Author: straightnewsng.com

Two senior police officers from Akwa Ibom State with two from other states have been elevated to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police in the country. They are Asuquo A. A. Amba, former Commissioner of Police Bayelsa State and the outgoing Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command; and Nkereuwem A. Akpan, the outgoing Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command. While Asuquo Mba comes from Mbokpu Ukokai in Urue Offong/Oruko Local Government Area, Nkereuwem Akpan hails from Ikot Akpa Nkuk in Ukanafun Local Government Area of the state. A press release signed by Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations…

By: Alkali Tsoho The COVID-19 pandemic has created several opportunities for varied things, good and bad. There has been a drastic change in socio-economic relationships. New terminologies or vocabularies have been introduced – social distancing, face masks, lockdown, stay safe and other phrases. The Federal Government of Nigeria, as part of an effort to reflate the economy and stimulate activities to engender recovery from the recession, has initiated a programme to cover the 774 local government areas in the country. This programme originally conceptualised in conjunction with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is domesticated by the National Directorate of Employment…

The ruling All Progressives Congress in the country passing through storms and tempest does not show it drifting into irrelevance, after all. A source close to a high ranking member of APC Caretaker Committee confided in Straightnews that “the party is planning to re-launch itself into limelight through online registration of new members nationwide soon. “The registration will start from the ward to the national levels of the party. After this, new members into NWC will be elected to prepare the party for 2023 elections in the country.” According to the source which pleaded anonymity, “We are targeting millions mostly…

Against doubts on the prevalence of Coronavirus, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) in Cross River has reported five cases of the pandemic in the state. A day before, Professor Ben Ayade, the Cross River Governor and members of State Executive Council profusely celebrated “No Case Status of COVID-19” a damning report emerged that rubbished the Governor’s claim. Five samples sent for from the hospital for testing returned positive for COVID-19, Ikpeme Ikpeme, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, said on Friday in an internal memo to the staff of the hospital. A report monitored from Premium Times indicated…

In bid to check the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, Akwa Ibom Police Command spread its dragnet across the three Senatorial Districts and arrested 121 violators of compulsory use of face masks at public places in the state. A press release issued by CSP N-nudam Fredrick, the state Police Public Relations Officer on Friday, said this was in line with the provisions of the Quarantine and Restriction of Movement (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2020. Fredrick stated, “The arrested offenders would be arraigned in the special courts established in the three Senatorial Districts to serve as a deterrent to others. “Consequently, the Police…

Nigeria has recorded 626 new cases of the Coronavirus pandemic, bringing total confirmed cases to 27,110. This is as Akwa Ibom State hit 18 new cases, bringing the overall number to 104. Announcing this on Thursday in its Twitter handle, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said Lagos has 193, the highest number of infections, followed by the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with 85. Other affected states are Oyo, 41; Edo, 38; Kwara, 34; Abia, 31; Ogun, 29; Ondo, 28; Rivers, 26; Osun, 21; Delta, 18; Enugu, 15; Kaduna, 13; Plateau, 11; Borno, 8; Bauchi, 7; Adamawa, 5; Gombe,…

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…