₦airaland Forum

Can anyone confirm that ailing Aero Contractors has suddenly stopped flights without communicating with its passengers and the public?
Yours sincerely has a booked aero flight and a contact at the Airport said there's been no aero flight from Abuja since late last week. No one is at their desk in the airport and they are not picking calls on their advertised numbers.

Another tale of woe and lamentation!

https://www.nairaland.com/4110460/belgium-visa-processing-delay#61353570

See a previous thread on same subject. Na their way!
https://www.nairaland.com/2372131/schengen-visa-delay-belgium-embassy

oderinlewo:
I applied for Belgium VISA through VFS Lekki since August... Up to this moment,I haven't heard from them and virtually all my original documents are with them.Even the purpose has been defeated already...Somebody should enlighten me more on this...

Seems you are a new comer to them! So sad but it's their way. I suffered same fate with them in 2015. Several others had similar tale of woe as well.

Any idea of date for this year's MLR?

The renowned German Evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke, is set to return to Nigeria for a five-day crusade and a three-day multi-purpose ministers’ fire conference.

According to Christ for All Nations’ African Director, John Darku, the conference will rescue the country from its spiritual pollution and socio-political corruption.

According to him, more than 10 million people across Africa are expected at the crusade billed to hold at the large expanse of land close to Sparklight Estate, opposite OPIC Plaza, Isheri Osun, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway in November.


As Lagos crusade would be the last of Bonnke’s international crusade, Darku said the “CFaN anticipates conversion of many souls to Christ as Bonnke delivers his farewell message to crowd of worshippers in Nigeria.”

Darku added, “One of the highlights of the crusade will be a ‘passing the burning torch conference’ for leaders and church workers. Bonnke believes in God for many thousands of pastors and evangelists from around the globe to be inspired to evangelism.

“There is great excitement from all the churches in the country, and we are expecting a spectacular harvest of people coming to Christ.”

Also, the Lead Evangelist of CfaN, Daniel Kolenda, expressed optimism that the crusade would transform the church not only in Nigeria but across the African continent.

“I am thrilled to join with Reinhard in this vision, and know that the results of this crusade will be farther reaching and of even greater consequence than we can even imagine.

“Ever since God gave Evangelist Bonnke a vision for a blood-washed Africa – a continent washed in the blood of Jesus Christ – over 40 years ago, he has been filled with a burning commitment to win the continent for Jesus,” Kolenda said.

Bonnke, who wrote about the crusade on his facebook wall said, “Hello friends, I have a special announcement for you today. I am returning to Lagos, Nigeria for my ‘Farewell Crusade’ in November of this year.

“This will be a truly momentous event, where we believe millions will, not only hear the gospel, but will be saved, healed, and delivered. As much as I am concerned, I am inviting the whole world.

“The Lord spoke to me, that I should go back for one more crusade in Africa.

“I want not only to see a gigantic harvest of souls, but to pass my burning torch to this generation.

“Recently, I travelled to Lagos, Nigeria to meet with the spiritual leadership there and they gave their unanimous support. I believe God is going to do something I have never seen before.”
http://punchng.com/reinhard-bonnke-returns-to-nigeria-for-farewell-message/

The President and founder of Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, has set aside N200 billion to establish a world-class university in Abuja.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the proposal has since been delivered to the National Universities Commission, NUC.

A former Executive Secretary of the NUC, Julius Okojie, who is the chairman of the technical team for the establishment of the university, said the foundation intends to drive technology and research in stimulating economic growth.

Mr Okojie, who led his team to the current Executive Secretary of the commission, Abubakar Rasheed, said the proposed university is meant to be technology-driven and asked for the cooperation and support of the NUC towards the realisation of the goal.

According to a National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, publication, the team, accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of the foundation, Zouera Yousouffou, disclosed that Mr. Dangote’s desire was to float a unique university of technology with all the necessary infrastructure and best faculty members from across the globe.

Mr. Rasheed, who applauded the bold step, promised to offer all the needed assistance for the success of the project.

He, however, advised the team to reconsider its plan of establishing a university of technology to ‘a conventional university running all programmes but with specialty in the area of technology.’

The executive secretary, who underscored the advantages of the conventional university over the special one, said with the countless impacts on society by the business mogul, the project would be a success.









He asked the team to consult widely and look at the universities in Nigeria and abroad with a view to creating a unique university that would be different in terms of quality in all its operations.

In her remarks, Mrs. Yousouffou said the foundation was ready to make the dream a reality with the sum of N200 billion already earmarked for the project.

She said the land was purchased and preliminary measures were in place for the headquarters of the university at the nation’s capital city of Abuja.

Mr. Dangote is a Nigerian mega-entrepreneur cum billionaire, who owns the Dangote Group, which has interests in diverse commodities.

The company with massive business tentacles operates principally in Nigeria but has corporate interests in other African countries.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/241301-dangote-establish-university-abuja-earmarks-n200-billion.html

Prices of brand new vehicles sold in Nigeria have risen by more than 200 percent between 2014 and 2017 and are now out of the reach most individuals and corporate buyers who need them for their business.
The significant rise in the prices of brand new vehicles has been blamed largely on the bogus auto policy, which raised import duty on cars to 35 percent in addition to a 35 percent levy, amounting to 70 percent, as well as a weaker naira.
Analysts say the policy automatically raises the prices of cars by 70 percent, pricing out the middle-class and other low income earners in need of mobility.
Added to this, is the weaker exchange rate of the naira that is compounded by the increase in duties and levies on imported new vehicles.
According to industry watchers, the 70 percent increase in taxes on imported new vehicles, along with the 86 percent fall in exchange rate of the naira from N196 to the dollar, to relative stability at N365 in recent times, including other incidental expenses at the ports and company overhead costs, have combined to force prices of vehicles northwards.
Many individuals who can no longer afford the new cars have resorted to maintaining their old cars for extended periods of time, even as prospects of workable financing schemes remain unavailable.
Many banks accustomed to changing cars for top executives every four years, have suspended the practice, due to high cost of procuring the new vehicles.

The impact has been seen in a sharp drop in the sale of new vehicles in the country, resulting in the closure of many car dealerships and the consequent loss of jobs.
The Federal Government had in 2013 increased the duties and levies on imported new vehicles, to encourage local auto assemblers through some incentives under the 2013-2023 National Automotive Industrial Development Plan (NAIDP) as supervised by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC).
A sample list of car prices from the Koreans, Japanese and German manufacturers, which come in various engine capacities across model ranges, exclusively obtained by BusinessDay, showed that prices have more than doubled between 2014 and 2017.
In 2014, a brand new Kia Cerato 1.6 litre automatic transmission saloon car sold for N3.96 million but now costs N9.54 million in 2017, while a Kia Picanto 1-liter engine capacity, which cost N2.25m three years ago, is now sold for N4.95 million in 2017.
Toyota Corolla 1.6 liter GLI automatic transmission fabric sold for N4.45 million three years ago, now costs N18.9 million.
In the same period, a Mercedes-Benz C200 luxury sedan, which was sold with a dealership price tag of N10.5 million, costs N25 million in 2017, while a Mercedes G63AMG model which previously sold at N50 million, presently wears a price tag of N78 million.

This shows a price jump of over 100 percent and this applies to other brands of vehicles in the market, apart from those manufactured in Korea, Japan or Germany.
According to Kunle Ade-Ojo, Managing Director/CEO, Toyota Nigeria Limited, the rise in vehicle prices is majorly due to the unfavourable exchange rate of the naira.
Ade-Ojo explained that as the dollar is scarce, so also is the naira pretty much scarce and that bank’s interest rates have gone up.
“Even though the exchange rate has moderated from a high of about N520 to the dollar at a very critical period and trading at about N366 to the dollar and below, from the end of 2016 to 2017, it is still not available.”
Ade-Ojo estimated that the country’s auto industry is expected to import and sell between 8,000 and 10,000 new vehicles this year, which is lower than the 15,000 projected at the end of last year.
The forecast, Ade-Ojo said, was based on the industry’s performance in the first quarter of 2017, adding that at the end of the first quarter of 2017, total import figures in the nation’s automobile industry, from the nation’s ports, came to about 350 units, compared to about 3,500 units that came in at the same period last year.
He said with this statistics, “imports dropped by about 90 percent between 2016 and 2017 first quarter.

“In terms of retail sales, we are estimating, based on the information we have, that the auto market did about 2,000 vehicles, compared to about 5,000 vehicles that was done in first quarter of 2015, a drop of over 50 percent in retail sales.
“Passenger cars reduced more than commercial cars and of course, when you look at the duties on passenger cars also at 70 percent, compared to 35 percent for commercial, the impact is more on passenger vehicles.”
Retail sales went from about 32,000 in 2015 to about 18,000 last year, representing a market drop of about 42 percent.
While giving the status of the implementation report of the NAIDP between October 2013 and June 2017 at a recent stakeholders meeting involving local auto assemblers and other stakeholders in Lagos recently, Luqman Mamudu, Director of Policy & Planning, National Automotive Design & Development Council (NADDC) revealed that the automotive policy is seeing tremendous progress, despite doubts in some quarters and that soon, Nigerians will begin to see positive result.
He disclosed that at the inception of the automotive policy in 2013, the number of approved local assemblers by the NADDC was 11 companies and grew to 53 companies in 2017.

Production capacity rose from 108,380 units in 2013 to 408,870 units in 2017. Actual production size increased from 1665 in 2013; 4776 in 2014; 11,332 in 2015 and started witnessing a drop from to 11, 332 in 2015 to 10,673 in 2016 and 8,473 in 2017.
Reacting on the astronomical jump in prices of new vehicles, Olawale Jimoh, Marketing Manager, Kia Motors Nigeria Limited, stated that for over two years now, the steady increase in the prices of cars in Nigeria has been misconstrued by some industry followers.
He argued that the local assembly of cars will invariably bring a new dawn that will result in affordable “Made in Nigeria” cars.

That expectation should ideally not be out of place, if Nigeria’s economy over the years has been stable.

He lamented that with the fast depreciation in the value of the naira, prices of cars have increased by more than 100 percent, which may still not totally compensate for the drop in the value of the naira.

Jimoh lamented that at this stage of the country’s auto development, assembly plants still import SKD kits to assemble, on account of the dearth of component manufacturers in the country, among the interplay of other factors.
http://www.businessdayonline.com/nigerias-bogus-auto-policy-pushes-car-prices-200/

This year's national youth success camp holds at designated locations across the country from 22-26th August 2017.
In Rivers State, there are several locations in the regions including the Deeper Life State headquarters/camp ground Rumuodara near Tank, along the East-West road. All youths are warmly invited for a refreshing session of education and empowerment.

A magistrates’ court in Katsina State has remanded 16-year-old Abdulmalik Yau of Durbi Ta-Kusheyi village in Mani Local Government Area over alleged raping and impregnating a 14-year-old girl.

The accused was arraigned before the court for rape contrary to Section 283 of the Penal Code.

The victim’s father, Murtala Lawal, reported the matter to the police, the charge sheet, revealed.

According to the charge sheet, both the accused and victim were residing in the same house.

The presiding Magistrate, Fadila Dikko, told the accused that the case was only brought before the court for cognisance as the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the case.

She, therefore, ordered the accused to be remanded at the remand home pending when the case would be assigned to an appropriate court.

Magistrate Fadila adjourned the case to July 20, 2017, to enable the court receive advice from the state Ministry of Justice.
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/crime/boy-16-rapes-impregnates-14-yr-old-girl-in-katsina/205714.html

Mileage and service records available?

Recovered 25 goats?

The Chief Justice of Nigeria CJN, Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen has described as lies, the reports that the Department of State Security Service, DSS, found $9million in his house.

A statement released yesterday, by the office of the CJN, said the malicious report was intended to impugn his good name.

The CJN advised the public to disregard the lies adding, that the judiciary, under his watch will continue to discharge its responsibility as the last hope of all men, not just the common man.

The statement reads: “The attention of His Lordship the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Hon Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen GCON has been drawn to reports circulating online alleging that the Department of State Security (DSS) allegedly found Nine Million US dollars in his home.

“His Lordship the CJN advises the public to disregard these infantile lies most probably intended to impugn the good name of His Lordship the CJN and distract him from the programmes which he recently introduced and has started implementing to reform the Judiciary as the third arm of government.

“The truth, which is already in the public domain, is that the DSS has never raided the home of His Lordship the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Hon Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen GCON; not recently and certainly not in the October 2016 invasion of the homes of some Judicial Officers in the country.”

The statement continues, “It therefore beats the imagination why anyone would go out of their way to concoct and fabricate stories which are obvious falsehood.

“The Hon Chief Justice assures Nigerians that the sponsors of these fake news stories and their campaign to smear his name will not distract, discourage or slow the reforms he has begun implementing.

“The Honourable CJN advises online publishers not to allow their platforms to be used as a medium for publication of fake news which does the country more harm than good in the eyes of the international community.

“Judiciary under his watch will continue to discharge it’s responsibility as the last hope of all men, not just the common man,” he concluded.
http://leadership.ng/2017/06/12/dss-didnt-find-9m-house-cjn/

The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED says directive by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, to consumers not to pay estimated electricity billings only applies to Maximum Demand, MD, customers and not residential.

The Chief Executive Officer of ANED, Azu Obiaya made the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja on Sunday.

Maximum Demand (MD) customers are commercial and industrial customers who consume high levels of electricity and contribute substantially to the revenues of distribution companies.

The consumption threshold for MD customers is 45KVA.

MD meters are connected on the 11Kv (High tension wire) electricity lines, mostly on dedicated transformers. The customers include heavy users of electricity like commercial business plazas, large firms, and small-scale industries among others.

NERC had in June 2016, issued a directive to distribution companies for all MD customers to be metered by November. 30, 2016.

Following the expiration of the deadline, it further directed that MD customer that was not metered by March 1, shall not pay any electricity bill presented by a distribution company on the basis of estimated billing methodology.

It also said that no distribution company shall disconnect any MD customer that was not metered by March 1, on the basis of the customer’s refusal to pay a bill issued after the compliance deadline on the basis of estimated billing methodology.


The commission had also urged any MD customer not metered by March 1, to notify the commission directly.

To this end, Mr. Obiaya said, “we recognise that our residential consumers will be interested in this notice thinking that it applies to them in their need for meters, and we recognise that everyone will like to be metered, we are working towards that.

“But this time, that notice by NERC is specific for maximum demand customers.

“Yes, it is a challenge, but we are working hard to ensure that we meter all the MD customers to eliminate issues associated with estimated billing that those customers have.”

He said that the DisCos had substantially metered MD customers, adding that the mass metering of residential consumers was on–going.

He said it was also in the interest of the DisCos to meter all MD customers and other categories of customers in the country.

“So, our expectation is that the metering of MD customers comprehensively is been completed at this time.

“I know in my various discussion with the DisCos, with respect to the deadline we have been given by NERC, it is in our interest to essentially meter all of our MD customers.’ ‘

The ANED CEO called on Nigerians to support the DisCos to comprehensively meter all residential customers by fulfilling their obligations of payment of electricity bills.

He said that the DisCos were committed to delivering quality electricity supply to all category of customers.

“We would urge them to please meet their obligation as residential customers, we will also like to say to them, we understand the need for them all to be metered.

“The DisCos had continued to work very hard to meter all their customers, but we must all fulfil our own responsibility as residential customers by meeting our electricity payment obligation.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/233742-prepaid-meters-directive-on-non-payment-of-electricity-bills-not-applicable-to-all-nigerians-discos.html

The Kaduna State government has dissolved all districts and village units created in the state from the year 2001.

The commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Jafaru Ibrahim, made this known in a press briefing in Kaduna on Sunday, text of which was sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr. Ibrahim said the government needs to reduce the burden that a bloated payroll imposes on local government councils, and empower the councils to be able to undertake capital projects and deliver public goods.

“The state has therefore reverted to the 77 districts and 1,429 village units that existed prior to 2001,” he said.

He explained that the new restructuring was done in consultation with the state council of chiefs.

The commissioner said the creation of 313 more districts from 2001 increased the number of district heads to 390, which along with personnel in the district office, added more than 2700 employees to the payroll of the local government councils.

He revealed that a committee set up to address the administration of districts concluded that the proliferation creates a financial burden for local government councils.

He said the state government is “happily and conscientiously supporting all the 32 emirs and chiefs in Kaduna State.


“It is the duty of the state government to pay the salaries and allowances of all the 32 chiefs. And the state government shall continue to be responsible for all our graded chiefs.”

The commissioner observed that while the state government is comfortably discharging its obligations to the 32 chiefs, the local government councils are not able to do the same for their district heads.

“Zazzau Emirate alone has 86 districts. But Kano State, with a much larger population, has only 44 districts. Katsina State too has only 33 districts,” he said.

Read the full briefing by the commissioner below.

Kaduna State Government restructures districts

The Kaduna State Government is restructuring its districts and village units. The government said that it needs to reduce the burden that a bloated payroll imposes on local government councils, and empower the councils to be able to undertake capital projects and deliver public goods. It has therefore reverted to the 77 districts and 1,429 village units that existed prior to 2001. The government said it has consulted the state Council of Chiefs which has endorsed the restructuring of districts.

Jafaru Ibrahim Sani, Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, announced the decision today in Kaduna. The commissioner said that the creation of 313 more districts from 2001 increased the number of district heads to 390, which along with personnel in the district office, added more than 2700 employees to the payroll of the local government councils. He revealed that a committee set up to address the administration of districts concluded that he proliferation creates a financial burden for local government councils.

Alhaji Sani said the state government is “happily and conscientiously supporting all the 32 emirs and chiefs in Kaduna State. It is the duty of the state government to pay the salaries and allowances of all the 32 chiefs. And the state government shall continue to be responsible for all our graded chiefs.”

The commissioner explained that this support includes providing official vehicles which have now being purchased for distribution to the third-class chiefs and the maintenance of palaces, ten of which have recently been renovated.”

The commissioner observed that while the state government is comfortably discharging its obligations to the 32 chiefs, the local government councils are not able to do the same for their district heads. By the provision of the Local Government Administration Law (2012), it is the responsibility of the local government councils to cater for the 390 district heads.

“One of the problems this government inherited is the practical insolvency of many local government councils. Some local government councils are unable to pay their bills, especially salaries, without support from the state government. The bloated wage bills of these councils indicate that they are carrying more than they can bear. That is why for two years many local government councils were unable for two years to pay their district and village heads. Due to the Governor’s kind intervention, at least 85% of these district and village heads have now being paid two years’ salary en bloc.”

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nwest/233728-in-major-restructuring-el-rufai-slashes-kaduna-districts-to-pre-2001-numbers.html

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has appealed to acting President Yemi Osinbajo to call the leadership of the Miyetti Allah to order for making inciting statements about signing into law, the anti-open grazing bill in the state.
Ortom made the appeal last Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Security Council meeting held at the Benue Peoples House,Makurdi.
He explained that the decision to draw attention of the Acting President to Miyetti Allah’s recent negative comments about the anti-grazing law has become necessary because the leadership of the association had issued threats even claiming that the state belongs to them.
The Governor said his administration would not succumb to any threat issued by the Leadership of Miyetti Allah as such was tantamount to acting against the signed law.
Ortom therefore challenged any Individual, organisation or group with any better alternative to the anti-open grazing law to come up with it, stating that the statement from the Miyetti Allah was unacceptable and unpatriotic.
The governor announced plans by his government to arrest anyone standing against the law and directed the relevant security agencies in the state to comply with such directive as the anti-open grazing in the state was now law.
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/06/07/ortom-appeals-to-presidency-to-call-miyetti-allah-to-order/

I actually thank God for his life and ministry. I thank God also for many other faithful ministers of the word like Brother Gbile Akanni of Peace House Gboko, Benue State. Prof Zacharias Tanee Fomum (now gone to glory) of Christian Missionary Fellowship International Cameroun and countless other people are on the list. While celebrating God's grace upon these our leaders, let's pray for grace to also be among the faithful few and to make impact in our own little corner. Time is of essence and I believe, Heaven will be full of surprises! Will you be there? have you repented of sins? Are you born again or playing church/religion? Give your life to Christ now!

My people, my humble take is that we have a culture of inflated budget and we'll keep borrowing unnecessarily! Many companies have embarked on cost cutting initiatives but ask insiders in the civil service or government and they will tell you that corruption is still the order of the day unfortunately. You just can't beat some of our people to their game. Politicians and bureaucrats still collude systematically to rip us off. Do a real forensic audit of our annual budgets, actual cost of projects and what is truly executed/spent in the year and you will be amazed at how ungodly and unfair to each other we are. Someone died recently just because the kidney dialysis machine at the national hospital wasn't working when he was taken there and he died while being taken to another hospital. Countless have died, salaries are either unpaid or delayed, roads still have pot holes and life is getting really hard for the man on the street, crime and suicide rates are increasing. I can go on and it's not just the federal government. States and Local Governments, the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature are all stakeholders. No one person will change Nigeria. The average politician is already scheming and amassing money for 2019 election!

My take is that he has to assign portfolio to them AFTER swearing them in, so he is perhaps waiting to consult BEFORE doing so.

Nice one. Is the State relying on IGR? How is this man performing like this when my State Governor can't pay workers salaries and several Governors are telling stories? I hear the guy is really doing well. A few States have really been fortunate with leadership or at least some level of it. Kudos!

The office of the editorial board member of THISDAY Newspapers, Sonnie Ekwowusi, was at the weekend invaded by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), over a ‘Pro-Life, Pro-Family conference’ he is involved in, as well as a report condemning the sexualisation of school children in Nigeria.

After the invasion, Ekwowusi was invited to the DSS office in Shangisha, Lagos, yesterday for a follow-up interview.

Narrating his ordeal, he said: “Last Friday, the DSS invaded my office over a pro-life, pro-family conference I am involved in. They said they wanted to find out if the conference was registered.

“They invited me to their office yesterday. Recently, I wrote a series of articles condemning the sexualisation of school children in Nigeria.
“I guess the articles must have ruffled some feathers in high quarters. We will continue to pray for our country, Nigeria.”

On the allegations by the DSS, Ekwowusi said: “I got a call from one Peter asking me to come over to the DSS office at Shangisha in Lagos. When I told them I could’t make it, they sent some operatives to my office.
“They ransacked it and made away with some files. So yesterday, I went to their office and met the same Peter who told me he was dashing to somewhere and would have to re-invite me.

“What are the functions of the DSS? Can they dabble into conference matters? What has national security got to do with women’s rights which is what we are championing?

“From what I gathered from sources, a group of women petitioned the DSS about our forthcoming Pro-Life, Pro-Family conference, claiming that what we stand for is against their interest.

“Meanwhile, what our conference stands for is championing women and child’s rights. We have held it for five years and this year, it will take place at NIA, Victoria Island, Lagos.

“We have the conference in partnership with the Lagos State Government and the state House of Assembly. Our past conferences have helped the government to make laws on domestic violence.”
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/05/17/dss-invades-thisday-editorial-board-members-office-over-report-on-sexualisation-on-school-kids/

Location? And any issues? What to fix?

Statsocial:
The list is wrong!

Not only wrong but probably outdated. Baze University Abuja is about N2+m for the lowest course fee!
http://www.bazeuniversity.edu.ng/main/fee.php

Please is there a standard payment for an architect's service e.g. is it 5% or 10% of total cost of the building or it is discretionary/negotiated?

Terminals at major airports around the world are used to cases of unruly passengers over-stepping their bounds. But similar incidences in the last one week in Nigeria appear to have assumed a new dimension and a cause for worry.

General Aviation Terminal (GAT) at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, was a beehive of confusion and chaos last Sunday. The section occupied by Air Peace had everything in place by a semblance of peace.

Inside the crowded departure lounge, an official of the airlines was already on the floor writhing in pains. He had been rammed into a concrete pillar in a brawl. His colleague got a punch that staggered him too. The second blow was a knockout. Standing over both victims was an irate passenger that was apparently not done.

“I will teach you people lesson today,” the middle-aged man roared at other helpless workers in sight. “What nonsense! You took my money for services you will not render and you are telling me to cool down?

“I give you just 30 minutes, otherwise you will see how I will deal with all of you today,” he said to the approval of other waiting passengers.

The sin of the airlines was to have delayed a Lagos-Uyo 2pm flight till 5:40pm. And according to Air Peace, notices were sent 24 hours earlier to all affected passengers. The combatant passenger, who claimed to be retired police superintendent, would not hear any excuse.

At the recently reopened Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, a similar faceoff was recorded just two days earlier. It was Air Peace and its passengers as well.

According to reports, angry air traveller pounced on the airlines’ duty manager and his team, beating them black and blue following an announcement that their much-awaited Abuja-Benin flight had been cancelled.

In the attack that ensued, The Guardian learnt that the manager was stripped naked, facility of the airline damaged, even as irate passengers poured to the prohibited airside to obstruct other airlines from taken off in protest.

An eyewitness of the Abuja attack, Eniola Akinsiku, relayed that tempers flared when Air Peace announced the cancellation of a 2pm flight at around 9pm.

According to Akinsiku, “Passengers considered it an affront to be so treated shabbily. It means they just don’t care and the people said enough is enough. I felt the same way too. If your plane has a problem and not coming, you don’t wait till midnight to announce it. How do you expect people to react when you have just ruined all their plans?

“Personally, I don’t support violence, but our airlines are used to taking us for a ride, with no one to put them in check. That is why passengers are taking it upon themselves to fight for their rights,” she said.

Low confidence in the air
Fact is that local airlines in the country have been having it quite rough and turbulent in the sky, giving little or confidence to the flying public. If it is not issues with efficient services, it is about safety in the air.

Just last week, an Aero Contractors plane bellowed smoke into the cabin mid-air. Two days later, Dana Air plane had bird strike at take off point. Med-View plane had earlier developed fault also mid-way into a trip. In these instances, on-board passengers later took to social media to narrate how they “cheated death”, without sparing operators and regulators rain of abuses over sham services.

Arik Air had the largest fleet in west and central Africa until it recently went from 28 aircraft to nine and with debt burden in excess of N387 billion. Air Peace that has since stepped into the shoes of Arik Air, commanding the biggest share of passenger traffic, successful made waves until the events of last weekend.

It was gathered that the winglet of one of Air Peace plane in error clipped the wing of another aircraft at the ramp of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, rendering the two Air Peace aircraft unserviceable.

Similarly, a truck operated by SAHCOL ground handling company allegedly rammed into another of Air Peace aircraft at the Benin Airport and rendered it unserviceable. It was three out of 10 aircraft grounded within the spate of 18 hours. At stake were about 24 flights that had to be absorbed into the tight schedule.

Corporate Communications Manager of Air Peace, Chris Iwarah, explained that the issues of three unserviceable aircraft affected the whole of their operations and it was duly communicated to all affected passengers.

Iwarah, however, regretted the “violent conduct and attack” by some unruly passengers in Abuja, Lagos and Calabar, while “security agents failed to halt the trend of members of the public invading airport facilities to attack airline workers.”
Hiding under the veil of ‘operational reasons’

Quite disturbing for a passenger is to be delayed for hours without good explanation than “operational reasons” from their airlines.

According to experts, a lot comes under the term ‘operational reasons’, which include bad weather, fuel scarcity, technical issues, late arrival of operating aircraft and so on that passengers don’t get to know.

Chief Operating Officer of one of the airlines explained that airlines do not deliberately keep the travelling public in the dark when there are issues. According to him, “it is the regulator’s instruction to announce ‘operational reasons’ whenever one issue or the other causes a temporary delay.”

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, didn’t absorb his airline and others from the blames. Onyema, however, described the faults as fallouts of rather harsh business environment that has made it almost impossible for any airline to survive.

He recalled that the lifespan of most airline in the country is five years, while only eight are still in operation out of about 150 Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) registered in the last 17 years.

He said the mortality rate is abysmally high because of a pot pourri of factors and the latest of which is the impatience and passengers’ unruly conduct.

While he regretted that Air Peace in the last couple of days “disappointed” its loyal customers and Nigerians, the CEO said the situation was just temporary and should not warrant a breakdown of law and order.

The imperative of caution
He added that the current trend where unruly passengers are taking the laws into their own hands; invading airside, attacking innocent officials and destroying facilities will further expose the sector to security risks.

According to him, “Our dear passengers too must know that officials are other peoples’ husbands, wives and children and should be treated accordingly. Passengers encroaching airside and blocking aircraft is an aviation risk besides the ripple effects of flight delays across the country.

“There is no doubt that we have issues and we are not shielding ourselves from blames. But we all need to be patient to put things right. We will someday get there,” Onyema said.

He urged the Federal Government to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol at terminals, citing that most unruly passengers were under the influence of alcohol.

Spokesperson of the NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, said the development was quite unfortunate and amounts to unruly behaviour, which is a violation under aviation regulations.

Adurogboye added that flight delays or cancellation is not an excuse for anyone to molest or invade prohibited areas like the airside.

In ideal situation, he said, such unruly persons should be arrested by Aviation Security of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and handed over to the police for prosecution.

“I see no reason why Air Peace or any airline should be sounding helpless in such situation. The circumstance is not lawless and that is why the appropriate authorities are there to ensure law and order,” he said.
http://guardian.ng/business-services/turbulence-for-operators-as-dissatisfied-passengers-go-unruly/

How much? No price?

Thought you earlier advertised it for 60k?

Ha ha. but I trust EFCC to quickly arrest them outside the court premises oh! I think our agencies should quite the TV and media trials. They should be more diligent -do rigorous investigations and come up with hard core evidence.

Intendy:
The equity price of STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC was adjusted today 4th of April 2017 for a dividend of N0.05 as declared by the board of directors. The last close price was N18.00, hence the ex-div price N17.95. Please be guided accordingly.

What is the staying power of this stock giving 5 kobo dividend?

uyplus:
Bm

1M cash!