Author: straightnewsng.com

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Thursday, announced that it has recovered over N60 billion from banks as excessive charges imposed on customers. The CBN Director of Corporate Communications, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor who attended a two-day customer sensitization forum in Owerri said the recovery of the excess bank charges was made possible through the bank’s Consumer Protection Department. According to him, the amount was recovered following complaints by 13,000 customers over excess and illegal charges on their accounts by banks. Okoroafor stated that the Apex Bank was determined to ensure that no bank customer was cheated with excessive charges from…

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have retained the 31st position in the latest FIFA rankings for February released on Thursday. In the latest ranking, the Eagles maintained their third position in Africa, while Tunisia are 27th in the world and second on the continent behind Senegal, who are Africa’s number one team and are 20th in the world. The Eagles’ 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Group L opponents Sierra Leone, Lesotho and Benin Republic also maintained their spots. Benin remained at 88th, Lesotho are still 139th while Sierra Leone occupy 118th position. Meanwhile, Belgium retained number one spot in the world. While…

Following a riot in Government Technical College, Ewet Offot in Uyo local government area, 34 students suspended by Akwa Ibom State government would not be allowed to return to the school on its resumption. Already, the government has closed the school indefinitely following the unrest on Wednesday, February 19 in which the students were said to have engaged in unruly behavior, destroying school property and causing injuries to police officers and members of staff. A statement issued by the state’s Commissioner of Education, Professor Nse Essien on Thursday, February 20, said the students whose names were compiled through intelligence sources…

By Akanimo Sampson Sales of Fairtrade certified cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire in the last quarter of 2019 boosted farmers’ earnings by some $15.1 million (€13.8 million) compared to non-Fairtrade cocoa, according to preliminary figures released by Fairtrade International. The higher earnings are due to the difference between the guaranteed Fairtrade Minimum Price and the current Ivorian government-set cocoa price. Fairtrade increased its Minimum Price for cocoa by 20 percent to $2,400 per tonne at FOB (point of export), effective October 1, 2019. This means that Fairtrade certified cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire are currently receiving almost $236 more per tonne on…

A professor of medicine says exposure to excessive heat as a result of climate change is contributing to rising cases of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Mr. Rasheed Balogun, a nephrologist at the University of Virginia, United States, stated this on Wednesday in Ibadan at the ongoing 32nd Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology (NAN). The nephrologist said that researches carried out in different countries have linked heatwaves associated with climate change to epidemics of CKD of unknown origin in otherwise healthy young people. “There is evidence across the world that climate change has contributed…

The number of new confirmed Covid-19 infections in China dropped significantly on Thursday as health authorities reverted a decision to count clinically diagnosed patients as confirmed cases. Only 394 new coronavirus infections were counted across China over the past 24-hour period, compared to 1,749 new cases added on Wednesday. The National Health Commission reported a total of 74,576 infections across mainland China and 2,118 deaths including 114 casualties over the past 24 hours. The commission on Wednesday reversed a change in the diagnostic guidelines for coronavirus patients that allowed cases in Hubei province – the epicentre of the outbreak –…

By Akanimo Sampson The off-grid solar industry has grown into a $1.75 billion annual market, providing lighting and other energy services to 420 million users and remains on a solid growth curve, a new World Bank Group and GOGLA report shows. The 2020 Off-Grid Solar Market Trends report finds that the industry has made tremendous strides in the past decade. Since 2017, revenues from the off-grid solar industry continue to rapidly grow, increasing by 30 percent annually. To date, more than 180 million off-grid solar units have been sold worldwide and the sector saw $1.5 billion in investments since 2012. With…

Two human trafficking suspects in Akwa Ibom arrested by Uyo Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) will appear in court next week. The suspects – Okokon Essien Bassey and Ofonime Essien Bassey – were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, February 17. A statement signed by the Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Mr Nduka Nwanwenne in Uyo on Wednesday, said the suspects had approached one Mr Emmanuel Monday and his wife who is pregnant and a mother of two children to buy the unborn baby for N500,000. Nwanwenne said the officials of…

By: Akakan Umoh It was the first time, I went to a gas filling station in Akwanga to fill my gas. My gas burner was shaky and rusty, so I had it in mind to change it once I was with enough cash. At the gas station, I was attended to nicely. The gas station attendant did something that really impressed me. He removed my gas burner and replaced it with a fairly used one. I asked him how much it was for the new gas burner he had replaced for me, and he told me not to worry, that…

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the enlargement of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from three to five members. Consequently, Dr. Joy Nunieh, the immediate acting Managing Director is replaced with Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei. Pondei, the new acting Managing Director, is a Professor of Medicine at the Niger Delta University, and former Provost, College of Health Sciences of the institution in Bayelsa State. The changes were announced in a State House statement by Buhari’s media aide, Mr Femi Adesina, on Wednesday. Buhari also increased the members of the committee from three to five persons,…