Author: Chronicle Editor

The eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Bayelsa have shared N1.3 billion Naira as their allocation from the first tranche of the Paris Club Refund paid to the state. Chairmen of the eight local government areas confirmed on Friday that they received a total of N1.3 billion out of the N14.5 billion remitted to the state by the Federal Government. President Muhammadu Buhari had on March 23 approved the disbursement of the second tranche of the Paris Club loan refunds to states that had disbursed the first tranche to local governments. It was also gathered that accountability of the disbursement…

The National Space Agency (NASRDA) says its collaboration with five countries has resulted in the successful completion of a global project for the design and manufacture of five identical Nano-Satellites. Dr Felix Ale, Head, Media and Corporate Communication, NASRDA made this known in a statement in Abuja on Friday . Nano-satellites or Nano-sats are miniaturised satellites of low mass and size for gathering scientific data and to provide more comprehensive space coverage at much lower cost. Ale said that the satellites were being proposed for launch into the orbit in May 2017 for various applications. Ale said that the multinational…

The Nigerian Navy on Friday said it had discovered and destroyed an illegal refinery with 1.59 million litres of illegally refined diesel during a mop-up operation in Port Harcourt. Speaking at the destruction exercise, Commodore Williams Kayoda, the Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, however, said no arrest was made during the raid. Kayoda said the navy deployed troops to the site after it got intelligence report about the illegal refinery situated around Iwofe, Rumuolumeni area of Port Harcourt. “Troops arriving at the site discovered 24 metallic tanks with each containing 60,000 litres of petroleum product suspected to be…

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate deployment of four of the newly appointed Ambassadors-Designate. The president announced the deployment in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Mr Femi Adesina on Friday in Abuja. Adesina said Prof. Tijjani Bande, (Kebbi State) would now serve as Nigeria’s Ambassador/Representative to the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Headquarters in New York He said Itegboje Sunday Samson (Edo State) will serve as Nigeria’s Ambassador/Deputy Representative, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Headquarters in New York. “Kadiri Ayinla Audu, (Kwara State) is to proceed as…

Angolan authorities have closed a border point with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) due to the deterioration of the security situation in the latter’s Kasai Province. Angola’s Lunda Norte Province Governor Ernesto Muangala said that the border markets could not remain open in the prevailing circumstances. Luanda Norte Province is located 656km north of the capital Luanda, and shares borders with both DRC and Congo-Brazzaville. According to reports, instability in Kasai has led to tensions at the border point. DR Congo’s central region of Kasai has seen a spike in violence since September, that has left at least 400…

“My husband deceived me; he did not tell me that he had three wives before marrying me,” says a divorce-seeking 42-year-old businesswoman, Funmilayo Otegbola. The woman told an Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Friday that her husband impregnated her and hurried her into the house. “When I became pregnant for my husband, I moved into his house although we are not legally married. “I discovered that he already had three wives living with him, there was nothing I could do since I was pregnant, I had to stay,” she said while responding to a divorce suit filed by her…

A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Friday sentenced a 30-year-old businessman, Zakari Abubakar, to two months imprisonment for stealing four umbrellas. Abubakar of Kado Fish Market, Abuja, was arraigned on a count charge of theft. The convict pleaded guilty and begged for leniency. The judge, Abubakar Sadiq, gave the convict an option to pay N5, 000 fine, and warned him against taking to crimes in future. Sadiq ordered that the recovered Umbrellas be returned to the owner. He also ordered the convict to pay restitution of N7, 000 for one missing umbrella. The prosecution had alleged that the…

Nigeria stands to experience a shortfall in its oil exports earning as Shell Plc said it had shut down the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, which exports Bonny Light crude oil. The company said it shut the trunk line to remove theft points. The managing director of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) said the company was working to “remove a significant number of oil theft connections and repair any leaks on the pipeline.” The line, operated by Aiteo, is one of two along with the Trans Niger Pipeline that carries Bonny Light crude oil to the export terminal. Exports of roughly…

Professor Tijjani Bande, a former director-general of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies is Nigeria’s new ambassador to the United Nations. His appointment, along with three other ambassadors-designate, was announced today by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to Mr. Femi Adesina, media adviser to President Buhari, Bande, who is from Kebbi state and the others are expected to move immediately to their posts. At the UN, Bande will be assisted by Itegboje Sunday Samson (Edo State) as Nigeria’s Ambassador/Deputy Representative, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Also appointed is Kadiri Ayinla Audu, (Kwara…

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has suspended two of its officers for alleged involvement in oil theft in Bayelsa. The Corps Sp‎okesman, Mr Emmanuel Okeh, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Abuja. Okeh said the management of the Corps condemned the alleged possession of illegal petroleum products suspected to be diesel (AGO) by two officers of the Corps who were recently arrested and presented to newsmen by the Police. He said that the‎ ‎Commandant-General of the Corps, Mr Abdullahi Muhammadu, had set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the matter for proper…