Author: straightnewsng.com

The Federal Government has commenced the employment of 774,000 youths in the country to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic. President Muhammadu Buhari who stated this in his 2020 celebration of Democracy Day address said “As part of the strategy to create jobs in reducing the effect of COVID-19 on our youths, I directed the employment of 774,000 Nigerians. These youths will be engaged in Special Public Works Programme aimed at cushioning the effects of economic downturn. “Each of the 774 local government areas in the country will be allotted 1,000 slots. I am pleased to report that this programme…

As June 12 is marked as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, wants the leadership not to flip over the painful sacrifices made by many for the restoration of democracy and to assuage self-determination anthem in the country. The experiences of the former USSR, Yugoslavia e.t.c were sufficiently illustrative. Self Determination remains the ANTHEM of this millennium and Nigeria cannot be an island given the painful sacrifices that NADECO and others went through for the restoration of democracy even though what we are operating today still smacks of militarism: never mind all the conspiracy theories that are associated…

The purported impeachment of Ika Local government Chairman in Akwa Ibom by eight out 10 councillors has been countered as a piece of stunt. A press release signed by Mr. Utibe Ukpong, the leader of the local government Legislature and made available to journalists in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, debunked the rumour, saying such action was never taken nor contemplated by the grassroots lawmakers. This was after a press statement by eight councillors hit the social media space informing Akwa Ibom people of the impeachment of the council chairman, Anthony Udousung. Ukpong, who apologised to Akwa Ibom state…

In its determined to decimate cultism and other crimes in the State, the Akwa Ibom State Police Command has dismissed a police constable for alleged involvement in secret cultism. The Akwa Ibom government had banned 65 secret cultist groups in the state. The dismissed policeman, Mfoniso Esio with F/NO. 513379 PC, was fingered in the initiation of one Ubong John William into a Junior Vikings Confraternity on May 20, 2020. A press release by CSP N-Nudam K. Fredrick, the state Police Public Relations Officer, said the victim was allegedly abducted to a bush along Marina Road, Eket where he was forcefully…

The governorship elections of 2015 in Akwa Ibom State had come and gone, yet the ripple effects still linger in the minds of many. Arc. Otu Ita Toyo, the then Akwa Ibom Chairman of PDP who played a crucial part in the elections, is one person who cannot forget in a hurry the fall-outs the elections and the roles played by different political actors. However, he said he believes in the tripodal politics- Ibibio, Annang, and Oron- in the governorship race as propounded by some Akwa Ibom founding fathers, regretting that the rotation formula was ditched. According to him, the…

Nigeria, Thursday, recorded its highest daily increase of COVID-19 cases with 681 new infections, bringing the country’s total to 14,554. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Lagos state reported more than half of the new cases with 345 infections. Rivers state was a distant second with 51 new cases. Other states with new infections include Ogun (48), Gombe (47), Oyo (36), Imo (31), Delta (28), Kano (23), Bauchi (18), Edo (12), Katsina (12), Kaduna (9), Anambra (7), Jigawa (5), Kebbi (4), Ondo (4), and Nasarawa (1). The health agency also noted that while 4,494 people have recovered…

After 21 years of uninterrupted democracy in the country, an Akwa Ibom elder statesman admits that Nigeria’s democracy is disappointing. Arc. Otu Ita Toyo, a no-nonsense politician could not hide his disappointment over the lackadaisical performance of Nigerian politicians since the advent of democracy in 1999 in which Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) held sway for 16 years in the country’s governance. Toyo, who was the Akwa Ibom PDP Chairman dropped the bombshell thus, “Between 1999 and today, I challenge anybody to tell me what we can be proud of.” The Ahmadu Bello University-trained architect, who spoke in a conversation with…

By Akanimo Sampson  Amid the raging COVID-19 crisis, a trade and development report update by a UN agency has set out how South-South cooperation can point towards a better future. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Director of Globalisation and Development Strategies, Richard Kozul-Wright, says cooperation among countries of the South cannot substitute for the actions required by the wider international community but it can bring a degree of relief and support with recovery. “As important, it can provide a blueprint for the kind of international coordination and cooperation that will be needed to recover better than after…

Nigeria on Wednesday night reported an increase of COVID-19 infections with 409 new cases and 17 new deaths from 15 states and Federal Capital Territory. This brought the total number of infections in the country to 13,873, and the number of deaths to 382, according to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in its Twitter handle. Unlike on Tuesday, Nigeria recorded its highest daily figure with 663 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which skyrocketed the number of confirmed cases to 13,464 from 12,801. The health agency said Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, and epicentre for the pandemic, recorded the highest number of…

Hope that COVID-19 is not a death sentence was rekindled Wednesday as Akwa Ibom Government discharged 27 patients from its isolation centre. The patients, who were receiving treatments for the pandemic, were given a clean bill of health after recovery and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had tested that they were negative. The good news was broken Wednesday in the official Twitter handle of Akwa Ibom State Government- #AkwaIbomTwitter. Also, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, flanked by respiratory medicine expert, Professor Etete Peters and the CMD of Ibom Specialist Hospital, Prof Emmanuel Ekanem, announced this on Wednesday…