Author: Chronicle Editor

Chelsea produced a dominant home performance to comfortably beat Everton for their second win of the Premier League season. Cesc Fabregas broke Everton’s resistance by coolly clipping into the bottom corner from Alvaro Morata’s instinctive knockdown, ending a smart move that began with a quick free-kick. Morata’s thumping header doubled Chelsea’s lead before the break, the Spaniard gleefully finishing from Cesar Azpilicueta’s perfect cross. Everton did not get a sight of goal until Sandro’s poor scuffed shot was deflected wide shortly after the break, a move that was only started by Azpilicueta’s mistake. READ: Las Vegas: Floyd Mayweather stops Conor…

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari requesting him to “use your good offices and leadership position to instruct the military authorities to immediately end any monitoring of activities of Nigerians on the social media. SERAP also wants him to ensure that military operations comply with Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and the country’s obligations under international human rights law.” In the letter dated 25 August 2017 and signed by SERAP deputy director Timothy Adewale the organization expressed “serious concern that any monitoring of Nigerians on social media by the military authorities…

Dr Olusanya Olubusoye, 2nd Vice President, Nigerian Statistical Association (NSA) has advised the Federal Government to fight corruption by the use of statistics. Olubusoye gave the advice on Sunday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to stamp out corruption from the most populous black nation in the world but has only managed to execute a few high profile cases. He said that the use of statistics would give detailed successes recorded in the fight against corruption and other social vices in the country. “We are yet to value…

Apex Igbo Socio-Cultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, chided moves by the Federal Government to re-arrest Nnamdi Kanu, by revoking the bail granted him as the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), had on Friday, approached a Federal High Court, Abuja, for an order revoking the bail granted to Kanu on April 25, this year; on the grounds that he is standing trial for alleged offences of conspiracy to commit treasonable felony and other related offences. However, Ohanaeze described the move as “biased, double standard and violation of Kanu’s fundamental human…

There was a mixture of uproar, anguish and pandemonium, yesterday in Oweri, capital of Imo State, following the demolition of ancient, but popular and massive Ekeukwu-Owere market, situated at the epicentre of ever- busy Douglas Road in the capital city. Security was tight as a combined team of Army, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, among other security personnel, patrolled the area, even as many traders, who could not remove their wares, bemoaned their fate. Most of the traders, who expected that the Saturday deadline would be postponed, chorused their pain and anguish as the bulldozers roared in destructive…

French President Emmanuel Macron’s popularity rating slumped a further 14 points in August to hit 40 per cent, following a sharp 10-point drop the previous month, according to a poll released Sunday. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe also saw his popularity fall nine points over the same period, with 47 per cent now satisfied with his performance, the Ifop poll carried out for the Journal du Dimanche newspaper showed. Macron has seen his popularity plunge 22 points since the first Ifop poll published three months ago, when he enjoyed a rating of 62 percent just after his May 7 election win.…

The conviction and jailing of Samsung’s top business tycoon heralds a drive to reform the country’s giant conglomerates and loosen their grip on the economy, analysts said. When Lee Jae-Yong, de facto head of the world’s biggest smartphone maker Samsung Electronics, was jailed Friday for bribing South Korea’s former president and other offences, the Seoul court condemned “corrupt ties” between business leaders and politicians. It is far from the the first time these links have been made public. South Korea’s chaebols, or family-run conglomerates, have long enjoyed close, opaque ties to political authorities. “There is a well-founded concern that Korean…

Boko Haram extremists killed at least 27 people by shooting them and slitting their throats as they attacked several villages in northern Nigeria’s Borno state in the past week, residents said. Such deadly attacks in recent months have pressured Nigeria’s government to increase its efforts against a homegrown Islamic extremist group it last year declared to be “crushed.” Boko Haram fighters entered villages in the Nganzai area on Wednesday, slitting throats and using guns to kill at least 15 people while injuring two others, said Modu Jialta, a member of a local self-defense group. The attackers also burned homes. READ:…

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has announced its audited half-year financial results ended June 30, 2017, showing remarkable performance across major metrics. UBA grew its gross earnings for the period by 34.5 per cent to N222.7 billion, as against N165.6 billion reported in June 2016. This impressive performance, which reflects the strong momentum of UBA’s business and its increasing share of customers’ wallet, was driven by the 44.3 per cent and 16.0 per cent growth in interest income and non-funded income respectively. The Group’s operating income stood at N161.8 billion, compared to N116.2 billion recorded in the corresponding period…

Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor with a 10th-round stoppage in a much-hyped fight that is expected to be the most lucrative in boxing history. Mayweather, 40, started cautiously as UFC lightweight champion McGregor, making his professional boxing debut, landed a first-round uppercut. READ: Man Utd beat Leicester 2-0 to maintain winning streak But McGregor, 29, looked to tire before the referee called time on the Irishman in Las Vegas. It saw the former five-weight world champion extend his record to 50-0. So after lengthy instructions as to what is allowed in boxing, they did touch gloves. McGregor came charging and…