Author: straightnewsng.com

Ray Ekpu A few years ago Dr Udeme Nana who was the Head of Department of Mass Communication at the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, had invited me to come and speak to his students of Mass Communication. It wasn’t a lecture he wanted but simply an interactive session which was tagged “A day with Ray Ekpu.” It was quite an interesting session that lasted for several hours because the students, at least the ones who spoke, seemed quite brilliant, more brilliant than we generally credit most students of tertiary institutions today with. There isn’t much dispute about the…

A total of 33 convicts were handed different forms of punishment Abuja Mobile Court by for not wearing facemasks in public place. The convicts were arrested and arraigned for violating COVID-19 protocol. Some of the convicts reportedly violated the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Health Protection Regulation, 2021 which was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari. They pleaded guilty to the charges read out by the prosecutor and were fined N2,000 with an option of engaging in supervised community service Magistrate Idayat Akanni who counselled them on the need to follow the COVID-19 protocols, noted that those who pleaded not guilty would be…

A couple in Oyo State of Nigeria got 80 years imprisonment for committing conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence. Ebiesuwa Abayomi Fredrick and his wife, Tinuola Idayat Oyegunle were jailed 40 years each by Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, February 15. Delivering judgment, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik found the couple guilty on all four counts of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence brought against them by the Ibadan Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. In a classic advance fee fraud scheme, the couple scammed one Dunni Olateru Olagbegi of N53,713,260.00 (Fifty-Three Million, Seven Hundred and…

Kwara State in Nigeria has, for the first time, topped new COVID-19 cases, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control confirmed on Monday. Of 20 states including Federal Capital Territory, Kwara got 98 cases to push Lagos with 81 to a second position. NCDC tweeted ”On the 15th of February 2021, 574 new confirmed cases and 8 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.’’ According to the public health agency, ‘’Kwara (98), Lagos (81), Edo (59), Ondo (44), FCT (41), Kano (34), Ogun (33), Kaduna (29), Osun (28), Enugu (23), Rivers (18), Delta (16), Akwa Ibom (15), Bauchi (12), Imo (10), Borno (8), Niger…

The West African Examination Council has announced the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results for private candidates, showing that 24,491 candidates representing 39.82% obtained credit and above in a minimum of five  subjects including English Language and Mathematics. “Of this number, Twelve Thousand, and Forty (12,040) i. e. 49.16% were male candidates, while Twelve Thousand, Four Hundred and Fifty One (12,451) i.e. 50.84% were female candidates,’’. Announcing the release at the WAEC National Headquarters, Yaba Lagos, Patrick Areghan,  Head, the Nigeria National Office Of The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) said that a total number 61,509 candidates sat for…

Senator Etang Edet Umoyo, a third Republic Senator from Akwa Ibom State in the National Assembly in the 90s has passed into eternity. Umoyo who represented then Eket Senatorial District now Akwa Ibom South died on Saturday, February 13, 2021, at his residence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom at 11:45 a.m. Aged 71, Umoyo hailed from Idong Umoyiu family of Etebi Idung Assan in Esit Eket Local Government Area of the state. A press release signed by Ime Etang Umoyo, son of the deceased for the family, said ”He was sick for a week before he yielded to the call to…

Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been appointed the seventh Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). This followed the convening of the special general council meeting on Monday to lead the global trade organization after unanimous backing from its members. Okonjo-Iweala becomes the first woman and the first African to head the Switzerland-based institution from March 1, 2021 to August 31, 2025. An official announcement by the global trade body via social media, tweeted, “BREAKING: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria is appointed as the next WTO Director-General. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala makes history as the first woman and the first African to lead the WTO.…

A media aide to Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has bashed President Muhammadu Buhari for his alleged mismanagement of ethnic clashes in Oyo State. Clashes which followed an argument between traders from the Yoruba and Hausa ethnic groups broke out on Friday and Saturday at Shasha market in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, resulting in the death of at least 11 people. Salihu Yakasai, Ganduje’s aide tweeting on Monday “@MBuhari noted your 2 tweets aren’t enough to end this barbarism.’’ Governor Ganduje had suspended Yakasai for criticising President Buhari over the nationwide #ENDSARS campaign on Sunday, October 11, 2020, for describing…

Fashion stylist and entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani, has got engaged to her photographer. Lawani announced the good news on her Instagram page that she is engaged to Segun Adebayo. Posting a video of the engagement in a cozy restaurant on valentine day, Lawani wrote: “I WAS SO SURPRISED AND SHOCKED by @segun_wealth and @deeeunknown didn’t know when I Beat him with the flower o me I felt they just brought vals gift o, until I saw uncle on the floor. BUT I SAID YES “Best Valentine’s Day ever Officially Mrs Adebayo wouldn’t have had it another way, ’cause he’s my Best friend…

The 33-year-old Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria was the second highest collector of monthly allocations from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in 2020. Data obtained by Straightnews from National Bureau of Statistics/Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation show Akwa Ibom collected N146,265,871,270.09 billion while Delta State received the highest allocation of N186,828,313,891.51 billion in the country. In January, Akwa Ibom got N15,112,298,251.03; in February, N12,966,616,420.55; in March, N12,530,035,039.69; in April, N15,958,620,851.32; in May, N11,222,671,346.33; and in June, N11,365,257,230.05. The state also collected N9,882,221,183.07 in July; N13,273,121,093.86 in August; N10,334,320,966.27 in September; N12,316,725,455.12 in October; N10,824,121,621.90 in November; and N10,479,861,810.89…