Author: straightnewsng.com

Iniobong Sunday Ahead of next month’s presidential primary, a coalition of more than 13 socio-political groups from the South South and South East Regions, have expressed dismay at calls by the National Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN) for the Minister of Transportation, Chief Chibuike Amaechi, to resign within 48 hours. The coalition warned that no amount of threats would deter him from his genuine quest to run for the Nigeria’s presidency in 2023. Describing the action as a sponsored blackmail with the intention of distracting the Minister following his declaration to seek presidential mandate in 2023, they warned those behind…

Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy has granted clemency and pardon to 159 Nigerians convicted for various offences. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami stated this on Thursday after the Council of State meeting presided over by the President Muhammadu Buhari. Malami did not name the beneficiaries of the state pardon but there are unconfirmed reports to that two former governors who were convicted and jailed for corruption, Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, of Plateau and Taraba states, respectively, were among those that were pardoned. Read also: Council of State Approves $1bn For Agriculture,…

I join our Christian brothers and sisters to celebrate this year’s Easter, which is the most significant event/festival in the Christian calendar. This year’s celebration is very unique for adherents of the two great faiths in Nigeria. It culminates the 40-day season of Lent for Christians, where the faithful is expected to fast, pray, assist the poor, abhor injustice and strife, give alms, penitently engage in self-examination and repentance of sins. Similar values apply to the Muslim faithful, currently about half-way into the holy month of Ramadan. For us as a nation, the message of Easter, which commemorates the resurrection…

Two English teams- Liverpool and Manchester City- Wednesday qualified to reach the Champions League semi-finals. Manchester City produced a disciplined performance to secure a fractious 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid while Liverpool beat Benfica 1-0 on aggregate. Tensions boiled over in the closing stages and Atletico defender Felipe was sent off after receiving a second yellow card before the teams played out 12 minutes of added time. The English champions dominated the first half and Ilkay Gundogan struck the post with their best chance after a flowing move down the right. Read also: Champions League: Real Madrid, Villarreal  Beat Chelsea,…

President Vladimir Putin vowed to continue Russia’s bloody offensive in Ukraine as the war neared its seventh week on Wednesday. Putin insisted the campaign was going as planned despite a major withdrawal and significant losses. Russia invaded on February 24 with the assumed goal of taking Kyiv, toppling the government and installing a Moscow-friendly regime. In the six weeks since the ground advance stalled and Russian forces lost potentially thousands of fighters and were accused of killing civilians, summarily executing prisoners of war, and other atrocities. Read also: Don’t Cross Russia’s ‘Red Lines’ Putin Warns West Putin said on Tuesday…

Heavy rains and floods have battered the eastern coast of South Africa, killing at least 59 people, damaging roads and destroying houses. The floods hit the province of KwaZulu-Natal, which includes the coastal city of Durban, where roads cracked and gave way to deep fissures, and a huge stack of shipping containers collapsed into muddy waters, news agency images show. A bridge near Durban was swept away, leaving people stranded on either side. KwaZulu-Natal has experienced extreme rainfall since Monday, in what the provincial government called “one of the worst weather storms in the history of our country” in a…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said only 1,390,519 (over 45 per cent) Nigerians who registered since 2021 when the commission began another registration are eligible to vote in the 2023 general elections. As of 2022, Nigeria’s population was estimated at 216.7 million people. The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at a media conference, also said 44.6 per cent of voters who have registered since 2021 are invalid. “This is a challenging development,” Yakubu said, adding the affected persons would need to re-register. Read also: INEC fixes dates for 2023 General election campaign activities…

Senator Godswill Akpabio’s factional Chairman, Stephen Leo Ntukekpo, has been sworn in as Akwa Ibom State chairman of the All Progressives Congress, by the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu. The event was witnessed by other members of the National Working Committee on Monday at the Party’s National Secretariat, Abuja. Recall that Ntukekpo’s swearing in came days after the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, dismissed an Appeal by the defunct CECPC and affirmed the Federal High Court ruling that was declared in favour of Obong Stephen Ntukekpo. By this swearing in, Mr. Austin Ekanem, the factional Chairman of Senator John…

Real Madrid and Villarreal amassed sufficient soccer arsenals to send defending champions Chelsea and dominant Bayern Munich into abyss, thus zooming into semi/finals of the Champions league. Karim Benzema’s extra-time header sent Real Madrid into the Champions League semi-finals despite holders Chelsea fighting back with a 3-2 second-leg win in Spain on Tuesday. Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea, trailing 3-1 after the first game at Stamford Bridge, turned the quarter-final on its head with goals from Mason Mount, Antonio Ruediger and Timo Werner. But Rodrygo’s 80th-minute volley forced an added half an hour, and Benzema headed home to grab a 5-4 aggregate triumph for 13-time…

The Federal Government has declared Friday, April 15 and Monday, April 18, as public holidays to commemorate the 2022 Easter celebration. Easter is the holiday in which Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus following his crucifixion and death on the cross of Calvary. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, announced the holiday on behalf of the federal government on Tuesday. In a statement, Dr Shuaib Belgore, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, issued on his behalf, Aregbesola urged Christians to emulate the attributes of sacrifice, togetherness, forgiveness, kindness, love, peace and patience, which were the attributes and practices of Jesus…