Author: straightnewsng.com

For 18 years, Mariam spent her life upholding Genesis 9:7 in the Bible, which reads—”As you, be fruitful and multiply. Bring forth abundantly on the earth and multiply on it.” The faith Mariam held tenaciously firm at the age of 12 turned her as the East African country’s most fertile woman at 40. Mariam Nabatanzi from Uganda’s Mukono District is said to have given birth to 44 children. The article of faith that is supposed to bring joy and happiness to the Ugandan woman is turning the product of her belief to a source of worry. Nicknamed ‘Nalongo Muzaala Bana’ to…

An unnamed serving senator involved in the screening of Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) board is alleged to be behind 300 ghost contract jobs with the commission. The Interim Management Committee Executive Director of Project, Cairo Ojougboh, who raised the alarm over allegation, said the commission had fully paid for 120 of the contracts without the Senator mobilising workforce to sites. This is coming after President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a forensic audit of the operations of the NDDC from 2001 to 2019 over several criticisms that have accompanied the running of the commission. Addressing journalists in Abuja, Ojougboh also said…

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it did not produce or issue a number plate bearing ‘CHIP WHIP’ used by the chief whip of Kano State House of Assembly. In a statement issued on Sunday, Bisi Kazeem, the corps public education officer, said the number plate “did not originate from any of the FRSC number plate production centres, neither was it issued by the Corps”. He said the agency could not have made such a grammatical error owing to its rigorous quality-assurance procedure in producing and issuing licences. “For the avoidance of doubt, FRSC with its international quality management…

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), has called on the federal government to review Nigeria’s foreign policy to bring it at par with modern diplomatic realities. Abubakar also urged Nigerians to work towards peaceful national co-existence. General Abubakar, who was chairman on the occasion of the maiden annual lecture of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria, ARCAN, urged the retired diplomats to sustain the momentum as the need arose on critical national issues, especially those of foreign policy. The former head of state, who is also the Chairman of National Peace Committee, said with accumulated experience…

President Muhammadu Buhari has passed a vote of confidence on the Nigerian- born President of the African Development Bank, AfDB, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, Board of Governors and members of staff on their efficient administration that has culminated in the historic capital increase of the bank. AfDB recently increased its capital base from $93 billion to $208 billion, placing the multilateral institution on a stronger pedestal to drive growth and development on the continent. President Buhari, while congratulating Akinwunmi, said he joined shareholders of the Bank and African Heads of State and Governments in celebrating the feat, adding that it clearly demonstrated…

The House of Representatives will soon commence consideration of a proposal to set aside $1billion dollars from the Excess Crude Account for completion of work on Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State. Fund is also expected to be drawn from annual budgets and foreign loans for the projects. A law, entitled “An Act to Provide for the Ajaokuta Steel Company Completion Fund for the Speedy Completion of the Project,” is underway in the Green Chamber. Sponsor of the piece of the bill to set up a fund for the complex, is Uzoma Nkem Abonta(PDP-Abia). The Bill proposes to: “Establish the…

The Federal Government has extended the duration of the ongoing ‘Exercise Swift Response’ across the nation’s borders till January 31, 2020. A directive to this effect has been communicated to Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Area Command at the borders and commanders of the joint border patrol, code-named “EX-SWIFT RESPONSE.” This is as the Federal Government says N2.3tn worth of contraband have been seized from smugglers since President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a partial closure of land borders in the country to tackle smuggling of rice and other goods into Nigeria on August 20, 2019. The exercise, which is being coordinated by…

The two teams representing Akwa Ibom State in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) for the 2019/2020 season on Sunday picked one point after being forced by their opponents to a 1-1 draw apiece. In one away match, Delta Force forced Akwa Starlets (Dakaada Stars) to a 1-1 draw. In another away match, Warri Wolves played a one-all draw with Akwa United. So far, Akwa Starlets (Dakaada Stars) and Akwa United are occupying sixth and seventh positions on the NPFL table. Plateau United edged out Lobi Stars 3-1 to occupy the top position while Katsina United are occupying the bottom…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) wants the Federal Government to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and other agencies to investigate corruption allegations in the use of the monthly federal allocations to the 774 local governments in the country through the 36 state governors and the Federal Capital Territory. In an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, SERAP also sought investigations into “the alleged complicity of state governors in corruption cases involving local government allocations between 1999 and 2019, and if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence, for suspected perpetrators to be prosecuted by anti-corruption agencies…

By Akanimo Sampson The whereabouts of an abducted four-year-old child and a female volunteer in South Sudan is still largely unknown, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said. The United Nations migration agency is consequently calling for their unconditional release. They were abducted in South Sudan during a gun-battle the previous Sunday morning that claimed the lives of three IOM humanitarian workers. IOM South Sudan Chief of Mission, Jean-Philippe Chauzy, said “there are efforts being made at this time to try to locate the whereabouts of our missing colleague and the child”, adding, “all possible action is being taken…