Author: straightnewsng.com

Akwa Ibom government has donated N100,000,000 in support of the Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurship Scheme for widows of Nigerian Legion in the state. Akwa Ibom Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel announced this Friday at end of activities that marked 2021 Armed Forces Remembrances Day Celebration for the fallen heroes at Cenotaph, Udo Udoma, Uyo. Emmanuel who was the special guest of honour said “I stand on behalf of the government to announce to widows of our fallen heroes that in addition to the things I have mentioned and what we are trying to do through our Social Welfare Ministry, that…

Since an NYSC member allegedly hacked to death a young man in Akwa Ibom State, the media space is awash with various reactions. Miss Chidinma Odume Paschaline, a corps member and a graduate of University of Nigeria, admitted to have allegedly murdered one Akwaowo Japheth on the basis of ‘self-defence’ last Sunday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital. Days after the murder, a lady identified as one Effiong Laurel Scott (a strange name since no woman or girl from Akwa Ibom bears Effiong) claimed in the viral video that the deceased- Akwaowo Japheth- she described as a ‘serial rapist,’ had his…

US President-elect Joe Biden has announced a $1.9tn (£1.4 trillion) stimulus plan for the Coronavirus-sapped US economy before he takes office next week. If passed by Democrats-dominated Congress, it would include $1 trillion for households, with direct payments of $1,400 to all Americans. The relief proposal includes $415 billion to fight the virus and $440 billion for small businesses. Mr Biden, a Democrat, has promised to beat the pandemic that has killed more than 385,000 people in the US. He campaigned last year vowing to do a better job handling the virus than outgoing President Donald Trump, a Republican. The…

As England was placed in COVID-19 lockdown for a second time, the United Kingdom economy shrank by 2.6 per cent in November last year, official figures show. The Office for National Statistics said it meant gross domestic product was 8.5 per cent below its pre-pandemic peak. November’s decline came after six consecutive months of growth. Pubs and hairdressers were badly hit as the service sector suffered, the ONS said, but some manufacturing and construction activity improved. The hit to the service sector – which accounts for about three-quarters of the UK economy – meant it contracted by 3.4 per cent…

Popular radio and public affairs commentator from Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria is dead. Gloria Ekong died Wednesday, January 13, 2021, according to her close associate. The cause of her death is unknown. But she was still active, with her last post on Facebook recorded on January 12 at 7.39 pm. Reacting to her demise, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information & Strategy Ini Ememobong said she would be “greatly missed”. “I am greatly saddened by the news of the death of Miss Gloria Ekong, who was a strong supporter of the PDP and Government,” the commissioner said in a…

Nigeria has recorded death of 23 persons, the highest number in a day since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country in February last year. This is as the country recorded 1,479 new confirmed cases on Thursday, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reported. Of the number recorded in 24 states including Federal Capital Territory, Lagos registered 697 cases while FCT and Nasarawa got 201 and 80 respectively. From Akwa Ibom, the state recorded 35 more cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 588. NCDC tweeted ‘’On the 14th of January 2021, 1479 new confirmed cases and 23…

Crisis rocking All Progressives Congress in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has deepened following emergence of a new group in the party, Straightnews has learned. The online newspapers reliably learned that the appointment of Hon. Nse Ntuen into the APC National Committee on Women and Youth Mobilization for the upcoming Membership Registration and Revalidation exercise starting on January 25, 2021 has given verve to the new group but sent jitters to opposing faction of the party in the area. An anonymous source told Straightnews that ”A new group that has emerged in the area is led by Hon. Nse Ntuen,…

The Federal Government says it spent N63.8 billion on COVID-19 pandemic deadly attacks from March 1 to June 30, 2020. The amount was a shortfall of N20.097 billion from the N83.9 billion proposed by the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19 in its budget. This was contained in an Interim Report of the Special Audit of Federal Government of Nigeria’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic for the Period, 1st March to 30th June, 2020 submitted to the Clerk to the National Assembly by the Auditor-General of the Federation, Anthony Ayine. A breakdown showed that of the N63.8 billion, N22.2 billion was…

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has come under criticism for failing to keep proper accounts of COVID-19 financial expenses, donations and other activities amounting to N1.6 billion. This was contained in the Interim Report of the Special Audit of Federal Government of Nigeria’s Response to the COVID-19 attacks from March 1 to June 30, 2020 submitted to the Clerk to the National Assembly by the Auditor-General of the Federation, Anthony Ayine on Thursday. The report stated that: “NCDC paid the sum of N19,257,650.74 to some members of staff for the shipment, clearing and distribution of donations received. ”The NCDC was…

The Federal Government has confirmed that there is no going back on the January 18 resumption date for schools in the country. Last week, Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, announced that the government was reviewing the January 18 date due to the increasing number of confirmed COVID19 cases in the country. However, a statement released by Ben Bem Goong, the spokesperson of the Ministry Thursday, January 14, said the Minister, Governors, Commissioners, and other stakeholders in the education sector have agreed for the re-opening of the schools on the said date. Goong advised schools to comply with COVID-19 protocols…