Author: straightnewsng.com

Dakkada FC proved some soccer pundits wrong after trouncing JigawaGolden Stars 2-0 during the 2019/2020 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season. During their match 17 played at Godswill Akpbabio International Stadium, Uyo on Saturday, January 25, Osimaga Duke scored a goal at 47 minutes while Spencer Bassey slotted in another at the 71 minutes for the Uyo darling team. Recall that during the match 15 match, Dakkada FC fell two goals to Nasarawa United at the same Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, a match that attracted opprobrium to the home team. After this comeback winning, Dakkada FC now have 27…

Media professionals in Akwa Ibom State who retired from the public service have been challenged to leverage on their experiences by contributing positively to the improvement of the media sector and betterment of the state and the country at large. They have also been charged to continue to commit their ways unto the Lord and walk with Him in spirit and in truth so as to attain more successes and enjoy more of His tangible blessings. A senior member of The Apostolic Church, Okon Mbaba Street, Uyo, Dick Akpan gave the charge in his exhortation when members of the Forum of Retired Media…

By Akanimo Sampson Apparently worried by the continued bloodletting in Nigeria, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, to rise quickly in defence of Christians all over the country. MRG’s Director of Policy and Communications, Carl Soderbergh, says it is critical that the Nigerian government under the watch of President Buhari, a retired Army Major General, acts quickly to defend its population, as well as bring perpetrators of the violence to justice. According to the minority rights group, “the threat to civilians in much of Nigeria, and specifically Christian communities in…

By Akanimo Sampson Halima, a 30-year-old mother of three displaced in Somalia because of the drought has said “many people who were displaced cannot return home. The drought in Somalia is happening all the time. People have no way to recover.” Halima’s testimony is coming at a time there is huge evidence on how climate change and environmental degradation affect human mobility. The evidence is quite growing and is so far, uncontested. But, the current focus of the debate on establishing a climate refugee status can only lead to a narrow and biased debate, and will ultimately provide partial…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is ready to hold re-run elections in 28 court-ordered constituencies in the country on Saturday, January 25. These are one Senatorial and 12 Federal constituencies as well as 15 state constituencies. In Akwa Ibom State, the re-run election will hold in Essien Udim in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District for the election of a Senator, election of a member for Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency and a member to represent Essien Udim State constituency in the state House of Assembly. Though Akpabio had written to the Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC…

US teen prodigy, Coco Gauff has knocked defending champion, Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-4 out of the Australian Open, pulling off another big upset at the year’s first Grand Slam. In the first set during their third-round match on Friday, the 15-year-old broke the Japanese star’s serve on 4-3, partly thanks to three unforced errors by Osaka, and served out the opener. By this stunning victory, Gauff has surged into the top 100 of the World rankings. The Japanese third seed looked deflated as she dropped her serve again at the start of the second set, but got going with a…

The controversy generated by the refunds of money to Akwa Ibom State Government over federal roads it constructed has reached a ridiculous height owing to various figures bandied by different government officials. Senator Ita Enang, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, had stoked the fire by saying that the Federal Government had refunded N78.2 billion to the Akwa Ibom State Government over federal roads it constructed over the years during the era of Godswill Akpabio. Shortly, Mr. Ephraim Inyang-eyen, the Commissioner for Works, refuted the claim, telling journalists that the Federal Government refunded N20 billion…

By: Israel Umoh The drama for the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage in Akwa Ibom is not yet over as Governor Udom Emmanuel is yet to give an official seal to the agreement for payment of the same to workers in the state. Though the leadership of the organised labour and the state government officials signed the agreement for the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage on Thursday, January 23, it is not yet ‘uhuru’ for the workers to celebrate. Speaking with Comfort FM Radio, Uyo on Friday, January 24, Elder Effiong Essien, the state Head of…

Akwa Ibom State has joined the top five of the leading debtor-states in the country, according to the latest statistics obtained from the Debt Management Office (DMO) website. Data from the DMO shows that Akwa Ibom is indebted to the tune of N237,404,479,750.88. However, Lagos State leads the debt profile with N441,668,732,162.26; Rivers is next with N266,936,225,793.65, while Delta and Cross River states follow with N230,574,799,366.01 and N167,967,705,888.45 respectively. Apart from the top five, Imo with (N148,900,627,563.76); Osun (N141,792,935,913.24); Ogun (N140,993,426,875.02); FCT (N137,862,316,926.60); Bayelsa (N127,243,132,172.38 and Kogi (N123,436,748,898.43) are other leading debtor-states. In all, the leading debtor-states accounted for more…

By Akanimo Sampson The Chief of Mission of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Nigeria, a United Nations agency, Franz Celestin, has declared that non-state armed groups like the blood-letting Boko Haram and its allies cannot deter them from pressing ahead with their humanitarian services in the bleeding North-East axis of the troubled country. According to Celestin, “the intended effect of the (latest attack) is to intimidate the humanitarian actors working in North-East Nigeria. We have seen this as humanitarian workers are increasingly targeted.” On January 18, non-state armed groups stormed a humanitarian facility in Ngala town, some 124…