Author: Chronicle Editor

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr. Muhammed Babandede, has warned that foreign visitors who failed to present their COVID-19 test certificates on arrival in the country will have their visas revoked. The immigration service boss said he has the powers as enshrined in the Immigration Act to revoke visas and confiscate passports of offenders, stressing that the next visa for global travel is the COVID-19 certificate. Speaking at the weekly briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, Babandede assured that the 100 travellers under a travel ban for flouting the mandatory seven-day post-arrival COVID-19…

Despite assurances on efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, there is still anxiety as Nigeria awaits arrival of the first consignment this month. There are questions on the country’s capacity for storage, transportation and who are likely to be first set of recipients. Will it be on alphabetical order, as in states, or geo-political groups; or, will it be first with frontline health workers or the elderly? In an attempt to douse fears, the Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, told The Guardian, yesterday: “Every vaccine has occasional side effects; the benefits by far outweigh harm.…

Jose Mourinho said Tottenham Hotspur had been rewarded for taking the Carabao Cup seriously as they moved to within one game of a first trophy in 13 years with a semi-final win over Brentford. Spurs have not claimed silverware since they beat Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup final and they were made to work hard before seeing off the Championship promotion chasers in this one-leg semi-final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mourinho has won the cup on four occasions and goals from Moussa Sissoko and Son Heung-min ensured he now has the chance to make that five, having become the…

The management of the Intels Nigeria Limited (INL) has categorically refuted the story doing the rounds that its businesses in Nigeria are being deliberately hindered by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. The rebuttal was contained in a press statement issued by Tommaso Ruffinoni on behalf of the INL and the Orlean Invest Holding (OIH), which is the parent company of INL. It reads: “The Intels Nigeria Limited and with it its parent company Orlean Invest Holding in relation to some statements that appeared in the press yesterday and today categorically denies that its business has at some time been…

Nigeria’s bilateral and multilateral debts stood at $31.98 billion as of September 2020, according to the latest figures released by the Debt Management Office (DMO). The outstanding debts are not only owed to bilateral and multilateral institutions but also include commercial loans from Eurobonds and Diaspora Bond. Bilateral debts are those arising from country-to-country loans or loans secured by Nigeria from financial institutions belonging to other countries while multilateral debts are from global or regional financial agencies. Mutilateral institutions in the World Bank Group being owed by Nigeria are the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International…

Former Ogun state governor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba on Tuesday said there is a pre-existing pact on power rotation between the North and the South in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The elder statesman said the fundamental agreement endorsed by the APC founding fathers is sacrosanct, stressing that, it should not be ignored in 2023. Osoba emphasized that the implication of the rotational pact is that a presidential candidate on the platform of the APC from the South, comprising Southeast, Southwest and Southsouth, should succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. The eminent politician, who spoke on a live television programme monitored in…

C&I Leasing Plc yesterday announced the purchase of 313,326,316 units of the Neoma Africa Fund L.L.C by Peace Mass Transit Limited. This was disclosed by the company in a statement signed by the Company Secretary, Mbanugo Udenze & Co, a copy of which was posted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange website. “C&I Leasing Plc notifies the Exchange and the investing public of the purchase of 313,326,316 units of the Neoma Africa Fund L.L.C. (formerly Aureos Africa Fund, L.L.C.) unsecured variable coupon redeemable convertible loan stock in registered units of N4.75 each or its US$ equivalent in C&I Leasing Plc by…

Dr. Dre says he will be “back home soon” after the music mogul received medical treatment at a Los Angeles hospital for a reported brain aneurysm. The rapper and producer said in a social media post Tuesday night that he’s thankful for the “well wishes.” TMZ reported that he suffered a brain aneurysm Monday and was recovering at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. “I’m doing great and getting excellent care from my medical team,” he said. “I will be out of the hospital and back home soon. Shout out to all the great medical professionals at Cedars. One Love!!” His representative has…

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps. The apps include popular payments platform Alipay, as well as QQ Wallet and WeChat pay. The order, which takes effect in 45 days, says that the apps are being banned because they are a threat to US national security. It flags the possibility that the apps could be used to track and build dossiers on US federal employees. Tencent QQ, CamScanner, SHAREit, VMate and WPS Office are also included within the order, which only kicks in after Mr Trump has left office. “The United States must…

The World Health Organization said that China has blocked the arrival of a team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, in a rare rebuke from the UN agency. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said two scientists on the United Nations team had already left their home countries for Wuhan when they were told that Chinese officials had not approved the necessary permissions to enter the country. The arrangements had been jointly agreed with China in advance. “I am very disappointed with this news,” Tedros told a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday. “I have been in contact with senior…