Author: straightnewsng.com

The Federal Government intends to review the current revenue sharing formula for the three tiers of government, Mr Elias Mbam, the chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, has said. Mbam told pressmen Tuesday, after receiving an Award of Excellence from the Nigeria Civil Service Union, in Abuja. Currently, the federal government takes 52.68 percent; states, 26.72 percent, while the 774 local government councils get 20.60 per cent of distributable Federation Account earnings. It was put in place by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, via an Executive Order in March 2003. Pursuing a new sharing formula, the chairman said, had…

Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has described Nigeria as a complex and difficult entity to manage. Babangida stated this in his Uphill residence in Minna when the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, minority caucus of the House of Representatives, led by Ndudi Elumelu, paid him a visit. Consequently, he called on the legislators to perform their responsibility honourably and diligently to make the country one entity. Babangida said this at his Uphill residence in Minna when the leadership of the PDP Minority caucus of the House of Representatives paid him a visit at his uphill residence, Minna,…

By Akanimo Sampson Low European gas prices and rising carbon prices have incentivised coal-to-gas switching in power generation, with Platts reporting that Germany’s and Italy’s gas-fired power generation has increased 54 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively, in 2019 to date. Analysts had estimated the global Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) demand for 2019 at 351 metric tonnes (mt), an increase of over 37 mt, or 12%, over 2018. In the second quarter of this year, global LNG supply totaled 87 mt, an increase of 13 mt or 17% over the second quarter of 2018, principally driven by new supply…

By Akanimo Sampson The enduring civil rule, not yet democracy, in Nigeria came about as a result of the heroic struggle or if you like, the revolution of the popular masses against the military dictatorship of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha. Omoyele Sowore, who the Buhari administration is currently detaining, was one of the front foot soldiers of the pro-democracy revolt on the side of the United Action for Democracy (UAD) that was then led by the iconic Olisa Agbakoba, SAN. As a political correspondent of The Punch at the time, Sowore was the link between the…

Akwa Ibom State Government in collaboration with World Bank has presented a cheque of N10 million each to 10 communities in the state. The 10 benefiting communities are Eyehedia Ikot Otuk and Otung community in Ini LGA, Edem Ekpat and Ikot Nkang community in Etinan LGA, Ata Ikot Inyang community in Etinan LGA, Ukana Ikot Ekon and Ikot Ekpenyong community in Essien Udim LGA, Ekpenyong Ufom community in Essien Udim LGA, Anua Ekeya community in Okobo LGA, Kampa and Emere-Oke in Eastern Obolo LGA. The cheque was given during a Two-Days Training Program of Community Project Management Committee members and…

The Federal Government has declared Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th August as Public Holidays to mark the 2019 Eid-il-Kabir celebrations. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Barr. Georgina Ekeoma Ehuriah, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, congratulated the Muslim faithful on the occasion. Ehuriah called on all Nigerians, at home and in diaspora, “to use the period of this year’s Eid-il-Kabir celebration to embrace the virtues of love, humility, peace and sacrifice as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Mohammed (Pbuh).”

By Akanimo Sampson A likely cheery news for those with visual disability from a Rael-Science post is that scientists have partially restored sight to blind people using a paradigm-shifting implant that wires images directly to the brain. The new method, known as Orion, uses a video camera attached to a pair of glasses that sends information to electrodes implanted directly into the visual cortex of the brain, totally bypassing broken optical nerves that no longer work. A team of neurosurgeons from Baylor Medical College in Texas and the University of California, Los Angeles has carried out the surgical produce on…

Following the confirmation of the 43 ministerial nominees by the Senate and submission of same to him, President Muhammadu Buhari will swear them in on August 21, 2019. Buhari forwarded the ministerial list to the National Assembly on July 23, 2019. The list contained 43 names, 14 of whom served as ministers in his first term in office. Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Boss Mustapha, announced in a statement Tuesday. The statement issued on the SGF’s behalf by Babatunde Lawal, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office in the OSGF, also invited all ministers-designate, Head of the Civil Service…

The naira on Monday traded at N362.57 to the dollar at the parallel market in Lagos. Turnover at the window stood at 293.60 million dollars. The currency was N359 to dollar at the parallel market in Lagos, while it was exchanged at N445 and N397 to the pound sterling and Euro, respectively. At the Bureau De Change window, the naira closed at N359 to the dollar, while it was N445 and N397 to the pound sterling and Euro, respectively. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the naira had remained stable at the parallel market in Lagos due largely to…

No fewer than 81 herdsmen had been convicted and 3,000 cows arrested for infringing the Benue State Anti-open Grazing Act. Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, who gave the update in a keynote address at the 2019 annual convention of the Idoma Association USA on Saturday in New York, said implementation of the law had brought relative peace to the state. “We are implementing our law, and there is relative peace. As at today, we have convicted 81 herdsmen. Some have paid fines; others are still in prison as I talk to you. “We have gone a step further. Anywhere we…