Author: Chronicle Editor

Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter’s six-year ban from football has been upheld after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The 80-year-old Swiss was banned over ethics breaches as his 17 years as head of football’s world governing body ended in a corruption scandal in 2015. He was found to have made a £1.3m “disloyal payment” to ex-Uefa boss Michel Platini. Both deny wrongdoing. Cas described the payment as “an undue gift” with “no contractual basis”. Blatter said “no other verdict could be expected”. He added: “I have to accept this decision. I have experienced much in…

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has been banned for four matches after his second dismissal for violent conduct this season. Aguero, 28, was sent off for a high and late challenge on Chelsea defender David Luiz in Saturday’s 3-1 home loss. The Argentina forward’s previous dismissal was in August, when he received a retrospective red card for a challenge on West Ham’s Winston Reid. He will miss City’s games against Leicester, Watford, Arsenal and Hull. What happened? City midfielder Fernandinho was also sent off after he clashed with Cesc Fabregas in the scuffle that followed Aguero’s lunge. He will serve…

On Monday, the United Nations launched a record 22.2-billion-dollar humanitarian appeal for 2017 to help almost 93 million people hit by conflicts and natural disasters around the world. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has stated that a huge amount of the money will be used to address the needs of people caught up in crises in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and South Sudan. The appeal followed a trend of steady increases that saw requests for funds grow almost three-fold from 7.9 billion dollars in 2011. “As we speak, more people have humanitarian needs, not least because…

On Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari met with the Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, behind closed doors. It is believed that President Sirleaf will be briefing President Buahri ahead of the 3rd Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa. The forum, which is slated for December 5 and 6 will have attendance leaders from all West African leaders. President Buhari is expected to leave Abuja later today for the forum in Dakar, Senegal. Issues like terrorism, trans-borders crimes, among others are expected to be discussed at the forum. The Liberian President, who arrived Abuja on Sunday on a two-day…

Rice farmers have appealed to state governments to ban the sale of foreign rice as a means of boosting local production. Mr Aminu Goronyo, the National President, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), revealed this to reporters in Abuja on Monday. Goronyo was reacting to the current ban by the Ebonyi State Government on the sale of foreign rice in the state. He said the ban would encourage local production of rice and impact positively on the economy of the country. “We are going to Ebonyi State to pay a solidarity visit to the governor for that kind of effort…

The Ghanaian Authorities have shut down a fake US embassy in Accra, run by a criminal network that for a decade issued illegally obtained authentic visas, the US State Department has said. “It was not operated by the United States government, but by figures from both Ghanaian and Turkish organised crime rings and a Ghanaian attorney practicing immigration and criminal law,” the State Department said in a statement released late on Friday. Turkish citizens, who spoke English and Dutch, posed as consular officers and staffed the operation. Investigations also uncovered a fake Dutch embassy, the State Department said. The crime…

Late Otunba Bola Kuforiji-Olubi has been described as a remarkable woman of uncommon courage, exemplary pedigree and one of the brightest in the constellation of Nigerian prominent women. In his condolence message on the passing of the renowned technocrat and distinguished administrator, the immediate past Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel stated that late Otunba Kuforiji-Olubi was a woman of enormous integrity, quintessential professional and an intellectual of global repute who made her mark in a male dominated world. According to the former Governor, the contributions of the late boardroom Amazon to the socio-economic development of the country was…

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his grievances over the death of the former Minister of Commerce and Industry, Ayora Kuforiji-Olubi, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 80. The president, who recently received the former minister and first female Chairman of the United Bank of Africa at the State House, also extended heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased as well as the government and people Ogun State. He also condoled with the banking industry, Mr. Kuforiji-Olubi’s friends and professional colleagues over the loss. In a statement by Femi Adesina, the president’s Special Adviser on…

Nigerians have taken to social media to vent their anger and disgust at the Federal Government’s decision to allow personnel of the Federal Road Safety Commission to carry arms. Puzzled by the government’s decision, citizens expressed their displeasure at the development, stressing that, there are was no need to hand guns to traffic controllers. They also quizzed the government for failing to attend to more important things, stressing that, President Buhari led government is more interested in killing its citizens. Even a parody account for the former Head of State of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Babangida did not support the move…

On Monday, the arraignment of Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court in Abuja and his wife, Olabowale, who is the Head of Service of Lagos State was postponed due to their absence. The case was before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Maitama, where the defendants were charged of receiving gratification. Report stated that defendants were absent because they had not been served with the charges. The trial judge, Justice Jude Okeke, adjourned the case till December 13, 2016, after the defendants’ lawyer, Mr. Jeph Njikonye, volunteered to accept service on behalf of his clients Lead…