Author: straightnewsng.com

President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York, described the $9.6billion awarded in favour of an Irish firm, Process & Industrial Development, P&ID, Limited, as a scam. The President spoke on the matter for the first time on a day the Senate in Abuja, summoned the Attorney-General of the Federation & Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to brief it on the details of the contracts signed between the Federal Government and the Irish firm. Speaking at UNGA, the President said his government was tackling the challenges of corruption head-on. At present,…

By Akanimo Sampson A Rael-Science post says the Handan Public Security Bureau in Northern China has deployed three types of traffic robots to assist human officers in the city. Quoting a report in state-run news agency Xinhua, the post quotes Deputy Head of the Ministry of Public Security’s Traffic Management Research Institute, Zhou Zuoying, as saying the bots’ deployment marks China’s first use of “robot traffic police.” This is happening as Police officers in Zhengzhou, China have been spotted wearing sunglasses equipped with facial recognition software that allows them to identify individuals in a crowd. These surveillance sunglasses were actually…

By Akanimo Sampson Plots to abort the perceived 2023 presidential ambition of Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos State Governor (1999-2007) and an influential All Progressives Congress (APC) leader have begun with a design aimed at throwing Vice President Yemi Osinbajo out of the Presidential Villa. Osinbajo, a senior pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is a political son of Tinubu who made him Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner of Lagos. Tinubu had nursed an ambition to run with President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. But religious concerns stalled the ambition since he is a Muslim like Buhari. At the…

The Senate, Wednesday, summoned the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to brief it on the details of the contracts signed between the Federal Government and the Irish firm, Process and Industrial Developments, P&ID, Limited. Also asked to appear with the Minister are all the relevant stakeholders, parties to the agreement, including officials of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and professional arbitrators engaged on behalf of the Federal Government. They are expected to comprehensively brief the Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), Gas Resources and…

Akwa Ibom State Government in collaboration with World Bank has presented a cheque of N135 million for the development of 15 rural communities in the state. The benefiting communities include Ikot Esen Oku and Mbioto Ekpene Ituen community in Etinan LGA; Ibam Edet, Mbiafun Ikot Abasi and Nkwot Etok community in Ini LGA; Nto Uso community in Ika LGA; Offot Ikot Abasi Esu and Ibesit Okpokoro community in Oruk Anam LGA. Others are Ikot Obom community in Nsit Atai LGA; Ikot Ukana and Okpo Eto Edem Idim community in Obot Akara LGA; Ikot Udo Obobo community in Ukanafun LGA and…

The Federal High Court in Abuja, Tuesday, ordered the immediate release of the detained publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore. The court made the order after saying that there was no extant order allowing Mr Sowore’s further detention before the court. This is as Senator Shehu Sani has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently drop all the charges against pro-democracy campaigner, Omoyele Sowore, by the government. The court said Mr Sowore must deposit his international passport within 48 hours after his release and ordered that his lawyer, Femi Falana, should be responsible for producing him in court once he has…

The World Bank Group has committed about $12 billion to programmes and projects in Nigeria, the Vice President, Dr. Hafez Ghanem has confirmed. Dr. Ghanem who led the bank’s delegation said its portfolio across all sectors stands at $11billion, while International Finance Corporation, IFC’s portfolio stands at over $1 billion in sector, including manufacturing, financial services and infrastructure. The World Bank Group delegation was in Nigeria to discuss how it could help the country leverage private and public investments and expertise for inclusive growth. The bank said in a statement, Monday, that the new approach to mobilize development financing was…

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, Monday, warned governments at various levels to allow the judiciary enjoy its independence without undue interference, saying it would never be subservient to anybody, no matter his position in the society. This is as Muhammad lamented that the nation’s judiciary was not free to discharge its responsibility, saying it goes about begging for funds to survive. The CJN, who spoke at a special session marking the commencement of the 2019/2020 legal year of the Supreme Court and swearing-in of 38 newly conferred Senior Advocates of Nigeria, maintained that the judiciary under…

Lionel Messi won the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award on Monday with Megan Rapinoe bagging the women’s prize to cap a historic year for the United States’ World Cup icon. A sixth-time recipient of the Ballon d’Or, Messi is yet to win The Best FIFA Men’s Player award since its inception in 2016, but could finally bag the trophy after a season in which he netted 51 goals in all competitions to help Barcelona to a 26th Spanish league championship. Barcelona striker Messi’s victory in Milan was a surprise as he edged out Virgil Van Dijk, who won…

The Atha Oro VII and the Paramount Ruler of Mbo local government area has embarked on the homeward journey. He is His Royal Majesty Ovong (Hon.) Edet Okon Isemin. Announcing this in Uyo on Monday, Edidem Udo Joe Ntuk Obom X11, the Paramount Ruler of Ikot Abasi said his obsequies have commenced and appealed to all to cooperate with the bereaved family. He was born on October 1, 1935 to the royal family of the late Ovong Okon Isemin and Mma Arit Udo, both of Udung Isemin in Ibaka. Isemin was born into the Roman Catholic Faith and had his…