Author: Chronicle Editor

Liberians have began voting to choose a new president in a run-off vote between Vice-President Joseph Boakai and former international footballer George Weah. Mr Weah, 51, won the first round, but did not secure the required 50% of the vote for an outright victory. Legal challenges delayed the vote to replace Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president. Liberia, which was founded by freed US slaves in the 19th Century, has not had a smooth transfer of power in 73 years. Polls across Liberia opened at 08:00 GMT and will close at 18:00. More than two million people are…

Heather Menzies-Urich, who played Louisa Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, has died aged 68. Her death was announced by the estate of the musical’s creators, Rodgers & Hammerstein, on Monday. She was diagnosed with brain cancer four weeks ago and died on Christmas Eve, news site TMZ quoted her son Ryan as saying. “She was an actress, a ballerina and loved living her life to the fullest,” he told TMZ. Born Heather Menzies in Toronto, she was 15 when the musical film was released in 1965. It went on to win 10 Oscars, including best picture. Read Also…

No fewer than 52,000 school age children orphaned by Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state are in need of education. Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno has called on Nigerians to use the good teachings of Christmas to support the children. Shettima also called on people of the state to use the festive season to renew kindness to victims of the insurgency, particularly displaced persons, families of soldiers and volunteers, who lost their lives fighting the insurgents. A statement by Malam Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser, Media and Communication Strategy to the governor, stressed the need for Christians to use the…

Twenty members of the same extended family were killed today in a head-on bus collision while travelling to Christmas Day mass. The tragedy occurred in the northern Philippines, police said. A small bus taking the group to a dawn church service crashed into a larger bus in the town of Agoo killing the 20 on board, including six children, police said. The nine other occupants of the small bus were injured, as were 17 travelling on the bigger bus, according to an updated tally released by regional police. “They (the family) were trying to catch a mass in Manaoag,” Agoo…

The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has called on all Kogites to be prayerful and hopeful for a better future even as the his administration is committed to delivering good governance to the people. In a press statement containing his Christmas Address released by his Chief Press Secretary, Petra Akinti Onyegbule, the governor pointed out that in his 23 months in office, insecurity issues have been largely tackled, infrastructure is getting needed cash injection while civil service reforms are on course. “My dearest fellow Kogites, it gives me great pleasure and deep humility to say ‘Merry Christmas’ to you…

Nigeria’s vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, has told Nigerians that the Buhari administration is doing everything possible to quickly resolve the fuel shortages experienced by Nigerians. Prof. Osinbajo said this during an unexpected stopover to Oando Filling Station at Lekki area of Lagos State on Christmas Eve. He also stopped at Heyden Petrol Station on Lagos Island. In a chat with Nigerians from all walks of life on Sunday evening during the stopover, the Vice President noted that the Federal Government was moving as quickly as it could to solve the fuel crisis and reduce the difficulties Nigerians were facing…

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State jabs at his critics, noting that, he is one of the most misunderstood Nigerians. He also took a swipe at critics over the statues he erected, the Jacob Zuma visit, the Ministry of Happiness and the plans by his son-in-law to succeed him in the state. Okorocha says he stirs controversy all around him because the critics lack information and refuse to seek it. “I have realised that there are so many educated illiterates in this country; analysts without ideas, historians without knowledge of the past”, he says. On his new Ministry of Happiness…

In the TV documentary on President Muhammadu Buhari to be aired today on NTA, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, governors and ministers will offer rare insights into the taciturn Nigerian leader, a statement by the President’s media office indicated. Here are some of the revelations they will make about President Buhari in the 55 minute documentary: “He gives you things to do, and leaves you strictly to do those things. No interference at all, once he has confidence in you….And he cracks those jokes, and manages to still keep a straight face.” —Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. “He gave me some priority…

The President General of the umbrella Igbo Organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, has deplored the current fuel scarcity which has made travelers for the Christmas festivities to undergo hard times. The Ohanaeze boss, in a Christmas message to the people, said the period of Christmas provides good opportunity for Ndigbo to pray more to God to send succor to alleviate their sufferings in the country. Nwodo said knowing what Christmas means to Ndigbo, the federal government was very uncharitable to the people to allow fuel scarcity in the country during this Yuletide. “They know that at this…

AT least four people were reportedly killed, and a few others injured in a renewed attack by herdsmen at Nimdem village of Jema’a Local government area of Kaduna State. Confirming the incident, in a statement, the spokesman of Operation Safe Haven, Colonel IK Ekpeyong said the gunmen invaded Nindem Village at 9pm during a carol shooting sporadically, in the process, killed four persons and injured eight others. He disclosed that the corpses of the deceased had been deposited in a mortuary while those wounded were taken to Kafanchan General Hospital for treatment. According to him, “some people suspected to be…