Author: straightnewsng.com

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it did not produce or issue a number plate bearing ‘CHIP WHIP’ used by the chief whip of Kano State House of Assembly. In a statement issued on Sunday, Bisi Kazeem, the corps public education officer, said the number plate “did not originate from any of the FRSC number plate production centres, neither was it issued by the Corps”. He said the agency could not have made such a grammatical error owing to its rigorous quality-assurance procedure in producing and issuing licences. “For the avoidance of doubt, FRSC with its international quality management…

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), has called on the federal government to review Nigeria’s foreign policy to bring it at par with modern diplomatic realities. Abubakar also urged Nigerians to work towards peaceful national co-existence. General Abubakar, who was chairman on the occasion of the maiden annual lecture of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria, ARCAN, urged the retired diplomats to sustain the momentum as the need arose on critical national issues, especially those of foreign policy. The former head of state, who is also the Chairman of National Peace Committee, said with accumulated experience…

President Muhammadu Buhari has passed a vote of confidence on the Nigerian- born President of the African Development Bank, AfDB, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, Board of Governors and members of staff on their efficient administration that has culminated in the historic capital increase of the bank. AfDB recently increased its capital base from $93 billion to $208 billion, placing the multilateral institution on a stronger pedestal to drive growth and development on the continent. President Buhari, while congratulating Akinwunmi, said he joined shareholders of the Bank and African Heads of State and Governments in celebrating the feat, adding that it clearly demonstrated…

The House of Representatives will soon commence consideration of a proposal to set aside $1billion dollars from the Excess Crude Account for completion of work on Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State. Fund is also expected to be drawn from annual budgets and foreign loans for the projects. A law, entitled “An Act to Provide for the Ajaokuta Steel Company Completion Fund for the Speedy Completion of the Project,” is underway in the Green Chamber. Sponsor of the piece of the bill to set up a fund for the complex, is Uzoma Nkem Abonta(PDP-Abia). The Bill proposes to: “Establish the…

The Federal Government has extended the duration of the ongoing ‘Exercise Swift Response’ across the nation’s borders till January 31, 2020. A directive to this effect has been communicated to Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Area Command at the borders and commanders of the joint border patrol, code-named “EX-SWIFT RESPONSE.” This is as the Federal Government says N2.3tn worth of contraband have been seized from smugglers since President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a partial closure of land borders in the country to tackle smuggling of rice and other goods into Nigeria on August 20, 2019. The exercise, which is being coordinated by…

The two teams representing Akwa Ibom State in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) for the 2019/2020 season on Sunday picked one point after being forced by their opponents to a 1-1 draw apiece. In one away match, Delta Force forced Akwa Starlets (Dakaada Stars) to a 1-1 draw. In another away match, Warri Wolves played a one-all draw with Akwa United. So far, Akwa Starlets (Dakaada Stars) and Akwa United are occupying sixth and seventh positions on the NPFL table. Plateau United edged out Lobi Stars 3-1 to occupy the top position while Katsina United are occupying the bottom…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) wants the Federal Government to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and other agencies to investigate corruption allegations in the use of the monthly federal allocations to the 774 local governments in the country through the 36 state governors and the Federal Capital Territory. In an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, SERAP also sought investigations into “the alleged complicity of state governors in corruption cases involving local government allocations between 1999 and 2019, and if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence, for suspected perpetrators to be prosecuted by anti-corruption agencies…

By Akanimo Sampson The whereabouts of an abducted four-year-old child and a female volunteer in South Sudan is still largely unknown, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said. The United Nations migration agency is consequently calling for their unconditional release. They were abducted in South Sudan during a gun-battle the previous Sunday morning that claimed the lives of three IOM humanitarian workers. IOM South Sudan Chief of Mission, Jean-Philippe Chauzy, said “there are efforts being made at this time to try to locate the whereabouts of our missing colleague and the child”, adding, “all possible action is being taken…

One of the controversial ex-Big Brother Naija housemates has been reinstated by the London Metropolitan Police. Khafi Kareem who returned to the United Kingdom two weeks ago was said to have met her superiors. It was alleged that she defied instruction to feature on the Nigerian reality show that lasted for 99 days, though she ejected from the house before then. According to the Mirror newspaper, Khafi, who clocks 30 Sunday said she has been asked to return to work. She and met with her superiors to discuss her conduct. There were reports she had been a subject of a…

By Akanimo Sampson While armed conflicts and crises around the world have left millions of civilians unable to access critical aid, an alarming trend of attacks on aid workers and other non-lethal obstacles to sustained humanitarian access has led to one development: humanitarian access gaps and challenges to principled engagement. The role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has become increasingly recognised in responding to mounting need while delivering effective humanitarian assistance and protection in access-constrained environments. Last week in Istanbul, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) together with the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) addressed these issues convening its first Regional IOM-NGO Humanitarian Consultation for the Middle East and North Africa Region. Consultation participants discussed good practices and complementarities for…