Author: straightnewsng.com

President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated Nigerian writer, Lesley Nneka Arimah, for winning 2019 Caine Prize for African Writing. Arimah was awarded $12,500 (£10,000) for her winning Caine Prize for African Writing story called Skinned. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Tuesday, Buhari congratulated the writer for the literary masterpiece, “Skinned,’’ that won the award. The President commended her for the depth of insight and skilfulness in bringing up the issue of women inclusiveness, which had continued to occupy the minds of leaders across the world, especially in Africa. “Arimah’s…

Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel has directed Ministry of Works to take remedial measures to control the incessant flooding that has caused loss of property worth millions of Naira in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital. Emmanuel who on Tuesday, July 9 undertook an on-the-spot-assessment tour of flood-ravaged areas in the state capital said “Our terrain maybe flood-prone but I have given instructions that we would continue on our long term strategies to eliminate flooding in the state.” In recent times particularly in 2019, flood has turned Uyo to native drum resulting in many people living near flood-prone areas writhing in…

By Akanimo Sampson The persisting rift between the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) cum former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole and his successor, Godwin Obaseki, is currently taking a turn for the worse. Some aggrieved citizens are pressing the incumbent governor who is locked in a re-election battle with his hitherto political godfather (Oshiomhole) to bring him to account for his stewardship as the governor of the state for eight years. While the Edo Government under the watch of Governor Obaseki has already promised to probe contracts for the construction of structures and supply of…

By Akanimo Sampson Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State and Chairmen of local government councils in the state are locked in a tug-of-war over the control of the funds flowing to the councils from the Federal Government. The governor is busy arm-twisting the council chairmen in a seeming desperate bid to have his way. On Thursday, he met with the Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGAs) before jetting out to Abuja to perfect his strategy of wrestling them to the ground this week. He is billed to meet with them again this Tuesday to compel them to do his…

By Akanimo Sampson The alleged plan by the Nigerian Government to reintroduce the controversial land-grabbing Ruga settlements for Fulani herdsmen is stoking fresh tensions in parts of the shaky country. Already, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council has started sounding their war drum, warning the Coalition of Northern Youths in the process not to misconstrue their peaceful approach to issues of Nigeria as weakness. The warning by the obviously aggrieved Igbo youths is coming as a report by The Punch has it that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, are calling on Nigerians to…

The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, Prof. Itse Sagay, has said the Supreme Court ought to have addressed the validity of Osun State governorship re-run election. Sagay said the apex court was right to have nullified the verdict of the tribunal but should have made an affirmative pronouncement if INEC was right to have declared the poll inconclusive and subsequently held supplementary poll. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared the September 2018 governorship election as inconclusive and scheduled a re-run after which Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was declared winner. But Ademola Adeleke, candidate…

The minority caucus of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the House of Representatives has declared support for the factional minority leader of the parliament, Ndudi Elumelu, on his emergence. The caucus also passed a vote of confidence on the newly constituted minority leadership, saying its decision to stand by the principal officers was in tandem with House Standing Order, i.e Order 7, Rule 8, which is a derivative of section 60 of the 1999 constitution as amended. Addressing a press conference Monday, members of the caucus, led by Legor Idagbo, representing Bekwara/Obudu/Obanliku Federal Constituency of Cross River State, said though…

The Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Tanko Mohammed, Monday, warned that judicial officers in the country, especially the new Magistrates, “must live above board, shun corruption, and avoid corrupt practices and misconduct” in the discharge of their duties. Mohammed issued the warning at the opening ceremony of an orientation course for newly appointed Magistrates, held at the National Judicial Institute, NJI, in Abuja. “By your appointment to the magistracy, you are expected, like any other judicial officer to show diligence, industry and transparency in the discharge of your duties. “The image of the judiciary is determined by what…

A Report of enquiry into the plight of Christians across the globe recently released by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has revealed grave evidence that Christians constitute by far the most widely persecuted religion and calls on UN observers to monitor necessary security measures. The report, carried out by the Bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Truro, Rt. Rev. Edward White Benson and published Monday, recorded widespread evidence of the kind of persecution and discrimination that Christians face worldwide. It also outlined the seriousness of the challenge, and made recommendations for how the Foreign Office could better…

By Israel Umoh Cries. Lamentations. Anguish. Apprehensions. Discomfort. Losses. Endless tales. What a sad Sunday! This was the mood many families found themselves as perennial flood sacked them and destroyed their hard-earned property in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital. For the family of Iniobong E. Ukpe, a bishop and founder of Christian Hope Assembly, Uyo, life cannot be the same for a long time to come as the ‘angry’ flood submerged his house on Sunday, July 7, with merciless damage of his household effects. Consequently, the family of nine lost all their household property to the rampaging flood that swept…