Author: Chronicle Editor

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday ordered a crackdown on abuse at Islamic schools, after a second police raid in less than a month revealed men and boys subjected to beatings, abuse and squalid conditions. Nearly 300 had been held captive at a school in the Daura area of Katsina, the hometown of President Buhari, where police said they discovered “inhuman and degrading treatment” following a raid on Monday to free the remaining students. Late last month, police freed hundreds from similarly degrading conditions in neighbouring Kaduna state. “Mr. President has directed the police to disband all such centres and all…

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), says inflation rate in September 2019 increased by 0.22 per cent to 11.24 per cent from 11.02 per cent recorded in August. It said this in its “Consumer Price Index (CPI), September 2019” released on Tuesday in Abuja. “Increases were recorded in all COICOP divisions that yielded the Headline index. “On month-on-month basis, the headline index increased by 1.04 per cent in September, this is 0.05 per cent rate higher than the rate recorded in August (0.99) per cent.” It also said that urban inflation rate increased by 11.78 per cent (year-on-year) in September from…

Beaten. Starved. Sexually assaulted. Chained. For the second time in a month, police in northern Nigeria have raided a building where hundreds of boys were held in dehumanizing conditions, officials said Tuesday. This time, the building was discovered in President Muhammadu Buhari’s hometown of Daura, putting pressure on him to act against the practice of sending children to institutions run by Islamic scholars rather than conventional schools. The children are often sent out on the streets to beg. More than 300 boys had been held in the building raided on Monday in Daura, Katsina state police spokesman Gambo Isa told…

A painting by the Nigerian artist responsible for the “African Mona Lisa” sold at auction in London on Tuesday for £1.1 million after the family who owned it googled the signature and realised its importance. “Christine”, by 20th century master of African modernism Ben Enwonwu, had been in the sitter’s family home ever since it was painted in Lagos in 1971. “The family were unaware of the significance of the painting or the importance of the artist, until a chance “googling” of the signature led them to Sotheby’s free Online Estimate Platform,” said the London auction house. The painting fetched…

The United Labour Congress (ULC) has pulled out of the planned nationwide strike scheduled to commence on Wednesday over the non-implementation of the proposed salary increase by the governments. The ULC president, Mr Joe Ajaero, stated that the group will not be part of an exercise designed to hoodwink Nigerian workers and masses into believing that their interests are being championed. “Unfortunately, this strike will not have the desired impact and would not achieve the intentions Nigerian workers would want as it is seemingly; dead on arrival as programmed by the hidden interests of those pushing the agenda. “ULC will…

Rice sellers in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital have expressed worry over the reluctance of consumers to buy locally produced rice. Some rice sellers who spoke to NAN on Tuesday said consumers preferred to pay more for foreign imported rice than the cheaper locally produced one. A rice seller, Mallam Mahmud Ismail said only few customers requested for local rice as they always preferred the foreign version. “Hardly will you see one out of 10 customers requesting for local rice in my shop. They always want the foreign rice,” Ismail said. Another seller, Mrs Bimpe Ekundayo said customers complained about…

The meeting between the organised labour and representatives of the Federal Government has been moved till Wednesday, October 16, to allow for sorting out of all grey areas of contention. A top labour official, who pleaded anonymity, hinted that the organised labour had shifted its earlier position from 29 per cent to 25 per cent for grade levels seven to 14, while for levels 15 to 17 now 20 per cent, which was earlier 24 per cent. The Federal Government has made its earlier position to shift from levels seven to nine to 17 per cent and levels 10 to 14…

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano, on Tuesday, dismissed a suit challenging the tenure of Mr. Babatunde Fowler as Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, (FIRS). The court, presided over by Justice Lewis Allagoa, struck out the suit when it upheld the preliminary objection filed by Fowler’s counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN) that Stanley Okwara, the plaintiff, has no locus standi to file the suit. Justice Allagoa came to the conclusion after an hour-long review of all the legal authorities cited by Erekoro, T.A Ghazalli, counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation, who is the second defendant; and…

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state has re-ordered the 2019 Budget of the state with a letter to the State Assembly seeking a loan of N250 Billion. According to the letter by Sanwo-Olu, the 2019 Budget proposed by ex-Gov. Akinwumi Ambode could no longer be funded hence the need for its re-ordering and sourcing for more funds. The governor’s letter was read on the floor of the House during plenary on Tuesday by the Clerk to the Assembly, Mr Sani Azeez. According to the letter, the loan was broken down as: a fixed rate bond of N100 billion from the…

Mavin Record Label boss, Michael Ajereh, a.k.a Don Jazzy, on Tuesday said that Nigerians are not living their best, pointing to the hardship in the country. Don Jazzy, a music producer cum artiste made this known via his Twitter handle as he lamented on the situation of things in Nigeria even though he has the money to live a good life. The Mavin boss, who is currently in Berlin said he always felt he is not living the best of his life when he visit other countries. “I’m not living my best life, he first wrote, before following that with…