Author: straightnewsng.com

By Akanimo Sampson Prospects for a bullish soya bean trade between the US and China are currently not bright because of their trade war. Already, the war has brought greater attention to the soya bean trade with 2019 offering conflicting narratives. On the one hand, soya bean exports to China in the first six months of 2019 are up 10.9 per cent compared with the first half of 2018. But, on the other hand, exports to China in the 2018/2019 marketing year are down 68.7 per cent. With the 2019/2020 marketing year now just round the corner, this trade is…

By Akanimo Sampson Electricity consumers in Nigeria who have been suffering from the scourge of estimated billing will soon be rescued from that burden as Metering Solution Manufacturing Services Ltd in Awa, Onna local government area of Akwa Ibom State is flooding the market with prepaid meters. But the product is being produced for the Port Harcourt Electricity, Eko Electricity and Kano Electricity Distribution companies for now. The company has already commenced the roll-out of the pre-paid meters for the electricity distribution companies. Chief Executive Officer of the company, Adebisi Adeniyi, says with an installed capacity of three million prepaid…

The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, said, Thursday, that the recent massacre of three policemen and a civilian as well as the release of a handcuffed notorious multi-millionaire kidnapper, Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume, by soldiers along the Ibi-Wukari road in Taraba State, has justified the position of former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma, retd, that herdsmen were, indeed, working in collusion with the military to exterminate the people from their region. The group, which spoke through a statement issued in Abuja, lamented that the former Chief of Army Staff, COAS, has come under scathing criticisms from some recruited groups to…

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, described President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, not to release forex for the purpose of food importation as a move by the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress to punished and further impoverish Nigerians. The PDP said the directive would worsen food scarcity, exacerbate the already harsh economic situation and the general depression, frustration, resentment and despair in the country under President Buhari’s watch.” In a statement issued by party’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, Thursday, the PDP said rather than formulating and implementing policies to make life suitable for Nigerians, the APC-led…

The Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Dayo Apata, has assumed control of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property. A statement by the Ministry of Justice stated that President Muhammadu Buhari directed Apata to take over the affairs of the panel, following the suspension of its immediate past chairman, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla. The President was said to have ordered Obono-Obla to immediately handover to Apata to await the outcome of investigation into series of petitions lodged against him by “legal practitioners, concerned public spirited citizens and public officers.”…

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, has raised the alarm over the spate of cult related violence and killings in some communities in Ogoni land. Mr Sunny Zorvah, Publicity Secretary of the organisation raised the concern in a statement made available to NAN, Thursday, in Port-Harcourt. Zorvah said the crises, which started in Okwale community on Tuesday, degenerated and spread to two other communities; Taabaa and Nyokuru, all in Nyokhana district in Khana local government area of the state. “MOSOP is pained over this unjustified attacks leading to the burning down of the residence of Com.…

By Akanimo Sampson In spite of the drop in the dollar value of China’s imports, the Asian tiger recorded a 21% month-on-month jump in iron ore imports to 91.02 million tonnes in July, the highest since January. This tends to signal bumper purchases of major other commodities including crude oil, coal, and copper. However, the 5.6% drop in the dollar value of July imports is almost irrelevant and most likely a reflection of lower commodity prices rather than any weakness in the Chinese economy. There was 21% rise in coal imports to 32.89 million tonnes, also the highest since January.…

Another person from Cross River State occupying strategic position in President Muhammadu Buhari administration may soon join the train of victims of being shown the exit route from federal government in an indecorous manner. A report by The Nation indicates shows that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has quizzed Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation over alleged N3 billion contract scam. Oyo-Ita was said to have been grilled for four days by the anti-graft agency after tracing about N600 million to the account of one of her key aides who has been…

By Akanimo Sampson Last week, Akwa Ibom State under the watch of Governor Udom Emmanuel, a former top bank executive turned politician, walked taller as the most outstanding performing state in the South-South geo-political zone of Nigeria.The state was adjudged so by the World Bank in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Finance. Before this inspiring rating, the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), a civic group that is concerned with supporting the efforts of those affected in the Niger Delta area by extractive industries and weak governance through rights-based community empowerment, protecting human rights and demanding responsive governance, had articulated what…

By Akanimo Sampson President Muhammadu Buhari has again come under a sledge hammer on his nominees for the position of ministers. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-cultural body of the Igbo people has literally accused him of patronising corrupt politicians. President General of the Igbo group, Chief Nnia Nwodo, is flaying President Buhari for allegedly recycling some members of his cabinet, “especially those that have corruption cases pending in the court as well those under the investigation of the anti-graft agencies.’’ Before now, a strategic and political risk consultancy, Menas Associates, had taken a critical look at President Buhari’s ministerial nominees,…