Category: Featured

By Bola Olajuwon, Kelvin Osa Okunbor and Faith Yahaya, Abuja

Omicron, the new variant of COVID-19 pandemic, is taking its toll on the aviation sector in the country.

Due to the global alert, measures by the United Kingdom, United States and Canada to curtail its spread have drastically affected international flight schedules, thereby creating discomfort for passengers.

Yesterday, many UK- bound passengers were stranded at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Shortly after the flight cancellation, the British High Commission announced its decision to put on hold visitor visa applications from red list countries, including Nigeria.

The commission however, explained that from 4 am today, only British and Irish nationals and residents travelling from Nigeria would be allowed into the country.

The commission also said they must isolate in a government-managed quarantine hotel.

However, the Federal Government expressed displeasure at its red listing by the United Kingdom government.

Canada also introduced new guidelines, including the rejection of results of molecular COVID-19 tests done in Nigeria and nine other African countries.

The U.S. said air passengers boarding a flight from a foreign country to any of its airports must get a COVID-19 viral test, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship, no more than one day before travel.

Virgin and British Airways are the biggest airlines carrying passengers on the Nigeria-London route. They carry on daily basis between 250 to 300n passengers daily.

A return ticket on any of the airline costs about N1 million, especially at this period of the year when not a few Nigerians had planned to reunite with their loved ones during the yuletide.

The flight suspension will lead to huge economic loss to the airlines should the restriction is sustained.

Nigeria, which had recorded three Omicron cases as of yesterday, had on Friday unveiled modified travel guidelines. The United Kingdom has recorded   86  cases of the new variant while in the   US, 15 states are said to have also been hit.

Travel chiefs are however, furious over the new restrictions.

Although, British Airways (BA) did not operate its inbound flight from London to Lagos, it announced yesterday the cancellation of flights from Lagos into London Heathrow, citing operational reasons

Read Also: PHOTOS: Passengers stranded as British Airways cancels flights in, out of Nigeria

Sources at the MMIA told The Nation that it had to do with the implementation of the travel ban by UK authorities.

Many passengers who had turned up at the airport for check-in procedures were disappointed as the BA counters were virtually empty.

Some workers informed the distraught passengers that the flight into the UK had been rescheduled.

Some passengers who sought clarification for the sudden twist of events were handed flyers signed by the BA Customer Service Duty Manager, Nwanorue Alexander.

One of the flyers received by The Nation reads: “We would like to inform you of a change to the departure time of your flight BA 074 on December 5, 2021, to London Heathrow. We have had to make this adjustment to our schedule due to operational reasons…

“We are sorry for the change to your travel plans. Please, be rest assured that we will do everything we can to help.If you need additional help, please, speak to a member of our team at Lagos Airport.”

An immigration source attributed the glitch in travel to the new rules set by the UK government for admitting other nations into the country.

Scores of passengers at the airport expressed displeasure over the development, saying it would force them to review their travel plans.

There were however, long queues of passengers travelling out of the country through Turkish Airlines, African World Airlines, Air France, Qatar Airways, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines.

In Abuja, passengers who also stormed the NAIA were left dejected.

An official of the airport blamed it on overbooking.

He said: “They said the rules will take effect from tomorrow (today). So, some people wanted to beat the deadline by going today (yesterday), but BA could not take all of them. So, there are a lot of them that they could not take and that is why they are stranded.”

Another official in the security department said: “Most of them are stranded because the flight they booked was overbooked and the airline had to give preference to those who booked them first.

“Some people stormed the airport to change their travel plans because the new travel protocol from the UK is unfortunately not in favour of Nigerians.

“The protocol is expected to take effect from Monday(today) and in a bid to beat the protocol, we noticed people rushed to the airport in an attempt to reschedule their flight for Sunday(yesterday) but the airline was overbooked and it could not carry beyond its capacity.

“So, the rush witnessed at the airport is because people don’t want to be caught in the web of the new protocol introduced by the UK  due to the new COVID-19 Omicron variant.”

In a statement yesterday, the British High Commission said the suspension of processing visitor visa applications in Nigeria will continue until the travel ban is lifted.

The  statement reads:”To support the UK Government’s aim to protect public health from COVID-19 and associated variants of concern (VOC), UK Visas and  Immigration (UKVI) will pause making decisions on visitor visa applications in all red list countries, including Nigeria until travel restrictions are lifted

“Visit visas cover travel to the UK for tourism, visiting family and friends, undertaking short-term business activities (for example, attending meetings), undertaking short-term studies (under 6 months), taking part in research or exchange programmes as an academic, medical reason (for example, receiving private medical treatment).

“If you apply for a visit visa in a red list country and you meet the UK Immigration Rules, your application will be paused. You will not receive a decision on your visit visa application whilst red list travel restrictions remain in place.

“You will not be able to request a refund of your visa fee once you have given your biometrics at a Visa Application Centre (VAC). If you already hold a valid visit visa and are intending to travel to England as a visitor from a red list country, you will not be allowed to enter.

“Separate guidance is available for travellers entering Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Use https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-list-of-countries-and-territories.”

The commission also said visas or entry permits from red list countries will only be issued where there are compelling and compassionate circumstances.

It added: “There are only very limited exemptions to travel and entry requirements for critical workers and medical and compassionate cases,” the statement reads.

“If you have submitted a visit visa application and you do not wish to withdraw, we will continue to hold your application.

“If you choose to continue with your visa application, you will not

The Supreme Court will on December 7 deliver judgment in the case filed by the 36 state governments against the Federal Government over the dispute on the funding of superior courts in the states and the legality of the Executive Order 10 issued by President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was learnt on Sunday that parties have since been issued notices by the court’s Registry informing them about the planned judgment.

The states filed the suit in the name of their Attorneys General, with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), who is representing the Federal Government, is listed as the sole defendant.

On October 4 this year, a seven-member panel of the court, led by Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad had, after taking final submissions from lawyers to parties and the five amici curiae invited, announced that judgment was reserved till a date to be communicated to parties.

While the states are contending, among others, that it is the responsibility to the Federal Government to bear the capital and recurrent expenditure of all courts created under Section 6 of the Constitution, the Federal Government thinks otherwise.

The states, who are the plaintiffs, equally want the court to void the Executive Order 10 issued by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020 on the funding of the Judiciary, particularly at the state level.

Read Also: Buhari ill-advised on Executive order 10 – NGF

The plaintiffs argued that the Executive Order 10 violates  sections 6 and 8(3) Constitution, which they claimed, makes it the responsibility of the Federal Government to fund the  courts created by Section 6 of the Constitution.

The states are arguing that the Executive Order 10 had pushed the funding of capital and recurrent expenditures of the courts named in the Constitution, including State High Courts, Sharia Court of Appeal, and the Customary Court of Appeal, from the Federal Government to them (state governments).

They also want a refund of about N66 billion, being the estimate of what they claimed to have expended in funding superior courts in their state.

Arguing the plaintiffs’ case on October 4, their lawyer, Augustine Alegeh (SAN) stated that the current practice where the Federal Government has limited itself to funding only the recurrent expenditure of superior courts in states was a violation of the Constitution.

Alegeh argued that since the salaries, remuneration and allowances of judges were already charged in the Consolidated Fund of the Federation, they do not form part of the annual appropriation (budget), which should cover the capital expenditure of the federal courts and superior courts in the various states.

He urged the court to discountenance the defendant’s objection to the competence of the suit and the court’s jurisdiction to hear it.

Alegeh also prayed the court to grant the nine reliefs the plaintiffs sought in the case.

Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige will today review the implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed by the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The minister’s move is to avert another round of disruptions in academic activities in public varsities.

“I will find out from the Accountant-General’s office and the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning tomorrow (today),” Dr. Ngige told The Nation last night.

Ngige’s plan came as the leadership of the ASUU was locked in a meeting last night over alleged failure of the Federal Government to meet its demands.

ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke said the leadership of the union was in a marathon meeting to review the implementation of the various interventions reached with the Federal Government.

Osodeke said only funds for the revitalisation of public universities have been partially addressed by the government, following the 21-day ultimatum issued by the union.

The three-week ultimatum, issued on November 15, 2021, ends today.

The ASUU leader confirmed that part of the needs assessment funds have been released to the universities.

Speaking earlier on a Channels Television programme: Politics Today, he said the grievances of the university lecturers would be addressed in the next two weeks.

The minister assured of the payment of the N30 billion revitalisation fund and N22.1 billion Earned Allowances before the expiration of the ultimatum to the university lecturers.

Read Also: NUPENG extends 14-day strike notice by seven days

An ASUU leader said the union will call a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting this week, following last night’s meeting to decide the next line of action.

The union leader said government was “pushing ASUU to embark on another round of industrial action” with its “lackadaisical attitude towards its demands.”

Osodoke said: “Government has not done its part. Of all the issues, it is only one they have done half way. And this is the needs assessment (revitalisation funds) where they have released some money to the universities. But other issues they have not done.

“All our attempts to get in touch with them have all been rebuffed; no contact.

“All these will be discussed at our meeting and what we will do next will be decided at the end of the meeting.”

On November 15, ASUU issued a three-week ultimatum to meet its demands or risk a fresh shutdown of public universities.

The union had accused the government of not implementing the Memorandum of Action signed in December 2020, which led to the suspension of its nine month old strike last year.

Some of the demands of ASUU include: non release of N30 billion funds for the revitalisation of public universities, non-release of N22.1 billion earned academic allowances (EAA); non-payment of outstanding promotion arrears; lack of progress in the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement; inconsistency in Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) payment; and slow pace in the deployment of University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), among others.

When contacted yesterday, the Ngige spoke of plans to take measures that will avert another industrial action in public varsities.

“I know that they have done the revitalisation.”

Troops have again been told to take the battle to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The fresh wake-up call from Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya followed a botched rocket attack on Maiduguri by terrorists at the weekend.

It was learnt that the insurgents had attempted to sneak into Maiduguri to overrun the Maiduguri International Airport.

They were however repelled by troops who restricted them to a village on the outskirts of the Borno State capital.

It was learnt that in annoyance, the insurgents fired rockets at anything on sight. Many of the insurgents were allegedly mauled down by troops.

As at press time, security had been beefed up in and around Maiduguri, a top military source said.

The source said: the Chief of Army Staff gave the order during a mop-up evaluation to key military chiefs in Borno State.

It said: “Our Army Chief has ordered us to beef up security in and around Maiduguri. He specifically directed that we should take the battle to ISWAP insurgents.

Read Also: ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists injure baby in attack on Maiduguri

“Henceforth, no retreat, no surrender, until we smoked them out from Sambisa Forest and their hidden enclaved.

“Gallant troops actually repelled, killed and fatally wounded many of the insurgents.”

Asked of what led to the invasion, the source said: “ISWAP has been angry that their key fighters have surrendered and they have been hurt by their dislodgment from Gwoza.

“From intelligence report, they sneaked into some villages on the outskirts of Maiduguri. They were suspected to have assembled in Duwari, a village close to Maiduguri.

The attack, PRNigeria learnt, was launched by ISWAP terrorists from Duwari, a village close to Maiduguri.

The source added: “We suspected that they plotted to overrun Maiduguri International Airport by targeting 1,000 Estate, and Ngomari Airport Road. They tried to claim a false assumption that they are still waxing stronger.

“If you are familiar with the tactics of the insurgents, they used to target strategic installations to boost their confidence. The vigilant troops however checkmated them. They got more than they bargained for.

“The security in and around Maiduguri has been enhanced in the last 12 hours. I can tell you that they are not in control of anywhere and they have not taken over Maiduguri.”