Author: straightnewsng.com

The completed multi-millions Naira Nigeria Immigration Service ultra modern Office complex in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital has been put to use. In addition, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior equally inaugurated the Migrant e-Registration in Uyo on Thursday. Aregbesola advised Officers and personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service to shun indolence and corruption in the performance of their duties. He said that Federal Government would work hard to providing adequate and conducive working environment for its workforce across the country. The minister assured the immigration service that his ministry would continue to support NIS and all other agencies…

The Federal Government has reimbursed N157.35 billion Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax arrears to state governments in the country. The amount represented liabilities owed by Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs to states, Executive and Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). This was contained in a statement by Mr Wahab Gbadamosi, the FIRS spokesman for  Mr Tunde Fowler, the Chairman of the Joint Tax Board, (JTB), in Awka. (The Vanguard)

The Federal Government has declared Monday, November 11, as public holiday to mark the 2019 Eid-ul-Mawlud. Eid-ul-Mawlud marks the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. The announcement was made via the official Twitter page of the Federal Ministry of Interior, headed by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. A statement signed by Mohammed Manga, Director, Press & Public Relations of the ministry said “the Federal Government has declared Monday, November 11, 2019 as Public Holiday to mark the 2019 Eidul-Mawlid Celebration in commemoration of the birthday of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). “MoI, Ogbeni @raufaregbesola, who made the declaration on behalf of…

Clamour by some people for the probe of Chief Godswill Akpabio administration in Akwa Ibom State has been seen as personal and selfish rants. This is coming against the background on the call by Christopher Ekpenyong, a Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West in the National Assembly for the probe of Senator Akpabio for trillions of Naira accrued to his administration. Ubokobong Umoh, the national secretary of Niger Delta Activists Forum, said the call by Ekpenyong is borne out of selfishness and witch-hunting spirit. Umoh, speaking Thursday in an interview on Inspiration 105.9 FM Radio by Team Nigeria Classic sponsored…

Not long from now, whistling or winking at a student or screaming, exclaiming, joking or making sexually complimentary or uncomplimentary remarks about a student’s physique or stalking a student will constitute sexual harassment in Nigeria. This was contained in the Sexual Harassment Bill which scaled second reading on the floor of the Senate sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege. The bill defines sexual offences as including sexual intercourse with a student or demands for sex from a student or a prospective student. It also explained it to mean intimidating or creating a hostile or offensive environment for the…

By Akanimo Sampson The rising cases of human rights violations against legislators around the world, is currently a major cause of worry to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). At the 141st IPU Assembly in Belgrade, Serbia, member parliaments strongly condemned the record number of new cases of abused lawmakers. The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, the only international body with an exclusive remit to support legislators in danger, examined the cases of 305 parliamentarians in 10 countries whose human rights had been allegedly violated. Full details of all the decisions are here. Over half the cases are new…

By Akanimo Sampson Labour does not seem to be ready to shift ground on their insistence for the 36 governors of the federation to pay their workers the disturbing N30,000 minimum wage. For the insisting labour leaders, it is either the governors pay or brace to face the wrath of the workers. The Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) wants the governors to commence immediate payment of the new minimum wage of N30,000 with effect from April 18. This implies that the governors are already owing their workers more than six months arrears of the new pay. The Council which…

Fresh crisis appears to be looming at the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, as the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, Tuesday, gave a matching order to the just confirmed board to immediately take over the affairs of the Commission. Speaking in Abuja after the Senate confirmed the appointment of the nominees for the board of the intervention agency forwarded to the Senate last week, Lawan said the law setting up the NDDC does not recognise any interim arrangement once a board was put in place. Recall that Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, had inaugurated…

By Akanimo Sampson In 2018, the global maritime trade lost momentum as heightened uncertainty, escalating tariff tensions between the US and China and mounting concerns over other trade policy and political crosscurrents, notably a no-deal Brexit, sent waves through global markets, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Review of Maritime Transport 2019. Volumes in the sector grew by only 2.7% last year, below the historical averages of 3.00% and 4.1% recorded in 2017, according to the report. “The dip in maritime trade growth is a result of several trends including a weakening multilateral trading system…

The Catholic Church has launched an investigation into two nuns who took a vow of chastity, yet returned to Italy pregnant after a missionary trip to Africa, according to reports. The two women, who belonged to different orders in Sicily, had both traveled to Africa, Italian outlet ANSA reported. One of the women, who is 34 years old, learned that she was expecting when she went to the hospital with stomach pain, ANSA reported. She was transferred to a different order in Palermo and may leave monastic life to raise the child. The other woman, who is a mother superior,…