Author: straightnewsng.com

COVID-19 new cases and deaths in Nigeria continue to soar on a daily basis. ”On the 13th of January 2021, 1398 new confirmed cases and 9 deaths were recorded in Nigeria,’’ Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reported on Wednesday. This is as Akwa Ibom State recorded 34 more cases, bringing the total number to 553. Of the number from 22 states including Federal Capital Territory, Lagos is leading with 542 cases, while FCT and Oyo have 131 and 120 respectively. Further breakdown shows ”The 1398 new cases are reported from 23 states- Lagos (542), FCT (131), Oyo (120), Rivers (113),…

 Nigerian state governments have collected N123.348 billion (USD324.6 million) in the second round of performance-based grants under the States’ Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme. The Nigerian Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, stated this in a statement signed by Mr. Hassan Dodo, the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Wednesday in Abuja. Ahmed said the disbursement followed the results achieved by the states in the just-concluded 2019 Annual Performance Assessment (APA). The assessment was carried out by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) as the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) and approved…

A retired Director with the Department of State Service has regretted over the circumstances that led to his removal from Akwa Ibom State on what he called ‘flimsy and unsubstantiated allegations.’ Mike Ejiofor, a retired SSS Director speaking in an interview with The Vanguard reporter three days ago, did not give more insights into the allegation. ”I won’t call it sad because of my belief in God. My saddest day was the day I was removed from Akwa Ibom as State Director on flimsy and unsubstantiated allegations. ”Another sad day in my life was the day I was kidnapped but…

The US House of Representatives has impeached President Donald Trump again for “incitement of insurrection” at last week’s Capitol riot. He is the first president in US history to be twice impeached – to be charged with crimes by Congress. A total of 232 members voted ‘Yes’, 197 said ‘No’ while four did not vote. Mr Trump, a Republican, will now face a trial in the Senate, where if convicted he could face being barred from ever holding office again. The impeachment measure passed largely along party lines. Mr Trump is due to leave office on January 20, following his…

A total of 233,000 candidates are given opportunity to write the 2020 National Examinations Council, NECO, Senior Schools’ Certificate Examination. The candidates who failed to participate in the examinations due to the #EndSARS protests  in the country last year are to participate in the external examination slated for Monday 1st February 2021 to Wednesday 3rd March 2021. The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of NECO Prof. Godswill Obioma, this, Wednesday, during a media briefing in Minna, where it release the 2020 SSCE internal results. Obioma said “We wish to inform the general public that the Council has made specific arrangements for those…

By: Ray Ekpu A couple of weeks ago a faction of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) based in Abuja invaded the office of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio and disrupted the normal flow of work there. They were saying with placards that they do not want a Sole Administrator for the NDDC. What they want is for the Board to be put in place. Why they went to Akpabio’s office is baffling because such decisions are taken only by the President, not the Minister. The Minister can make recommendations; he can have his say but the…

Military veterans on a peaceful protest to Ministry of Finance, Abuja

A 12-year-old boy has had his fortunes upturned by the vicissitudes of life. At a tender age, Michael Isidore lost both parents, and in doing odd farming jobs to eke a living, he lost his right leg to an accident. Michael who hails from Akwo Eto, Obot Akara Local Government area in Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria is living with permanent disability. Speaking with Straightnews, Michael said ”I was not born with the disability. I was a strong, bubbling young boy who only had my fortunes upturned last year in an accident. ”After the death of my parents, I had…

Akwa Ibom Police Command is to charge the female NYSC member to court for alleged murder of her supposed lover. The suspected corps member, one Chidinma Odume Paschaline of 20/21 Batch A is alleged to have hacked her boyfriend, one Akwaowo Japheth, to death last Sunday. Speaking with Straightnews on Wednesday, Mr. Odiko MacDon, the state Police and Public Relations Officer, said this would be done as soon as investigation is completed. MacDon, a Superintendent of Police, said “We got a distress call, we responded to that distress call at 219 Abak Road, Uyo. When we got there they were…

Sokoto is leading other states as the fastest year-on-year growth in the number of mobile internet subscribers per state in Nigeria. Yobe, and Kano State are the other northern states that recorded the fastest year-on-year growth in the number of mobile internet subscribers. This was contained in the Telecommunications Report by states for the Q3 2020 released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). According to NBS, Sokoto recorded a massive jump of 54.1 percent in the number of mobile internet subscribers to 2.9 million as at Q3 2020 from 1.9 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2019. Yobe…