Author: straightnewsng.com

By: Israel Umoh The crowning of 24 states in the country for attaining the nine-point indices set by the World Bank shocked many. In fact, some non-benefitting states started to scratch their heads that if not that the indices were many, they would have made the list of beneficiaries. And others have become embittered that the humongous amounts would have cushioned the biting effects of the COVID-19 on their depressing economy. Under the World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results, the states were rewarded for achieving the online publication of the approved annual budget and audited financial…

By Akanimo Sampson The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has warned that 1.6 billion workers in the informal economy are in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to ILO, that is nearly half of the global workforce. That is largely due to the continued sharp decline in working hours globally as a result of the pandemic. According to the third edition of ILO Monitor, the drop in working hours in the current (second) quarter of 2020 is expected to be significantly worse than previously estimated. Compared to pre-crisis levels (Q4 2019), a 10.5 per cent…

A total of 17 suspected cultists in Akwa Ibom have been arrested by the State Police Command over the murder of two persons. A statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Frederick N-Nudam, and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Uyo, said there was a clash between rival Debam and Iceland cult groups in Mbiaso and Ikot Etim communities in Inen Clan, Oruk Anam local government area. According to him, the clash resulted in the death of two males: Ofonime Uduak and Iniobong Kufre Silas. N-Nudam explained that following the intervention of the Police, normalcy had…

Nigeria has recorded 196 new cases of #COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 1,728. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known via its Twitter handle. The NCDC also announced that Nigeria’s COVID-19 fatalities have increased to 51 COVID-19 has spread to 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Yobe is the most recent state to record a case of COVID-19 in the country. It tweeted, “196 new cases of #COVID19 reported: 87 were recorded in Lagos, Kano – 24, Gombe – 18, Kaduna – 17, FCT- 16, Katsina – 10, Sokoto…

By Akanimo Sampson The World Food Programme and UNICEF say 370 million children are missing out on school meals amid school closures due to the rampaging COVID-19. These two UN agencies are accordingly urging national governments to prevent devastating nutrition and health consequences for children. Sadly, the COVID-19 crisis is already pushing up levels of hunger among the global poor. In Nigeria, the Federal Government has said it will not endanger the lives of children by opening schools. Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, says there is no date yet for schools in the country to resume. While clarifying…

By: Israel Umoh The COVID-19 has caused a pleasant confusion between the rich and the poor, the educated and illiterate, the low and the mighty, the developed and the developing countries, the public and the private sector servants. The list goes on. And the world is swathed in a pall of confusion. At least, most countries and persons have come to the realisation that the inequality aura created by mere mortals to lord over others is vacuous. The world-renowned scientists and the superpowers are thrown into the valley of confusion owing to the illusion of discovering a vaccine to cure…

A secret cult clash between two rival gangs in Inen clan, Oruk Anam local government area of Akwa Ibom State has consumed three lives. Daily Sun gathered that the last person to have lost his life, Otobong Ben Ufenang was killed on Monday by a five-man gang and his body dismembered near the Community Primary School, Inen Ikot Etim while the first victim was lynched in Odoro Ikot at the boundary between Ukanafun and Oruk Anam local government areas. It was also gathered that another victim was murdered in Inen Ikot Obio Idang in which there was massive looting, causing…

Nigeria has recorded 195 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 1,532. This was announced by the Nigeria Disease for Disease Control on Tuesday. The NCDC also said that four new COVID-19 fatalities were recorded in the country. It said, “195 new cases of #COVID19 reported – 80 in Lagos, Kano – 38, Ogun – 15, Bauchi – 15, Borno – 11, Gombe – 10, Sokoto – nine, Edo – five, Jigawa – five, Zamfara – two, Rivers – one, Enugu – one, Delta – one, FCT – one, and Nasarawa –…

By Akanimo Sampson The massive dead fishes floating near the Atlantic coastline in the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s vastly polluted oil and gas region has sparked off a worrisome row. The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) says it found no oil spills linking the dead fishes floating near the coastline in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states. But, Furoebi Akene, an environmentalist, is attributing the dead fishes littering the oil region’s coastline to discharge of toxic chemicals from the Anglo-Dutch oil and gas major, Shell’s operations at Forcados oil export terminal. NOSDRA was established by the National…

Nigeria has recorded 64 new cases in four states on Monday, bringing confirmed cases to 1,337. In its Twitter handle, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said, ”On the 27th of April 2020, 64 new confirmed cases and no death was recorded in Nigeria. “No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours. “Till date, 1337 cases have been confirmed, 255 cases have been discharged and 40 deaths have been recorded in 32 states and the Federal Capital Territory. “The 64 new cases are reported from five states- Lagos (34), FCT (15), Borno (11), Taraba (two), Gombe (two),”…