Author: straightnewsng.com

US President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for Texas, which has suffered widespread power blackouts and water shortages during a deadly deep freeze, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said. Millions of residents in the United States’ biggest oil and gas producer have dealt with power outages, and nearly half of Texas’ residents on Friday had to endure disrupted water service. Nearly two dozen deaths have been attributed to the storm and a frigid snap. The action on Saturday makes federal funding available to individuals across the state, including assistance for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost…

Japan’s Naomi Osaka, Saturday, won her fourth Grand Slam title after beating America’s Jennifer Brady in the Australian Open final. Osaka, 23, won 6-4 6-3 and has the enviable record of being unbeaten in major finals. She won the first set when Brady made bad errors in the game, seizing control from that point, going 4-0 ahead in the second set before sealing a deserved victory with the last set. Osaka has now won two Australian Open titles after also triumphing at Melbourne Park in 2019, with her other Grand Slam successes coming at the US Open in 2018 and…

A female teenager of Government Secondary School, Ikot Ewa in Cross River State has admitted to taking the gun to blacksmith. Initially, the student who was caught in the school with a gun was alleged to have taken it to the school to shoot her teacher for asking her to cut her coloured hair. However, she has admitted that she got the gun from her boyfriend, Okon Effingham, who is married with six children. Upon her arrest, police discovered she was taking the locally made double barrel pistol to a blacksmith. In addition, she has confessed to being a cultist She…

Nigeria’s COVID-19 cases keep on fluctuating within the last 24 hours, according to figures bandied by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. On Thursday, the country recorded 877 infections but recorded 662 on Friday, February 19. NCDC tweeted ”On the 19th of February 2021, 662 new confirmed cases and 10 deaths were recorded in Nigeria. It stated ”The 662 new cases are reported from 23 states- Lagos (167), FCT (116), Ogun (45), Kano (44), Akwa Ibom (35), Edo (34), Rivers (27), Kaduna (23), Osun (23), Kwara (22), Taraba (22), Oyo (20), Ondo (19). Others are Plateau (14), Abia (11), Imo (11),…

Five Akwa Ibom indigenes made the Presidential honour’s roll of outstanding Corps members in Nigeria. They were among the 110 Corps members of 2018/2019 NYSC batch recently honoured by the Presidency in Abuja and rewarded with scholarship and automatic jobs. The recipients were Alex Gideon, Comrade Winifred Ernest, Nyebuk Aniekan Etukudo, Elizabeth Peter Udofia and Nsikak Douglas Etuk. Receiving them when they paid him a courtesy call in his office, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, charged them to “Youth Ambassadors in Government” to showcase the awards. Ememobong congratulated the beneficiaries for excelling during their service years…

It was a carnival of sort as prominent sons and daughters of Akwa Ibom State and beyond bestrode the less busy Ikot Ukpong in Abak to witness the terrestrial farewell of a cultural music maestro, Uko Akpan Ekpo Umana on Friday. Uko Akpan, 93, as he was famously known, was conferred with a Doctor of Music Honoris Causa by the University of Uyo in 2018 in recognition of his musical prowess. The funeral service conducted by the Sanctified Mount Zion, Ikot Ukpong, Afaha Obong was held at St. Andrew’s Primary School, Ikwek, Afaha Obong in Abak Local Government Area of…

Renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, has assured that the abducted Kagara students and staffers would be released soon. Bandits had abducted students and staffers of Government Science College, Kagara in Rafi Local Government Area Niger State and shot one dead on Wednesday. Gumi said this Friday after his meeting with the leader of bandits, Dogo Gide, among other top commanders in Dutsen Magaji Forest in Tegin and Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State. He expressed optimism that dialoguing with the bandits will put an end to the current insecurity in the State and country at large. Sheikh Gumi reminded the hoodlums…

The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared N640.310 billion to the three tiers of government for January. Mr Hassan Dodo, the Director of Information, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, made this known in a communique at the end of a virtual conference of FAAC on Thursday. The committee in its communique explained that the amount shared by the Federal Government, States and Local Government Areas (LGAs) included the cost of collection to different agencies involved. It noted that N640.310 billion shared included cost of collection to Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the…

The former Second Republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed, has been described a fearless fighter for justice. In a tweet on Friday, Senator Shehu Sani, the former Kaduna Central Senator, said Mohammed was a dogged patriot and the conscience of the Kano people. Sani made the remark while mourning Mohammed, whose death was reported on Friday. The former lawmaker wrote: “Dr Junaid Mohammed; the Conscience of the people of Kano, patriot, dogged and fearless fighter for justice and a man of principles and conviction. May Allah grant him Aljanna firdausi. Amin. Inna lillahi wainna Illayhir rajiun.Amin.” Mohammed, 73, died at an isolation centre, but…

By: Israel Umoh Owing some intrigues in delay in releasing funds for completion of the cottage hospital, the contractor reacted to show his side of the saga. Contractor’s version The contractor of the project, Mr. Enobong Jimie Idiong,  the MD/CEO of Global Corp Ltd, had in press release written  ”My company, Global Corp Ltd successfully bided for the construction of the Cottage Hospital at Ukanafun, Akwa Ibom State and the Contract was awarded in August 2008 in the sum of N1,120,036, 491.42. ”By even government’s account and records, the mobilization in the sum of N400, 973, 063.93 was paid on…