Author: straightnewsng.com

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Usman, has directed Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, not to introduce new projects in their 2020 budget. The directive was contained in the 2020 Budget Call Circular marked:  BD/2000/EXP/S.800/I/3/27, issued by the minister. According to her, the thrust of the federal government’s capital expenditure programme in 2020 will be the completion of as many ongoing projects as possible, rather than starting new projects. She said: “MDAs are, hereby, advised that new projects will not be admitted into the capital budget for 2020 unless adequate provision has been made for…

The commissioner for Labour and Manpower Planning, Prof. Victor Daniel Inoka, has reiterated the state Government’s readiness to partner Sterling Oil Global Company in the provision of jobs for the citizenry in the oil and gas sector. Speaking during a familiarisation tour to the company in Iko Town, Eastern Obolo local government area, Akwa Ibom, Inoka who is the immediate Commissioner for Education harped for synergy between the company and the state government to ease industrial harmony, job creation and training programmes among them. He assured the company of the government’s commitment to providing the needed support, safety and peaceful environment…

Former Head of State, Abdulsalam Abubakar, has said ex-President Goodluck Jonathan was not been given enough credit for conceding defeat after the 2015 presidential election. Jonathan in 2015, became Nigeria’s first incumbent President to lose re-election, after he promptly accepted defeat to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and congratulated him. Abubakar in an interview with Nigeria Now Newspaper to commemorate Nigeria’s 20th year of democracy, said: “People keep harping on the role of our Peace Committee in convincing President Goodluck Jonathan to concede defeat to Muhammadu Buhari. ”Nigerians have not given adequate credit to President Johnathan because he took the decision…

As a way of cementing bilateral relations between Nigeria ans South Africa, the South African government has granted Air Peace Airlines’ request to commence commercial flights to Johannesburg. This is coming on the heels of President Muhammadu Buhari’s departure Wednesday on a three-day state visit to South Africa. The visit of one of Nigeria’s responses to the zenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, which has resulted in evacuation of 502 Nigerians resident in that country back home. Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ferdinard Nwoye, who stated this in a statement in Abuja Monday, said: “The Ministry…

President Muhammadu Buhari’s 59th Independence Anniversary speech, Tuesday, elicited kudos and knocks in the polity. While some said the president addressed burning issues in the country, others disagreed and said he shied away from key issues. Aside the president’s claim on boosting the economy, and how he is tackling insecurity, one of the issues that elicited strong response was his perceived diminishing of the powers of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo by moving the special intervention programmes to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. Buhari said he took the decision in order to institutionalize the programmes. Among…

By Akanimo Sampson In collaboration with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) and the Organisation africaine de la propriété intellectuelle (OAPI) with the support of the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and the Government of Zimbabwe, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is organising a conference on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Value Addition for Business Competitiveness in Africa. It will be holding from November 5 through 8 in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. Participants will explore: The challenges and opportunities for Africa in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution; Ways to harness the potential of universities and research…

By Akanimo Sampson                                                                              Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, is chairing the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva. WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property policy, services, information and cooperation. It is a specialised agency of the UN, assisting its 192 member states in developing a balanced international IP legal framework to meet society’s evolving needs. It also provides business services for obtaining IP rights in multiple countries and resolving disputes. It delivers capacity-building programs to help developing countries benefit from using IP. And it provides free access to…

Today marks the day the dreams of our forebears for freedom became a reality -it’s Nigeria’s anniversary as an independent, sovereign country! With 15 leaders who have spared no exertion at moving the country forward since gaining self-rule, Nigeria stands tall in the comity of nations, although not without setbacks. As we celebrate today, let’s remember that this independence connotes unity and togetherness. Therefore we must put aside hate and come together as one big, unified family, regardless of our ethnicities. May we never, by our actions, let the sacrifices of our heroes past be in vain. Happy 59th Independence…

As the military intensifies efforts to end terrorism in the country, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, has said a combination of physical and spiritual battle has become necessary to end the menace. This is even as US President, Donald Trump, while congratulating Nigeria on its 59th independence anniversary Monday, charged President Muhammadu Buhari to drive out Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province, ISWAP, from the nation’s territories. However, Buratai noting that ideology was the main driver of terrorists’ activities, insisted that spiritual warfare must be deployed immediately against the enemy forces. The Army…

The outgoing President of the National Industrial Court, NIC, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, lamented that 10,000 industrial cases were currently pending before the courts nationwide. Justice Adejumo also said about N150 billion was required to put the judicial sector in proper perspective in order to deliver its task effectively.  This is as President Muhammadu Buhari Monday appealed to the legislature and the judiciary to collaborate with the executive to ensure the rights of Nigerians were safeguarded. Speaking while commissioning the National Industrial Court annex in Abuja, Buhari pledged that his administration would continue to adequately fund the judiciary to enable it discharge its…