Author: Chronicle Editor

The Ondo State Government has denied allegations the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN) drew funds from its coffers for First Lady Betty Akeredolu. Mrs Akeredolu founded BRECAN after she survived breast cancer as a way of raising awareness on the disease. Ondo Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, who reacted to allegations that BRECAN was used to siphon funds from the state, said the organisation was founded 23 years ago. Ojogo explained that BRECAN has a governing body instituted more than two decades ago. According to him: “BRECAN predates the administration of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as Governor of Ondo…

The chairman of Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIE) Dr. Tersoo Loko has declared all People Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidates winners of the councils polls held on Saturday. Loko also declared the 276 PDP councillorship candidates in the 23 local government areas as winners of the election, which he said only five political parties participated. Announcing the results at BSIEC office in Makurdi on Sunday, he said the election was free and fair across the state. Ajimobi’s aide dumps APC for PDP He said certificates of return would be issued to the elected chairman and councillors on Monday. The…

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara has directed the reduction of the Right of Way (RoW) fee for telecommunications firms from N5,500 per linear metre to one naira per kilometre of fibre. The state now has the second lowest RoW fee in Nigeria after Kaduna. Commissioner for Communications, Murtala Olanrewaju, said the reduction takes immediate effect. Until now, telecoms were paying N5,500 per linear metre as the fee for laying fibre cables in the state to strengthen their digital connections. Olanrewaju said AbdulRazaq directed that the RoW fee be slashed to N1 only per kilometre, a decision designed to deepen digital…

A yet-to-be named policeman on Sunday morning allegedly opened fire on his colleagues at Onikan, Lagos state killing at least some of them. The officer reportedly went berserk around 5am following a disagreement with other members of his team. It was gathered that the trigger- happy cop hijacked their operational vehicle after shooting them and drove straight to Akoka in Yaba around 5am where he attempted to access a compound but couldn’t. According to sources, the building had a metallic door and the policeman said to be attached to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) allegedly opened sporadic fire on…

Deji Aboderin who served as the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former governor, Abiola Ajimobi, has dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Aboderin who was also the candidate of the APC for the Ibadan Southeast/Northeast Federal House of Representatives in Oyo State during the 2019 general election cited many cases where the APC party leadership worked against his electoral victory in the last election. Addressing a press conference on the development on Sunday, Aboderin said he waited this long to assess the performance of the Governor Seyi Makinde-led PDP administration before…

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent a Freedom of Information request to President Muhammadu Buhari requesting him to use his “leadership position and the opportunity of the 5th anniversary of your government in office to provide spending details of all loans obtained by the government since May 29, 2015, including details and locations of projects on which the loans have been spent.” The organisation is also urging him to: “set up an independent audit of all loans to resolve any allegations of mismanagement and corruption, and to publish spending details of loans obtained by successive administrations since 1999,…

President Donald Trump has been criticised at home and abroad after announcing he is ending US ties with the World Health Organization (WHO). The EU urged him to reconsider the decision, while Germany’s health minister called it a “disappointing setback for international health”. The head of the US Senate’s health committee, a Republican like Mr Trump, said now was not the time to leave. Mr Trump said the WHO had failed to hold China to account over coronavirus. BREAKING: President Trump announces that US is “terminating” its relationship with the World Health Organization. pic.twitter.com/sKjgVI1dV5 — NBC News (@NBCNews) May 29,…

Microsoft is to replace dozens of contract journalists on its MSN website and use automated systems to select news stories, US and UK media report. The curating of stories from news organisations and selection of headlines and pictures for the MSN site is currently done by journalists. Artificial intelligence will perform these news production tasks, sources told the Seattle Times. Microsoft said it was part of an evaluation of its business. The US tech giant said in a statement: “Like all companies, we evaluate our business on a regular basis. This can result in increased investment in some places and, from…

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state has stated that his administration does not plan to downsize its workforce despite paucity of fund, inherited debt and the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly after he assumed office, his government reportedly experienced financial constraints as he discovered that there was no money left to pay the state’s workforce. The governor lamented that he had to run to his friends in the private sector, including banks, who loaned him N7 billion with which he paid the workers. And on May 1st, he disclosed that the most pressing issue confronting him was how to commence the payment…

By Osaro Egbobamien SAN The world is repositioning on the front foot to begin what is sure to be a long and painful economic recovery from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries, including Nigeria are teetering on the verge of a recession. Naturally, our leaders are anxious to get people back to work from the forced eight-week vacation without pay that has put many businesses and even public services in jeopardy. It has been a management of crises, helping to ascertain true leaders, as well as shapely redefining fault lines in politics, law and economics. Law stands on a special…