Author: straightnewsng.com

Incensed by the wanton rape cases in the country, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, has joined in the war against the menace, calling for prompt prosecution of suspected rapists. In a communique issued at the end of its June meeting, NIPR demanded anybody, including law enforcement agents, who serve as middlemen in pacifying rape victims and their families to accept out-of-court settlements to be treated as accomplices. The five-point communique signed by Nsemeke Udoakpan, the Chapter chairman; Dr. George Udoh, the Chairman, Communiqué committee, and Blessing Ambrose, member, Communiqué Committee said it was alarmed that…

Despite the flexing of muscles between National Assembly and Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday on the recruitment of 774,000 persons in the country, a 20-member Special Public Works Committee with some notable names in Akwa Ibom State has been made public. The committee has Catherine Udi as its Chairman; Inyang Unyah as Vice Chairman while Ekah Bassey will serve as Secretary. Members include Chief David Etuk, Chief Paul Akpan, Chief Akpekong Imeh, a one-time member of defunct Akwa Ibom House of Assembly; Dr. Valerie Obot, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Manpower and Employment; Bridget Udom, Rev. (Dr.) Ndueso…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Wednesday, announced that the country has recorded 790 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in Nigeria to 26,484. Announcing this on its verified Twitter handle on Wednesday night, NCDC said Delta State got the highest with 166 cases followed by Lagos with 120. According to the agency, “790 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria: Delta-166, Lagos-120, Enugu-66, FCT-65, Edo-60, Ogun-43, Kano-41, Kaduna-39, Ondo-33, Rivers-32, Bayelsa-29, Katsina-21, Imo-20, Kwara-18, Oyo-11, Abia-10, Benue-6, Gombe-4, Yobe-2, Bauchi-2, Kebbi-2.” 790 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Delta-166 Lagos-120 Enugu-66 FCT-65 Edo-60 Ogun-43 Kano-41 Kaduna-39 Ondo-33 Rivers-32…

Consumers of petrol in the country would pay a 16.4 per cent increase in the price of petrol for the month of July, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) announced on Wednesday. The agency said the approved new retail price for petrol for the month will vary between N140.80 and N143.80 per litre price band. The new price arrangement replaces the previous price band of N121.50 and N123.50 per litre announced by the agency for June 2020. “After a review of the prevailing market fundamentals in the month of June, and considering marketers’ realistic operating costs as well as…

An Akwa Ibom person is among the 41 Ambassadors-designate now in waiting for approval by the Senate. He is Oboro Effiong Akpabio nominated as non-career ambassador by President Muhammadu Buhari. Others are: 1. Debo Adesina (Oyo) 2. Ademola Seriki (Lagos) 3. Dare Sunday Awoniyi (Kogi) 4. Engr Umar Suleiman (Adamawa) 5. L.S. Mandama (Adamawa) 6. Oboro Effiong Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) 7. Chief Elijah Onyeagba (Anambra) 8. Abubakar D. Ibrahim Siyi (Bauchi) 9. Philip K. Ikurusi (Bayelsa) 10. Hon. Tarzoor Terhemen (Benue) 11. Paul Ogba Adikwu (Benue) 12. Al-Bashir Ibrahim Al-Hassan (Borno) 13. Brig. Gen. Bwala Yūsuf, Bukar (Borno) 14. Prof.…

The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has ordered the management of MultiChoice to suspend the implementation of its new tariffs hike on different bouquets on its Digital Satellite Television, DSTV. The NBC Acting-Director General, Mr. Armstrong Idachaba, while briefing members of an Ad- Hoc Committee looking into the hike in tariffs on Tuesday at the National Assembly, said “I want to agree with the Committee and call on DSTV to suspend the hike in tariffs.” Also, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, announced Federal government’s plan to break the Sporting rights monopoly of DSTV. Mohammed told the lawmakers…

The Anambra State government says it has identified six herbal drugs that could be used to manage coronavirus in the state. Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra on Indigenous Medicine and Herbal Practice, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Tuesday that the agency had forwarded the products to the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Ibezim said a team of medical experts was assembled to review the process before they decided to take the products to NAFDAC for its final confirmation and approval for public consumption. He said…

The Nigerian Navy Ship Jubilee (NNS) has arrested five suspected oil bunkering thieves and seized a vessel used for oil bunkering in Akwa Ibom State. The Commander of NNS Jubilee, Commodore Majid Ibrahim, told journalists while handing over the suspects and the vessel to officials of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ikot Abasi on Tuesday. Ibrahim said that the vessel was seized during anti-illegal oil patrol by the Nigerian Navy along Uta-Ewa Creek on May 18. “In line with the Chief of the Naval Staff’s strategic directive and the need to secure Nigeria’s maritime domain against all forms…

Following the disenfranchisement of many members, election into the NNPC Abuja Cooperative Society has been declared inconclusive. The cooperative office, Abuja that conducted the election on Tuesday, June 30, declared it inconclusive owing to the disenfranchisement of about 4,000 out of 6,000 members of the society. The society had decided that online voting should be adopted in view of the Covid-19 pandemic using codes provided by the Nigerian communications satellite (NIG-COMSAT). However, the inability of about 4,000 members to access the codes generated arguments between the two contesting teams- The Consolidation and The Transformers. Speaking on the outcome of the…

In what appears as rapprochement, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike seems to be mellowing down over his dog-cat relationship with the APC-led Federal Government. This follows the refund of N78 billion to Rivers Government for repairs of Federal roads in the state. In reciprocation, Wike of PDP has extended olive branch to President Muhammadu Buhari by inviting him to a state visit in Rivers. In his Twitter handle, Wike “thanks @MBuhari for N78bn refund, invites him for state visit.” Recall that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved a refund of N148 billion spent on reconstruction of some federal roads…