Author: straightnewsng.com

By Akanimo Sampson In West African cuisine, there is a common ingredient that imparts both pungency and a spicy aroma to soups and stews. It is alligator pepper, also known as mbongo spice or hepper pepper. In Yoruba culture, when babies are born, according to Wikipedia, they are given a small taste of alligator pepper, atare, shortly after birth as part of the routine baby-welcoming process, and it is also used as an ingredient at traditional meet-and-greets. In Igboland, alligator pepper, ósè ọ́jị́ with kola nuts are used in naming ceremonies, as presentation to visiting guests, and for other social…

Incensed by the brutal killing of one of his pastors, Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of Living Faith Church, has furiously declared “Cursed be these Fulani herdsmen, cursed be their generations, cursed be their sponsors in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ, we have cursed.” Oyedepo said except his is not sent, the end has come for this evil system saying: “I am speaking as a Prophet, not as a pastor, like somebody walking on the street. This evil system that has no value for life, this wicked system – Fulani demons, In the name of…

By Akanimo Sampson With the first half of this 2019 plagued by increased net tanker fleet growth, and a higher than expected refinery maintenance, it appears things are not going to be all that rosy for tanker owners. It seems, the tanker fleet is set for a period of much lower fleet growth over the next two years due to a relatively small orderbook. Currently, the tanker orderbook totals 53 mdwt, or 8.7 percent of the existing fleet size, which is the lowest tanker fleet-to-orderbook ratio since early-1997. Some analysts are of the view that fleet growth could be further…

Romelu Lukaku completed his long-awaited move to Inter Milan from Manchester United on Thursday after the Serie A club announced his arrival in Italy on a five-year deal. Lukaku “The Belgian footballer, arriving from Manchester United on a permanent basis, has signed a contract with the Nerazzurri until 30 June 2024,” Inter said in a statement. The club did not reveal Lukaku’s wages nor the fee paid to Premier League side United reported to be in the region of 80 million euros ($90 million). Inter announced the deal with a video of the 26-year-old in an Inter shirt saying: “Inter:…

By Akanimo Sampson To mitigate her own carbon footprint, the Panama Canal Authority, the agency of the Government of Panama that is responsible for the operation and management of the Panama Canal is implementing a series of innovative measures for conserving water and fostering sustainable energy. One example includes the introduction of 18 innovative water-saving basins that recycle 60 percent of the water used per lockage at the Expanded Canal, thus saving seven percent more water than in the Panamax locks. Another involves the installation of 88 state-of-the art floating solar panels with photovoltaic cells as part of a pioneering…

By Akanimo Sampson After years of violence, Iraq is laying the foundations for e-commerce as she rebuilds her infrastructure, government officials said during a high-level dialogue on e-commerce and the digital economy in the dying days of July in Baghdad. The event kick started week-long consultations that are part of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) assessment of the country’s readiness to engage in e-commerce, the first such exercise in a non-least developed country. Nearly 100 people drawn from Iraq’s public and private sectors exchanged views on how to overcome the challenges that hinder e-commerce in the…

Tunisia’s Esperance were declared winners of the African Champions League by CAF on Wednesday following a long legal battle after Wydad Casablanca stormed off in protest during the second leg of the final in May. Wydad “is considered to have lost the game”, African football’s governing body said in a statement. The Moroccan side walked off an hour into the return leg in Tunis after a VAR malfunction meant a disallowed equaliser could not be reviewed. “The decision means Esperance are champions,” a CAF source told AFP under the condition of anonymity. Wydad were issued a fine of $20,000 for…

The Court of Appeal, Abuja division, on Wednesday, restored the certificate of return issued to Chike Okafor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Okafor, a member representing Ehimembano/Ihiteuboma/Obowo Federal constituency of Imo state in the House of Representatives. In a unanimous judgment, the appellant court set aside the April 29 order made by Justice Bello Kawu of an FCT High court, Kubuwa. Kawu had directed INEC to issue a certificate of return to Emeka Nwajiuba as a member representing the federal constituency. Nwajiuba who was appointed as a Minister by President Muhammadu Buhari…

Akwa Ibom Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has assured the visiting Fifa delegation of the state’s readiness to host the 2020 Women under-20 World Cup tournament. Emmanuel gave the assurance when the Fifa delegation paid him a courtesy call at Government House, Uyo on Wednesday. He pleaded that Akwa Ibom be given the right to host both the opening and the closing ceremonies of the Mundial. The governor noted that the choice of Uyo as one of the stadia earmarked to host the Mundial is a mark of appreciation for the State’s contributions towards the development of football in Nigeria. He…

An agricultural programme, under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase 1, ATASP-1, has achieved 209, 464 metric tonnes of food worth N36.2 billion in four years. National Programme Coordinator of ATASP-1, Ibrahim Arabi, who stated this at a media conference on the impact made in the agricultural sector, said the programme, which commenced in February 2015 and subsequently launched in March 2015, was funded by the African Development Bank, AfDB, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to the tune of $174.85 million, including grant facility. He stated further that the programme was for 5…