Author: Chronicle Editor

A bishop has been ordained with the blessing of both the Pope and the Chinese state for the first time under a new deal. Religious organisations in China must be approved by the state, leading to a decades-long row with the Vatican. But a deal was agreed last September, giving the Vatican a say in the bishops appointed by the state church. Yao Shun received the papal mandate for his ordination as bishop in China’s Inner Mongolia region. The country is home to about 12 million Catholics – split between the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and an underground church loyal…

The convener of #RevolutionNow protests, Omoyele Sowore, on Tuesday, disputed the allegation by the Department of State Services that he met several times with “foreign collaborators” in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries,  to strategise on how to topple President Muhammadu Buhari’s government. He also debunked the agency’s allegation that he received “millions of dollars” from the alleged collaborators at the meetings to sponsor widespread attacks on Nigeria with a view toppling the Nigerian government. Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters and a presidential candidate in the last poll, said contrary to the DSS’s claims, he had never…

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received another batch of 153 stranded Nigerians from Libya. The Director-General of NEMA, Mr Mustapha Maihajja, represented by Mr Slaku Lugard, an official of the agency, received the returnees on Wednesday in Lagos. Maihajja said that the Nigerians arrived in the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 3:45a.m. According to him, the returnees are brought via Al Buraq Air Boeing 737 aircraft with flight number UZ 189 and registration number 5A-DMG. He said that the Nigerians were brought by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and European Union…

Inter Milan have agreed a loan deal to sign forward Alexis Sanchez from Manchester United. Inter boss Antonio Conte is keen to sign Sanchez before the European transfer window closes on Monday. If a deal goes through, Sanchez will link up with ex-United team-mate Romelu Lukaku, the striker having joined the Serie A club for £74m this summer. However, Inter have not agreed an option to buy Sanchez at the end of the loan agreement. United’s highest earner, Sanchez is thought to earn around £400,000 a week, a figure way outside of Inter’s current pay structure. It has been suggested United…

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is to review the screening of aspirants contesting the governorship primary of the party in Kogi State on a case-by-case basis, it was learnt on Tuesday. The Nation, however, gathered that there is pressure on the leadership of the party to avoid unnecessary legal tussle that may cost the party dearly like it happened in Zamfara and Rivers states during the last general election. Due to the pressure, the party may give a clean bill to some of the aspirants, especially those who have contested the party primary in the past…

There is tension in Mkpu-nando Community, Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State, following allegations that the monarch, Igwe Alex Edozieuno, embezzled the N150 million land proceed from the government. The residents on Tuesday staged a protest, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Our Igwe is a thief, he must refund our money”; “We don’t need this hungry monarch again”; “This Igwe should be arrested and prosecuted”; “Governor Willie Obiano come and rescue us from this criminal”, among others. They marched on the Ama Umuawulu village square and other roads in the community, including the front of the monarch’s…

Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) Mike Ozekhome and Femi Falana on Tuesday disagreed over lawyers’ response to the removal of immediate-past Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen. The duo spoke during Rule of Law Session of the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference (AGC) at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos. On April 19, the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) convicted Justice Onnoghen on the infractions noticed in his assets declaration documents and for failing to reveal the money he kept in foreign bank accounts. His suspension over the charges pending trial by President…

Gunmen from an IS-affiliated terrorist group on Tuesday shot dead 11 local construction workers in northeast Nigeria, a militia leader and resident told AFP. The fighters belonging to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) opened fire on the workers as they were laying telecom fibre optic cables in Wajirko village, 150 kilometres (93 miles) outside Borno state capital Maiduguri, they said. “The insurgents came in the morning and opened fire on the workers, killing 11 and injuring many,” militia leader Mustapha Karimbe told AFP. He said the victims were locals contracted as casual labourers by a telecom firm. “The attackers…

Legal icon and founder of Afe Babalola University(ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola, says 1999 constitution is inadequate to solve the myriads of problems confronting Nigeria. He spoke on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti during his conferment with the Africa Role Model and AU Agenda 2063 Ambassadorial Award by the African Union. Babalola said the 1999 constitution was antithetical to the development and progress of the country considering the loopholes inherent in its operational legal framework. He said it would be an herculean task for any leader to succeed in making spectacular accomplishments with the 1999 Constitution. Accordingto him, the constitution is not suitable…

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) says 60 of its engineers on Tuesday departed Nigeria for China for four months training on manufacturing of transformers in Nigeria. A statement issued by NASENI Deputy Director (Information), Mr Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, said the training was targeted at establishing a fully indigenous transformer plant to be operated and managed by Nigerians with local content as priority. This, according to the statement, is a major leap toward establishing the Federal Government’s proposed Transformer Manufacturing plant and High voltage Testing Laboratory in Nigeria. The Transformer Manufacturing Plant and Testing Laboratory are to be…