Author: Chronicle Editor

The United States “doesn’t have the luxury” of deporting millions of undocumented migrants as President-elect Donald Trump has threatened, Guatemala’s president argued Monday. “Economically, the United States doesn’t have the luxury of throwing out 12 million inhabitants or people who are on its territory without papers given that they produce, consume and contribute to GDP growth in that country,” President Jimmy Morales told Guatemalan radio station Emisoras Unidas. Trump, who takes over from Barack Obama on Friday with a Republican legislative majority, has sent chills through nearby Latin American countries, including Guatemala, with his repeated vows to expel millions of…

Zimbabwe police on Monday detained a pastor who claimed that veteran President Robert Mugabe, who turns 93 next month, would die in October, his lawyer said. Gift Mtisi said Pastor Patrick Mugadza was arrested at the magistrate’s court in Harare where he was appearing on separate charges of wearing the national flag and charged over the prophecy made last week about Mugabe’s demise. “He was appearing at the court on a different matter when police arrested him during a break and charged him over the prophecy,” Mtisi told AFP. “He was initially charged with undermining the authority of the president…

It was always going to be hard for outgoing US President Barack Obama to live up to expectations in Africa. Born to a Kenyan father who once herded goats, the first black US president was seen as Africa’s prodigal son who would understand the continent in a way white presidents never could. Nelson Mandela said Obama’s historic victory was proof everyone should “dare to dream” and Africans gave the new president a hero’s welcome. Six months after taking office in 2009, Obama travelled to Ghana to lay the foundations for future policies that emphasised responsibility and trade. “Africa’s future is…

Manchester City have held talks with Barcelona over a £100m move for Argentina forward Lionel Messi.(Sun) City bosses will give Guardiola £250m to spend in order to turn the club into champions again. (Daily Star) Barcelona and his former club Atletico Madrid are interested in signing Diego Costa, as they seek to take advantage of the uncertainty over the 28-year-old Spain striker’s future at Chelsea. (Independent) Costa will effectively be ending his career if he moves to the Chinese Super League, according to Chelsea’s former player and assistant manager Ray Wilkins. (Sky Sports) West Ham’s France forward Dimitri Payet is…

Non-academic unions in Nigerian universities on Monday began a one-week warning strike on Monday to protest the non-implementation of its 2009 agreement with the Federal Government. Mr Yakubu Simon, the Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), University of Abuja chapter, told newsmen in Gwagwalada, FCT, that the strike began after series of meetings with members of the union. Simon said that the Federal Government needed to implement the 2009 agreement for the good of all Nigerian universities. “We are on strike because of issues of poor funding of the universities, increase in corruption in the system, shortfall in staff salaries and…

U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday night listed “thick skin” and “stamina” as important qualities for the top person in the White House to have, in an ironic reference to his successor Donald Trump who will be sworn in on Friday. “Thick skin helps” to get the complex presidential job done, Obama said in his final interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” aired Sunday night. He also recommended that a U.S. president has to be physically strong enough and must not get distracted by critics in government and the media. “Stamina- there is a greater physical element to this job than…

The Anambra Government has reiterated its commitment to remain the choice destination for commerce in the country as it targets N20 billion to boost Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The Managing Director, Anambra State Small Business Agency (ASBA), Mr Clement Chukwuka, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Monday. Chukwuka said that Gov. Willie Obiano was determined to encourage investments and build institutions that would not only promote micro, small and medium enterprises but outlive his administration. He said the agency targeted to raise N20 billion in the next seven…

Some car dealers in Abuja have called on the Federal Government to reduce customs duties of imported cars and to formulate policies to encourage Nigerians to patronise locally assembled vehicles. The dealers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that high customs duties and the high exchange rate of the naira had affected their businesses negatively. A female dealer at Galadima, who spoke on condition of anonymity, appealed to government to reduce the custom duties, saying “ we pay as high as N350,000 for duty on Lexus”. “We are not against collection of custom duties because we pay…

Neymar is the most valuable player in Europe – worth around £216m – according to a new study which values 10 players at more than 100m euros. The Barcelona striker is ahead of team-mate Lionel Messi, who is valued by academics at £149m. The only England players in the top 10 are Tottenham’s Harry Kane (worth £122m) and Dele Alli (£96m). Paul Pogba, who joined Manchester United for a record £89m in the summer, is now worth £136.4m. The study has been carried out by a team of academics from the CIES Football Observatory, using a transfer value algorithm. They…

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed that it is looking into the petition requesting the anti-corruption body to “urgently begin a thorough, transparent and effective investigation into allegation that N500 million Safe School funds for Chibok girls, commissioned by former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to rebuild the Government Girls School in Chibok, is missing and cannot be accounted for.” The petition 27 December 2016 was sent to the EFCC Chair Ibrahim Mustafa Magu by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). This development was disclosed today by SERAP senior staff attorney Timothy Adewale. Adewale said: “We…