Author: straightnewsng.com

Israel Umoh Despite lingering court hurdles, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken over the baton of office as the fourth democratically elected governor since 1999 to man the affairs of Akwa Ibom for the next four years. Eno from Ikot Ekpene Udo in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State took over from Udom Emmanuel who ruled Akwa Ibom State from 2015 to 2023. During the swearing in ceremony, Mrs Ekaette Obot, Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State administered oath of office to him flanked by his wife, Patience at Godswill Akpabio International…

He struck as a stormy petrel. No pedigree, no track record of accomplishments but only a mentor the nation idolised and respected. The personality he identified with and the cause they shared at the risk of their career and personal comfort was the magic wand that connected them to the masses. Chief Gani Fawehinmi, a legal luminary and an acknowledged conscience of the nation mentored Festus Keyamo both in the practice of law and activism. While alive, Gani, as the Nigerian Press presented him, allowed Keyamo, then under his professional tutelage to share the limelight with him in the pursuit of…

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been administered oaths of office and allegiance by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, thereby becoming Nigeria’s 16th President. Tinubu took the oaths at about 10.37 a.m. on Monday at the Eagles Square, Abuja, venue of the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony. His wife, Senator Remi Tinubu, alongside immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari and his family members were standing beside Tinubu when he took the oath. This is coming a few minutes after the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, was also administered the oath of office. He was sworn-in after Kashim Shettima, took his oath of…

Jubilations trailed the formal inauguration of multi-billion Naira International Worship Centre, Uyo built and completed by Akwa Ibom outgoing governor, Udom Emmanuel. Built by Julius Berger Plc, the centre occupies 5,000 acres with a 10,000 sitting-capacity Centre behind the Udo Udoma Banking Layout at Afaha Ikot Obio Nkan, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area is architectural masterpiece. Data from the Akwa Ibom State Financial Statements of 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 show that during this period, N12.7 billion of the state fund was spent on the project. However, the exact amount spent from 2017 to 2023 is shrouded in secret. Also read: …

As Nigerians continue to blame the British colonial masters over the woes facing the country, speakers at a one-day Uyo Book Club ‘Open House’ interactive session rather faulted leadership failure and inability to manage diversity as the major causes.  The session which birthed a communiqué at the end of the ‘Open House’ held at Lugard Terrace,  Watbridge Hotel, IBB Way, Uyo on Saturday was organised to mark the transition from one administration to another in Nigeria and in Akwa Ibom State. From the theme of the Open House: Lord Lugard – Hero or Villain: A paradigm on Nigeria’s post inauguration…

The aspiration of Senators-elect Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin Barau for Senate Presidency and Deputy Senate Presidency of the 10th Senate received a major boost last Tuesday. The latest endorsements of the duo came from the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District in Edo State. Senator Shettima told more than 70 Senators-elect, who are members of the Stability Group rooting for Akpabio and Jibrin led by Senator Ali Ndume, at his campaign office in Abuja that the choice was the best decision made by the party leadership and the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu…

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the conferment of National honours on 338 Nigerians and friends of Nigeria for their outstanding service to mark the country’s democratic transition process. Of the number, Akwa Ibom outgoing governor Udom Emmanuel is among the 21 names listed for conferment as Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Mrs. Ibiene Roberts, stated this in a circular issued on Sunday in Abuja. Also read: Amusan, Brume, others get National honours, N200m largesse  The circular reads: “There is one person to be conferred with the Grand…

President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Saturday, restated his commitment to the ideals of democracy as the best form of government. Speaking at the inauguration Lecture delivered by former Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, Mr Tinubu stressed the significance of democracy in driving Nigeria’s sustainable development. He acknowledged the indispensable role of democracy as the cornerstone for the nation’s progress and prosperity, emphasising the vital nature of democracy in advancing the nation’s interests. The President-elect’s address was delivered by the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, who used the opportunity to call on Nigerians to stand together with…

Former Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta has identified three enemies of nationhood that could impede meaningful development. Speaking at the inauguration lecture entitled: Deepening Democracy for Integration and Development, in Abuja on Saturday, Kenyatta said “I started by mentioning the three enemies of nationhood negative ethnicity, religious discrimination and corruption. ‘‘As your fellow African, I look forward to a Nigeria that emerges from this transition, ready to flex and fight for its rightful place on the global stage with both hands at the ready.” Kenyatta emphasised the importance of transcending from tactical politics and adopting the role of Nigeria’s vision bearer.…

A two-year-old child and the entire family are serving life  sentence in North Korea after its government discovered Bible in their possession, according to International Religious Freedom Report. The entire family, including a two-year-old, was sentenced to life in a political prison camp in 2009. The US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report 2022 stated this and documented the regime’s crackdown on people having religious beliefs. A document released by a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) estimated that between 50,000 and 70,000 North Korean citizens under the Kim Jong-un regime have been imprisoned for ‘being Christians.’ Christians who have been imprisoned in…