Author: straightnewsng.com

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, has added 17 new deep offshore oil blocks to the 2024 oil bid round, bringing the total blocks on offer to 36.  The blocks which are located across onshore Niger Delta, Continental shelf, and deep offshore are expected to increase the country’s reserves and boost its oil production. NUPRC had in April unveiled 12 new acreages for the 2024 bid round with another seven deep offshore blocks from last year’s bid round. The Commission in a document released on Tuesday signed by its Chief Executive, Engr Gbenga Komolafe entitled: Nigeria oil block licencing…

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thunderstorms and cloudiness from Tuesday to Thursday across the country. NiMet’s weather outlook released on Monday in Abuja forecasts morning thunderstorms on Tuesday over parts of Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe, and Gombe states. It envisaged thunderstorms over parts of Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Kano, Bauchi, Katsina, and Taraba states later in the day. “Partly cloudy conditions are expected over the central regions during the morning hours, with prospects of afternoon/evening thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, and Kwara states. Also read Thunderstorms: As rains start, NiMet warns pilots…

The fate of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa, is hanging in the balance over allegations of sexual harassment as three more women have also testified against him.  The Permanent Secretary had been in the eye of the storm for days over allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by one Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi who is an aide to the Minister of External Affairs. The lady wrote a petition to the minister which forced the latter to equally write to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, to probe the allegation. Also…

In one year, the average price of imported food commodities to Nigeria rose to its highest level, reaching 34 per cent between April 2023 and April 2024. This represents an increase of 200 basis points from 32 per cent recorded in March 2024, according to an analysis of the Consumer Price Index report released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday. The Federal Government had ruled out the importation of food as part of strategies to address the high costs of foodstuffs and the economic hardship troubling the country. However, internal and external factors including global supply chain shocks…

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has faulted plans by the Federal Government to buy new jets for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. Obi, in a Monday post on X (formerly Twitter), urged the current government to focus on alleviating the suffering of the people and not splurging scarce resources on the acquisition of new presidential jets. Last week, the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence asked the Federal Government to purchase new aircraft for Tinubu and Shettima. The committee’s recommendation followed its investigation into the status of the aircraft in the…

Three children from the same parents, abducted in Ama Ime, Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State have been received by Governor Alex Otti. Gideon, aged 8; Divine, 6; and Israel, 4; all form Ikwuano, were abducted while returning home from school on May 10, 2024. They were returning from school and reportedly had a stop-over in their grandmother’s house who engaged a motorcyclist to convey them home. But instead of taking them home, the devil-may-care motorcyclist decided to bolt away with the hapless kids. Following an intense manhunt, two kids were rescued later after about three weeks in Anambra…

Akwa Ibom Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has called on the stakeholders to be more involved in ensuring even spread of development projects in their local government areas in the overall interest of the people.  Speaking on the one-project-per-local-government-area initiative, Eno urged stakeholders to show leadership and be more interested in development plans in their various areas as the initiative enters the second phase across the 31 local government areas of the state. The advice may be against accusations that some Peoples Democratic Party stakeholders in most local government areas in the state are cornering the projects to locations or villages…

As Governor Umo Eno administration begins the second phase of development projects under ARISE Agenda in the 31 LGAs in the state, aggrieved leaders of benefiting communities are peeved over the siting of the projects. Accordingly, they have rejected plots by some political leaders particularly in what is known as Abak 5 to site the projects in their villages or locations favourable to them, not others. In the first phase of ARISE Agenda, Eno administration had sited similar projects worth over N700 million ranging from clinics to schools in each of the local government areas of the state. Our correspondent…

Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected South Africa’s president following an ANC-led coalition agreement with opposition parties in parliament. This coalition marks a significant shift after the ANC lost its majority control in last month’s elections, securing only 159 out of 400 seats in the national assembly, according to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). The DA garnered 87 seats, while the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, backed by former President Jacob Zuma, obtained 58 seats. Lawmakers in Cape Town voted overwhelmingly to put Ramaphosa, 71, back in office for another five years after the May 29 general election that produced no outright winner.…

Rangers international Football Club of Enugu have won the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) title after dusting Bendel Insurance 2-0 in Enugu on Sunday with one game remaining. The win took Rangers to 67 unassailable points at the top after their closest rivals Remo Stars and Enyimba lost 2-1 to Sunshine Stars and Sporting Lagos, respectively. It is the 8th Nigerian league title for the Flying Antelopes, making them the second most successful club in the league’s history trailing only Enyimba who have 9 league titles in their trophy cabinet. Also read Young Akwa Starlets Upset 49-Year-Old Enugu Rangers…