Author: Chronicle Editor

Lagos Free Zone (LFZ) the first privately owned special economic zone in Nigeria with an integrated deep sea port has generated billions from some of the leading global brands. Located 65kms east of Lagos, in the immediate vicinity of upcoming Lekki Deep Sea Port, the Lagos Free Zone aims to enhance the ease of doing business in Nigeria. Developed by the Singapore based Tolaram Group, the LFZ, reflects their more than four decades of commitment to doing business in Nigeria, says Tejaswi Avasarala, General Manager, Strategic Marketing, Lagos Free Zone, who was speaking ahead of the 6th annual West Africa…

There have been conflicting reports on the deliberations by the United Kingdom parliament on #EndSARS protests and particularly the 20 October shooting that took place in Lekki, Lagos state. Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet, Theresa Villiers, noted that a petition by 200,000 people and by no less than 853 in Chipping Barnet called for the intervention of the UK parliament. The petition also sought petitions and sanctions for the Nigerian government and those culpable in the Lekki shooting. No decisions or judgments were made in Monday’s sitting as the case was adjourned. For the minute by minute exchange at…

The outgoing administration of President Donald Trump on Monday issued a new temporary rule that could require tourist and business travelers from two dozen countries, mostly in Africa, to pay a bond of as much as $15,000 to visit the United States. The US State Department said the temporary final rule, which takes effect Dec. 24 and runs through June 24, targets countries whose nationals have higher rates of overstaying B-2 visas for tourists and B-1 visas for business travelers. The Trump administration said the six-month pilot program aims to test the feasibility of collecting such bonds and will serve…

The Nigerian government on Monday raised the hope that it will exit its second recession in five years within a short time. It also listed measures that will take the economy out of the slowdown which it said was caused by the severity of the global downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning Mrs. Zainab Ahmed spoke in Abuja at the 28th Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). The President said the decline in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) came after 12 consecutive quarters of positive…

Apple’s head of global security Thomas Moyer has been charged with bribery. He is accused of offering bribes in the form of iPads worth $70,000 in order to obtain concealed firearms licenses. The charges were brought by a California grand jury on Monday. Apple did not immediately respond to request for comment. Two police officers from Santa Clara County, California, have also been charged. County Undersheriff Rick Sung and Sheriff’s Captain James Jenson are accused of requesting bribes for concealed firearms licenses. Mr Moyer is accused of offering bribes to get them. Under state law, it is a crime to…

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry will act as climate envoy when US President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Mr Kerry was one of several people named for top positions by the Biden transition team on Monday. Other key picks included long-time Biden aide Antony Blinken as secretary of state, while reports say former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen will be the choice for treasury secretary. Today, I’m announcing the first members of my national security and foreign policy team. They will rally the world to take on our challenges like no other—challenges that no one nation can face alone.…

Donald Trump has accepted a formal US transition should begin for President-elect Joe Biden to take office as Michigan certifies Biden’s election. The president said the federal agency overseeing the handover must “do what needs to be done”, even as he vowed to keep contesting his election defeat. The General Services Administration (GSA) said it was acknowledging Mr Biden as the “apparent winner”. It came as Mr Biden’s victory in the state of Michigan was officially certified, a major blow to Mr Trump. After the GSA announcement, the Pentagon said it would provide “support to the Biden team… in a…

Justice J.K Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has convicted and sentenced six foreigners and a Nigerian to seven years imprisonment for oil theft. They were jailed on Monday, November 23, 2020 after three years of diligent prosecution by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The foreigners are two Pakistanis: Mohammed Ejaz, Nasser Khan; two Ukranians: Oleksandr Nazarenko, Oleksandr Kashernvi; one Ghanaian: Romeo Annang, and one Indonesian: Fredrik Fatin Omenu. Their Nigerian counterpart: David Otuohi bagged same jail term with them in Port Harcourt. The convicts were…

Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development has supported a president of Igbo extraction. The coalition insisted that the presidency should rotate to the Southeast. The group, which said its support was borne out of the need for every zone to have a taste of the presidency, flayed the marginalisation of the Igbos since 1999. National Coordinator Zana Goni, and National Women Leader Maria Bichi, in a statement yesterday, appealed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone their tickets to the region. It emphasised the need for all political interest groups to allow…

The Federal Government has written Cable News Network (CNN) to explain that it violated the basic ethics of journalism in its report on Lekki shootings during the #EndSARS protests on October 20, 2020. It stated the investigation report was inaccurate and capable of pitching Nigerians against themselves. In a petition letter dated November 23 2020 entitled ‘Re: How a bloody night of bullets quashed a young protest movement’ signed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the Federal demanded remediation from CNN management. The letter was addressed to VP Communication in CNN Centre Atlanta, Georgia, Jonathan Hawkins, VP…