Author: Chronicle Editor

The Executive Secretary of the National University Commission, NUC, Abubakar Rasheed, has said that the number of universities in Nigeria was too small given its population. He charged individuals and organisations to invest in education by establishing private universities. Delivering the convocation lecture of the Fountain University, Osogbo, Mr. Rasheed explained that Nigeria has just over a hundred universities for a population of over 180 million people. During the convocation, a total of 198 graduands got first degrees while honourary degrees were conferred on two eminent Nigerians, Sakariyau Babalola and Yusuf Ali. Mr. Babalola who is the Deputy President-General of…

Worried about the frequent attacks and killings in Southern Kaduna, retired military, police and other security officers from the area have visited Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai to discuss the situation in the area. The team which visited the Governor included Generals Martin Luther Agwai, Adamu Dyeris, and Colonel Boman Kachim among others. The leader of the delegation, Colonel Boman Kachim retired, who briefed Governor Nasir El-Rufai on their position about the crises, promised to corporate with the state government and contribute their quota towards sustainable peace in the area. Also at the meeting were security agencies comprising the Police, Army,…

A new militant group, the Niger Delta Warriors, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal. It also called for the removal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu. NDW warned that if the duo remained in office after 14 days, youths in the Niger Delta would embark on mass protests in major cities nationwide. A statement on Saturday by its spokesperson, General Hart Bradford, stated that NDW gave the ultimatum after a careful study of the ongoing war against corruption. Bradford said, “We are giving the…

Leaders meeting at a Franco-African summit in the Malian capital Bamako on Saturday set January 19 as deadline to solve the Gambian political crisis, Radio France Internationale quoted Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe as saying. January 19 is the date when president-elect Adama Barrow has vowed to take power, despite outgoing President Yahya Jammeh not accepting his defeat in the December 1 election. Mr. Barrow attended the summit bringing together French President Francois Hollande and more than 30 African leaders, while Mr. Jammeh was absent. “The choice of Gambian voters in favour of Adama Barrow must be respected,” Mr. Hollande said.…

The Kaduna State Government has begun verification of workers both in the employ of the state and the local governments, but it cannot at the moment account for 9,715 workers hitherto on the payroll. Only 71 out of the 9,786 workers whose names were removed from the payroll recently, have been verified in the ongoing exercise at the Government House, Kaduna. Mr Bashir Mohammad Director General, Bureau of Public Service Reform, told NAN shortly after the verification that the government would still carry out further scrutiny to determine who should be on the payroll of the government. “The governor directed…

The first two matches at the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) in Libreville, the Gabonese capital, all ended in 1-1 draw. In the first match, host nation Gabon were held by Guinea-Bissau, while in the second Cameroon found their early lead wiped out by Burkina Faso in the second half. All the four teams are in Group A. The Gabon team scored their first goal through former African Player of the Year, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 52nd minute. The lead was cut short in extra time when Guinea-Bissau’s Juary Soares slotted in teh equaliser at the Stade…

Ahead of his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump has sacked some of the of U.S. government officials appointed by President Barack Obama. The purge is in a bid to wipe the slate clean, Sydney Morning Herald reports. Scores of presidential appointees, including ambassadors in far-flung capitals, two nuclear security chiefs and the head of Washington’s National Guard will be leaving their posts on Friday at noon. They have received unexpected orders to go, just as Trump takes office as one of the most unpopular and scandal-ridden incoming presidents in history. While his recent predecessors were swept toward inauguration day on a…

The Peace Corps of Nigeria says it will recruit 2, 000 youths from Lagos State this year, Mr Mutairu Habib, the South-West Zonal Commandant of the corps said on Saturday in Lagos. “The corps is targeting to recruit 2,000 officers in Lagos State this year as part of efforts to reduce unemployment,” he told a news conference. The commandant said the recruitment was aimed at complementing efforts of federal and state governments in tackling youth unemployment. Habid, who is also the State Commandant of the Corps, urged governments at all levels to key into the policies of the security outfit.…

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi,has called on Nigerians to aggressively engage in agriculture to end poverty and reduce unemployment in the country. Adeyeye made the call at the 2017 Mike Omotosho Annual Lecture with theme, `Increased Agricultural Productivity for Sustainable Economic Growth’, in Abuja on Saturday. He said that engaging in agriculture was a sure way to ensure nation building, especially in the current recession facing the country. The Ooni expressed concern that deforestation which he said had reached an alarming rate in the country had resulted in low productivity of farmers in food production. The Oba said:…

On Saturday, the Lagos state government reiterated the need for all road users particularly drivers to drive carefully on the road by observing the speed limit and other road/traffic signs on highways in order to reduce accidents to the barest minimum, especially during this harmattan haze which definitely limits the broad view of drivers to see far distance on the road. The advice is coming against the backdrop of an accident which occurred on the Third Mainland Bridge on Thursday, January 12, which left some people injured and several cars destroyed. The State Government also clarified that the repair works…