Author: straightnewsng.com

By Akanimo Sampson Sub-zero temperatures and increased snowfall are currently exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in northwest Syria where more than 250,000 people have been displaced in the past few days and forcing over 80,000 to sleep under trees. According to the United Nations, more than 830,000 people have been displaced in the region in the last two months and more than 1.2 million since April 2019. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is extremely concerned about this rapid and ongoing rise in displacement which continues to rise in the tens of thousands every day, particularly as conflict spreads northward to highly populated urban…

By Akanimo Sampson Going by data from the Advisory Power Team (APT) in the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria, the country’s epileptic power sector lost around N19.15 billion in just 10 days, due to constraints from insufficient gas supply, distribution and transmission infrastructure. The obviously huge losses were recorded in the 10 days to this February 14. On Friday, Valentine’s Day (February 14) the sector lost an estimated N1.96 billion; it lost N2.01 billion on February 13; N2.00 billion on February 12; N1.95 billion in February 11; N2.15 billion on February 10, and N1.95 billion on February 9.…

By Akanimo Sampson In the spirit of this year’s Valentine’s Day which was celebrated globally on Friday, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is calling on the world to prioritise ending child marriage. Around the world, Valentine’s Day is celebrated as a time of joy and romance. Yet for millions, fairy tales of love and marriage are just that – fiction. Hundreds of millions of women and girls alive today were married off while still children. Many were exposed to violence, forced from school and pushed into premature parenthood. Child marriage is a tragedy for the individuals it ensnares – often…

By Akanimo Sampson Cameroonian refugees have begun moving to border communities in Cross River and Taraba States of Nigeria as destitute and are eking out a living in low-wage jobs. According to a previous statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), they are crossing the border into the two states, thus bringing the number of refugees to around 100,000. In the last two weeks, some 8,000 people have fled into Nigeria from Cameroon to escape clashes between the armed security forces and armed separatists in the latter country, the UN refugee agency said on Thursday. While fighting…

By Akanimo Sampson The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has revealed that conflict and changes in environmental conditions largely due to the rampaging climate change have more than double the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in West and Central Africa. According to the UN agency, the displacement crisis in the two African regions was driven by climate and environmental change, fast-paced urbanisation, population growth and conflict in the past three years. In sub-Saharan Africa, a combination of conflict, floods, droughts and other natural hazards resulted in a doubling in the total number of new…

Top personalities in the political, corporate and ecumenical spectrums turned the funeral service of the father of Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel to a carnival of the sort. The service held at United Evangelical Church (UEC), Awa Iman, the country home of Governor Udom in Onna Local Government Area of the state on Saturday. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and wife, Patience; Senate President, Ahmed Lawan and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Senator Ike Ekweremadu, immediate past Deputy Senate President. Among governors included Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti; Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto; Dr. Victor Okezie…

By Akanimo Sampson Bayelsa State, the home state of former President Goodluck Jonathan, has erupted in an orgy of violence against the new Governor of the state, Douye Diri, and the out-gone governor, Seriake Dickson. Violent protests erupted on Thursday evening, shortly after the ruling of the apex court that aborted the governorship dream of David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This was as Senator Diri and Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo were sworn in as the governor and Deputy Governor on Friday. Though Jonathan has congratulated Diri as the new governor, protests against the judgment continued until Friday, thus forcing…

By Akanimo Sampson The worrisome locust scourge ravaging East Africa is currently posing a dilemma to the public-spirited global community. The world has two options to choose from. It is either the global community urgently supports the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) with the $76 million required to tackle the menace or brace up to cough out $1.14 billion in a humanitarian emergency. But, David Beasley, the Executive Director of World Food Programme (WFP), has already said that it will be vastly more cost-effective to support the FAO to tackle locusts in East Africa now than to help people in the…

By: Israel Umoh The parched harmattan wind blew crazily across the expansive legislative complex. And most equipment in its offices looked dusty. The Sergeant-At-Arm stepped forward. “Mr. Speaker a! a! a! a!” Silence! The Protocols and security agents stood attention. And he gaitly walked into the hallowed chambers of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Uyo. And the distinguished members and spectators rose to welcome the speaker. This was the scenario that played out during the plenary of the state House of Assembly on Thursday, February 13, 2020, on the floor of the house. And he settled down for the…

By Akanimo Sampson Seven years after entering into force, Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has said that the Green Chamber of Nigeria’s bicameral Legislature will now follow the “necessary steps’’ to domesticate the Kampala Convention on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), which will go a long way in addressing their plight in the country. The Convention which was formerly, the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of IDPs in Africa, is a treaty of the African Union that addresses internal displacement caused by armed conflict, natural disasters and large-scale development projects in Africa. The Convention was adopted in October 2009. As of 2016 it has been…