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Tag: domestic

  • Nigeria’s domestic, external debts hit N87tr

    Nigeria’s domestic, external debts hit N87tr

    • Lagos tops debtors list From John Ofikhenua, Abuja

    The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday said Nigeria’s external and domestic total debt profile hit N87.91 trillion in the third quarter (Q3) of this year.

    Its document entitled: “Nigerian Domestic and Foreign Debt Q3 2023),” noted that it was an indication of a growth rate of 0.61per cent  quarterly.

    “Public debt stock, which includes external and domestic debt, stood at N87.91 trillion ($114.35 billion) in Q3 2023 from N87.38 trillion ($ 113.42 billion) in Q2 2023, indicating a growth rate of 0.61per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis,” NBS said.

    NBS also noted that the total external debt stood at N31.98 trillion ($41.59 billion) in Q3 2023, while total domestic debt was N55.93 trillion ($72.76 billion).

    Read Also: Akeredolu was a patriot, Mimiko mourns

    According to the report, the share of the external debt (in naira value) to total public debt was 36.38per cent during the period under review while the share of domestic debt (in naira value) to total public debt stood at 63.62per cent.

    NBS document showed that Lagos topped the lists of states with the highest debt profile of N960.50 billion.

    Lagos was followed by Delta with N371.49 billion while Jigawa State recorded the lowest domestic debt of N42.89billion.

    NBS said: “Lagos State recorded the highest domestic debt in Q3 2023 with N960.50 billion, followed by Delta with N371.49 billion.

    “Jigawa State recorded the lowest domestic debt with N42.89 billion, followed by Kebbi with N60.88 billion.”

  • NAHCO inks deal with domestic, international carriers

    Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Aviance Plc has signed series of new contracts with some domestic and international carriers.

    Manager, Communication and Corporate Services, Tayo Ajakaye who disclosed this at the weekend, said the new signings by the ground handling company covers services to Max Air, Medview Airlines, FlyNas Airlines, Air Peace, Aero World and Rwand Air.

    According to him, the service to Max Air by NAHCO Aviance covers ground operations for smooth domestic flights from Lagos and Kano.

    NAHCO Aviance, he said, is providing handling of Hajj operations to Medview Airlines.

    Besides the signing of new business contracts, the ground handling company also released results for half year, posting a turnover of N4.64 billion against the N3.71 billion  posted same period last year.

    The results showed a 25 percent increase over the same period in 2017.

    According to Ajakaye, Profit before tax stood at N500.97 million as against N203.08 million as at half year 2017, a 147 percent increase over last year.

    Speaking on the strides by the company, the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Idris Yakubu, said it is a result of growing faith in the new management that has superintended its affairs.

    Yakubu further stated shareholders should look forward to sustained profit performance at year end on the back of the strong showing of the first half of 2018.

     

  • How Lagos is tackling domestic, sexual violence

    How Lagos is tackling domestic, sexual violence

    Domestic and sexual violence are twin societal vices that have ravaged humanity since the beginning of time. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, they have become increasingly more regular and widespread. The consequences, which include physical, psychological, social and health risk factors are quite devastating for both the victims and their loved ones. Available recent statistics show that -one  in three women and one  in four men experience violence from their partners in their lifetimes.

    One in three teens experience sexual or physical abuse or threats from a boyfriend or girlfriend in one year. One in five women are survivors of rape. One in two women and one  in five men have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lives. One  in four women and one in six men were sexually abused before the age of 18.

    Global and national efforts have been made at different times to tackle this menace, with minimal, but encouraging result. With specific reference to Lagos State, the trail blazer in pursuit of excellence at different fronts, various policies and laws have been put in place to provide an enabling environment for the prevention and cure of domestic and sexual violence in the state.

    One of the most recent efforts was the establishment of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) in September 2014. The team’s goal is to increase victim safety and offender responsibility by providing a cross jurisdictional approach in the handling of rape, domestic violence and child abuse cases.

    In the past three years of its existence, the DSVRT, working in collaboration with the Lagos State government and relevant non-governmental organisations, has, through its activities, not only achieved an increased reporting of domestic and sexual violence cases, but has provided succour and redress to many victims and seen to an appreciable reduction in cases of domestic and sexual violence in Lagos State.

    In a bid to share its experiences and success stories, the DSVRT has published this resource tool, which qualifies as a best practice tool for other stakeholders and responder teams within and outside the Lagos jurisdiction. This is a commendable step. It is an indication of the selfless outlook of the DSVRT towards resolving the problem of domestic and sexual violence beyond the boundaries of Lagos State.

    Overcoming Sexual and Gender-Based Violence:The Lagos State Experience, Lagos State Experience, a 143-paged resource tool, unravels Lagos State’s approach to confronting domestic and sexual violence, the various challenges faced and the innovative, but practical solutions employed to tackle the issues from the root. It contains 11 chapters, written by experts in the relevant field.

    Understanding the ideology of sexual abuse and domestic violence in Africa is key to resolving the problem. Adults are generally ignorant of the great potentials of children; they merely take a mental notice of them without a corresponding actual notice. For example, domestic violence is rooted in the culture that promotes marriage based on marriageable age rather than maturity in character, self-leadership and self-discipline. By implication, it is the peoples’ cultural values that get married and not the couple.

    The culture of silence compounds the problem, resulting in a near total  neglect, especially of children and their well-being. The solution to both sexual abuse of children and domestic violence lies in change of peoples’ orientation. Consequently, any strategy for the successful implementation of ideas regarding domestic and sexual violence must take the culture factor into consideration. One needs to read TaiwoAkinlami’s thoughtful contribution in Chapter one to fully appreciate these problems and his suggested solutions.

    Of course, there is also a psychology of domestic and sexual violence; and there are plethora of theories – developmental, feminist and self-control. There are also theories underpinning the perpetrator’s reason for victims’ abuse, among them attachment, social learning and cognitive behavioural theories.

    Whatever the theory, gender-based violence affects survivors in a variety of ways, including depression and suicidal ideations.Its impact on the child include its negative effect on the cognitive, emotional and social development. Olive Ogedengbe interrogates these issues in her rich contribution in Chapter Two, though she failed to prescribe possible solutions to the problems she outlined.

    The role of religion in addressing the menace of sexual and gender-based violence is critical. Both the Bible and Koran strongly condemn all ramifications of sexual and gender based violence as they absolutely oppose God’s plan for families. God expects couples to live in love and mutual respect for each other and to care for and properly raise their children in the confines of a loving family.

    The Church and Mosque have a responsibility to prevent the problem of sexual and gender based violence by, among other things, teaching the adherents of their faith the values and rewards of good behaviour as well as the consequences of bad behaviour as enunciated in the Bible and Koran respectively. Where cases of sexual and gender based violence occur, they should provide adequate therapy and counselling for victims. These and more are the perspectives of Pastor Fredrick Thomas and Alhaji Imam Luqman in Chapter three, which though well presented, generally assumed that domestic violence occurs only to women.

    Although SGBV is a criminal offence which is currently being addressed by the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015, a more holistic approach is required since it is not all matters of sexual and domestic violence that deserve the hammer of the law. Research has shown that many perpetrators of domestic and sexual violence have often, as children, been victims or witnesses of such acts. This, in turn, has had such negative psychological effect on such children who have now grown to be a perpetrators themselves. Such children need help, not punishment. The adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), which focuses on restorative justice, as is now being done in jurisdictions such as Australia and Canada will better serve the interest of this class of perpetrators. The direct on point and very well written contribution of Mrs. Omotilewa Ibirogba in Chapter Four fully encapsulates this viewpoint.

    Policy and law are basic tools for addressing societal vices. Lagos State has characteristically deployed these tools in addressing the menace of SGBV. Chapter five of the book outlines these relevant tools and their positive impact on the resolution of SGBV in the State.

    Beyond law and policy, effective resolution of endemic vices often requires co-ordinated effort. Recognising this fact, the Lagos State government in 2014 set up the DSVRT, a collection of professional service providers and officials that respond essentially as a group to the various needs of domestic and sexual survivors in a judicious manner. The main goal DSVRT is “to encourage and create unprecedented levels of collaboration among professionals working to end gender and sexual based violence in Lagos State. In Chapter Six of the book, TitilolaVivourAdeniyi outlines the team’s vision, mission and core values as well as the roles of its wide ranging collaborating responder agencies, in addition to some success stories of the team. In a world where individualism and personal egoism hold sway, even among professional bodies and organs, which has been the bane of countless lofty ideas, this is a refreshing move.

    The DSVRT, in addressing the menace of SGBV in Lagos State, adopts a three-pronged approach – the provision of medical services; awareness and sensitisation; and quick dispensation of justice. In doing this, the team has encountered various challenges to which it has developed innovative solutions. These challenges and strategic interventions of the team are explored in details in Chapter 10 of the book. Having travelled this uncharted and challenging, but fulfilling route, the DSVRT looks into the future with a projection of its expected achievements in the next two years as a way of institutionalising its reform effort in the fight against SGBV in the closing Chapter, 11.

    The book ends with an appendix of Survivors Stories/Memoirs, graphic trends in domestic violence and worrisome current statistics on domestic and sexual violence in the various local governments and LCDAs of  Lagos State. Apposite recommendations are equally made, based on the overall analysis of the report findings.

     

    • Dr. Udombana is a Senior Research Fellow & Head, Continuing Legal Education and Consultancy, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS).

  • Police quiz three cops, domestic staff over robbery in senator’s home

    Operatives of the Delta Police Command have arrested three policemen and three domestic staff over a robbery incident in Senator Peter Nwaboshi’s home.

    Senator Peter Nwaboshi represents Delta North Senatorial District in the NASS.

    The Nation gathered that the robber stormed the lawmaker’s home carting away an undisclosed amount of money, jewelry, laptops, clothes and other valuables.

    It was gathered that the robbers operated for over two hours before neighbours shot into the air to scare the robbers away.

    The Nation gathered that while the robbery lasted none of the policemen on guard duty were present.

    Police spokesman, Andrew Aniamaka confirmed the incident, saying:

    “The officers were quizzed for abandoning their duty post, it is a departmental exercise and way of investigating the crime. We have arrested many persons, we are investigating and at the end of the day, the truth will be out and those behind the attack will be brought to book.”

  • NNPC refineries meet 60% domestic kerosene consumption

    NNPC refineries meet 60% domestic kerosene consumption

    •House committee slams high cost of product

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) three refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna now supply 60 per cent of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), popularly known as kerosene, consumed in the country, it was learnt yesterday.

    The announcement is coming ahead of the 2019 target date for the cessation of petroleum products importation by the Federal Government.

    Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru said this at a two-day Investigative Public Hearing of the House of Representative Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream).

    The committee was mandated to, among other things, work out a clear cut policy framework on deregulation of kerosene to avert the challenges faced by the masses in procuring the product; arrest the resurgence of kerosene explosion with attendant fatalities and investigate the disappearance of N11 billion worth of petroleum product belonging to the NNPC.

    According to Baru, the corporation’s refineries were producing five million liters of kerosene daily representing more than 60 per cent of the national daily consumption requirement of eight million litres.

    The GMD, who was represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Downstream, Mr. Henry Ikem Obih, said the balance of three million litres of the product was being imported by private petroleum products marketers.

    He noted that kerosene and other petroleum products supplied by the corporation were of high quality and meet safety standards.

    The corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, who made this known in a statement quoted him as saying that “the NNPC ensures that the entire refining output in Nigeria through its refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna and any products imported by it to make up for market supply-shortfalls meet the specifications of the Nigerian Institute of Standard (NIS) and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON)”.

    The Committee Chairman, Joseph Akinlaja, stated that the committee was deeply concerned about high cost of kerosene in the market as well as incessant explosion due to adulteration.

    He said the committee will ensure it achieved its mandate.

  • NTDC develops roadmap to boost domestic tourism

    The Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has developed a roadmap to promote tourism assets.

    A unique brand logo will be used as a marketing tool.

    Speaking with reporters in Abuja at the weekend,the Director-General of the NTDC, Mr Folorunsho Folarin-Coker, said: “The brand is an ambitious attempt at promoting tourism in Nigeria that aims to shape the narrative on Nigeria as a major destination for tourism, hospitality, arts and entertainment in Africa.”

    He said the roadmap would showcase the vibrant and friendly energy of Nigerians through different creative expressions,leverage on the abundant soft power to celebrate Nigeria’s heritage and promote the natural and cultural tourism assets, destinations and people.

    According to Coker, the “Tour Nigeria” brand was conceived to drive domestic consumption of Nigeria’s tourism products, create new tourism markets, add to the nation’s GDP, create employment, and increase spending in the economy.

    “We are proudly the most populous black nation on Earth,home to the second largest film industry on the globe whilst also being the fashon, technological and creative hub in Africa,” he said

    To drive the initiative, a strategic five-point action plan with the acronym CHIEF was concieved. CHIEF represents Corporate Governance & Regulations; Human Capital Development; Infrastructural Development; Events and Marketing; and Finance & Investment.

    He said the key components to tourism such as travel,accommodation, hospitality and entertainment would be explored with airlines,hotels, car hire services, tour operators and others to bring out affordable package tours to encourage Nigerians to tour Nigeria.

  • Foreign policy in the service of domestic agenda

    Diplomacy as an art of inter-state relations started in medieval Europe when younger members of the royalty who did not have an appetite for soldiering found a calling in diplomacy  by representing the various crowned heads of European countries in each other’s courts. Since then, recruitment into the diplomatic corps has gone beyond royalty but the tradition of its roots still prevail in the ceremonies surrounding diplomatic posting, reception, departure and even the way diplomatic expressions and communication are couched. This is why up till today, ambassadors and high commissioners are addressed as excellencies as if they were heads of government.

    Technically speaking, heads of diplomatic missions represent not their countries but their heads of state. In other words foreign policy is the preserve of the heads of state. Foreign ministers, ambassadors and others serve as aids to the heads of state in the formulation and execution of a country’s foreign policy. Because of this personal nature of a country’s foreign policy, the head of state can manipulate a country’s foreign policy to suit particular interests sometimes not absolutely related to his country’s interest. This scenario is however rare. When there are problems at home, a country’s President or Prime Minister can divert domestic attention abroad and when such policies abroad are successful, it would bring glory to the country and pressure on government would be reduced.

    During the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty in France after the regicide of the French Revolution and the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte,  the shaky  Bourbon regime employed the search for glory abroad to divert French  attention from the failure and inadequacy of the regime at home by embarking on an African empire in Algeria. This policy associated with the France’s foreign minister, Prince Auguste Jules de Polignac only succeeded to a point before the reality of the failure of domestic policy led to the undoing of the regime and its eventual removal thus ending a regime that had lasted for hundreds of years. This failure of the French experiment has however not decoupled foreign policy from its use to serve domestic politics. This tendency became apparent during the period of Britain’s paramountcy in the world during the 19th century. The use of foreign policy especially what has gone down into history as gun boat diplomacy was particularly effective when the British shelled some Greek ports over a minor incident but blew up the incident to celebrate British power. The mid nineteenth century which was the age of European jingoism and imperialism was captured by the British Prime Minister Sir John Palmerston’s statement following the abuse of one Don Pacifico, a Portuguese of British nationality in   Greece in 1850.  He said “just like the Romans of old could say civis Romanus sum and expect the might of the Roman army to protect him, so should a Briton be able to say civis   Britanicus  sum and expect the long arm of the British navy to protect him”. Another example from England was when the Jewish prime minister of Great Britain Benjamin Disraeli declared queen Victoria Empress of India in 1877 in a move to pander to the vanity of the British people so that they could forget or ignore growing social problems and inequality in the country . All these preambles are done to give the idea that using foreign policy to serve domestic ends has a long history behind it .

    In recent times of the American century, every new American president has always found foreign intervention or foray into other peoples’ countries to be useful in announcing that a new sheriff is in town. From Truman to Trump, one can mention a few incidents of American demonstration of power and will in foreign policy. From the Korean War of 1953 when  Harry Truman intervened to stop the communist take-over of the Korean Peninsula, to   Dwight  David  Eisenhower’s interventions in  Iran, Guatemala and other South American countries under the so-called  policy of containment of communism. Kennedy’s policy of alliance for progress led to meddling in many South American countries with eventual unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba and the mission creep in Vietnam, Lyndon Johnson’s full scale war in Vietnam and Richard Nixon’s extension of the Vietnam war to Laos and Cambodia. Even the apparently pacific natured Jimmy Carter had his debacle in Iran while Ronald Reagan had his hands full by bombing Libya, driving out of power of Noriega in Panama, invasion of the Caribbean island of Grenada. Bush senior drove out the Iraqis out of Kuwait while Clinton went after Al Qaeda by bombing Sudan and getting rid of the Serbian dictator   Miloshevic while the younger Bush fought full scale wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and changing regimes at will.

    Obama while not starting his own wars expanded  the Bush wars before winding them down in Iraq and Afghanistan while the new Donald Trump regime felt compelled to flex his muscles by unleashing cruise missiles on Syria to demonstrate what he calls a strategy of peace through strength. The Trump administration facing all kinds of probes at home in connection with his presidential campaign’s alleged collusion with Russia may constantly have to call on foreign policy to salvage his regime at home.  Russia since the disintegration of the Soviet Union has felt compelled to defend what their leaders call “Russia abroad” meaning defending the millions of Russians in the remaining 14 republics into which the Soviet Union broke into. Its dismembering of Georgia and annexation of Crimea from Ukraine were actions taken to assuage Russian nationalist feelings following the loss of its empire and to cover increasing economic problems at home. His Syrian involvement is to demonstrate nationalistic feeling of Russia still remaining a global player in world politics. The point being made here is that when a country is faced with challenges at home and decides to embark on some foreign activities abroad, its people would normally rally round the leader. The caveat is that such an adventure must be brief and successful. If it is too long, people will become disaffected and wearied. This practice of foreign relations being called to assist a government at home is not limited to big powers alone; even countries in the global power peripheries also indulge in it. The examples of Turkey fighting the Greeks over Cyprus or India fighting Pakistan over Kashmir or Ethiopia intervening in Somalia come to mind. In these days when soccer in particular has replaced military competition, people become patriotic supporters of their teams and indeed El Salvador fought a brief war over soccer with neighbouring Honduras!

    Somebody recently asked me why Nigeria has suddenly become mute in international affairs. We have our problem of confronting our own local variant of international terrorism in Boko Haram. Nigeria used to help stabilize other African countries from Tanzania in the 1960s to assisting the liberation of Southern Africa and helping in extirpating the racist and odious regime of apartheid in South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. Our country was also the arrow head of ECOMOG that by and large, helped to pacify the terribly distressed countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and recently Guinea-Bissau and even Ivory Coast.  Nigeria sent troops to an international coalition to confront Al Qaeda in the Saharan nation of Mali. Recently, Nigeria provided leadership in forcing out the sit-tight Alhaji Yahyah  Yahmeh from his stranglehold on The Gambia. We have not tried to use these events to unify our people at home and to score political goals. Perhaps the largely successful Nigeria-led decolonization of Southern Africa leaves not much dramatic victories to be won. Our challenge is now economic development which rather than being dramatic can only be incremental  and sometimes imperceptible changes. Furthermore, the medical challenge facing our president presents a formidable challenge to activism abroad. This is because the presence of the president in inter-state relations can be most important and decisive. In spite of this challenge, the president has visited most countries in West Africa and also the critical countries of Niger, the Cameroon and Chad with which Nigeria is involved in the fight against Boko Haram.  It seems to me that Nigeria needs to emphasize more the international dimension of the Boko Haram conflict and therefore seek more international support and make more noise about fighting  on behalf of the international community because if Boko Haram is successful, it will have widespread ramifications in west and central Africa.

  • Domestic gas supply increases to 40%, says DPR

    Domestic gas supply increases to 40%, says DPR

    •Agency fines defaulters  

    Domestic Gas Supply Obligation (DSO), an initiative of the Federal Government to meet national demand, is achieving the desired result with the level of compliance by oil producing firms rising to 40 per cent this year, The Nation has learnt.

    Before now, the level of compliance by oil firms was very low. According to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), between 2008-2013, DSO compliance was about 23 per cent, by 2016 it rose to 38.18 per cent and currently stands at 40 per cent.

    DPR’s Deputy Director/Head, Upstream, Mrs. Pat Maseli, stated this at the 10th annual sub-Saharan Africa Oil and Gas conference holding in Houston, Texas.

    She said DSO was assigned annually to all gas producers, such as Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Agip, Total, Chevron, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU), Addax, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), and Pan Ocean Oil Company Limited (POOCL) pursuant to the National Domestic Gas Supply Obligation & Pricing Regulations 2008 to determine the gas demand or the national gas requirement annually and evaluate utilisation along the gas value chain, among others.

    Maseli noted that the Federal Government intervenes in several ways to ensure that national gas requirements are adequately met. Some of the interventions include the estabegy to facilitate orderly gas sector development, ensures integrated approach to maximise potential benefits and ensure sustained implementation, which is critical for actualisation

    Others are through legislative reforms, Domestic Gas Supply Obligation Regulation (DGSO) 2008, establishment of National Gas Policy (NGP) and Production Sharing Contract (PSC) gas terms, provision of guidelines for third party access to gas-at-flare-points, commercial framework reforms, transitional gas pricing to power and other sectors, world class contractual frameworks for supply, transmission and network access, World Bank revenue securitisation, gas aggregator to manage DGSO and price aggregation, infrastructure blueprint, provision of network of critical pipelines and three Central Processing Facilities (CPF), Network Code Implementation, Petroleum Industry Gas Bill (PIGB) and sanctions, which include imposition of penalties such  as $3.5 per 1000 standard cubic feet (scf) shortfall, among others.

    Apart from boosting domestic gas supply to meet national demand, Federal Government’s interventions were to ensure that as much as possible is utilised to reduce flaring.

    According to a report on global gas flaring in 2015 by the World Bank led Global Gas Flaring Reduction (GGFR), Nigeria ranks seventh in the world having flared about 8billion cubic meters of gas in 2015.

    The GGFR report stated that within the period under review, Russia topped the global flaring with 20billion cubic meters of flared gas followed by Iraq with 16bilion cubic meters, Iran 12billion, United States 11billion, Venezuela and Algeria nine billion cubic meters each.

  • Mercy Aigbe bounces back after domestic violence fiasco

    Mercy Aigbe bounces back after domestic violence fiasco

    Popular Nollywood actress Mercy Aigbe Gentry who was recently beaten by her husband, seems to have bounced back.

    The mother of three whose battered face was published across the internet on Friday took to her Instagram to once again campaign against domestic violence just after she posted a brand new picture of herself.

    “Over to you Jehovah!” she wrote.

    “My dress of course from @mag_divas. Off to the shop!……. Expecting you guys, don’t forget special discount on today’s purchases. Happy new Month Fam”

    This is a departure from news which broke on Friday of the domestic violence she suffered from her husband.

    According to a radiology report purportedly issued by the St. Solomon Health Care Limited and posted online by an online publication, Mercy had a CT scan which confirmed that she did have a fracture following her claims of domestic violence meted out on her by her husband.

    Meanwhile, Mercy’s husband, Lanre Gentry, who owns La Veronique hotel, Oregun, Lagos, has denied that he beat Mercy, saying he did not lay a finger on his wife as he loves her.

    However, an Instagram user, Tibeju Olatunde, with the handle, iamolaandrew, hinted that contrary to Mercy’s claim that she is the second wife of Lanre Gentry, she is the fourth woman to have achild for the American returnee.

    “How can she be the second wife when she is the fourth to bear children for him?” iamolaandrew asked.

    “He has children from different women and when Mercy had Juwon, Lanre called all his baby mamas that they should bring all his children to come and live under same roof with one another in his house but those women declined.”

    But the user corroborated that it is Lanre’s recent involvement with a lady called Opemititi that has disrupted the couple’s marriage.

    “One of the reasons that caused fracas in his marriage to Mercy was infidelity from his part,” iamolaandrew wrote.

    “It was gathered and alleged that Lanre was dating Opemititi, a young lady, who lives in Abeokuta but comes to Lagos regularly. The lady also known as “Queen Stunner” was said to be very close to Mercy and visited her at home. There are allegations that the estranged husband of Mercy is having an affair with Opemititi. For now, Mercy is said to have been separated from Lanre and moved out of the home.”

  • AON: multiple charges, unfair taxes killing domestic airlines

    Domestic airlines under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) yesterday lamented what they described as “multiple and unfair taxes” inflicted on indigenous carriers.

    The operators said such taxes were stifling their airlines and might soon kill them.

    AON Chairman Captain Nogie Meggison, who spoke at the weekend, alleged that domestic airlines had become cheap targets for government agencies.

    Such development, he said, has put additional burden on operators, thus providing the reason why 27 airlines have died in the last 25 years. If domestic airlines must survive, Meggison canvassed harmonisation of the charges by aviation agencies into a one-stop payment shop.

    He canvassed a 10-year tax holiday for domestic carriers.

    The AON Chairman appealed to the government to urgently review taxes, including Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), en-route navigational charges, Value Added Tax (VAT), passenger service charge, charter sales charge, aircraft inspection fees, simulator inspection fees, landing charges, parking charges, terminal navigational charge, fuel surcharge, airport space rent, electricity charges and apron pass, ramp access charges and others to enable them in business.

    Meggison wondered why government would charge domestic carriers VAT and other modes of transportation are excluded.

    The Civil Aviation Act of 2006 (Part 18.12.3) requires that the NCAA regulates civil aviation and the charges imposed by civil aviation authorities and agencies.

    Such charges, Meggison said ought to be approved and reviewed periodically in consultation with stakeholders.

    The NCAA policy, Megginson said is not being adhered to as airlines are saddled with charges without any form of consultation whatsoever.