Author: straightnewsng.com

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and ex- Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio have embraced olive branch, an action seen as a positive move to strenghen the All Progressives Congress, APC, foothold in the Nigerian South-South Region. Festus Keyamo, the Director, Strategic Communications, APC Presidential Campaign Council, who stated this in a statement Tuesday, said the reconciliation of the two frontline politicians will strengthen the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). It is learnt that the two former governors of Rivers and Akwa Ibom states were arch-rivals in the past few years, a development that affected the fortunes of the APC…

James Akpan Udoedeghe, who was appointed the minister by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua on July 26, 2007, had won election as Senator for Uyo Senatorial District during a return of democracy under General Sani Abacha in 1997, but the election was truncated by a coup. He won election as a Senator under Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and represented Akwa Ibom North East from 1999 to 2003 in the Nigerian Senate, where he served as a member in such committees as Industry, Labour, Finance & Appropriation, Internal Affairs, Information, Privatization (chairman) and Government Affairs. The politician-turned pastor performed his first…

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has hearkened to public outcry by declining assent to the bill seeking life pensions for the state out-gone lawmakers. The bill sponsored by the Leader of the House, Peter Akpe from Sagbama 1 State Constituency was passed into law by the Assemblymen last week. The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, in a statement in Yenagoa on Monday, said Governor Dickson conveyed the decision to decline assent to the bill in a letter to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Konbowei Benson. The Governor had earlier held a consultations meeting…

The Federal Government’s 2020 target for 40 billion crude oil reserves may be a forlorn because 211 oil blocks in seven basins in Nigeria are stagnant. Though the Federal government has set a 2020 target to raise its crude oil reserves to 40 billion barrels, the 211 oil blocks have not been allocated to oil companies for exploration and production. New Telegraph learnt that 2008 was the last time oil licensing rounds took place. Petroleum industry experts had unanimously declared that the target could not be achieved with no oil bid rounds less than eight months before the deadline. A…

Sheffield United were promoted to the Premier League as Leeds United drew with Aston Villa in a hugely controversial game at Elland Road. The Blades are five points clear of their Yorkshire rivals with one game of the Championship season remaining. United could win the title if they win at Stoke City and Norwich lose at Villa on the final day. Promotion means the Bramall Lane side will play in the top flight for the first time since 2007. “It’s one of the greatest days of my life, 100%,” an emotional manager Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield. “To see…

The universe belongs to Marvel. “Avengers: Endgame” shattered the record for biggest opening weekend with an estimated $350 million in ticket sales domestically and $1.2 billion globally, reaching a new pinnacle in the blockbuster era that the comic-book studio has come to dominate. The “Avengers” finale far exceeded even its own gargantuan expectations, according to studio estimates Sunday. The movie had been forecast to open between $260 million and $300 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, but moviegoers turned out in such droves that “Endgame” blew past the previous record of $257.7 million, set last year by “Avengers: Infinity War”…

The Young Indomitable Lions of Cameroon have won the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Tanzania after defeating the Syli Cadets of Guinea 5-3 on penalties. The encounter played on Sunday at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, moved into penalties following a goalless outcome in regulation time. The Guineans had defeated Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets 10-9 on penalties in the semifinals, while Cameroon defeated Angola. Guinea’s Mohamed Youssouf Sacko had missed the fourth kick of Syli Cadets, while Cameroon buried its last kick to give the Young Lions their second Under-17 trophy. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)…

A civil society group, OurMumuDonDo Movement, has called on the federal government to beam its searchlight on the finances of religious groups operating in the country, with a view to making them transparent and accountable to the public. National Secretary of OurMumuDonDo, Raphael Adebayo, made the call in a statement issued during the weekend, against the background of claims by a popular cleric that he was ready to increase the private jets in his fleet to a double digit figure. Adebayo said it was unacceptable that religious leaders would be allowed to continue accruing stupendous wealth without checks, even at the…

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Presidency and the All Progressives Congress, APC, of desperation to remain in power at all costs, to continue to exploit Nigerians, protect corrupt leaders in its fold, cover their incompetence and conceal the humongous sleazes in the administration. According to PDP, this is the reason APC and the cabal at the Presidency resorted to violence, intimidation as well as manipulations and alteration of results at the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to rig the February 23, Presidential election. In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan,…

Organised Labour has given the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, up to Wednesday May 1, to inaugurate the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust, NSITF, with Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, as chairman, or face its wrath. Labour also warned Ngige against the dropping of the name of President Muhammadu Buhari in the substitution of Chief Frank Kokori as chairman of the board and accused the Minister of employing delayed tactics, while remaining the ‘sole administrator’ of the Fund. Efforts to reach the minister last night for his reaction proved abortive, as he was said to be in…