The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that it was the operational default that made Aero Contractors Airline to close shop on Wednesday, dismissing its claim that some Airlines are winding down their operations.
A statement by the Director General of NCAA, Captain Muhtar Usman, said that Aero Contractors Ltd., at present has only one serviceable aircraft, adding: “this in contradiction to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARS), which stipulates that no airline operator shall carry out schedule commercial operation with only one aircraft, the minimum acceptable number is three aircraft.
“In other words, any airline with one aircraft is in contravention of the Authority’s regulations therefore cannot be adjudged to be capable of providing safe operation. The only option available is to suspend your operation temporarily while other aircra1 arrive in due course.
“However, NCAA’s Regulations provides a window for such operator to embark on non-schedule operations in the interim.
“The First Nation Airlines on its part is in the middle of an Engine Replacement Programme for one of its aircraft. Another aircraft is due for mandatory maintenance as its allowable by the Regulatory Authority.
“In these circumstances, these airlines clearly cannot continue to undertake schedule operations, hence the inevitable recourse to self-regulatory suspension.
“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) wishes to reiterate that on no account will it compromise safety and security of airline operations in the airspace.
“Every facet of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARS) and Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) must be adhered to with due diligence.
“In addition, everything has been put in place to continue to ensure compliance.” [myad]
The General Overseer, Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, has said that Muslims and Christians have the same grandfather and should therefore learn to live in peace with one another.
Pastor Kumuyi, who spole on Thursday in Calabar at a news conference to herald One Day Crusade organized by the Church in the Cross River capital, said that neither of the two religions advocate killing of any person and that both Christians and Muslims derive their faith from the same source.
“Basically, we are like having the same grandfather. So, we should have a rethink and live together and understand that every religion is very important to people who practice it.”
Pastor Kumuyi expressed regret with the current economic recession in Nigeria, but said that the country would overcome it with prayers.
“When there is the will, there is a way. God is still on the throne, with time things will get better.” [myad]
Crisis is brewing in Libreville, capital of Gabon and at least nine neighborhoods on Thursday, following the declaration of Ali Bongo as President in that country’s Presidential election, held on Wednesday.
Reports have it that protests have spread to at least nine neighborhoods throughout Libreville on Thursday even as witnesses reported hearing gunfire and blasts, as others saw protesters burning tires, looting shops, and smashing cars.
Libreville local newspapers reported that the internet was cut on Thursday, as they observed that Twitter and Facebook stopped working.
Protests came amid accusations of rigging. Mr. Bongo, who secured his second seven-year term on Wednesday, has been president of the Central African country since 2009. He was preceded by his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled for 42 years.
According to the electoral commission, Mr. Bongo defeated his rival with 49.8 percent of the vote to his rival’s 48.23 percent
This is even as the chief rival to President Bongo, Jean Ping, said that the presidential guard bombed his party’s headquarters and killed two people on Thursday.
A government spokesman who confirmed the bombing said that it was done to fish out the protesters who set fire to the parliament.
“The presidential guard plus some mercenaries and the police, after 1 a.m., bombed my headquarters. They destroyed everything, and we have now two deaths and several people wounded,” Mr. Ping said.
Mr. Ping, who had declared himself winner, demanded a recount, saying: “everybody knows that I won the election. The (Bongo) family is repeating the same scenario for almost half a century. The opposition can win the elections but they never have access to power.”
“What we are asking is, under the supervision of the international community, to count ballot by ballot, bureau by bureau. And then you will see that the margin is so big that he cannot win. It’s as simple as that,” the opposition leader told Al-Jazeera.
The government had deployed the military and armed police officers on Tuesday in anticipation of violence.
France, the European Union, and the United States have called on the authorities to release the results of individual polling stations for the sake of transparency and urged protesters to remain calm. [myad]
Ex-husband of Senator Stella Oduah, retired Lt-Col. Satchie Emmanuel Etoromi has sent a powerful delegation to his royal majesty, Igwe D. O. Oduah, the Igwe of Akili Ozizor, Ogbaru in Anambra State, pleading that the body of his son, Maxwell Chinedu Toritseju Etoromi be brought for him in Warri, Delta State for proper burial.
Chief Etoromi, who spoke with journalists in Warri, expressed sadness over the death of his son and how he was treated by the Senator.
In his letter to the royal father titled, “Appeal To Intercede to Ensure Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah Brings My Son, Maxwell Chinedu Obiechina Wereyesigha Toritseju Etoromi To MeIn Warri For Burial,” the bereaved father said he read about the death of their 28 years old son in the newspapers without being informed by his ex-wife.
“His Royal Highness Igwe Oduah 1 betrothed Stella Oduah to me on 18th November 1984 in Akili Ozizor. We married on the 16th of December 1984 in His Highness`s Palace in Akili Ozizor. After the payment of dowry and exchange of gifts, we were taken to Nde-Mili where we performed the final rites.
“I am surprised to see in the internet stories that my son Maxwell Omabuwa Temisanre Obiechina Wereyesigha Toritseju Chinedu Etoromi who Stella delivered for us on 14th March 1988 at 05.00 hour in St Mary`s Hospital Ugboroke Warri is dead”, the bereaved father said in the letter.
He alleged that uptil now, his estranged wife had not contacted him on the death of their son only for her to commence preparation to bury him last Friday in her home town.
“Up till now Stella has not told me my son died in her custody. There is rumour that my son will be buried in Akili Ozizor. That is not acceptable at all. My son must be brought to me in Warri for internment”, he lamented.
In the letter which was copied to Most Reverend Valerian Okeke, The Arch-Bishop of Onitsha, and the Parish Priest, Father, Donald Uzoh of Sacred Heart Parish, the bereaved father insisted that his late son must be returned for proper burial in his father’s place.
Chief Etoromi explained to the monarch that the stories needed not be told now, but that his grief at Omabuwa`s transition was too much to bear, hence he is reacting this way.
Maxwell Chinedu died last Friday at the age of 28. [myad]
The General Overseer of Tongue of Fire Restoration Ministry, located Sogunle area of Lagos State, Chukwuma Nkwocha, is alleged to have camped 30 teenage girls aged between 10 and 15.
Nkwocha who is 38 years old, was said to be sleeping with the girls one after the other, even as the police have nabbed him during church servicefor questioning.
The policemen were said to have acted on a petition that the pastor was camping and sleeping with the teenage girls. The spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest of Nkwocha, saying that the State’s Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has ordered thorough investigation of the case. “The Command rescued about 30 young girls from the pastor’s custody and two of them acknowledged he has canal knowledge of them. Investigation is ongoing.” [myad]
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to resign over the statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which shows a negative economic growth in the first two quarters of the year.
“We join all well meaning Nigerians to call on @MBuhari to resign if he is unable to reverse the disastrous economic decline he has brought on Nigerians.”
In a statement signed by its Director, New Media, Deji Adeyanju, PDP said that nothing better showcases the incompetence of the Buhari administration than the GDP, inflation and unemployment figures released by NBS.
The statement read in full:
“PRESS STATEMENT – PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI IS COMPLETELY DESTROYING NIGERIA
Nothing better showcases the absolute ineptitude & incompetence of the Muhammadu Buhari administration than the GDP, Inflation & Unemployment figures released by Nigerian Bureau of Statistics today.
These figures reveal what we have repeatedly said over the last 15 months – the Nigerian President is destroying the Nigeria economy. For the avoidance of doubt, some of these figures include: – GDP contracted by -2.06% in Q2 2016.
In contrast, the economy grew by 2.35% in Q2 2015. Q2 was worse than the -0.36% shrinking of the economy in Q1 2016. – Headline Inflation for July 2016 stands at 17.1%. It was from 16.5% in June 2016. – Food inflation was 15.58% for July 2016 from 15.3% in June 2016. – Portfolio investment declined to an estimated $245.3m in Q2 2016.
This represents a 9.5% from $271.0m in Q1 2016 & is a far cry from $2.81bn in Q2 2015. – FDI declined from $211.1m in Q2 2015 and $174.4m in Q1 2016 to an estimated $133.0m in Q2 2016. – Total value of capital imported in Q2 2016 is estimated at mere $647.1m.
This is the lowest quarterly figure since Nigeria started keeping records of capital importation. It is a decline from $710.9 m in Q1 2016 & a far cry from $2.67bn in Q2 2015. – A total of 4,580,602 people have lost their jobs since May 29, 2015 – The number of persons in full time employment decreased by 351,350 in Q2 2016 compared to Q1 2016.
The result of these indices is that Nigeria is in its worst economic state for 29 years – dating back to 1987 when the nation had to take harsh steps to recover from President Buhari’s policies of 1984-85.
As with 1984-85, companies are fleeing our shores in droves. Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) recently stated that 272 companies have shut down in the past 1 year. Furthermore, like we suffered in 1984-85, we are suffering a brain drain where our best & brightest talents are leaving the country in search of a better life elsewhere.
It is disheartening that the Buhari administration is destroying the Nigerian economy & our collective future by the implementation of his archaic & incoherent economic policies which failed in 1984-85 & are failing spectacularly now.
Our dismay is worsened by the fact that every sphere of the Nigerian socio-political space (ranging from the conduct of elections, human rights, respect for the rule of law, security, technology, health etc) is negatively affected by the Buhari administration.
We join all well meaning Nigerians to call on @MBuhari to resign if he is unable to reverse the disastrous economic decline he has brought on Nigerians.
May God bless Nigeria, especially in these very difficult times.
Residents of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), especially the Gbagi and Gade indigenes of the area, have appealed to the FCT minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello to save them from what they called ‘exorbitant prices’ of medical services in the Kuje General Hospital.
In a petition signed by Mrs. Asabe Dantani, Abraham Ishmail, Aisha Dogo Samaila and Dangade Abubakar, and forwarded to the office of the minister, the residents said that the high prices of medical services which have been made compulsory for any patient seeking for medical attention, have been driving them back to quacks and dangerous traditional practitioners, especially for women that are pregnant.
The petition, dated August 23, 2016, said that the Kuje hospital management has made it compulsory for pregnant women to register with N1,800 each and that each pregnant woman is made to compulsorily pay N10,500 for delivery items even as N25,000 is charged for surgery pack.
“All such charges excluding the drugs the woman would require from the point of delivery up to the time of discharge. The unbooked patient is made to pay additional N5, 000 for normal delivery and N30,000 for surgery in addition to the booked patients.
“For the booked patient, she must have spent over N50,000 on single delivery, including surgery without drugs at the end of the day, while the unbooked one would have spent close to N100,000 for the same purpose.”
“We are asking the honourable minister to save us from this unfriendly medical environment, especially in the Federal Capital Territory where ante-natal services for the pregnant women are supposed to be free. We are also aware of the federal government concern and commitment to the free maternal health care services which must not be allowed to be abused.”
Information reaching us showed that most of the women, who can barely afford their transport, usually go to the hospital from remote villages and most times ended up returning to their villages without being attended to for lack of money to settle the hospital bills, even as many of them used to run away after receiving treatments.
This is even as women in Niger State have called on the state government to call health workers to order, adding that the non availability of health workers in the existing health facilities across the state need for urgent intervention.
The women, who are largely mothers and pregnant residents, complained about the attitude of the health care staff on ground, which they said needed to be addressed.
They said most healthcare facilities needed to be equipped to be able to take care of women.
They said this on Wednesday during a town hall meeting organized by White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria in Chachanga and Wushishi local government areas of Niger State.
They called on the government to work towards recruiting more hands to meet the health needs of the people.
The participants, who lamented that they have no place to lay their health complaint, stated that they do not know about the Ward Health Development Committee set up by the government because the committee is either not active or non-existent.
One of the participants, Hajiya Asmau Usman, said: “We do not go to the hospital anymore because the nurses are hostile and not encouraging.
“The Ward Health Development Committees are not active.
“They are there merely for political use.
“We are not even aware of health centres in our local government apart from the general hospital.”
Also, a Traditional Birth Attendant, Hajiya Binta Abdullahi, said she is surprised to hear that there are committees taking care of health issues in the wards and local government, adding that most people are not aware of it as they (birth attendants) still receive pregnant women for delivery.
Abdullahi called on government to ensure that the birth attendants are carried along to enable them save more lives, especially as most women arrive to them in critical conditions.
The National Coordinator of The White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria, Tonte Ibraye, said they will work towards improving citizens engagement in policy making and service delivery in the health sector in the state.
Ibraye lamented that 28 per cent of pregnant women in the state do not consider it necessary to deliver in a health facility, adding that this had given rise to maternal mortality in the state.
Ibraye stressed the need for government to remain accountable and deliver on the commitments in ensuring that the citizens, especially pregnant women, get decent and respectable health care.
The town hall meetings in Chachanga and Wushishi local government areas had in attendance about 300 people, out of which 97 per cent indicated that they are not aware of health policies, 86 per cent stating that the Ward Development Committee for Health is not functional, while 90 per cent indicated that there is no platform for accountability in the health sector. [myad]
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has pardoned eight banks it had earlier barred from taking part in Foreign Exchange Market for violating some financial regulations.
The Director, Banking Supervision of the CBN, Tokunbo Martins, who announced the re-instatement of the bank at a news briefing on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the decision was reached after a series of meetings with the body of bank Chief Executive Officers and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. Martins said: “Well, we have had engagements with the body of CEOs and they have been interacting amongst themselves and I am happy to tell you today that the banks that were hitherto banned have been released from the ban. “And the reason is because all of the banks after discussions and engagements under the auspices of the body of CEOs and the CIBN have all submitted credible repayment plans which we the CBN found acceptable. “So as a result of that, all those banks have been re-instated in the foreign exchange market.” The CIBN President, Professor Segun Ajibola, said that the institute was very much interested in what was happening among all the industry players. Ajibola said that under the aegis of the institute, the body of bank CEOs is now a formidable platform to look at issues that are pertinent to the industry and the economy, to ensure that stakeholders’ interest is protected. “We will protect the interests of all our stakeholders and especially the bigger picture, which is Nigeria and its economy as a whole. So it is a happy development and I believe this will further help to strengthen our system and our economy.” The Managing Director of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, said that the body of bank CEOs under the under the auspices of the CIBN, aims to get banks to work together. Wigwe said that this would ensure that anytime there is a serious issue in the market, bank CEOs would meet to look for a way to resolve them. According to earlier report, the CBN had on Tuesday, banned nine Deposit Money Banks from the nation’s foreign exchange market for failing to remit $2.3 billion belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to the Treasury Single Account. On Thursday last week, the CBN re-admitted the United Bank for Africa Plc, saying that it had remitted all outstanding NNPC/NLNG deposits in its possession to NNPC’s TSA at the CBN. [myad]
Aero Contractors Airline has announced the suspension of all its scheduled services indefinitely from Thursday even as it asked all its workers to proceed on indefinite leave.
The airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Fola Akinkuotu, said in a statement in Lagos that the management decision was part of the strategic business realignment to reposition the airline and return it to the path of profitability.
Akinkuotu emphasized that all staff directly and indirectly involved in providing the services would also proceed on indefinite leave of absence, adding: “this business decision is as a result of the current economic situation in the country, which has forced some other airlines to suspend operation or out rightly pull out of Nigeria.
“In the case of Aero, the airline has faced grave challenges in the past six months, which impacted its business and by extension the scheduled services operations.”
Akinkuotu said that the impact of the external environment had been very harsh on the airline’s operational performance, hence the management’s decision to suspend scheduled services operations indefinitely effective September 1, 2016.
He further stated: “This suspension is pending when the external opportunities and a robust sustainable and viable plan is in place for Aero Contractors to recommence its scheduled services.
“The implication of the suspension of scheduled services operations extends to all staff directly and indirectly involved in providing services, as they are effectively to proceed on indefinite leave of absence during the period of non-services.
“We are aware of the impact this will have on our staff and our highly esteemed customers, hence we have initiated moves to ensure that we are able to return back to operations within the shortest possible time, offering reliable, safe and secure operations.”
Akinkuotu said both internal and external environmental factors had made it difficult for the airline to continue its scheduled services, leading to the management’s decision.
He recalled that as part of its resolve to ensure the airline survived, unlike most other carriers that experienced short life span in the country, the Asset Management Company of Nigeria had appointed Adeniyi Adegbomire as Receiver Manager in February 6, 2016.
Akinkuotu also noted that since AMCON’s intervention in Aero Contractors in 2011, it had provided support for the airline to meet working capital requirements and fleet expansion.
As at press time when reporters visited the airline’s counter on Wednesday, the ticket counters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal were empty. [myad]
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The General Overseer, Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, has said that Muslims and Christians have the same grandfather and should therefore learn to live in peace with one another.
Residents of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), especially the Gbagi and Gade indigenes of the area, have appealed to the FCT minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello to save them from what they called ‘exorbitant prices’ of medical services in the Kuje General Hospital.
