Author: straightnewsng.com

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, is trying to wriggle himself from a query he collected for allegedly buying an “uncompleted carcass” building at N7 billion for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Dr. Mohammed Bello was said to have superintended over the purchase when he was the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Bello was also accused of giving out seven deep drilling rigs for borehole procured at N1.3 billion to some unnamed individuals under “fraudulent arrangements.” The allegations were contained in a leaked query letter dated May 11, 2020 and signed…

By Akanimo Sampson The authorities are providing free transportation for pregnant women visiting hospitals in Antananarivo and Toamasina in Madagascar. To gesture is aimed at improving women’s access to life-saving maternal health services. That is why the Ministry of Public Health and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) stepped in to arrest the ugly situation in the country. Madagascar is still battling with the menace of high maternal death rate. UNFPA says lack of skilled care is one contributor to the country’s high maternal death rate, which is 353 deaths per 100,000 live births (by comparison, the global average is 216 deaths…

Nigeria has recorded 338 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 5,959. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control that announced this known on Sunday said six patients died of coronavirus-related complications in the last 24 hours in Nigeria. Data obtained from the NCDC’s website showed that there are no fewer than 4,183 active cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria. The centre said, “On the 17th of May 2020, 338 new confirmed cases and 6 deaths were recorded in Nigeria. “No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours. “Till date,…

In what appears as a smokescreen, Akwa Ibom Government’s main reason in rejecting 10 “old, used vehicles” donated by ExxonMobil for COVID-19 contact tracing is unclear. The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh had two weeks ago castigated ExxonMobil for living not to its Corporate Social Responsibility by supporting the state government in the coronavirus fight. Udoh launched the scathing remarks few days to the retirement of Udom Inoyo, an Akwa Ibom son from ExxonMobil as its Vice Chairman on May 1. The management of ExxonMobil had last Friday reportedly donated WHO-standard RNA COVID-19 test kits…

By: Israel Umoh In the field of medicine, many are called to swear the famous Hippocratic Oath but few are chosen to conscientiously live by it. Those living by it are few whose loud voices are heard and feared outside the stone-wall of hospitals or clinics. The few ones who hang their stethoscopes on their shoulders come out to take bold stands on controversial health issues instead of merely attending or prescribing drugs to convulsing patients. Judy Mikovits, a US-trained medical doctor, is one of the doctors whose strident voice on controversial health issues rings like thunder. She has been…

By Akanimo Sampson The COVID-19 pandemic poses serious risks for women in Yemen, who are often tasked with caring for the ill. In Yemen, health workers, already stretched to the limit by five years of grinding conflict, are sounding the alarm that the COVID-19 pandemic could spell catastrophe for the country. Last April 10, the country announced its first laboratory-confirmed case of the ravaging disease. Since then, 34 more cases and seven deaths have been reported. Dr. Amani Omar, at Azan Health Centre in rural Hajjah says “if the coronavirus spreads in Yemen, it will be a humanitarian disaster beyond…

By Akanimo Sampson Human Rights Watch has accused government leaders and senior officials globally of encouraging hate crimes and xenophobia. Accordingly, the global rights group wants governments to take urgent steps to prevent racist and xenophobic violence and discrimination linked to the COVID-19 pandemic while prosecuting racial attacks against Asians and people of Asian descent, On May 8, United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said “the pandemic continues to unleash a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering” and urged governments to “act now to strengthen the immunity of our societies against the virus of hate.” Several political parties and groups, including in…

Nigerians have poured torrents of grief over the unexpected demise of a one-time director of National Youth Service Corps, the retired Major-General Edet Akpan. Akpan died Friday morning in his house in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, but two of his domestic aides who confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES, Saturday morning were shocked over his death as he did not show any sign of illness. “The aide said they were too shocked to break the sad news to Mr. Akpan’s wife who lives in the same compound with the late husband,” the online newspaper stated. From Facebook posts, Franklyn Isong, the publisher…

Nigeria has discharged 1,472 persons infected with COVID-19 while 176 new cases of the pandemic have been recorded in Lagos, Oyo, Jigawa, and 11 other states. So far, the total number of confirmed infections in the country stands at 5,621. Announcing this on Saturday, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control tweeted “On the 16th of May 2020, 176 new confirmed cases and five deaths were recorded in Nigeria.” “No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours. “Till date, 5,621 cases have been confirmed, 1472 cases have been discharged and 176 deaths have been recorded in 34 states…

Twenty-four girls ranging from 13 to 27 years from Oron Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, were freed by policemen from their hideout in the Abattoir area of Agege, Lagos State. The Lagos State Police Command had rescued the girls trafficked for prostitution but arrested four suspected human traffickers. The traffickers: Okon Felix, Michael Etim, Victor Asuquo and Goodness Ebiefie, allegedly kept their victims in shanties in the Abattoir area of Lagos and collected N1,500 to N2000 from the customers going to have s3x with the girls. After frantic efforts to locate the whereabouts of one of the victims…