Author: straightnewsng.com

By Akanimo Sampson The rising cases of human rights violations against legislators around the world, is currently a major cause of worry to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). At the 141st IPU Assembly in Belgrade, Serbia, member parliaments strongly condemned the record number of new cases of abused lawmakers. The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, the only international body with an exclusive remit to support legislators in danger, examined the cases of 305 parliamentarians in 10 countries whose human rights had been allegedly violated. Full details of all the decisions are here. Over half the cases are new…

By Akanimo Sampson Labour does not seem to be ready to shift ground on their insistence for the 36 governors of the federation to pay their workers the disturbing N30,000 minimum wage. For the insisting labour leaders, it is either the governors pay or brace to face the wrath of the workers. The Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) wants the governors to commence immediate payment of the new minimum wage of N30,000 with effect from April 18. This implies that the governors are already owing their workers more than six months arrears of the new pay. The Council which…

Fresh crisis appears to be looming at the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, as the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, Tuesday, gave a matching order to the just confirmed board to immediately take over the affairs of the Commission. Speaking in Abuja after the Senate confirmed the appointment of the nominees for the board of the intervention agency forwarded to the Senate last week, Lawan said the law setting up the NDDC does not recognise any interim arrangement once a board was put in place. Recall that Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, had inaugurated…

By Akanimo Sampson In 2018, the global maritime trade lost momentum as heightened uncertainty, escalating tariff tensions between the US and China and mounting concerns over other trade policy and political crosscurrents, notably a no-deal Brexit, sent waves through global markets, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Review of Maritime Transport 2019. Volumes in the sector grew by only 2.7% last year, below the historical averages of 3.00% and 4.1% recorded in 2017, according to the report. “The dip in maritime trade growth is a result of several trends including a weakening multilateral trading system…

The Catholic Church has launched an investigation into two nuns who took a vow of chastity, yet returned to Italy pregnant after a missionary trip to Africa, according to reports. The two women, who belonged to different orders in Sicily, had both traveled to Africa, Italian outlet ANSA reported. One of the women, who is 34 years old, learned that she was expecting when she went to the hospital with stomach pain, ANSA reported. She was transferred to a different order in Palermo and may leave monastic life to raise the child. The other woman, who is a mother superior,…

The management of Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden has sacked eight lecturers over alleged sexual assault and extortion of female students. The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eno Ibanga who confirmed the development on Tuesday, November 5, told newsmen that the sack became necessary to restore sanity in the institution. This is as Ibanga also stated that 10 suspected cultists who were on their way for an initiation ceremony were caught with a mini coffin, red cloths and axes. He said, “The appointment of eight lecturers have been terminated by the university bordering on sexual harassment and extortion. “As we speak, a notorious one is on…

By Akanimo Sampson The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, about 25 African-Americans from United States and some other dignitaries from all walks of life are billed to be in Anambra State to grace the forthcoming Eri Festival. The African-Americans, according to the traditional ruler of Eri Kingdom of Enugwu Aguleri community, Eze Chukwuemeka Eri, are those who have traced their roots to the Igbo race following DNA test. He pointed out that the visitors will be taken to the Aganabo Ezu n’ezu Omamala Confluence to pay homage to Eri, the father of the Igbo race. The Eri Festival/Olili-Obibia-Eri is,…

By Akanimo Sampson Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State is currently pressing for the arrest of the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bodejo, for describing a statement he made on the controversial RUGA of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration as a threat to the country. Though Bodejo was quoted in some dailies to have threatened that governors who refused to establish cattle colonies, also known as RUGA settlements, will not know peace in their states, the establishment is not likely to act in spite of the weighty security implications of such a threat. The obviously unguarded outburst…

More than 800 residents of Idoro community, Uyo local government area in Akwa Ibom have benefitted from free medical outreach, sponsored the 2 Brigade Nigerian Army under Operation Crocodile Smile IV. The Commanding Officer, 2 Brigade Medical Center in Uyo, Major Oghenevo Emadia, said the free medical outreach has catered for all age groups, both the elderly and the young. Emadia speaking to journalists in Uyo on Saturday said “To Flag-off the exercise, Operation Crocodile Smile IV, we earmarked Idoro community which serves as the host community for our Brigade Garrison. “We came here with skill personnels, like Medical Doctors,…

By Akanimo Sampson The ability of countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is being threatened by illicit financial flows, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has said, pointing out that as these flows are intended to be hidden, measuring them is extremely difficult. To arrest the situation, UNCTAD has been working with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) over the past 18 months to prepare a methodological approach for the measurement of the flows to address SDG indicator 16.4.1. The indicator attempts to…