Author: Chronicle Editor

The Federal Government and the Government of Germany on Wednesday signed a 10 million Euros aid agreement to eradicate polio in Nigeria. The agreement was signed in Abuja between Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama and the German Ambassador to Nigeria Mr Bernhard Schlagheck. Onyeama said that the 10 million Euros grant would facilitate Nigeria’s quest to totally eradicate polio in the country. He noted with concern that government’s efforts had some setbacks due to the activities of terrorism in the North Eastern part of the country. “I just have to take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude to the…

A call for South Africans to boycott social media for a day to protest against high data costs has ironically seen #SocialMediaBlackout trend. Musician and activist Ntsiki Mazwai had urged South Africans to log off and not buy data to pressure mobile providers. Discontent over internet service charges in the country last year led to the #DataMustFall campaign. But it appears that many users could not help but check their social media accounts despite the boycott plea. “Data costs are obscene and are not affordable for people on the ground,” said Ms Mazwai, quoted in Eyewitness News. “We want to…

Premier League champions Chelsea have made a move for Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, 28. (Daily Mirror) Tottenham want £45m for England defender Kyle Walker, 27, who is a target for Manchester City. (Daily Star) Arsenal have told Barcelona that defender Hector Bellerin, 22, is not for sale and are confident the Spaniard will stay this summer. (Independent) And the North London club have opened talks with midfielder Aaron Ramsey, 26, over a contract extension to avoid further uncertainty over his future. (Daily Telegraph) Juventus have lined up Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian, 27, as their preferred replacement…

Angel Di Maria has been handed a one-year prison sentence and fined £1.76 million after admitting tax fraud. The former Manchester United winger admitted two separate counts of fraud which each carry a six-month sentence. Now with Paris Saint-Germain, Di Maria was found guilty of defrauding the Spanish government a sum of £1.14m during his time at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2014. However, the 29-year-old is unlikely to spend any time behind bars. In Spain, sentences of under two-years are often suspended if the convicted person has no previous criminal record. The Argentine had previously made a deal with…

US Republicans have won a closely contested congressional election in Georgia seen by many as a referendum on Donald Trump’s presidency. Karen Handel retained the Atlanta seat with 53% of the vote, against 47% for her Democratic rival Jon Ossoff. The vacancy arose when Tom Price left to become health secretary. He had won the seat with a 23 point lead. In South Carolina, Republican Ralph Norman beat Democrat Archie Parnell in a solidly conservative area. President Trump congratulated both candidates. On the victory in suburban Atlanta, he tweeted: “Congratulations to Karen Handel on her big win in Georgia 6th.…

South Sudan is no longer classified as being in famine following an increase in aid, a UN-backed report says. However, the report warns that the situation remains desperate as the number of people at risk of starvation has increased in the last month. The famine, announced in February, was the first be declared anywhere in the world since 2011. Armed conflict, low harvests and soaring food prices have been blamed for the situation. Tens of thousands of people have died and millions displaced since fighting erupted in the country more than three years ago. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification…

Amid the move to takeover of Etisalat by a consortium of banks, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has assured subscribers that the network’s integrity would not compromised. The Director, Public Affairs of NCC, Mr Tony Ojobo, said in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos that the commission’s attention had been drawn to the planned takeover by the consortium of banks. Ojobo said that the regulatory body was aware of the indebtedness of Etisalat to the consortium. According to him, the NCC in conjunction with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has mediated by holding several meetings with the banks, Etisalat…

Nigerian refugees who fled Islamist militants, Boko Haram, are returning from Cameroon into a country that is still not equipped to support them, and they risk creating a new humanitarian crisis, the head of the U.N. refugee agency, Filippo Grandi, said on Wednesday. The UNHCR issued a similar warning last month when about 12,000 refugees returned to the border town of Banki in Borno state, which was already housing 45,000 displaced Nigerians. Another 889 refugees, mostly children, arrived in Banki on June 17 from Minawao camp in Cameroon, Grandi said. “The new arrivals – and we hear reports of more…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today withdrew the detention order against Honourable Aliyu Ahman Pategi who stood surety for Ms Jumoke Akinjide, a former Minister of State, Ministry of Federal Capital Territory under President Goodluck Jonathan, after she turned herself in at the Ikoyi office of the Commission in Lagos. Aliyu, a Federal lawmaker representing Edu/Moro/Patigi Federal Constituency of Kwara State was on Friday remanded in EFCC custody by a Lagos State Magistrate Court, Igbosere for failing to produce the suspect when needed by investigators and her failure to appear before a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan for…

…urges FG To Release Abandoned, Surplus Assets To Lagos …says He’s Saddened By Current State Of Federal Secretariat …as Ambode Receives Report Of Committee On Federal Assets In State Elder Statesman and former Federal Commissioner for Works and Housing, Alhaji Femi Okunnu on Tuesday expressed sadness over the current status of the Federal Secretariat in Lagos and other abandoned and surplus assets of the Federal Government in the State, urging that the assets be returned to the State Government for effective and proper usage. Okunnu, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), spoke at Lagos House in Ikeja while…