Author: straightnewsng.com

President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday, met with Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State at the State House, Abuja. Details of the meeting were not readily made public. The meeting came three days after 15 suspected gunmen attacked Ortom in Makurdi, Benue State in his farm. Already, Buhari had ordered thorough investigation into the attack of Ortom.. This is as Mr. Terver Akase, the Chief Press Secretary to Ortom, had called on security agencies to prosecute leaders of the Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM), which claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attempt to kill Benue Governor Samuel Ortom. The attack also attracted more condemnations Monday as…

By: Nsikak Ekanem On January 19 this year, my telephone rang far more than any other day in recent time. The conversation I had with all the callers from early morning to night of that Tuesday centred on one issue: the death of Udo Ekpenyong, who was barely six months in office as Akwa Ibom State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. From the first caller, who broke the sad news to me, to others that grievingly asked what, how, and why, I was imagining what Godwin Ekpe, the PDP chapter chairman of Ukanafun went through. Ekpe was a…

A Cross River State Senior Magistrate, Rita Ititim, with her five-month-old baby joined colleagues  to protest over the non-payment of their 26-months’ salaries. Ititim and 29 magistrates trooped out Monday morning, March 22 with placards to Governor Benedict Ayade’s office and demanded from Governor Ayade and the Cross River State government payment of their salaries. Ititim, who noted that her baby had been exposed to dangers because she had not been able to buy drugs, foods and other essentials for her because she is been owing the pharmacies. According to her, she had no choice but to bring her to…

Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, Monday, commenced a three-day nationwide protest to compel the Federal Government to include non- teaching staffers in primary and post primary schools in the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Bill (2021). The Bill is expected to be transmitted to the National Assembly for enactment into law. The federal government had excluded non-teaching staffers in a planned legislation to extend the retirement age of teachers to 65 years and the years of service to 40 years from the current 35 years as well as special salary scale and enhanced allowances.…

AstraZeneca says its experts also identified no safety concerns related to the vaccine, including a rare blood clot that was identified in Europe. This is as advanced trial data from a US study on the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine shows it is 79% effective, in long-awaited research that may answer some questions about the shot’s effectiveness in older populations. According to AstraZeneca, experts found no increased risk of clots among the more than 20,000 people who got at least one dose of the AstraZeneca shot. Although AstraZeneca’s vaccine has been authorized in more than 50 countries, it has not yet been…

By: Israel Umoh Fifty-eight communities in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria have slammed a N500 billion suit against East Horizon Gas Ltd and Accugas-Seven Energy Ltd over non-implementation of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the host communities. Akwa Ibom Government, Attorney General and Commissioner for Lands and Towns Planning as defendants had on May 4, 2009 entered into MoU with East Horizon Gas Ltd located at 36, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos on behalf of the 58 villages to tap gas from Ukanafun and link pipes through other villages in the state to UNICEM in Cross River State. The company…

Akwa United Football Club of Uyo, Sunday, beat Mountain of Fire and Miracles Football Club of Lagos 2-1 in the ongoing 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season. So far, Akwa United after beating MFM in Lagos have garnered 29 points from 16 matches in the match-day 17. The Uyo team occupy third position in the NPFL log while the Kwara United, the league leaders, have 30 points. Other results show that Kwara United walloped Adamawa United 5-0 at home;  Lobi Stars trounced Rivers United 4-1 at home; Kano Pillars beat Wikki Tourists 2-1 at away; Abia Warriors beat Katsina…

For a second time, suspected gunmen have kidnapped the Cross River State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ben Ukpekpi. Our correspondent learned that the victim was kidnapped in front of his house at Cross River Estates (CROSPIL) in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State. An eyewitness, who preferred anonymity, said the abduction of the Chairman was the second time. “The Chairman was kidnapped before but released after some ransom was paid”, he alleged He said that the victim was kidnapped in the presence of his wife while standing outside his house at CROSPIL Estate in…

Manchester City sent Everton packing after slotting in 2-0 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday as Southampton also booked their place in the last four. City were far from their flowing best at Goodison Park after Pep Guardiola made six changes from the side that cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals in midweek with a routine 2-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach in Budapest. But goals in the final six minutes from Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne booked City’s place in the semi-finals for the fourth time in five seasons under Guardiola. For the first time in English…

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has condemned attempt by some suspected gunmen to cut short the life of Benue Governor Samuel Ortom. The NGF in a statement on Sunday sympathized with the governor and the people of Benue State on the sad, cowardly, and wicked plan. Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state who is also Chairman of the NGF described it as shocking and a rude awakening. In his communique on behalf of the forum, Fayemi said all hands must be on deck to uncover the identities of those involved in this heinous crime. “The NGF wishes to state categorically…