Author: straightnewsng.com

By: Nestor B. Udoh South Africa has always made headlines that stand on their head. For centuries, the whole world raved and ranted at a stiff-necked white minority that held the country by its jugular, to dismantle its strange system of government called apartheid. It was a system that also stood logic on its head. The minority officially usurped everything and used a combination of coercion, subterfuge, chicanery, carrot-and-stick, murder, kidnapping and blackmail to sustain what has been widely regarded as the most oppressive system of government known to man, save for Hitler’s Nazi regime in Germany. Needless to say,…

In what is seen as altruistic feat to Nigerians, the House of Representatives Wednesday suspended protocol to receive Mr. Allen Onyema, the chairman of Air Peace Airlines into the Hallowed Chambers of the house for an address. This was as the House had on Tuesday recommended Onyema to Federal Government for National Honours Award and made Air Peace an official airline for all its members. Air Peace Airlines successfully evacuated the first batch of willing Nigerians from Johannesburg, South Africa Wednesday last week following the xenophobic attacks on foreigners. A total of 312 Nigerians fleeing the vicious attacks in South Africa…

The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, is alarmed by the brazen attempt by former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, to rewrite history and portray himself as victim of persecution regarding the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s investigation of the OPL 245 Settlement Agreement. Magu in a statement issued by spokesman of the agency Tuesday, said: ”In the last few days the Nigerian media has been awash with previews of Adoke’s book, entitled: Burden of Service: Reminiscences of Nigeria’s former Attorney General, in which he took aim at…

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Tanko Mohammad, Tuesday urged Judges in the country to redouble their effort and ensure that cases pending before their various courts were speedily disposed off. While declaring open the 2019/2020 Annual Judges Conference of the Federal High Court in Abuja, the CJN, who was represented by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, said he was optimistic that most of the pending cases would get deserved attention now that judges have returned from their annual vacation. “Having rested for over two months; we are expecting much more from all of you.…

The age-long Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, would be reintroduced and perhaps passed very soon by the House of Representatives. The House would also reintroduce the bill prohibiting estimated billing in the power sector to permanently end the wastefulness and unfairness created by an unreliable and arbitrary system that imposes unforeseen costs on individuals and businesses alike. There would also be the Education Bank Bill, designed to ensure that no child is unable to get quality tertiary education in Nigeria due to a lack of funds. Another bill to work on is also the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Bill which…

The president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Paul Usoro, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari administration of undermining the independence of the judiciary. Usoro, who made the accusation at an event to mark the beginning of the 2019 judicial year in Abuja, blamed the executive arm of government and its agencies of plotting to “teleguide the activities and decisions of the courts.” The NBA president, who is facing trial on allegations of fraud, was one of the strong voices against the removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen. Onnoghen was forced out of office, following allegations of false asset…

The xenophobic attacks on Africans including Nigerians by some South African locals which began as a child’s play is taking an unpredictable dimension. During the funeral service for ex-President Robert Mugabe in Harare, Zimbabwean capital on Sunday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa got more than he bargained for from the angry masses: jeers. Though a South African envoy sent by Ramaphosa had visited and apologised to President Muhammadu Buhari over the attacks on Monday, some Nigerians have proffered tougher stance against the Rainbow country. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo Monday urged countries whose citizens were affected in the xenophobic attacks…

The Consumer Price Index which measures inflation drop from 11.08 per cent in July to 11.02 per cent in August, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, said on Tuesday. The bureau in the report stated that inflation rate of 11.02 per cent for August represents a decrease of 0.06 percentage point year-on-year. The NBS said that the drop in inflation rate continued in August despite several pronouncements regarding restrictions on the import of some food items, minimum wage and the recent border closures. On the impact of border closure on consumer prices, the bureau stated that the country may not…

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, has tasked the new Board of the Family Homes Fund Limited to raise private capital for its housing projects. Ahmed who gave the charge while inaugurating the new Board in Abuja Monday said the Family Homes initiative is one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s key schemes towards macro-economic stability to bridge the housing gap with the construction of 500,000 houses aimed at providing at least 1.5 million jobs. The minister told the board to source more funds from development finance institutions and the capital market, saying though the administration would…

The Federal Government has directed ministers to render their first performance reports by December 2019 to determine their compliance with its policies and programmes. Speaking at the Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM, 2019 Annual National Management Conference on Monday in Abuja, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo noted that prior to the inauguration of the ministers, the Presidency had developed a list of clearly defined mandates for each of the ministers and their ministries to serve as a guide for them. He said: “The presidential policy preceded the inauguration of this government. The President developed a list of specific mandate for each…