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Showing posts from February, 2016

IATA Partners Nigeria on Aviation Safety in Africa

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In order to enhance the safety of the Aviation sector in Africa,the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Nigeria are adopting  new measures in line with decisions reached by African transport ministers in 2012 to improve safety in the continent’s skies. The disclosure was made by the Director-General of the Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)  Captain Muhtar Usman  and IATA’s Regional Director, Safety and Flight Operations, Africa and Middle East, Tanja Grobotek,  in Abuja recently. Usman described the endorsement of the African Union’s Abuja Declaration as one of the most significant steps taken to boost safety and development of aviation on the continent. He said the industry would achieve much if all players contributed to sustain initiatives geared towards improving air safety. “Nigeria is committed to supporting its implementation across the sub-Saharan Africa through developing new strategies that will see the recent gains on Africa’s safety record s

Nigerian Army Boosts Fight against Terrorists with Bike Battalion

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The Nigerian Army has inducted a combat motorbike battalion at the Headquarters of 25 Task Force Brigade, Damboa, Borno State to boost the renewed strategy of clearing the remaining elements of Boko Haram terrorists. Also launched during the event, was the second batch of the portraits of 100 wanted suspected Boko Haram terrorists. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai, while inducting the unit, stated that the essence of the battalion was to open and secure motorways from various towns to and fro Maiduguri and other parts of Yobe State. Prior to the induction and launching ceremony, the Chief of Army Staff took time off to see and address troops located in Delwa and Bulabulin before proceeding to Damboa. He also inspected a Quarter guard at the Brigade’s headquarters and was briefed by the Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Lawrence Adeleke Araba, who showed him some weapons, vehicles and Improvised Explosive Devices, IED-m

Air Peace Increases Frequency on Lagos-Owerri Route

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Nigeria’s budding carrier Air Peace has increased the frequency of flight services from Lagos to Owerri and back to three times daily. Flights from Abuja to Owerri and back now operate two times daily. Flights from Lagos to Owerri is scheduled to depart daily at 7:30 am, 2: 35pm and 5: pm while the flights from Owerri to Lagos will depart at 8:20pm, 12:10pm and 4:20pm. Also the schedule from Abuja to Owerri is now 10:50am and 2:50Pm while Owerri to Abuja now operates at 9: am and 4:40pm. This new schedule became effective on February 21, 2016.

Abba Moro Goes to Kuje Prisons

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The Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro over alleged fraud and money laundering before a Federal High Court in Abuja. Moro was arraigned with Anastasia Nwobia, former Perm Sec in the ministry; F.O. Alayebami and Drexel Global Tech Ltd. Justice Anwuli Chikere ordered that the former minister should be remanded in Kuje prison, Abuja. The sum of N676, 675,000 was said to have been realised from applicants for immigration jobs during the fatal immigration recruitment exercise in 2014 where dozens of applicants died and many more injured in stampede. Justice Chikere adjourned the case to March 2 for hearing of the bail application.   Source: www.dailytrust.com.ng

#FreeEse: Outrage Over Alleged Abduction, Forceful Marriage of 14-yr-old in Kano

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   #FreeEse: Outrage over alleged abduction, forceful marriage of 14-yr-old in Kano On February 29, 20167:26 amIn News by IkennaComments The pathetic story of how 14-year-old Ese Oruru, who was in August 2015, allegedly abducted in Opolo, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, by one Yunusa, who hails from Kano, has continued to elicit outrage on social media among Nigerians. Vanguard gathered that Ese, who was 13 as at the time of her alleged abduction, was taken to Kano, by Yunusa, where he converted her to Islam and married her. Ese’s parents had since last August made trips to Kano, where they unraveled the plights of their daughter. The parents said they have involved the police, but efforts to get the Emir of Kano, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, at whose palace the girl is believed to be held to resolve the matter and ensure the return of the 14-year-old to them have proved futile. While her mother was told that Ese ha

The Naira-Dollar blues

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By Reuben Abati “My brother, e ku exchange rate oh.” “Excuse me?” “I am greeting you. I am saying how are you and the exchange rate palaver. The dollar wahala.” “So, that is why you are saying e ku exchange rate. Is something wrong with you Yoruba people? Must you turn everything into a form of greeting?” “You are insulting me?” “I am making a statement” “Meaning?” “Any serious matter at all, you and your people must turn it into something else. E ku exchange rate? What kind of greeting is that? Yoruba will say e ku election, e ku democracy, e ku change, e ku ana, e ku gbogbo e, gbogbo e, e ku democracy. I am tired of answering you people and your cynical greetings.” “The people don’t mean any harm.” “That was how somebody came to me the other day and said e ku Mecca, Medina, e ku Qatar. I felt like slapping the guy.” “Ha.” “I don’t like hypocrites.” “Would you have felt better, if he had told you e ku living upside down, e ku idorikodo, e pele

Arik Air, Medview expand operations on domestic, regional routes

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photo credit:Okereke Chigozie Arik Air, has increased its frequency on the Lagos-Dakar (Senegal) route to a daily service from a six weekly flight. The new schedule will operate four of the Lagos-Dakar flights routed via Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire instead of the previous routing via Banjul. The other three flights will continue to operate via Accra, Ghana. The Lagos-Abidjan-Dakar service will operate on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while the Lagos-Accra-Dakar service will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. With the new schedule, Arik Air will be able to provide its customers convenient access between Lagos, Abuja, Accra, Abidjan and Dakar markets. The airline will also be increasing its frequency on the Lagos-Banjul route from three times weekly to four times weekly from March 14, 2016. All the flights will be operated via Accra using a Boeing 737-700 Next Generation (NG) aircraft. The Lagos-Accra-Banjul service will be operated on Sundays, M

See How a Prophet Got Two Sisters Pregnant

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According to The Nation ,the General Overseer of the Victorious Sacred Solemn Healing and Deliverance Ministry, Prophet Oluwaseyi Idowu has been arrested for allegedly impregnating two sisters. The pastor, it was gathered, also allegedly attempted to sell their father’s two-storey building without his consent. Policemen from the Oko-Oba division in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area of Lagos State stormed the church last Sunday to arrest the pastor. The Nation learnt that the pastor was invited to set up his church and manage a flat in the sisters’ father’s compound when he had accommodation problems in Agege. Their brother said: “I and my brothers bought my father a two-storey building in Ogunsola close, Abule-Egba and at that time, Pastor Oluwaseyi had rent issues. My father allowed him to set up his church in his compound and also manage a flat. We never knew that was the beginning of our problems. “The pastor held several vigils to create awareness and publi

Fed Govt to open talks with MTN after receipt of N50b

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The Federal Government will open talks with MTN Nigeria over the N780 billion fines, imposed on the telecommunications giants after confirming receipt of the N50 billion part payment made by the firm. The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) imposed the over N1trillion fine cut to N780billion, for Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card infraction. The government also yesterday confirmed that the firm has withdrawn the suit it filed before a Lagos Highr Court challenging the regulator’s action. According to the Federal Government, with the “down payment,” the coast is now clear for it to listen to further talks on the matter. Minister of Communications Technology Adebayo Shittu who confirmed the payment, said the development was in line with what the government asked the firm to do. A statement by the minister’s Senior Assistant (Media) Victor Oluwadare, explained that the receipt of the N50billion payment will allow the Federal Government to entertain further negotiati

Wife Accuses Liberian Husband of Selling their Baby for N250, 000

A 28-year-old Nigerian woman, Ijeoma Ndoku has accused her Liberian husband, Daniel Barnney of selling their nine-month old baby, Emmanuel for N250, 000. The woman who said she started suspecting her husband last November after his employer informed her about his plans to sell their child and flee to Ghana, told police operatives in Lagos that he tricked her and fled with the baby in January. He was however arrested at Mile two on February 12, by operatives of the Festac Police Division, for selling the baby to a 43-year-old “barren” woman identified as Ekah Richard for N250, 000. Also arrested were a pastor Samuel Osavitu and a worker at an orphanage home identified as Alhaji Sunkanmi Adamu who aided the illegal transaction. According to Ndoku, they have been having issues following her refusal to allow him to take their son to his supposed aunt, whom he never allowed her to meet.Ndoku said aside starving her and the kid, Barney who always claimed that he was being owed salary

China to Ban Foreign Firms from “Online Publishing”

China is to ban foreign firms from “online publishing” under new rules issued this week, as the country increasingly seeks to minimise Western influence. Chinese websites are already among the world’s most censored, with Beijing blocking many foreign Internet services with a system known as the “Great Firewall of China”. Regulations posted on a government website, set to go into force next month, state that foreign firms “are not to engage in online publishing”. The regulations define online publishing as the provision over the Internet of books, maps, music, cartoons, computer games and “thoughtful text”, as well as other content. It was unclear how the ban would be enforced or whether it would be applied to websites hosted on China-based servers or sites aimed at users in China. The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), which issued a draft of the rules, could not immediately be contacted by AFP. The regulations s

Panic in Nairobi as Lions Escape from National Park

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Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) wardens carry tranquilizer guns, during a search of two lions on February 19, 2016 who left Nairobi’s national park and went into “highly populated” areas, in Nairobi. At least two lionesses are reported to have late February 18, 2016 left the park, spread over 117 square kilometres (45 square miles) where buffalo and rhino roam just seven kilometres from the bustling high-rise city centre. The big cats find themselves under growing pressure as one of Africa’s fastest growing cities creeps onto ancient migration routes and hunting grounds. / AFP / SIMON MAINA Wildlife rangers on Friday hunted for two lions who escaped from Nairobi’s national park and meandered into “highly populated” areas of the Kenyan capital. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) issued an appeal, “for help to get two lionesses that strayed from the Nairobi National Park.” Armed rangers, as well as KWS vets with dart guns, s

Nigerian Pilot Set to Tour the World on a Solo Flight

Project Transcend (1Man, 1Plane, 1 World) ‎the first ever solo flight round the world by an African originating and terminating in Africa is set to kick off in ‎April in Lagos.‎ ‎‎ Transcend is a project powered by the relentless motivation, determination and fearlessness of a group of private sector professionals, whose passion is fuelled by vision and ambition‎ The project aims to inspire Africans to begin to conceive a world without borders and to transform the African narrative whilst shattering all stereotypes. This historic flight will be piloted by Mr Ademilola Odujinrin. ‎ In 2010, ademilola cycled some 3200km from Morocco (Africa) to London (England) in just 17days. His interest in flying developed from a very young age. At age 7 year, Lola started accompanying his uncle who was a commercial pilot on his many trips at a time when sitting in the cockpit was not an ‘’issue’’. This experience grew into a desire by a young Lola to fly around the world. In 1999,

Gov. Ahmed Urges Airline Operators to Employ More Nigerian trained Pilots

Kwara Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed has called on aviation operators in Nigeria to employ more locally trained pilots. The governor made the called on Thursday at the launching of helicopter training at the International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin. The helicopter training was in partnership with Nigerian Navy that donated two XAB206 Helicopters to its training fleet. According to the governor, IAC has training facilities, structures and personnel capable of training world class pilots. He added that the growing reputation of IAC as a Centre of Excellence in aviation industry has manifested in its partnership with various organisations, especially the Nigerian Navy and Air force. “It is on record that IAC, Ilorin trained 25 cadets of the Nigeria Air Force in 2014, while several states and foreign governments have indicated interest in sponsoring students training in the college”, he said. The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, in a messa

Foreigner Supports#BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira movement by flying Arik, commends Ben Bruce

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Oyibo man supports #BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira movement by flying Arik, commends Ben Bruce Michael Moszynki, CEO and founder of a UK Advertising agency shared a photo of him on an Arik international plane. "I'm flying Arik to support #BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira and I am not Nigerian but I love Nigeria. Welldone @Benmurraybruce" The man whose twitter account says he is based in London, added: "Wouldn't it be a good idea to set up a national Made in Nigeria Awards to celebrate the best locally made products"  Source:www.lindaikejisblog.com