Author: Chronicle Editor

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday requested the National Assembly to consider and approve his request to borrow $5.513 billion from external sources. Buhari’s letter of request was read by Senate President Ahmad Lawan on the floor during plenary. The President, in a separate letter, also submitted the revised 2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) and the 2020 budget respectively for consideration and approval. In the letter, Buhari said the $5.513 billion external loan is to enable the Federal Government fund the 2020 revised budget, execute Federal Government’s priority projects and for projects to support State Governments…

A member of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Mr. Ibanga Etang is dead. Etang, who until his death, was the Acting Executive Director of Finance and Administration, reportedly died at about 2am on Thursday at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Port Harcourt after a brief illness. Etang, a former Chairman of Esit Eket Local Government, resigned his appointment as Special Assistant to Governor Emmanuel Udom on Projects on April 9, 2018 and formally registered with the All Progressives Congress (APC) at his Etebi Ward 7. National Assembly padded NDDC budget with…

The Kogi state government has rejected the new data from the Nigeria Center for Disease Center (NCDC) that states that two confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the state. The NCDC in its data released for Wednesday, May 27, said two cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the state that was hitherto free of the disease. 389 new cases of #COVID19; Lagos-256 Katsina-23 Edo-22 Rivers-14 Kano-13 Adamawa-11 Akwa Ibom-11 Kaduna-7 Kwara-6 Nasarawa-6 Gombe-2 Plateau-2 Abia-2 Delta-2 Benue-2 Niger-2 Kogi-2 Oyo-2 Imo-1 Borno-1 Ogun-1 Anambra-1 8733 cases of #COVID19Nigeria Discharged: 2501 Deaths: 254 pic.twitter.com/zMOY2YKAX1 — NCDC (@NCDCgov) May…

The Presidency has listed a number of achievements by President Muhammadu Buhari as he celebrates his fifth year in office. In a statement by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity said May 29, 2020, marks the end of the first year of the second four-year term of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, and the fifth year of the government in office. “Between May 29, 2015, when it was inaugurated for the first term, and now, the Buhari administration has made salutary impact in almost all the facets of Nigerian life. “The government swept into office on the…

Gunmen on Wednesday abducted Bishop Joseph Masin, the Nasarawa state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). The Nasarawa State Police Command confirmed the abduction, stating that Bishop Masin was kidnapped by gunmen who stormed his residence in Bukan-sidi, Lafia metropolis. Mr Bola Longe, the Commissioner of Police in the state, said that a police team had been deployed to track the abductors and to ensure the safe rescue of the victim and possible arrest of the perpetrators. Why churches should remain closed – CAN Speaking on the incident, Elder Yohanna Samari, a former CAN Secretary in the State…

L’Académie Franco-Anglophone des Arts Audiovisuels et du Cinéma (LAFAAAC), a French cinema academy, in partnership with Wazobia FM/TV, has announced plans to launch a training programme for screenwriters in Nollywood. The programme, which commences in the spring of 2021 and is supported by the French Embassy in Nigeria, offers innovative training courses combining online and classroom trainings, enhanced by partnerships in France and Africa for a comprehensive offer adapted to local needs. The training programme is a component of the Solidarity Fund of innovative projects by the French Embassy called “Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI), which aims to promote French training…

US President Donald Trump will sign an executive order targeting social media firms, the White House has said. It comes after he threatened to shut down social media platforms he accused of stifling conservative voices. The latest dispute emerged after Twitter added fact-check links to his tweets for the first time. The order’s details have not been shared and it is unclear what regulatory steps the president can take without new laws passed by Congress. White House officials gave no further information on what is expected in the executive order which is set to be signed on Thursday. Before leaving…

The US has passed 100,000 deaths in the coronavirus outbreak in less than four months. It has seen more fatalities than any other country, while its 1.69 million confirmed infections account for about 30% of the worldwide total. The first US infection was reported in Washington state on 21 January. Globally there have been 5.6 million people recorded as infected and 354,983 deaths since the virus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. The US death toll stands at 100,276, according to Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, which has been tracking the pandemic. It means that around…

· Prioritise SMEs Development · Advocate Partnerships between Private Sector and Government African thought leaders and great minds have noted that the development of homegrown solutions and adequate investment in human capacity building and agricultural expansion are key steps that will help to rebuild Africa and put the continent on a stronger footing post COVID-19. Analysing the theme ‘Domestic Policies, Regional Development and a Global Agenda: SDGs and African Development at Crossroads; the speakers collectively gave this submission during the second panel session of the 2020 edition of United Bank for Africa (UBA) African Day Conversations. The virtual session, which…

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, is set to reward consistent customers with a 13th month cash reward as well as access to scholarships in the upgraded and revamped UBA Kiddies and Teens Accounts. To qualify for these exciting rewards, customers need to maintain a minimum balance in these accounts which have been designed to enable parents and guardians save for their children aged between 0 – 12 years for the UBA Kiddies Accounts and from 13 to 17 years for UBA Teens Account, whilst also teaching the kids money management skills. Breaking this down to both old and new…