairmen and councillors into the 31 local government areas of the state. The 31 local government chairmen and 329 councillors in the state will be elected and will be sworn in December 7, 2024 upon the expiration of the tenure of transition chairmen. Governor Umo Eno made this announcement in Uyo during a stakeholders engagement meeting organised by the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC). Represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Frank Archibong, Eno also presented…

Deceased Andrew Amechi Ochekwo, a businessman in Aba, Abia State, linked with the disappearance of Celine Ndudim and Afiba Tandoh, two ladies who went missing on April 27, 2024, is wanted in the United Kingdom (UK) for sexual assault. Ochekwo is said to have been shot dead when he wanted to escape en route Abuja for more investigations after his arrest in Aba. FIJ found that the UK police had declared Ochekwo, also known as Andrew Ucheckwo, and David Okorocha, wanted in March 2023. He was wanted in connection with the sexual assault of a woman in Milton Keynes in June…

President Bola Tinubu has directed Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to present a new minimum wage template in 48 hours following the agreement reached between the government and the organised labour.  Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation made the announcement on Tuesday, June 4, while briefing State House Correspondents after a negotiation team met with the president at Aso Rock. Idris said; “All parties to the negotiation of the new minimum wage would work together with the organised labour to present a new minimum wage for Nigerians in one week. “All of us will work together assiduously within the next…