Author: straightnewsng.com

By Akanimo Sampson A 49-year-old mother of two, Lemeima mint El Hadrami, has said, “I refused to marry off my daughter for a simple, good reason: I want my daughter to be empowered. I don’t want her to go through the same difficulties I did when I was young.” Ms. El Hadrami was married when she was only 13. As is often the case for child brides, she became pregnant in adolescence and was forced to drop out of school. She had two daughters, both following difficult pregnancies. Then her husband left them. Ms. El Hadrami is from Selibabi in southeastern…

A Catholic Priest, Rev. Father Chinenye Oluoma has said that Christmas is celebrated by Christians as a mystery of the birth of Jesus Christ. Oluoma while replying the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire Ministry (MFM), Dr Daniel Olukoya for describing Christmas as unbiblical, noted that there were many practices in Christianity which were not recorded in the Bible. Olukoya revealed that the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) does not participate in the celebration of Christmas as it is unbiblical and no book in the bible recorded the word “Christmas” or that Jesus was born on December…

By Akanimo Sampson While tracking spot rates in December, Drewry, a leading independent provider of research and consulting services to the maritime and shipping industry, said it witnessed a wide variation in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) surcharges depending on different carriers, different forwarders and different trade lanes. According to Drewry which employs over 100 professionals across an international network of offices in London, Delhi, Singapore, and Shanghai, the picture may be somewhat ‘’fuzzy’’ now but is expected to become clearer in the next few months. Carriers have been testing the new IMO charges in the spot market, which are…

By Akanimo Sampson Nepal has launched a new Migration Profile that will help its workers to compete in global job markets. The Profile was supported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Development Fund. United Nations Resident Coordinator for Nepal, Valerie Julliand, speaking at the launch said “this Migration Profile was developed at the time when migration has been identified in the international agenda as an issue of importance that needs to be addressed in a comprehensive and planned way.” “The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognise the growing impact of migration on development and the UN in Nepal sees it…

So far, the death toll of staffers of Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation – publisher of The Pioneer newspaper- has risen to six. The incident was reported to have occurred while staff members of the corporation were returning to Uyo, in an 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus belonging to The Nigeria Union of Journalists, Pioneer Chapel, after a traditional marriage ceremony of a daughter of one of its staff members in Ekpene Ukim, Uruan local government area of the state. A statement by management of the corporation signed by Mrs Josephine Umoren, the secretary,  for the general manager, Mr Umoette Umoette, said…

The Ikono elders in Akwa Ibom State have issued a seven-day ultimatum to an author to apologise over what they described as “wilfully associating us with the ill-fated project without our authorization” or be ready to face legal action. The elders comprising the paramount rulers, chiefs, leaders of thought and stakeholders from Ikono and Ini have unanimously kicked against the book entitled IKONO- THE CRADLE OF IBIBIO NATION: A REFUTATION by Dr. Uwem Jonah Akpan, a lecturer in the Department of History and International Relations, the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom. The book published by Heritage Preservation Foundation, Uyo…

Marriage is a sacred institution. God ordained it from the beginning of the world. And so, there are some rules (commandments) a husband as the head of the family must abide to enhance the growth and prosperity of the family. Do not have another woman apart from your wife. She is an approved one. Thou should not speak evil about your wife to your family members or even friends. If you must speak evil about her, speak to God instead. Remember the labour of your wife when you were poor. So, when you are rich honour her and spoil her…

By Akanimo Sampson Catherine Pilishvili, Human Rights Watch’s Senior Associate, Europe and Central Asia Division, says conflicts around gender and sexuality are often indicators of social tension. According to her, a recent public clash over the screening of a film in Tbilisi gives insight into the fault lines of contemporary politics in Georgia. The rest of her narrative goes thus: Georgia’s democratic gains have been seriously tested by the ruling party backtracking on electoral reforms. Politics is growing increasingly polarised, and last month the gulf between the far-right and progressive values erupted in violent confrontation outside a cinema where the…

By Akanimo Sampson For a 23-year-old Memory Banda, it appears she knows how to change the world, by refusing to stay silent. Ms. Banda grew up in Malawi in an area where child marriage, sexual violence and early pregnancy were common. “In my childhood, I had seen a lot of girls dropping out of school, getting pregnant, forced into marriages and sexually violated,” she recalled recently in an interview with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The harms of these practices were obvious to her, but she felt alone in recognising them. “The community did nothing about it, but encouraged girls to accept and be silent.”…

The General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Olukoya, has warned modern Christians to stop promoting Christmas seen as an unbiblical celebration. Speaking at the Wednesday at the Church’s Headquarters in Lagos, during Manna Water Service which coincided with the 2019 Christmas Day, Olukoya said no book in the Bible recorded the word ‘Christmas’ or that Jesus was born on December 25. Olukoya said his church does not celebrate Christmas because it is unbiblical. “If you really study the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, there is no word like Christmas. The Bible only recorded that…