Author: straightnewsng.com

By Akanimo Sampson Ten years into the huge humanitarian crisis created by the rampaging terrorist group, Boko Haram, in the North-East axis of Nigeria, a United Nations agency, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says 7.1 million citizens in the volatile region are still in need. Already, the UN agency is carrying out some essential activities to build hope for the surviving victims of the Boko Haram menace. By integrating psycho-social support into livelihood activities, IOM seems to be promoting positive coping mechanisms and resilience among the displaced population. These activities tend to be helping people manage stress and increase…

The Nigeria’s legendary Afro-beat singer, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti will perform at the opening ceremony of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Organising Committee of the competition has announced. The 2019 AFCON set to kick off with the new expanded 24 teams on Friday in Egypt, will be a colourful opening ceremony. Kuti, a four-time Grammy award nominee, will perform along two other musicians Hakim from Egypt and Dobet Gnahore from Ivory Coast. The musician had previously performed at the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa at the Soccer City Stadium on June 11, 2010 in Johannesburg.…

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved appointment of a new Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, bringing to an end the tenure of Maikanti Baru, as the oil firm’s boss. He is Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari, the 19th Group Managing Director of the national oil company. NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ndu Ughamadu, who announced this in Abuja on Thursday morning, said the President also appointed seven new Chief Operating Officers. Ughamadu said the newly appointed Chief Operating Officers to include Mr. Roland Onoriode Ewubare (South-South) – Chief Operating Officer, Upstream; Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu…

Governor Babagana Zulum, Wednesday, told the Federal Government to explore other available options in addressing insurgency in the North East instead of using military force. Zulum stated this after meeting behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Fielding questions from State House correspondents after the meeting, Zulum said that there was need for the government to open other opportunities of bringing down the crisis rather than the continued use of kinetic force. According to him, one of such steps was to consider the integration of some young persons in the region who have been forced…

Angry youths drawn from the nine Niger Delta states have concluded plans to embark on streets protest across the region, alleging “some powerful politicians were frustrating the current board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from delivering on its core mandate in the region.” Coming under the aegis of the Consolidated Youths of Niger Delta (CYND), the youths resolved after their emergency meeting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital on Thursday, to also take the protest to Aso Rock, “if activities of politicians continue to hamper smooth operations of the Commission.” A communiqué at the end of the…

A Kaduna State High Court, Wednesday, declared that the state government has no right to screen and issue licences to religious preachers in the state. The court, presided over by Justice Hajaratu Gwadah, however, asserted that the government had the right to regulate religious activities in the state. The judgment was delivered in the suit filed by the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, challenging the constitutionality of the bill on the regulation of religious preaching in the state. The Bill, which was introduced by Governor Nasir El Rufai in the early part of his first tenure attracted controversy with both…

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Wednesday said it was worried over the number of associations that have applied to be registered as political parties ahead of the 2023 general elections. The commission said it was perturbed that except there was an urgent reform of the extant electoral law in the country, over 200 political parties might participate in the next general elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who made the revelation at an Electoral Reform Roundtable organised by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, in conjunction with the Kofi Annan Foundation, lamented that the number of associations seeking to…

The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, Wednesday, threw its weights behind former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, retd, and former military governor of old Rivers State, Gen. Zamani Lekwot, retd, over their recent written submission to the United Kingdom Parliament on the ongoing killings across communities of the Middle Belt and other parts of Nigeria. General Danjuma and Lekwot were among notable members of Nigerian Christian Elders’ Forum, NCEF, who petitioned the Parliament over ongoing agenda of ‘Islamisation and Fulanisation’ as evident by heinous genocide being perpetrated by herdsmen and terrorists across the Middle Belt and other parts of…

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said the problem of extreme poverty in Nigeria was keeping him awake every night. This is as United Nations has stated that 69 million people are poor in Nigeria. Osinbajo stated this at a dinner and interactive session with Faculty Members, Harvard Business School (HBS) on Tuesday in Lagos. The vice president featured alongside Srikant Datar, Professor of Business Administration (HBS), and Bayo Ogunlesi, a Nigerian investment banker at a question and answer session moderated by Hakeem Bello-Osagie, Chairman of Metis Capital Partners. Osinbajo said: “I think what keeps me up at night has to do…

President Muhammadu Buhari, Wednesday, said Nigeria would be guided by ‘‘national interest’’ in taking any decision on the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA. Some months ago, Nigeria delayed signing the agreement because it wanted time to consult with key stakeholders in the country. This includes the Nigerian labour congress, the manufacturers association as well as other players in the private sector. This is as Buhari noted that Nigeria lacks the capacity to stop countries within the African Union, AU, from dumping goods which would be detrimental to industries in the country. Receiving National Council of the…