All these internal flights with funny names right from the early 80's to now seem to be one cyclonic boom and burst merchant of death where safety is seriously and highly compromised and put at the back-burner, blood inspired profit is the head-honcho or the mainstay of the business module. In spite of the un-orthodox way of making money in the Airline business by Nigerian Airline Firms, one would have expected and assumed that by now our firms would be amongst the best fortune 1000 companies in the world but alas, NO!!!, that is not the case, our Airlines are gullets and conduits for siphoning ill gotten wealth.

The sole aim of setting an Airline is actually not to serve the people but to make a name for oneself. Owning an Airline means the person, organisation has arrived, personally I see it as a con, most Private Airliners are actually “Asset Stripping Companies" . They borrow heavily from the banks knowing fully well that those loans would never be paid back as the Airline in connivance with some Bank Managers put together a water proof insolvency package that cannot be faulted or defaulted only for the Airline to re-invent herself as another brand spanking new Airline firm with a succinctly and captivating name to go with.

Our Airlines are venture capitalist vampires hell bent on taken succour from the blood of as many Nigerians as possible, no wonder the owners of these callous organisation have decided to resolve the conundrum of falling a victim of the Frankenstein monster they have created, by buying private Jets which seems to be the latest fad amongst the super-rich, after all who wants to be a victim of a shambolic internal flights debacle.

All I ask and all many Nigerians ask is for the Federal Government, State Governments to begin building a fast rail network connecting Lagos to Abuja to start with, even if it is built at a snail speed of 20 km a year, since 1999 when democracy started we would have built 260 km that is a distance between Lagos - Ilorin, in another few years it would get to Abuja, and that would save thousands if not millions of Nigerians who put their life at stake by flying to those death-trap Airliner week in and week out between Lagos -Abuja. The Shylock Airliners who are bleeding our people to death both literally and cash-wise would up their game by working holistically on both their safety procedure and fare charges in other to compete favourably with the new kid on the block.

The FIRST and the most important fast train route should be between Lagos - Abuja, with that delivered the others would just developed around it, I think Messser's Jonathan Goodluck needs a serious rethink. After all Government is a continuum, whether we have the incumbent re-elected or the opposition elected a laudable project like the Lagos - Abuja fast rail route is a must, and all in-coming Federal Government must look into it with a renewed zeal and opportunism.

You are in dreamland if you think retardeen daftluck do anything other than being clueless, crying and making more promises.

John I. Nnorom, a former Executive Director for Finance at Air Nigeria, has warned Nigerians to stop flying the airline until they are sure that its planes are being properly maintained.

In a blistering public petition, Mr. Nnorom, who resigned his appointment with the airline on April 1, 2012, blamed the situation on big businessman Jimoh Ibrahim, the chairman of Air Nigeria, whom he accused of being uninterested in the maintenance of company aircraft.

“Some of the certifying Engineers and I are under threat of assassination by Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, if we reveal this secret to Nigerians,” he said.
Mr. Nnorom said that upon his resignation, he wrote a letter in which he said he preferred to die than to be a witness to over 100 souls perishing in an Air Nigeria aircraft.

He disclosed that Air Nigeria is in financial crisis because money loaned by Bank of Industry of N35.5Billion has been diverted into Mr. Ibrahim’s NICON INVESTMENT LTD, a non-finance company popularly called wonder bank, leading to air safety being compromised, and stressed that there is a great possibility of a disastrous Air Nigeria crash, which can occur at any time.

He recalled that in Jan 2012, Licensed Engineers in Air Nigeria went on strike because they were being forced to certify unfit aircraft into the air, and another strike was averted in March 2012 following the intervention of the DG-NCAA, Demureen. Both events, he said, were based on failure on Failure To Meet Safety Standard, and are verifiable information the public is aware of.

Why are Air Nigeria flights sometimes delayed for as many as eight hours? According to the petitioner, that is because the aircraft for that flight is not ready. “While passengers are waiting, engineers are battling to put the aircraft on Air. Several times our Aircraft on Runway taxing to takeoff, turns back to offload passengers due to some technical faults observed by Pilots.”

He said that of the 11 aircraft being operated by Air Nigeria, only one, Embraer, is safe to fly Nigeria Air space, with all of the others needing “deep and heavy” technical maintenance.

“This explains why Air Nigeria has never operated more than six Aircraft out of eleven Aircraft. Air Nigeria do not have the money to fix these Aircrafts. Let anybody go and check now, some of the Aircraft and Engines have been grounded for the past one year.”

Mr. Nnorom even advised Nigerians who choose to take the risk of flying Air Nigeria not to eat or drink anything, pointing out that passengers have been poisoned because Air Nigeria serves bottled pure water, and that passengers have complained of being served “smelling waters.”

Mr. Nnorom further claimed in the petition that Mr. Ibrahim’s companies, including Air Nigeria, do not have tax clearance certificates. He listed the others as Global Fleet Oil & Gas, NICON Insurance, Nigeria RE-Insurance, NICON Properties Ltd, Nicon Luxury, Nicon Hotels Okitipupa, VGC & PHC, Newswatch Communications, Newswatch Daily and National Mirror.

“In Air Nigeria, just to renew expatriate resident permit, Bar Jimoh Ibrahim will instruct a vendor to forge all the tax clearance papers which is filed with the immigration.”

Mr. Nnorom alleges that Mr. Ibrahim:

• As the chairman of Air Nigeria, has diverted N5billion From a BOI aviation industry intervention loan Of N35.5billion granted last year by the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria into NICON INVESTMENT LTD;

• Diverted $18m Out Of $40m Afrixim federal government support of the aviation industry; with $26,969,505.63 diverted into Mr. Ibrahim’s acquisition of Energy Bank of Ghana;

• Diverted N10 billion released by the government through the office of the Accountant-General of Nigeria for the payment of pensioners into Nicon Insurance Plc released the sum of, with no pensioner being paid.

Mr. Nnorom insisted that Mr. Ibrahim is trying to kill him, and attached his letter of resignation and subsequent acknowledgement by the CEO and FOREIGN LEASSORS to the petition.

“On the SFU, recovery of $75,000 from me, I was never arrested, never invited by SFU, did not make any statement, I do not know how money was recovered from me,” he said. “I am ready to sponsor any person to come with me to SFU and show me my statement,” attributing the matter to Mr. Ibrahim’s “poor character of cheap blackmail.”

According to the former Executive Director, “Jimoh Ibrahim is after my life but if my death will save hundred Nigerian souls from plane crash and that is the will of GOD, my soul will be happy to meet my creator anytime.”

Another Asset stripping venture capitalist vampire on the prowl

You are in dreamland if you think retardeen daftluck do anything other than being clueless, crying and making more promises.

The problem with our leaders, once they cannot complete a project in their stipulated tenure they abandone the idea. If Jo-boy and his lieutanants are reading this article they should realise that a journey of a 1000 miles starts with the first step. By not making effort to take that first step, it is more honourable to quit the scene or resign from office and let those who are bold enough to take the plunge and hold the reins of office come into the fray. London Underground started in the 1890's and today 2012, Jubilee Line, the cross rail and other new lines are still been embarked upon and opened up, 120 years after the first line was built.

I agree with u, I am in a dreamland, I have actually forgotten we are idioooooots ruled by fooooooools.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZDbGVFIjuI

^ I agree with you but what has or did Jonatan accomplish for 8 years in Bayelsa (Governor or Deputy), or now as president or VP?? If you set an exam for a student who fails in primary 1, but somehow manages to get into primary 2, and 3, 4, 5, 6 up to secondary school, how can you ever expect such a compromised person who bent any rule to suddenly become honestly successful?

No be only fast rail, na fast air. Have they finished building and repairing those roads in deplorable conditions.

I agree with you but what has or did Jonatan accomplish for 8 years in Bayelsa (Governor or Deputy), or now as president or VP?? If you set an exam for a student who fails in primary 1, but somehow manages to get into primary 2, and 3, 4, 5, 6 up to secondary school, how can you ever expect such a compromised person who bent any rule to suddenly become honestly successful?

We need straight men in office and not all these compromised men and politiians who would sell their mothers for 2 a penny. I envy Pakistan at the moment, Imran Khan is set to rule the roost come next elections and his message is 'corruption has to stop'. No nation would ever acheive anything meaningful with corruption incidence breaking all record like in Nigeria. Wether we like it or not we have succeded and(that is GEJ'S Govt) in sending 156 innocent souls to their early graves not to talk of the poor folks who were having a quiet afternoon in their homes on Sunday when the runaway plane, poorly maintained, and ill fated plane dropped from the sky. which one be the crocodile tears wey GEJ come dey display for public?

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2012/05/201253164025468840.html

No be only fast rail, na fast air. Have they finished building and repairing those roads in deplorable conditions.

You would be suprised, once built Rail-roads are a lot easier to maintain than roads. Although it involves a lot more capital and resources than roads. Unlike roads where people pile over-weighted lorries on the road therby cracking the roads(weigh bridge enforcement in Nigeria are not adhere to, i don't think I have come across one), rails on the other hand can take significant weights and not bulk under the strain.

To be powered with coal and what happened to pollution?

It can be powered by either diesel(which I assume we have in abundance) or a dedicated power line. The kind of money involve in this project " no be beans" and no be "hurry-hurry project", it would be a project that all incoming goverments irrepective of party in power would be fully commited to. And secondly any 'mago-mago' in the project handling would and should be easily detected especially when the project cost, execution, and deliverance is at variance to what obtains is in the industry. Slight alterations here and there is understandable, due to enviromental and topograhical differences amongst nations of the world.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=125+miles+per+hour+train&um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=705&tbm=isch&tbnid=yaDNOsZTVmaVrM:&imgrefurl=http://www.scarthbridge.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Content/trips/London-trains-09-01.html&docid=7YUZ5o67nhLlyM&imgurl=http://www.scarthbridge.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Images/trips/London-trains-09-01/london-rails-002.JPG&w=500&h=321&ei=BrfRT8yzL-mo0QXN0MCtBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=790&vpy=337&dur=4261&hovh=180&hovw=280&tx=145&ty=69&sig=115185036774099067053&page=1&tbnh=125&tbnw=195&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0,i:95


This 125 miles per Hour Train would be a good start.!

[img]http://www.50centloseweight.com[/img]I like this.

I thought Jonathan told us the trains are back?

KnowAll:

You would be suprised, once built Rail-roads are a lot easier to maintain than roads. Although it involves a lot more capital and resources than roads. Unlike roads where people pile over-weighted lorries on the road therby cracking the roads(weigh bridge enforcement in Nigeria are not adhere to, i don't think I have come across one), rails on the other hand can take significant weights and not bulk under the strain.

I'm a rail line proponent, but let truth be told, at the bold, therein lies the problem. Fast Rail networks isn't cheap to build, they cost as much as $15 - $100 million/mile. Nigeria sure don't have money for a high speed (fast) train, although like you suggested, they can settle for the lower speed, diesel powered, trains and their tracks.

[img]http://www.50centloseweight.com[/img]Nice work!

@Post

That would be great if we had a fast rail network but are our looting politicians willing to spend money on such? and let's say they do, do we have a maintenance culture to keep the trains in good shape before they become death traps like the planes that currently fly our air space? No we don't. So, you see, that is the problem.