Author: Chronicle Editor

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Warri Zonal Office, says it has sanctioned three petrol stations and two gas plants over alleged sharp practices in Delta. Mr Antai Asuquo, Warri Zonal Operations Controller of DPR, represented by Mr Victor Ohwodiosa, the Manager, Gas Section of the DPR, made this known to newsmen on Wednesday shortly after the regulatory agency’s routine exercise in Asaba. Asuquo said that the erring petroleum outlets were sealed in Asaba over alleged offences bordering on under-dispensing, operating without valid licences, poor house keeping, suspected adulteration and inadequate safety facilities. He listed the affected stations as: Emray…

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says no fewer than 946,000 children are out of formal school education system in Katsina State. The UNICEF Chief of Field Office Kano, Mr Maulid Warfa made the disclosure on Wednesday in Katsina, during the 2019 end of year review meeting and 2020 states engagement planning workshop for Kano and Katsina States. He said that for Kano State, there are 1.49 million children are out of formal school system, which is the highest number in the country. According to him, the students/teacher ratio for Kano State is 103:1, while in Katsina State the ratio…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says their refusal to be included in the Federal Government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) is not a selfish one. Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, National President of the union, told NAN on Wednesday in Lagos that there is nowhere in the world where such a development obtained. NAN reports that the Federal Government had recently directed that public sector workers, including universities must be captured on the payroll system to save cost and fight corruption by blocking leakages in its salary payment structure. The move had since been resisted by the university…

*Appeals against stigmatization, discrimination of persons living with the virus The Senate on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to ensure adequate funding of the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) for the fight and control of the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the country. The Senate says 1.9 million people are currently living with HIV in Nigeria and that urgent action must be taken to stem the spread of the disease. This was even as the upper chamber appealed to Nigerians not to stigmatize and discriminate against persons living with the virus, as well as…

Police in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has reported that a woman identified as Halima Juma, was arrested with 23 ATM cards allegedly tucked inside her private parts. According to k24TV the 23-year-old was suspected of stealing money from bank users after illegally obtaining their ATM cards. She was arrested on Tuesday at a bank ATM gallery in Mbagala area of Dar es Salaam when a bank official saw her use different ATM cards of the same bank to withdraw money from ATMs. We have not dropped charges against Diezani – EFCC “After being busted, Halima, a resident of Chalinze, tried…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has denied reports that it has withdrawn corruption charges against former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Madueke. In a statement on Wednesday the anti-graft agency said its attention had been drawn to reports currently circulating in the social media purporting that the Commission had dropped the criminal charge against a former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke and other persons indicted for money laundering. “The Commission enjoins members of the public to disregard the report which is false and misleading. At no time did the Commission withdraw the charge, which is still before Justice…

Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Unai Emery as Arsenal manager. (Mail) Arsenal staff believe manager Emery will be sacked, but he is still expected to be in charge for Thursday’s Europa League match against Eintracht Frankfurt. (Goal) Failure to beat Frankfurt, and Norwich City on Sunday, will lead to Emery losing his job. (Express) Barcelona and Real Madrid are ready to move for Arsenal’s 30-year-old Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. (Mirror) Spanish champions Barcelona are leading the race to land Aubameyang. (Star) Everton could look to replace manager Marco Silva with Flamengo boss Jorge Jesus, who led the Brazilian club to Copa Libertadores victory. (Telegraph) Everton face a fight from West…

Three teenagers have been arrested after a suspicious fire threatened homes and a retirement village in Queensland. The large bush fire began burning near Kruger Parade in Redbank, west of Brisbane, about 3 p.m. on Tuesday. A significant amount of bush land was destroyed by the blaze, which allegedly threatened homes along Henderson Street and the retirement village on Kruger Parade. Four hours later, another suspicious fire was allegedly lit near Eric and Albert Street, in Goodna, about 7p.m. The fire, which had the potential to cause significant damage to nearby homes, was controlled by local crews. Following investigations, police…

The Presidency on Tuesday said former President Goodluck Jonathan was not blackmailed to trade off the November 16 governorship poll in Bayelsa State. According to President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman Garba Shehu the allegation by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido that Jonathan traded off Bayelsa is  “false and irresponsible.’’ Shehu expressed shock that such a story could be considered believable to the point of being given space in some newspapers. “It just doesn’t make any sense,’’ Shehu said people who make wild allegations during interviews should be made to produce the facts backing their claims by editors. A newspaper can…

It is not beyond politicians to sometimes want to make an angel look like a demon, throwing common sense to the wind in the process, but Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s antecedents and mien do not put him in the category of someone who can be successfully tarred. It is saddening that dark-minded men and their spin merchants are after that ray of hope – men whose sole devilish pastime is to bare their poisonous fangs to truncate the nation’s progress at every developmental turnaround. They see far more than average Nigerians see and would spill blood to protect the status…