Author: straightnewsng.com

A human rights activist and convener Civil Society Society Situation Room, Esther Uzoma, is dead. Uzoma was the National Coordinator of Proactive Gender Initiatives (PGI). The legal practitioner was also the convener of the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room. A statement by the body on Thursday said she died after a surgery at a hospital in Abuja, the nation’s capital. “Esther was very energetic, and a committed human rights activist that has been in the forefront of driving Nigeria’s democratic reforms. “She will be sorely missed by all who came in contact with her,” it read. The family will make…

As the strike action embarked upon by workers of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) enters Day 2, enrollees of National Identification Number (NIN) are in for more anguish and frustration. The workers allegedly capitalizing on the huge crowds wanting NIN began the nationwide strike on Thursday to press home their demands. Straightnews learned that the possibility of most of the enrollees meeting the February 9 NIN to SIM registration and verification deadline may hit the rocks. The workers said they propped up the action based on their exposure to COVID-19 risks, lack of personal protective equipment, irregularities in promotion and…

Radio analysts in Akwa Ibom State do not see the rationale of Federal Government issuing a directive that allows many Nigerians to embark on what looks like a panicky National Identity Number registration in the face of COVID-19 surge in Nigeria. The Federal Government had directed Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to suspend mobile numbers of people without a NIN before February 23, 2021. On Tuesday, December 15, last year, the NCC released a statement ordering the suspension of the registration of new SIM cards by all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the country. Later, NCC shifted the date requiring mobile…

The Federal Government has directed the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to suspend the adjusted electricity tariff till the end of January this year. This is to forestall the implementation of the duly performed minor review from N2 per kWh to N4 per kWh till the conclusion of the Joint Ad-Hoc committee’s work. The Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman via his Twitter handle on Thursday, said the development would give room for the outcome of all resolutions from the Committee to be implemented together. Electricity tariffs will be reverted to what it was in November 2020, following the agreement…

Vice Chancellors of Federal Government-owned universities are directed to begin academic activities on January 18, in accordance with the directive of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) team on COVID-19. Nigerian universities closed since following a strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as well as during the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic last year. ASUU suspended its nine-month old strike on December 23, 2020 after the federal government met their demands, including paying the lecturers their outstanding salaries using an older payment platform, GIFMIS, different from the controversial IPPIS. The National Universities Commission (NUC) that gave the directive…

Twenty-four Nigerian states including Federal Capital Territory recorded 1,565 new confirmed cases and 6 deaths on Thursday. Of the number, Lagos State has 807 confirmed cases while FCT and Kaduna recorded 236 and 79 respectively, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reported. NCDC tweeted ‘’On the 7th of January 2021, 1,565 new confirmed cases and 6 deaths were recorded in Nigeria. ‘’The 1,565 new cases are reported from 25 states- Lagos (807), FCT (236), Kaduna (79), Oyo (57), Plateau (47), Rivers (37), Katsina (35), Edo (30), Sokoto (30), Delta (26), Kebbi (23), Ondo (20). ‘’Enugu (18), Abia (17), Ogun(17), Benue(16), Bayelsa…

Henceforth, Facebook has announced it has blocked President Donald Trump on its platforms, including Instagram, indefinitely or at best until the end of his term in two weeks time. This followed violent protests by his supporters at the Capitol Hill on Wednesday, January 6 that resulted in the death of four persons while many were injured. Facebook chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on Thursday, January 7, that he gave the order after seeing that Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to ferment violence. Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page that the ban, which was…

The price of Bitcoin surged to 12% on Thursday, a record high of $40,394.87. To a Nigerian investor, 1 Bitcoin equals 14,870,612.00 Nigerian Naira= N14.8 million. That helped push the overall value of the crypto currency market topped above $1 trillion for the first time ever. Rival token Ethereum hit its highest in two years, above $1,200, while smaller altcoins including XRP also shot up. Business Insider Africa reports that Bitcoin, which has risen by nearly 400% in the last 12 months, has seen immense investor interest in recent weeks. “With buying interest continuing to drive the market, any sell-offs of set-backs…

“We are tired of being given estimates and I believe that the next population census would provide a credible and reliable census for Nigeria,” Akwa Ibom Deputy Governor emphasized. Moses Ekpo stated this, while addressing officers of the National Population Commission at the Phase 11 Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) camp held at Abak Local Government Council hall. Ekpo noted that no nation can make any meaningful development without a proper and reliable census figure, stating “You cannot develop with guesswork, you plan with actual numbers.’’ The Deputy Governor said unless there was proper EAD, those doing the real census would find it…

Uyo Magistrate Court, Thursday, granted the five accused persons bail in the sum of N500,000 each while the two minors were released to their parents. The Akwa Ibom State Police Command had arraigned the seven persons in connection with the alleged molestation and maltreatment of Don Davis Archibong, an 11year-old-student of Deeper Life High School, Idoro, Uyo. Their bail followed application filed by their Counsel Fidelis Igwe, on the ground that it is   bailable offence. The seven accused persons arraigned were Mrs Ndidi Solomon (suspended Principal), Joseph Nseabasi, Akpan Johnson, Egor Wilson, Joseph Ikenna, and two minors, Shalom Ibukun and Ola Feyisetan.…