Author: Chronicle Editor

President Muhammadu Buhari told Catholic bishops in Abuja today that he would take a second look at appointments made by the Federal Government to redress issues being raised. He said the review will be done after a compendium of all appointments has been submitted to him. He told the bishops, under the aegis of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, that no ethnic group or political zone has been deliberately marginalised in the appointments made so far by his administration. The Nigerian leader was obviously reacting to criticisms that he may have violated the Federal character principle in some of the…

Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday signed seven important bills into law among which is the law to guarantee 24-hour power supply in line with the vision to attain a 24-hour economy and make the State globally competitive. The Laws are Lagos State Electric Power Reform Law, Amended Land Use Charge Law, School of Nursing Law, Cooperative College Law, Cancer Research Institute Law, Amended Customary Court Law and the Yoruba Language Preservation & Promotion Law. Speaking on the import of the new laws, the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem said the development was…

In a bid to recover a debt of N3,878,218,911.18 from Olajide Omokore, and his company Energy Property Development Limited, EPD, a Nigerian commercial bank Access Bank Plc has filed an application to join as an interested party in the suit filed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria and two of its agencies against two oil companies Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited (AEDC) and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited (AEBD), and their two Directors for the recovery of the sum of $1,762,338,184.40 on account of crude oil lifting between Federal Government and the two companies which debts they have refused…

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, yesterday, advised wealthy Nigerians to take advantage of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) to regularize their tax status and escape unsavoury consequences. The minister offered the advice in Enugu during the hosting of VAIDS by the Enugu State government. In attendance at the event were Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, members of the state Executive Council, legislature and traditional rulers. Mr. Tunde Fowler, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), was represented by Sir Oseni Elamah, Executive Secretary, Joint Tax Board (JTB). Also present were representatives of the business community in the…

White House staff secretary Rob Porter has resigned amid abuse claims from his two ex-wives. Porter who is one of US President Donald Trump’s top aides said “these outrageous allegations are simply false” as he announced he would step down. The accusations were first reported in the Daily Mail and include accounts of physical and emotional abuse. The White House would not comment on a report that Mr Porter, 40, failed to receive security clearance. His ex-wives, Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby, both recounted stories of Mr Porter’s alleged misconduct. His first spouse, Ms Holderness, said the White House aide…

Police on Thursday arrested an unqualified medical practitioner accused of infecting dozens of people with HIV in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The police said the suspect Rajendra Yadav who went into hiding following the detection of HIV infected patients during a medical camp in state’s Unnao district was arrested from a relative’s house. “We tracked down prime accused Rajendra Yadav from the house of a relative, where he was hiding,” said a police officer Amit Singh. Yadav was arrested following registration of police case against him. READ: Plateau governor Simon Lalong sacks all commissioners As per health officials,…

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state on Thursday sacked all the state commissioners with immediate effect. A statement by Lalong’s Director of Press, Mr Emmanuel Nanle, in Jos said the governor commended the outgoing commissioners for their “selfless service”. He also ordered Permanent Secretaries of the various ministries to take over with immediate effect. The thanked the former commissioners for their “immense contributions” in his effort to deliver dividends of democracy to the people. READ: MTN Nigeria to list $500m shares on NSE in 2018 He wished the outgoing commissioners the best in their future endeavours, adding that their wealth…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has arrested two men for “impersonating” its operatives to obtain $10,000 by false presence. Spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed this in a statement. Uwujaren identified the suspects as one Mike Nkwocha and Richardson Obasogie, a “self-confessed Colonel in the United States Army”. He said their victim (not identified) had petitioned the commission alleging that one Ladan Mustapha, who claimed to be an EFCC operative, called to inform him that there was a petition against him. Mustapha allegedly told the victim that the petition bordered on illegal acquisition of…

MTN Nigeria Limited plans to list $500 million shares on the Nigeria Stock Exchange in 2018, fulfilling the terms of a deal struck with the regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to settle a record fine, according to sources. Standard Bank Group Limited and Citigroup Inc. have been advising Africa’s largest mobile-phone company on the disposal of as much as 30 percent of the Lagos-based unit on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the details aren’t public. Most of the shares will be sold to local institutions and individuals, though foreign investors could…

The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau says he’s still in control of an important territory that the Nigerian military says it has seized back from the extremist group. In the 10-minute video released Wednesday, Shekau said his militants weren’t defeated in the Sambisa forest of northeastern Nigeria. Shekau tells the camera “if you have killed us, why are we still alive?” At one point the head of Boko Haram calls himself “invincible” and vows to continue his fight to establish an Islamic caliphate. At the very end though, he also makes clear: “I am tired of this calamity; it…