The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Zacch Adedeji, as the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The red chamber confirmed the nomination of Adedeji today , October 31, after he was screened by the committee of the whole house.
Adedeji, a first-class graduate in accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, was appointed by President Tinubu in September in acting capacity for a 90-day period before his subsequent confirmation as the substantive Executive Chairman for a term of four years in the first instance.
Director in the Corporate Communications Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Isa AbdulMumim, has made it clear that there is no plan by the apex bank to
re-denominate Nigeria’s Naira.
In a statement in Abuja today, October 31, the apex bank spokesman said that the news making the rounds in the social a media about plan to redenominate the Naira by cancelling two zeros from the currency is fake.
“The attention of the CBN has been drawn to the wide circulation of a text message suggesting that the apex bank plans to redenominate the country’s legal tender, the Naira, with effect from January 2024.
“We are concerned that this narrative, which we had refuted before now, appears to be gaining traction with several debates on the implication of such policy to the economy.
“We wish to reiterate that the contents of the message are misleading.
“The authors, in their mischief, modified text eked from old policy move by a previous CBN governor in 2007 to make it look recent.”
Dr. Isa AbdulMumim said that there is currently no plan by the CBN to restructure and redenominate the Naira.
“Whilst the apex bank may be considering reforms, such are subject to laid down procedure in line with provisions of the CBN Act.
“The public in hereby advised to ignore the news report, as it is speculative and calculated to cause panic.”
Leaders of Ethnic Nationalities from Niger Delta region have warned a Muslim religious cleric, Sheikh Mahmoud Gummi and others to know that any attack on the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyeson Wike, will be considered as an affront to the collective interest of the region.
Speaking on behalf of the group, when they paid solidarity visit on Wike today, October 31, in Abuja, the former Presidential Amnesty Programme Coordinator, Kingsley Kuku, said: “Wike is not a political orphan from the Niger Delta.
“He has a strong socio-political base. So we take very serious exception to the call for the Minister’s sack and to the blackmail on the President with denial of electoral/political support in far away 2027 should the President fail to do his bidding.
”To say the least, Gummi’s abrogation of exclusive ownership and monopoly of administration of Abuja by a given ethno-religious region in Nigeria is not only disgusting, senseless but also puerile, hubristic, irresponsible and divisive.”
This was even as Wike said that he owes everything to President Bola Tinubu who appointed him, and that he has resolved to remain firm and undistracted.
The Minister called on the leaders to support the President, as the task of developing Nigeria and building a virile economy, transcends political affiliations.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja as asked Timipre Sylva to go ahead and contest the November 11 Rivers State Governship election as the validly elected candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
for the November 11, 2023.
The three-member panel reached the unanimous decision in a judgment that was delivered today, October 31, in Abuja.
The Judges held that the trial court, which nullified Sylva’s candidature, lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit filed by an APC member, Demesuoyefa Kolomo, having not been an aspirant in the primaries that produced the ex-Minister of State for Petroleum.
The court also awarded the sum of N1 million in favour of the appellant (Sylva) in the first appeal, marked: CA/ABJ/CV/1060/2023, between APC and Kolomo.
The panel equally awarded the sum of N1 million in favour of Sylva in the appeal, marked: CA/ABJ/CV/1061/2023, between Sylva and Kolomo and two others.
Sylva has appealed against the October 9 judgment delivered by Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which disqualified Sylva as candidate for the November 11 election.
Kolomo, who described himself as a registered voter, had, in the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023, filed on June 3, prayed the court to delete Sylva’s name from the list of candidates vying for the election, having taken the oath of office twice as governor of the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had subsequently removed the name of Sylva from the list of candidates for the election.
The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, has affirmed Natasha Akpoti – Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial District election held in February this year. The three-member panel, in its judgment today, October 31, upheld the judgment of the state’s election tribunal. It dismissed the appeal filed by Senator Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) The court agreed with the submission of counsel for Akpoti – Uduagan, Joshua Usman (SAN), for being meritorious. The appellate court also awarded the sum of N500,000 against the Ohere. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Kogi State National and State Assemblies Tribunal had on September 6, 2023 declared Akpoti-Uduaghan the validly elected candidate for the poll. The tribunal also invalidated the victory of Ohere. The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako, delivered the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, revealing that Ohere’s results were inflated in nine polling units in Ajaokuta Local Government Area. Orjiako added that the Independent National Electoral Commission reduced Akpoti – Uduaghan’s results in those areas and omitted the results of three other polling units meant for her in the same LGA. Following the necessary corrections, the court declared her as the winner of the election with 54,074 votes, surpassing Ohere, who garnered 51,291 votes. But unsatisfied, Ohere approached the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the ruling.
Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum has warned that the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state are turning into drug users, prostitutes and creating another danger to the security of the state and the country. “We returned many (IDPs), but still, we have over one million people, internally displaced people living in IDPS camps, that is increasing prostitution in IDP camps; that is increasing procreation without care in the IDP camps. “There is drug abuse in the IDP camps. “…many of such people will decide to join ISWAP and Boko Haram.” Professor Zulum spoke yesterday October 30, when he hosted the reconstituted management board of the North East Development Commission. He expressed fear that the continuous existence of Internally Displaced Persons camps in Local Government Areas of Borno State is a potential time bomb. “We have to stop the younger ones from being recruited into Boko Haram and ISWAP. “Otherwise, in the near future, the entire Nigeria will be wiped off the map. “We want the intervention of the North East Development Commission. “We want you to partner with the state government for us to close these IDP camps so that people can earn their means of livelihood by themselves. “Otherwise, many of the people will decide to join ISWAP and Boko Haram. “These people who are living in IDP camps are a matter of great concern to all of us. “On the assumption of duty, I promised the people of Borno State that I’d close all official camps that are inside Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and we did so with the help of Almighty Allah. “Now my next agenda is to see how we shall close all the IDP camps that are in the local government areas without which there shall be no peace.”
Suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Professor Cyril Ndifon, has been charged to court for alleged corruption and sexual harassment against female students of the institution. This followed the conclusion of investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), into the Professor’s alleged gross misconducts. In the charge sheet number: FHC/ABJ/CR/511/2023, ICPC is arraigning the Senior Lecturer on a four count charge bordering on sexual harassment, official corruption and abuse of office contrary to sections 8, 18 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. One of the counts read: “That you, Professor CYRIL OSIM NDIFON (m) between June – September, 2023 at Calabar, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, and while being a public officer charged with responsibility for the certification of students as fit in learning and character as a prerequisite for the award of Bachelor’s degree in law and admission into the Nigeria Law School, used your office and position as the Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar to gratify yourself by soliciting for nude photographs and videos from one Ms. ABC (not real name), a year 2 diploma student of the University of Calabar, through WhatsApp chats on your telephone number 0803***** and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under S. 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.” Professor Ndifon would be arraigned in court on a date to be given by the court. It would be recalled that ICPC, in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) had on 4th of October, 2023 arrested Professor Ndifon in Calabar, Cross River State after shunning several invitations extended to him.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. This is your Captain speaking. We regret to announce that because of a technical problem, we have to return to Paris for safety and security.” That was the announcement by the Captain of the Abuja-bound Air France flight on Monday, October 23, 2023. The aircraft had departed Charles De Gaulle (CDG) Airport in Paris, France after over two hours in the air en route Nnamdi Azikiwe International Aiport Abuja, Nigeria. Air France is a reliable airline which flies to over 200 international destinations in more than 90 countries across Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The announcement for the U-Turn was made after the plane had passed European airspace, flied over the Mediterranean Sea, crossed over North African countries of Tunisia and Algeria and just about approaching Niger Republic in the scheduled six-hour flight. As I looked around, I could see and feel the agitation in the minds and body language of the bewildered passengers. We were confused but everyone remained obediently calm and prayerful. An old Nigerian woman who was depressed voiced out loudly: “The pilots should park the plane in any nearby airport to fix the trouble!” I joined an air attendant and other passengers on board to pacify the woman so that she wouldn’t suffer shock or any cardiovascular attack. Meanwhile, deep inside me, I knew that other passengers needed similar pacification going by their disturbing glances. Those that were formerly watching movies and listening to music from the video screen on the seats had now switched their channel to route map that shows the direction of the flight as it made a U-Turn towards Paris. At that moment, I remembered those verses in the scriptures and scenes of horror movies on the D-Day and what might finally unfold. I could not shake off the negative, horrific thoughts from my head. I comforted myself by realising that I had said my early morning prayers to Almighty God. I nevertheless regretted that I couldn’t speak to my mother and other loved ones the previous days. I remember old friends that I had wished to catch up with. Suddenly, I realised that everything about this world including wealth, fame, families, position and power were indeed nothing. I realised that there were top politicians, businessmen and celebrities in the business class and so, if anything happened, my name would not make the headlines. The editors may cast their headlines thus: “Top Politicians, Business Tycoons, Celebrities Perish in Ill-fated Air Plane.” At that moment, I wished I had shared the pictures we took at the Golden World Award hosted by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) in Barcelona, Spain, where my Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publisher of PRNigeria and the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) were honoured with Crisis Management Awards before an eventual trip to Paris. With the award trophy in my traveling bag, it dawned on me that there are crisis that award-winning Crisis Manager cannot manage. I felt my seatbelt as if I was tightened to the stake in a firing squad expecting the executioners to pull the trigger and the worst could happen. I queried myself for deciding to have few days transit in Paris for holidays with my wife just to satisfy the Schengen visa requirement offered to us by the French Embassy. Unfortunately, none of the pictures we took at tourist sites in Paris had been shared to anyone. The pictures including our visits to famous Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Louvre Museum etc were saved on our phones. Like a child, I consciously blamed no one but myself for looking for ‘trouble’ travelling by air every time when I could have taken the risk of road transportation which could have been safer in case of an emergency and by which someone’s body can be easily retrieved for a befitting burial. Trivial conversation by passengers, revving of the plane engine, and sound of movement were so irritating to my eardrum. I wished facemasks, ear-masks, nose-masks and even strong sleeping pills could be provided to relieve us of the excessive tension. The slight jerking by the plane prompted me back to the reality around me. I wished the air hostess could once again demonstrate the safety tips and instructions for emergency purposes which I always ignored or paid no attention to previously. Slight jolt and jerk of the plane ran shivers down my veins as I quickly connected my device to Wi-Fi and googled ‘air turbulence.’ I was comforted to read that air turbulence might be a bit uncomfortable, but it is regarded as normal because planes are built to handle the worst scenarios. I gathered that for a plane to fly stably, airflow passing over and under the wings need to be regular. However, some weather events can cause irregularity in the airflow and this creates air pockets. Even though there are clear air, temperature inversion and mechanical turbulences, passengers’ safety are guaranteed once they fasten their seat belts. Mild and violent turbulence could create panic among passengers, they do not cause a plane to crash because pilots are specially trained while aircraft are engineered to survive all types of turbulence. Though I was not sitting by the door, I was shocked when I read that if a plane door was suddenly thrust open, anyone standing near the exit would be ejected into the sky; the cabin temperature would quickly plummet to frostbite-inducing levels, and the plane itself might even begin to break apart. I deliberate refused to look at the passengers sitting by the doors out sympathy as I prayed for our safe landing. For the first time in that moment, I was envious and jealous of those that hardly travel but rely on technology from the comfort of their homes and offices to attend conferences, receive certificates, bag awards, make friends and tour sites of attractions from internet-enabled devices and programmes. The cabin crew members were busy attending to passengers’ needs with words of reassurance even as the flight was smooth. I watched with keen interest as the airplane tactically manouvered in the cloud and sky till it remained about 30 minutes to landing when the pilot confirmed same. The landing was a huge relief because of my experience in over two hours on the flight. I could hear different names of God in victory songs and prayers renting the air. When we alighted, the Air France personnel provided us with meal tickets and checked us into decent hotels for next available flights mostly through codeshare agreement with other airlines. The following day, we were booked and checked-in with Lufthansa Airline which took us to Munich and Frankfurt on transit before finally landing safely in Abuja Airport.
Yushau Shuaib can be reached on www.YAShuaib.com, yashuaib@yashuaib.com
The Ohiku Egbira Descendants Union (OEDU), a central socio-cultural organisations across the globe, has expressed deep sympathy over the death of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Alhaji, Dr. Ado Ibrahim.
The Union commiserated with all sons and daughters of Egbira Nation, at home and in Diaspora, on the demise of the revered Royal Father.
In a statement today, October 30, by the President, Hon. Musa A.Ahmadu, the Ohiku Egbira Descendants Union sympathised with the immediate Royal family members; Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, the state traditional rulers Council, Egbira Opete and the people of Kogi state.
“The Nation had indeed lost a man of many parts;in business, in philanthropy,in leadership and communal matters as well as peaceful coexistence in his immediate domain and the Nation at large.
“HRM Dr. Ado Ibrahim will be remembered for the many postive legacies from his enthronement as Ohinoyi of Egbira land on 2nd of June 1997.
“Till the very end, HRM was a staunch believer in the Unification of all Egbiras from Miyakan,Etuno and Opete located in FCT, Nasarawa, Edo and Kogi states, giving birth to today’s common name and identity; EGBIRA !
OEDU salutes HRM’s courage and wisdom in bringing peace, unity and development not only to Egbira Nation and Kogi state but the entire nation.
“HRM was a recipient of the national honour;’ Commander of the order of the Niger’ (CON) in 2006 and had in his life time being conferred with many Associations, societies,organisations and universities awards.
“Those awards were no doubt a confirmation of the dynamic leadership qualities of HRM.
Though,the Ohiku Egbira Descendants Union is saddened by the recent development, The Union is however consoled by the fact that HRM lived a worthy, elegant and exemplary life to be emulated by this generation and future generations of Egbiras.
“The Ohiku Egbira Descendants pray that The Almighty Allah grant HRM Aljanah fidrausi. Aameen.”
Yes, yesterday, Sunday, October 29, a 94 year old Iroko tree, in the manner of speaking, fell!!! Yesterday, an institution, also in the manner of speaking, fell. All manners of mannerisms: intelligence, intellectual, philosophy, innovativeness, kindhearteness, wisdom, rascality, peace-advocacy, et cetera fell. In deed, a tree with wide shade for all the Egbira people across the globe, being venerated as son of not just lion but a lion with heavy pregnancy fell; the one being venerated by millions admirers as the ancestor of Bongiri, with its cultural imbued meaning fell; the one who alone bore the only unique name in the whole of the Egbira land fell, bringing to the end, the eventful era; the era in which every event or action drew currency in tandem in equal term to him. It took me this whole 24 hours, from yesterday, to come to terms with the reality that Ado Ibrahim; that name that had assailed our youthful era, had finally ended with the owner committed to mother earth like every living soul.
… his new home, 6 feet hole The name, Ado or Adogu, itself is unique only to the man who subsequently swam through all manner of tides to become the King (Ohinoyi of Ebiraland) and died and buried in a six feet deep ground, in his palatial Azad palace late yesterday. The name, Ado or Adogu was ensconced in the history and culture within which he was born. Adogu, meaning literally “father of wealth” (Ada Ogu) was given to him by his beloved father, the second central King of Ebiraland, late Atta Ibrahim Onoruoiza, in honour of the King of Eganyi (Adogu of Eganyi) who arrived his Palace in Okene from Eganyi in the present day Ajaokuta local government area of Kogi State, in time to help in delivering baby Ado on February 7, 1929, long after his mother, Hauwaawu Ozianuva, had gone into long tortuous labour.
… his palatial Azad palace We were growing up in the early 60’s to know Ado as the only wealthy person in Ebiraland. He made no pretentious about his wealth and greatness, for, he always came home, from God knew where, with the best car, mainly long limousine. We, the young ones, would troup into the palace to have a glimpse of the car and would remain on the corridor of the palace, admiring the car mostly for a whole day. Adogu displayed raw intelligence, a characteristic of an every growing Ebira boys and girls then, by not only rising rapidly in his job at the Amalgamated Tin Mines Nigeria Limited in Jos, Plateau State, but also engaged in studies for a degree course at the London School of Economics, using it to do a master’s degree at the famous Business School of Harvard University in the United Kingdom. He was a man of innovation, with an eye for beauty, because only a few professional architects could design the kind of structure he put up as Azad palace, one of the best in Africa. Being the man that had his eyes firmly on the ball, Ado had bluntly turned his back on politics in 1979 when he had all it took to campaign and win the Governship election of the then Kwara State, to which Ebiraland belong: all his thought was to wait for vantage time to become the King of Ebiraland, which his late father obviously prepared him for. Instead of vying for the Kwara State governorship position, he helped his brother, late Adamu Atta, who eventually clinched the post.
…. his people in grief At every point in his life, Ado had this unique ability to wait, and he never missed the target after the waiting. He was a typical example, to his beloved mother, of person using one tooth to break kernel. So it came in 1997 when he finally obtained his long time ambition, of becoming the King of Ebiraland, not without controversies however. But, being a positively crafty man, who combined humility with wisdom, he soon overcame the tempest storm and turned to be the most widely accepted and loved by his people. Alhaji Dr. Adogu Ibrahim Onoruoiza was really a detriberlised man, who married his first wife in 1959 to a Yoruba woman, Abimbola Solomon, with whom he had equally sound children in all departments of human estimation. Ado was a renown philanthropist, who floated Ado Education Foundation in the 70’s through which he funded educational pursuit of numerous indigent students. Late Ado was never found where there was unseriousness in the matter of men, where seriousness was required. This was demonstrated recently when he turbaned some illustrious sons of Ebiraland. As the occasion was going on in his palace, the Master of the Ceremony (MC), Mr. Emmanuel Ohinoyi wanted to digress by joining those engaging in side comedy, King Ado asked him (the MC) to concentrate. I was there watching.
….all the handsomeness, the power, gone… The manner in which he handled the query issued to him by the State government in regard to the circumstances surrounding the official visit to the Okene, of the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, attested to his priceless wisdom and fatherliness. As a matter of fact, there were a lot of positive achievements that can be attributed to his adroit leadership: Ebiraland producing the first Governor in Kogi State, presiding over the launching of the first Holy Qur’an into Ebira language, presiding over the launching of the Standard Ebira English Dictionary, first in 1998, a year after his turbaning as Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in 1997 and second, in 2022 and the general peace and love that pameated Ebiraland, etc. In all, late Ado raised disciplined, highly educated, industrious, innovative and kind-hearted immediate children. One of them, Malik, vied for the Presidency of Nigeria in the February 2023 election. It is not for nothing, in holistically looking at his life and his 94 years sojourn here on earth, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described late Paramount Ruler of Ebiraland, Alhaji, Dr. Ado Abdulrahman Ibrahim Onoruoiza as being “in a class of his own.” I sing Robert Louis Stevenson Requiem for my departed King, our departed Ohinoyi Alhaji, Dr. Ado Abdulrahman Ibrahim Onoruoiza: “Here he lies Where he long’d to be Home is the sailor Home from sea And the hunter Home from the hill” Adieu King Ado!!!!
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… his new home, 6 feet hole
… his palatial Azad palace
…. his people in grief
The Day I Was Thrown Into Excessive Tension In Flying Plane, By Yushau Shuaib
“Ladies and Gentlemen. This is your Captain speaking. We regret to announce that because of a technical problem, we have to return to Paris for safety and security.”
That was the announcement by the Captain of the Abuja-bound Air France flight on Monday, October 23, 2023. The aircraft had departed Charles De Gaulle (CDG) Airport in Paris, France after over two hours in the air en route Nnamdi Azikiwe International Aiport Abuja, Nigeria.
Air France is a reliable airline which flies to over 200 international destinations in more than 90 countries across Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
The announcement for the U-Turn was made after the plane had passed European airspace, flied over the Mediterranean Sea, crossed over North African countries of Tunisia and Algeria and just about approaching Niger Republic in the scheduled six-hour flight.
As I looked around, I could see and feel the agitation in the minds and body language of the bewildered passengers. We were confused but everyone remained obediently calm and prayerful.
An old Nigerian woman who was depressed voiced out loudly: “The pilots should park the plane in any nearby airport to fix the trouble!”
I joined an air attendant and other passengers on board to pacify the woman so that she wouldn’t suffer shock or any cardiovascular attack. Meanwhile, deep inside me, I knew that other passengers needed similar pacification going by their disturbing glances.
Those that were formerly watching movies and listening to music from the video screen on the seats had now switched their channel to route map that shows the direction of the flight as it made a U-Turn towards Paris.
At that moment, I remembered those verses in the scriptures and scenes of horror movies on the D-Day and what might finally unfold. I could not shake off the negative, horrific thoughts from my head. I comforted myself by realising that I had said my early morning prayers to Almighty God. I nevertheless regretted that I couldn’t speak to my mother and other loved ones the previous days. I remember old friends that I had wished to catch up with. Suddenly, I realised that everything about this world including wealth, fame, families, position and power were indeed nothing.
I realised that there were top politicians, businessmen and celebrities in the business class and so, if anything happened, my name would not make the headlines. The editors may cast their headlines thus: “Top Politicians, Business Tycoons, Celebrities Perish in Ill-fated Air Plane.”
At that moment, I wished I had shared the pictures we took at the Golden World Award hosted by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) in Barcelona, Spain, where my Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publisher of PRNigeria and the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) were honoured with Crisis Management Awards before an eventual trip to Paris. With the award trophy in my traveling bag, it dawned on me that there are crisis that award-winning Crisis Manager cannot manage. I felt my seatbelt as if I was tightened to the stake in a firing squad expecting the executioners to pull the trigger and the worst could happen.
I queried myself for deciding to have few days transit in Paris for holidays with my wife just to satisfy the Schengen visa requirement offered to us by the French Embassy. Unfortunately, none of the pictures we took at tourist sites in Paris had been shared to anyone. The pictures including our visits to famous Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Louvre Museum etc were saved on our phones.
Like a child, I consciously blamed no one but myself for looking for ‘trouble’ travelling by air every time when I could have taken the risk of road transportation which could have been safer in case of an emergency and by which someone’s body can be easily retrieved for a befitting burial.
Trivial conversation by passengers, revving of the plane engine, and sound of movement were so irritating to my eardrum. I wished facemasks, ear-masks, nose-masks and even strong sleeping pills could be provided to relieve us of the excessive tension.
The slight jerking by the plane prompted me back to the reality around me. I wished the air hostess could once again demonstrate the safety tips and instructions for emergency purposes which I always ignored or paid no attention to previously.
Slight jolt and jerk of the plane ran shivers down my veins as I quickly connected my device to Wi-Fi and googled ‘air turbulence.’ I was comforted to read that air turbulence might be a bit uncomfortable, but it is regarded as normal because planes are built to handle the worst scenarios.
I gathered that for a plane to fly stably, airflow passing over and under the wings need to be regular. However, some weather events can cause irregularity in the airflow and this creates air pockets. Even though there are clear air, temperature inversion and mechanical turbulences, passengers’ safety are guaranteed once they fasten their seat belts.
Mild and violent turbulence could create panic among passengers, they do not cause a plane to crash because pilots are specially trained while aircraft are engineered to survive all types of turbulence.
Though I was not sitting by the door, I was shocked when I read that if a plane door was suddenly thrust open, anyone standing near the exit would be ejected into the sky; the cabin temperature would quickly plummet to frostbite-inducing levels, and the plane itself might even begin to break apart.
I deliberate refused to look at the passengers sitting by the doors out sympathy as I prayed for our safe landing.
For the first time in that moment, I was envious and jealous of those that hardly travel but rely on technology from the comfort of their homes and offices to attend conferences, receive certificates, bag awards, make friends and tour sites of attractions from internet-enabled devices and programmes.
The cabin crew members were busy attending to passengers’ needs with words of reassurance even as the flight was smooth.
I watched with keen interest as the airplane tactically manouvered in the cloud and sky till it remained about 30 minutes to landing when the pilot confirmed same.
The landing was a huge relief because of my experience in over two hours on the flight.
I could hear different names of God in victory songs and prayers renting the air.
When we alighted, the Air France personnel provided us with meal tickets and checked us into decent hotels for next available flights mostly through codeshare agreement with other airlines.
The following day, we were booked and checked-in with Lufthansa Airline which took us to Munich and Frankfurt on transit before finally landing safely in Abuja Airport.
Yushau Shuaib can be reached on
www.YAShuaib.com, yashuaib@yashuaib.com