Author: straightnewsng.com

By Akanimo Sampson Cotton is always around humans in clothing, linens, furniture, mattresses, vehicles, and much more. It is the most abundantly produced natural fibre in the world, and yet rarely celebrated. That is going to change this Monday, when the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and its partners mark the first World Cotton Day in Geneva, Switzerland, in a global celebration of cotton’s contributions to people’s lives, both as a fibre and a source of livelihood. UNCTAD Secretary-General, Mukhisa Kituyi, said “cotton’s many industrial applications make it an ideal foundation for upgrading and diversification strategies that…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, may split as a new academic union, Congress of University Academic, CONUA is seeking recognition. The new union said its emergence was to ensure stable university calendar to improve the quality of education at the ivory tower and enhance innovations in the system. The union further stressed the need for interfacing between teachers at the ordinary level and academics at the higher institutions of learning to improve quality of students admitted into the university system. Meanwhile, Senator Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, confirmed Sunday that CONUA had applied for registration…

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has expressed readiness to return seized funds in its custody to the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS. A statement issued weekend by Ayo Osinlu, NHIS’ Head of Press & Public Relations, said the funds were recovered from some public officials who allegedly milked the treasury of the scheme dry. According to Osinlu, the EFCC boss spoke during an advocacy visit to his office by the Executive Secretary of NHIS, Prof. Mohammed Nasir Sambo, in Abuja. The statement quoted Magu as saying that “the funds were retained in the safe custody of EFCC because the agency…

The price of Bonny Light, Nigeria’s premium oil grade has dropped from $60.00 to $59.12 per barrel, thus constituting fresh threat to the nation’s 2019 budget. The development which occurred Sunday indicated 88 cents below Nigeria’s $60.00 per barrel budget 2019 reference price. Figures obtained from the global market also showed that the prices of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC Basket and Brent also crashed from $58.90 to $57.96 and $59.50 to $58.37 per barrel respectively. The general fall in prices was attributed mainly to ability of Saudi Arabia to restore export after the rehabilitation of damaged oil…

Manchester City’s Premier League title defence suffered another huge blow in a shock 2-0 defeat to Wolves, while Manchester United endured another miserable day in a 1-0 loss to Newcastle on Sunday. City now trail runaway leaders Liverpool by eight points after just eight games as Adama Traore punished a sloppy performance by the champions with two goals in the final 10 minutes at the Etihad. “Today we were not at our level,” admitted City boss Pep Guardiola. “We had problems to make our game. We have faced many teams defending deep and found a solution, but not this time.”…

The General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has asked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to be unfazed by the snares of those unhappy with his rising profile, saying God who destined him to be part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration will sustain him. Adeboye spoke Sunday at a special service to mark the 20th anniversary of RCCG Province 7 headquarters (Faith Chapel), Gwarinpa, Abuja. Taking his text from1 Samuel 9: 18 and 19, the clergyman likened the story of Osinbajo’s emergence as vice president to that of Saul who became king of Israel without…

The Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, lamented the low level of compliance with the declaration of assets by public office holders in the country, saying it was not encouraging. Chairman of the Bureau, Prof. Mohammed Isah, who stated this when he featured on News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja, said though there was an improvement from what it used to be in time past, there was need for all public officers to know that they were duty bound to declare their assets. “What we met that used to be the level of compliance has now risen to a certain level,…

The rift between the Police Service Commission, PSC, and Police Management Team over recruitment of 10,000 policemen to help in the fight against the prevailing insecurity in the country as directed by President Muhammed Buhari has deepened as it has affected police activities connected with the commission. Areas most affected include recruitment, training, retirement and discipline of men of the force. The situation took a worsening dimension last week after police authorities reportedly directed the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG, from Police Academy, POLACK, Wudil, Kano, who was attending a crucial stakeholder’s meeting at the commissions’ office involving the PSC,…

The 26-year-old video vixen Mercy Eke has emerged as the winner of Big Brother Naija season four. After 99 entertaining days, Mercy was announced as the winner by Ebuka Obi Uchendu during the Live Finale show, which held on Sunday, October 6. Mercy defeated fellow housemates, Mike, Frodd, Omashola and Seyi to emerge the winner of the whooping 60 Million grand prize. This win makes her the first woman to win the Big Brother Naija reality show since inception. Mercy remains one of the most talked-about housemate of Big Brother Naija season four.. Popularly referred to as “Lamborghini”,  Mercy and…

Organised Labour weekend rejected the proposed plan by the Federal Government to re-introduce toll gates on federal highways. Labour spoke as the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, Sunday, called on the Federal Government to put in place an efficient policy before panned return of toll gates. While the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, said the toll gates would worsen people’s misery and raise the poverty level in the country, the United Labour Congress, ULC, said the only condition for Nigerians to accept a return of toll gates on federal roads is a drastic reduction in pump prices of petroleum products. It…