Author: Chronicle Editor

Nigeria’s president on Tuesday presented to parliament a 2018 budget of 8.612 trillion naira ($28.16 billion), the biggest ever, to nurture shaky growth in Africa’s largest economy. The budget forecast a deficit of 2.005 trillion naira ($6.56 billion), down from last year’s 2.36 trillion naira, in a country that just clambered out of its first recession for 25 years in the second quarter of 2017, but still grew slowly. Each of President Muhammadu Buhari’s budgets has set a record high level of spending, but economists say implementation, particularly on capital expenditure that is meant to drive infrastructure development, has been…

…Commissions 77 Blocks of Classrooms In Alimosho, Mushin, Epe, Others …Handovers Nine Newly Renovated PHCs, Says Vibrant Health System Not Negotiable Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday commissioned 77 blocks of classroom across the State, stressing that, his administration will stop at nothing to provide quality education. Governor Ambode who spoke simultaneously at the commissioning of several blocks of classrooms and school infrastructures across the State, said the Government’s resolve to ensure qualitative education for children prompted the investment of resources towards the provision and upgrading of infrastructure, particularly at the primary school level. “More importantly, the basic…

A 70-year-old Japanese woman has been sentenced to death for the murder of three men, one of whom was her husband, and the attempted murder of another. Chisako Kakehi is accused of using cyanide to kill her lovers and make millions from insurance payouts. Her lawyers plan to appeal the sentence. Prosecutors said she targeted wealthy men who were mostly elderly or sick. She became known in Japanese media as the Black Widow, after the female spider which kills its mates after sex. Kyoto District Court ruled that Chisako Kakehi used cyanide “with a murderous intention” in the four cases,…

The Kaduna State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has given the state government a two week ultimatum to rescind its decision to sack 21,780 primary school teachers. The union has also dragged the state government before the industrial court over the issue. The teachers were said to have failed a primary four exam, administered on them during a recent competency test by the government. The state government had already advertised for the recruitment of 25,000 teachers to replace those who failed the exam. But at a press conference yesterday in Kaduna, the NUT said arrangements had been…

An ex-Welsh Labour minister who faced a party investigation into allegations about his personal conduct has taken his own life, it is understood. Carl Sargeant, 49, lost his ministerial job as cabinet secretary for communities and children last Friday. He was suspended from Labour after the first minister learned of a number of alleged incidents involving women. A family statement said they are “devastated beyond words” at the loss of “the glue that bound us together”. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the death was “deeply shocking news”. Mr Sargeant, who was married and had two children, was found dead at…

Italian prosecutors Tuesday said it has begun an in-depth investigation into the death of the 26 teenage Nigerian girls who died in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Italy on Sunday. The deceased girls said to be between the ages of 14 and 18, were found dead in the sea while attempting the dangerous journey of crossing from Libya to Europe. The bodies of the 26 female Nigerian migrants were found by Spanish warship Cantabria, who brought the corpses to Salerno, Italy, after they were purportedly sexually abused and murdered. Read Also Kachikwu flies to Niger Delta, pleads with…

Nigeria president, Muhammadu Buhari has stated that his administration has strong belief in using ICT as a major driver of our developmental governance and economic reform plans. Speaking at the 2017 e-Nigeria conference themed “Fostering a Digital Economy Through Local Content Development and Effective Regulation” he said ICT is critical to economic diversification. “My presence here today is a demonstration of our commitment and strong belief in using ICT as a major driver of our developmental governance and economic reform plans aimed at bringing about the true CHANGE we promised our people. “ICT is strategic in driving productivity and efficiency…

UEFA says it has “initiated” talks with FIFA and other regional confederations about expanding its new Nations League into a global competition. The Nations League starts next September and will replace most international friendlies on FIFA’s calendar which involve European teams. UEFA and FIFA told BBC Sport they are having “constructive discussions” about the league’s development. But UEFA says “no decisions have been made”. “These discussions involve our national associations, European football stakeholders, all confederations and of course FIFA, with whom we have a very good relationship,” UEFA added in a statement. READ: Sterling, Delph, Jordan Henderson out of England…

Nigeria’s oil minister will visit the Niger Delta this week in a bid to stave off a threat of more insurgent attacks in the area. He says without more investment it would be a struggle to ease tensions and develop its main crude producing region. The Niger Delta Avengers, whose attacks on energy facilities in the region last year helped push Africa’s biggest economy into recession, said on Friday it had ended its ceasefire in its campaign for more of Nigeria’s oil earnings. “We’re constrained by cash,” Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the minister of state for petroleum, told Reuters in an…

NHS providers have revealed that the UK is more reliant on overseas doctors and nurses than almost any other healthcare system in the developed world, according to a report. A third of doctors and one in eight nurses were trained abroad, around twice as high as the average for other countries, MailOnline reports. The figures were compiled by NHS Providers, which accused the Government of a ‘fundamental failure’ in workforce planning. The organisation, which represents health service bosses, also warned of severe staffing gaps in all hospital departments but particularly in A&E. The latest figures from the General Medical Council…