Author: Chronicle Editor

The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture today joined the growing list of public officials and institutions accused of undermining the effectiveness of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011 as Media Rights Agenda (MRA) named the Ministry this week’s inductee into the “FOI Hall of Shame”. MRA said in a statement in Lagos that it inducted the Ministry into the FOI Hall of Shame for its flagrant violation of the several provisions of the FOI Act, including failing to designate an appropriate official of the Ministry to receive requests for information from members of the public; failing to publish…

Arsene Wenger still thinks Arsenal can convince Alexis Sanchez to stay, despite Sanchez insisting he wants Champions League football, which the Gunners cannot offer again until 2018, they are determined not to sell to a Premier League rival this summer and believe the saga will come down to money. Manchester City are in pole position and know Arsenal are facing a dilemma because Sanchez could leave for nothing in a year’s time, at the end of his contract. City will be encouraged by the comments the Chilean striker made over the weekend while on holiday in his homeland and believe…

Eight people were killed on Monday when a female suicide bomber detonated her explosives at a mosque in northeast Nigeria, in the latest attack in the restive region. The head of the Borno state emergency management agency, Ahmed Satomi, said the blast happened at about 5:30 am (0430 GMT) in the London Ciki area of Maiduguri, which has been at the epicentre of Boko Haram violence since 2009. “She killed eight people and injured 15 others. The mosque was being guarded by civilian JTF (joint task force militia) during prayers,” he told AFP. “Unknown to them, the girl was being…

Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) rolled out the red carpet for Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed at the weekend in Lagos. It was during the minister’s visit to COSON House. He was also honoured for his dedication to the campaign for the rights of creative people in the country. At a ceremony that featured plenty of music and documentary videos, the Minister was presented with the ”Copyright Medal of Honour” and his name entered in the ”COSON Roll of Honour” after the reading of his citation. COSON Chairman Tony Okoroji, who made the presentation that rounded off…

The Ekiti State Government on Sunday said that it had just promoted 9,583 out of its public servants. The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that 6,993 of them are teaching and non-teaching staff of various public secondary schools, while 2,590 are local government staff. The Chairman of the State Teaching Service Commission, Chief Abiodun Falayi said in a statement that 3,963 teachers and 1,586 non-teaching staff were promoted. Falayi said that the Governor Ayodele Fayose-led administration inherited what he called abnormalities in cadres, unharmonized structure as well as inaccurate nominal roll and seniority list. $1.7bn Loot: Court freezes Jide…

Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk, 26, could still become a £60m Liverpool player this summer after insisting he will only move to Anfield. (Sun) But Arsenal are also considering a £45m bid for the Dutchman. (Daily Express) West Ham will make a third bid for Stoke City winger Marko Arnautovic. The Hammers have already failed with two offers for the 28-year-old Austrian. (Sky Sports) Borussia Dortmund will only wait “a few more days” on any offers for Gabon forward and Chelsea target Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 28. (Daily Mail) Chelsea want to sign Manchester City’s Argentine striker Sergio Aguero, 29. (Daily Star)…

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos state, southwest Nigeria has adjourned till 29th of September, 2017 to decide either to stay proceeding or not in a suit filed by the Federal Republic of Nigerian and two of its agencies against two oil companies Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited (AEDC) and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited (AEBD), in order to recover the sum of $1,762,338,184.40. Joined as co -defendants are two Nigerian businessmen Olajide Omokore and Kolawole Aluko who are both Chairman and Director of the two companies respectively. The court however issued an order restraining the defendants and…

Some 3,000 firefighters are currently battling forest fires that have sent thousands of people out of their homes in western Canada over the weekend as strong winds fanned forest fires that have ravaged British Columbia province for over a week. The inferno’s progress prompted authorities to take new emergency measures, ordering the evacuation of 24,000 people in the region including the town of Williams Lake which is home to some 11,000 people, reported public broadcaster CBC. Some 60 percent of affected residents have already left their homes. Ominous view of #WhittierFIRE on Saturday Night. Viewed from our backyard in #Goleta,…

Wimbledon legend Boris Becker lost a huge part of his £100million fortune in dubious investments in Nigerian oil firms, it has been claimed. German news magazine Der Spiegel – citing documents from soccer whistleblowing platform Football Leaks – said Becker struck the deal in 2013, which contributed to his recent bankruptcy. Spiegel said the ‘mega-deal’ was brokered by a Canadian firm and a Nigerian employee of Becker. It said documents show that in July 2013 Becker held shares in an oil and petrol firm in Nigeria. But the investments tanked and last month he was declared bankrupt. John Briggs, Becker’s…

A Cameroon army vessel transporting “dozens” of troops from the elite Rapid Intervention Brigade capsized on Sunday off the country’s southwestern coast, a security source told AFP. The boat “capsized on Sunday between the city of Limbe and Bakassi. There were dozens of troops on board, including a colonel,” the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. READ: Fake Kidnapping: Ambode deposes Baale of Shangisha The Rapid Intervention Brigade is in the front line of Cameroon’s fight against Boko Haram jihadists in the far north. “The army has begun searches,” the source said, while another source close to the…