Author: Chronicle Editor

On Thursday, former President Olusegun Obasanjo surprised passengers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos, by flying the economy class aboard a commercial airline to a function in Enugu. Mr. Obasanjo was billed to attend the South-East Economic and Security Summit‎, but could not secure a business class ticket because all seats had been booked. His aides said with no alternative, the former president bought an economy ticket of Air Peace airline that travelled out of Lagos at 7a.m. The ticket was the last for the flight, as a result Mr. Obasanjo could not travel with his security detail. On board…

The coalition of opposition in The Gambia has vowed to ensure that president-elect Adama Barrow is sworn-in in January. The opposition said that Barrow would be sworn-in despite President Yahya Jammeh threat to hold on to power unless the Supreme Court orders him to step down. Mr Barrow “is confident that he has won an election and he is confident that there is no court on this earth that will deliver judgement to the contrary,” opposition spokesman Halifa Sallah told reporters in the capital Banjul. “We will not speculate on what the court will do … What we are telling…

Burundi’s parliament has placed a strict control on the activities of international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The lawmakers took the action after President Pierre Nkurunziza accused the NGOs of backing an insurrection against him, Africa Review reports. President Nkurunziza had announced the bill just after his disputed re-election in July 2015, when his crisis-hit government accused various international groups of using their funding to support the opposition. The new law, which places tight controls on NGOs’ finances, passed Friday with an overwhelming majority of 105 votes with only one vote against. The parliamentary speaker Pascal Nyabenda said the law would force…

On Saturday, the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi urged Christians to use Christmas period to pray for national rebirth and recovery from the current economic recession. Ugwuanyi made the plea in his Christmas message made available to newsmen in Enugu. In the message, the governor said that special and fervent prayers were needed to tackle the myriads of challenges plaguing the nation. “I implore Christian clerics to dedicate their church services during this season of Christmas to pray for the triumph of the country from economic recession to national growth and prosperity. “Since the Christendom celebrates the liberation of…

The Kano State Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it had secured the conviction of 339 hard drug users in the State between January to December 2016. The Commandant of the agency in Kano, Alhaji Hamza Umar disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Kano. Hamza said that the command arrested and arraigned 462 suspects before the Federal High Court in Kano within the period under review. “Out of the 462 that were arrested, 339 were sentenced to different jail terms and One of the convict is a…

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye has advised state governors to emulate their Ekiti State counterpart, Mr Ayo Fayose, in protecting the interest of their people. Adeboye stated on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti at the palace of Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe. The renowned cleric, who paid a call on the monarch before attending a crusade at the unusually crowded Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado Ekiti described the governor as a great defender of his people and their cause. He commended the governor for taking great risks of defending and protecting the interests of…

On Saturday, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, reiterated his promise to re-organise the ongoing “Operation Lafiya Dole’’ in the North- East in 2017. The COAS, who restated the promise when he visited troops of 112 Task Force Battalion, Mafa in Borno ahead of the Christmas, said he would celebrate the yuletide with troops in the front-line. He said the re-organisation was aimed at making the operation stronger and relief the fighting soldiers. Buratai, Principal Staff Officers at Army Headquarters, Abuja, General Officers Commanding the various Divisions across the country and Corps Commanders are in Borno and other…

The usual free train service provided by Osun Gov. Rauf Aregbesola for citizens of Osun in Lagos on Saturday left the Lagos terminus of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) for Osogbo with hundreds of passengers on board amid tight security. It was reported that over 1,000 passengers benefited from the free train ride which the governor usually provide on the eve of Muslim and Christian festivals. The passengers including children mainly Christian faithful expressed joy over the free ride coming at time when transport fares have gone up. They said it would afford them the opportunity of celebrating Christmas and…

The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has commended the Nigerian armed forces and President Muhammadu Buhari for the success of Operation Lafiya Dole in the notorious Sambisa Forest. Saraki, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, expressed delight at the news of the defeat of Boko Haram in Sambisa. He said that the defeat was “a great way to wrap up an eventful year.” “The news of the Nigerian Army defeating Boko Haram in their most dominant stronghold is truly gratifying. This is a gift to all Nigerians as…

Chadian President Idriss Deby has left a Central African states summit in Cameroon prematurely to register his protest against some policies of the bloc. Preliminary investigations indicated that President Deby was dissatisfied with the resolutions of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) in Yaoundé. Africa Review reports that President Deby is also the chairman of the African Union. Instead of agreeing on the devaluation of their common currency, the CFA Franc, the head of states, in a 21 point communique, resolved to carry out structural readjustment to bailout ailing economies of the region. CEMAC brings together Cameroon, Chad,…