Author: straightnewsng.com

A former Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Education, Effiong B. Edunam, has passed onto eternity. Dr. Edunam, a History lecturer in the University of Calabar, and an astute politician died Friday, March 12. An indigene of Ukoko in Urue Offong/Oruko Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, he was past President-General of Oro Union. His brother, Bassey, in a Facebook post on Friday, March 12 wished ”Good night brother.’’ Anwana Esin, a retired Deputy Director of Information described Edunam as ”Icon of Pan Oro Nationalism… A Sound/Erudite Educationist… A Pan Nigerian Nationalist… A PAN Africanist…’’ Mr. Esin, an Oro, son, prayed…

Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued 42 students and 138 others kidnapped by bandits in the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Mr Samuel Aruwan, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, confirmed the rescue in a statement on Friday. Aruwan said bandits, in large number attacked the institution at about 11.30 p.m. on Thursday, kidnapping several students and staff. The commissioner said, “180 rescued, several students missing following attack at Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Igabi LGA,’’ he said. Aruwan said troops rescued the students in the early…

US President Joe Biden, signed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill at the White House on Thursday, marking one year of the coronavirus pandemic in the country. “This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Biden said in the Oval Office before signing the bill. The new law provides for distribution of $1,400 in direct payments to 160 million US citizens, among other provisions, to help defray costs during the pandemic and stimulate the economy. The US Treasury Department will begin sending out those cheques as soon as the weekend, a White House spokesman said. AL JAZEERA…

The Peoples Democratic Party National Legal adviser, Emmanuel Enoidem, has expressed doubt over the statement that neither Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari nor Timipre Sylva knew about the increased price of petroleum product experienced all over Nigeria. Buhari doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources while Sylva is the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. Sylva in a statement entitled: Nigerian govt apologises, rejects petrol price hike by PPPRA has stated Friday, ”Dear Nigerians, you are by now very aware of the news trending that the federal govt has increased the price of petrol to N212.6 per liter. ”Irrespective of the…

A former Nigerian Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has defeated his estranged wife, Precious Chikwendu in a court on technical ground. The ruling was given against the plaintiff on the basis that the bailiff did not serve respondent the court processes. Recall that Precious had last week filed a suit seeking to take custody of the four children between the union with a N3.5 million monthly upkeep for the children. Chikwendu, alongside others, was alleged to have not served the court proceedings directly to the respondent. However, Counsel to the respondent appeared in protest at the proceedings saying that they…

The European Union (EU) in partnership with the EUI’s School of Transnational Governance has launched the Young African Leaders Programme, a three-month fully-funded fellowship that will take place in Florence, Italy, from September and November 2021. According to a notice issued on Friday, March 12 by the Administrator – Thematic Programmes Delegation of the EU to Nigeria & ECOWAS, it is a pilot programme that provides a unique opportunity for policy professionals from Africa to further develop their competencies and skills in an international environment amidst scholars and practitioners. The programme is open to African civil servants, journalists, entrepreneurs and NGO…

Nigerian Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has hailed NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, on his election into the FIFA council. Dare said this in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), John Joshua-Akanji on Friday in Abuja. Pinnick was elected into the FIFA council on Friday at the CAF 43rd general meeting in Rabat, Morocco, winning by 43 votes to his opponent’s eight votes. Dare described the victory as an opportunity for Nigeria and indeed Africa to contribute to the administration of world football. The minister charged Pinnick to use his position to reposition Nigerian and African football.…

Accident-hit players and officials of Akwa United Football Club, Uyo have been discharged and have returned home after a bus crash. Subsequently, the match between the club and Jigawa Stars in the ongoing National Professional Football League (NPFL) match has been rescheduled. In a telephone interview with Straightnews on Friday, Mfon Patrick, media manager of the team, confirmed that the persons who were affected by the crash had been discharged and are in stable condition. Recall that the bus that conveyed the players and officials had a crash along Enugu-Onitsha highway on Friday, but no life was lost. News Agency…

About 58 percent of Nigerian households reduced their food consumption from July to December 2020 to cope with shocks of COVID-19, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) survey has stated. This and other strategies adopted by households to cope with COVID-19 shocks are potentially harmful, NBS said. In its National Longitudinal Phone Survey (COVID-19 NLPS) 2020 Seventh and Eighth Round, NBS stated: “Households continued to experience severe shocks as the COVID-19 crisis persisted since March 2020. “Between July 2020 and December 2020, 83 percent of households reported an increase in the price of major food items that they consumed, demonstrating a…

The South East Governors Forum, Thursday, said there was no land for ranching in the region. The governors through the forum’s chairman, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, explained that there would be no land for ranching among the states in the region as contained in the National Livestock Transformation Plan, NLTP of the Federal Government. Umahi, who also dismissed the possibility of contributing security personnel from different states, said there was no rationale for establishing a joint regional security network for the states in South East. The governor said that given the scarcity of land in the region, the states would not…