Author: straightnewsng.com

US President Joe Biden has renewed his concerns about a major, nearly complete Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline. Welcoming Merkel, the German chancellor to the White House for a final time on Thursday, Biden said they agreed Russia must not be allowed to use energy as a weapon The two discussed — though made no apparent headway — on differences over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline during a largely friendly farewell visit for Merkel as she nears the end of a political career that has spanned four American presidencies. “On a personal note, I must tell you I will miss seeing you…

Suspected bandits reportedly killed 13 Special Mobile Police Officers and injured others in Kurar-mota village of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State. An indigene of the area, Malam Almu Shehu, said the police officers were ambushed by bandits near Kurar-mota village on Sunday when they went there in their patrol vehicles. Shehu said, “The police officers were passing through the area not knowing that, the bandits who were hiding in the bush opened fire, killing 13 of the Mobile Police and injured several others.” He maintained that he saw their dead bodies being evacuated to Gusau town, the state…

Amid fears of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the confirmation of the Delta variant of the disease in Nigeria, the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 has put six states and Abuja on red alert. The states are Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Confirming the Delta variant of COVID-19 in a statement, the Chairman of PSC, Mr Boss Mustapha, said the states have been put on red alert as part of the preventive measures against a third wave of the pandemic due to the rising number of infections and hospitalisations in…

Nigerian government has been urged to withdraw the directive containing a “sweeping gag order banning journalists and broadcast stations from reporting details of terrorist attacks and victims across the country.” In an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) urged him to direct Mr Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to withdraw the order. NBC had in a letter dated July 7, 2021 issued a directive asking journalists, television and radio stations in Nigeria to stop “glamourising and giving too many details on the nefarious activities of terrorists…

The wife of Haiti’s slain president, Martine Moïse, returned to the Caribbean nation on Saturday following her release from a Miami hospital. Martine, who was injured in the July 7 attack at their private home, had bandaged right hand. Her arrival was unannounced and surprised many in the country of more than 11 million people still reeling from the killing of Jovenel Moïse in a raid authorities say involved Haitians, Haitian-Americans and former Colombian soldiers. Martine Moïse disembarked the flight at the Port-au-Prince airport wearing a black dress, a black bulletproof jacket, a black face mask, and her right arm…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disowned claim of the National Assembly of some areas in the country not having the technology for electronic transmission of election results. While considering the Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill, the Senate dominated by All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers on Thursday voted that “The Commission (INEC) may consider electronic transmission of results, provided the national coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secure by the National Communications Commission (NCC) and approved by the National Assembly.” Opposing the claims made during the passage of the bill, INEC’s commissioner for information and voter education, Festus Okoye maintained…

By Bassey Asuquo Ibeno Beach is located in Ibeno Local Government Area at the South end of Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom State. Ibeno occupies a vast coastal area of over 1,200 sq. km. It stretches from Okposo I at the eastern flank, bordering Mbo Local Government Area and Bakassi Peninsula to Atabrikang  Village on its western flank. The area is bounded in the South by the Atlantic Ocean and shares border with Eket, Esit Eket, Onna and Eastern Obolo Local Government Areas. Findings indicate that the beach is one of the beaches on the Atlantic Ocean along the shorelines of Ibeno and the longest sand beach in…

Billions of Naira on taxes accruable from Right of Way (ROW) are yet to be paid to Akwa Ibom government by telecommunication, oil and gas companies operating in the state, Straightnews has gathered. The taxes are expected from such telecommunication companies, oil and gas companies as MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9Mobile and Dangote Refinery, UNICEM and ALSCON. Investigation by Straightnews shows that despite the enactment of the bill into law in 2014, the government did not enforce the law mandating telcos to pay the taxes accruable from Right of Way to government. Entitled: Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria Gazette NO. 1 of 6th March,…

The amputee sachet water hawker who went viral, has acquired a N17.5 million apartment in Lagos State. Mary Daniel who bought the house located in Igando, Lagos is also constructing a pure water factory in the compound, which is nearing completion. Unveiling the house, Mary said she built the house through the N25 million donations gotten from members of the public. The 27-year-old Kogi indigene stated that she bought it for N17 million and later renovated, with tenants occupying it. Recall that Mary received donations after she was pictured hawking sachet water in traffic in Oshodi and her story went…

Electricity consumers in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria’s South-South region are in dilemma following reduction of kilowatt unit charge on residential buildings in the state by Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company with effect from June 2021. For months, consumers mostly residents of residential houses were paying N54.79 per kilowatt unit up to May 2021. Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission had approved payment of N32.23 per unit, and advised the company to increase the unit charge if electricity consumption improves to more than 12 hours per day to its customers. However, NERC directed the company to allow the status quo – N32 – per…