Author: straightnewsng.com

A total of N716.298 billion was shared among Federal, State and local governments by Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) for the December 2019. Of the total revenue, the Federal Government received N287.929 billion, state governments got N191.302 billion, while  N143.698 billion was accrued to local government councils. Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Alhaji Mahmoud Isa-Dutse announced at the FAAC meeting on Thursday that the N716.298 billion comprised revenue from Value Added Tax (VAT), Exchange Gain and the Statutory Revenue. Oil producing states received N50.279 billion as 13% derivation revenue and revenue generating agencies received N43.089…

By: Israel Umoh The meeting between Nigeria Labour Congress, Akwa Ibom Council and the state government on the payment of new National Minimum Wage and Consequential adjustments to workers in the state ended in a deadlock, an investigation by Straigtnews has shown. Though President Muhammadu Buhari signed the bill new Minimum Wage into law on April 18, 2019, and had paid it including arrears to its workers, some states have followed suit while others are about to pay. A source in the labour circle confided in the online newspaper that there was a meeting between the NLC leaders and the…

A Kaduna State High Court has ordered the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammad Adamu to stop harassing the managing partner of Kaduna-based law firm, Gloria Ballason. The court order was made Thursday, by Justice Hannatu Balogun while ruling on a motion ex-parte brought before the court by Ballason. Ballason had dragged El-rufai and the IG before the court over her alleged incessant harassment by the state government and police officers. Also joined in the suit as co-defendant is the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State, Her prayers in the ex-parte motion include; “An interim…

The governments of the West African Monetary Zone, WAMZ, on the ECOWAS Single Currency Programme, mainly English speaking countries in West Africa, have rejected the adoption of the “Eco” by Francophone Africa countries in place of their CFA Franc. The position was announced by Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, after an Extra-ordinary Meeting of Finance Ministers and Governors of Central Banks of WAMZ, in Abuja, Thursday. They said that the declaration was at variance with the decisions of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS for the adoption of “Eco” as the…

The Federal Government is working on a plan to stop foreign-owned vessels from trading on Nigerian waters. Speaking in an interview on a private television, Thursday, Dakuku Peterside, the Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, said current cabotage waivers will be phased out within the next five years. “We have rolled out a five-year cabotage waiver cessation plan. That means that in the next five years, there are a number of waivers we would no longer grant. “So, we expect that most vessels that would be trading within our waters will be built in Nigeria, we already…

Akwa Ibom government is claimed to have collected a humongous sum of N71,997,507,634.22 as a 13 percent derivation fund accrued from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) from January 2015 to August 2019. However, the improper utilisation of the whopping fund for the execution of development projects in the local government areas in Akwa Ibom endowed with natural resources has pitched a former local government chairman against Akwa Ibom governor, Udom Emmanuel. Consequently, Chief Aniekan Willie Akpan, the former Chairman of Eket Local Government Area, has dragged Akwa Ibom governor and the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to court…

By Akanimo Sampson A leading data and analytics company, GlobalData, says Asia and the Middle East are expected to collectively contribute about 30% of the global new-build crude oil trunk/transmission pipeline length additions by 2023 GlobalData has a proven track record in helping thousands of companies, government organizations, and industry professionals profit from faster, more informed decisions. Its report, Global Crude Oil Pipelines Industry Outlook to 2023 – Capacity and Capital Expenditure Outlook with Details of All Operating and Planned Crude Oil Pipelines, reveals that Asia and the Middle East are likely to have a new-build crude oil pipeline lengths…

By Akanimo Sampson A 21-year-old Mariam, the eldest of five children, left Burkina Faso after her father’s death to support her family and pay for her sister’s typhoid treatment. Within a few days of becoming a s#x worker, she was able to send her family 50,000 CFA francs (75 euros) via mobile money. Mariam is the latest arrival in a small brothel in the gold-mining hub of Yanfolila, southern Mali, she still recalls the first time she had s#x for money. She took a man into her small, concrete room, and did what she had to do. She then cried…

The strides recorded by the Lutheran Church of Nigeria in the development of the country’s educational sector came into focus as the church launched its fourth phase of a N50 million Lutheran University project. The church through the establishment of Lutheran High School, Obot Idim and primary schools in the state has produced many movers and shakers of the society in different fields of endeavour. Speaking at the four-day National convention held at the Church headquarters in Obot Idim, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Onofiok Luke, a member representing Etinan/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium Federal Constituency, commended the…

By Akanimo Sampson The global commercial drone market is skyrocketing in recent years and is showing no signs of abating. Last November 28, the Financial Times estimated the market to grow from $4.00 billion to $40 billion in the next five years. But, international standards are essential to ensure a minimum level of safety and quality. To this end, a new International Standard Organisation (ISO) standard has been published to keep everyone in the industry on the same plane. ISO is, however, an independent, non-governmental international organisation with a membership of 164 national standards bodies. Through its members, it brings together…