Author: Chronicle Editor

India’s imports of Nigerian crude oil in October plunged to their lowest in over four years, with the world’s number three oil consumer increasingly turning to cheaper supplies from the United States and heavier Middle Eastern grades, ship tracking data showed. Nigeria is the fourth biggest crude oil supplier to India behind Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran. US crude production has soared more than 14 percent since mid-2016 to 9.65 million barrels per day (bpd), altering trade routes as its relatively cheap and light grades become a viable import option for Asian refiners. “Earlier in Asia, West African oil was…

In a benchmark reform, Qatar authorities have set a temporary minimum wage for migrant workers at $200 per month, following global scrutiny over the alleged ill-treatment of foreign workers. World Cup 2022 host Qatar came under criticism for its treatment of some two million migrant workers and pledged last month to introduce a series of major labour reforms. The minimum wage initiative was announced by labour minister, Issa al-Nuaimi, who explained that the “temporary minimum wage of 750 riyals ($195) per month will immediately come into effect”, while officials work on setting a permanent rate. He added that in addition…

Former “boss of bosses” Toto Riina, one of the most feared Godfathers in the history of the Sicilian mafia, has died in hospital while serving multiple life sentences as the mastermind of a bloody strategy to assassinate Italian prosecutors and law enforcement officers trying to bring down the Cosa Nostra. Riina, who is thought to have ordered more than 150 murders, had been in a medically induced coma after his health deteriorated after two operations for cancer. He died in the prisoners’ wing of a hospital in Parma in northern Italy just before 4am on Friday, a day after he…

Leaders of Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party are meeting on Friday to draft a resolution to dismiss President Robert Mugabe at the weekend, a senior party source said The source said the leaders will lay the ground for his impeachment on Tuesday if Mugabe refused to stand down. “There is no going back,” the source told Reuters. “If he becomes stubborn, we will arrange for him to be fired on Sunday. When that is done, it’s impeachment on Tuesday.” Zimbabwe’s military said it was engaging President Robert Mugabe in talks on the way forward for the country and that it would…

Zimbabwe’s former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking last week triggered the military’s takeover, has returned to the country, an aide told AFP Friday as ageing leader Robert Mugabe clung onto power. Mnangagwa, who is a leading candidate to succeed to President Mugabe, flew back to Harare on Thursday after nearly a week abroad as army chiefs and the president met to negotiate Mugabe’s exit from office. The 93-year-old president has refused to resign, sources said, after soldiers this week put him under house arrest in a stunning turnaround for the veteran leader who has ruled Zimbabwe with an iron…

The House of Representatives on Thursday said it approved the 5.5 billion dollars loan request from the executive because President Muhammadu Buhari is trustworthy and keeps to his words. It said that the approval was in spite of the nation’s rising debt profile. NAN recalls that both chambers had on Tuesday approved the president’s request to borrow 5.5 billion dollars made up of 2.5 billion dollars to fund the 2017 budget and another three billion dollars to re-finance the country’s domestic debts. Rep. Abdulrazak Namdas, the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, told newsmen that “we…

• Canvasses lower interest rates • Accuses Jonathan’s govt of corruption • Buhari pledges to ease economic hardship The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to do more to improve the lot of citizens. Tinubu gave the advice yesterday while unveiling a book, Making Steady, Sustainable Progress for Nigeria’s Peace and Prosperity, at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The 360-page book is a mid-term scorecard on the Buhari administration put together by the Presidential Media Team. The APC chieftain who refrained from…

The Federal Government has rolled out fresh intervention plan for the rehabilitation of the access roads to Apapa ports. The move, which is expected to bring respite to the residents and businessmen around Apapa and its environs, would see to reconstruction of the roads; relocation of empty trucks from the axis and building of new trailer parks, among others. Government’s plan, monitored by The Guardian on its official twitter page showed that Dangote Group will carry out palliative works and reconstruction of some major sections of Apapa road and will be completed around June/July 2018 as part of its corporate…

The Kogi State Government has said that over 1000 civil servants had been discovered to have joined the civil service of the state with fake certificates. The government said the institutions that the workers claimed to have issued them the certificates had disowned them, saying such certificates did not emanate from them. The director general, media, and publicity to the Governor, Kingsley Fanwo, on Thursday said the discoveries had justified its stands on reforms in the sector, assuring the people of the state that the reforms would serve their interest. Read Also Nigeria Police deploys 221 police officers to Gov…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, on Thursday, stated that over N73 billion has been paid to various contractors handling the various projects within the territory. According to him, the various payments made by the administration pursuant to our stated objectives testify to our commitment to bolster the FCT economy, create or save jobs and deliver on these projects. Addressing newsmen at the Conference Room of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Abuja, the minister said the projects include 1508 indigenous contractors owed N100 million and below, with matured bills and for which provisions were…