The Nation Newspaper

Tag: flight

  • Global carriers lose $60b annually to flight infractions

    Global carriers lose $60b annually to flight infractions

    Conflict arising from flight infractions including the activities of unruly passengers, poor airport infrastructure, delays and cancellations as well overlapping mandates of aeronautical agencies is causing global airlines, including carriers on Nigeria  to  lose an estimated $60 billion annually.

    Unruly passengers conduct and other infractions, which could trigger flight delay according to the  International Air Transport Association (IATA) , alone cost the industry approximately $30 billion annually.

    To mitigate the impact of such development on air travel, aeronautical agencies are scaling up measures by harmonising safety protocols and procedures for processing passengers, so as not to erode the confidence of air travel.

    Investigations by The Nation reveal that players in the ecosystem are ramping up efforts to reduce possible cause of conflict in the processes leading to organizing a flight.

    In Nigeria, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), gathered industry players to examine the impact of conflict in achieving safer air travel.

    Speaking on the development, former General Manager , Public Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Yakubu Dati called on regulators in the aviation sector to integrate conflict management frameworks into their safety oversight duties.

    Besides, he said training institutions should embed human relations and

     organisational psychology into aviation curricula.

    He also urged airlines to see investment in human factors and communication training as essential, not optional strategies to improve the overall business.

    According to Dati, in an era marked by increasing operational complexity, workforce diversity, and passenger expectations, the ability to navigate conflict by industry players will define the next frontier of aviation safety.

    Speaking further , Dati said effective management of conflicts could bring about reduced safety incidents and near misses as communication and coordination efforts get some improvement.

    He said effective management of conflict could also bring about enhanced crew morale and psychological well-being as well as better decision-making under pressure.

    Dati said : “Stronger organisational safety culture, characterised by openness, accountability and continuous improvement is essential for the ecosystem.

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    “ In essence, conflict resolution and aviation safety are two sides of the same coin; one cannot flourish without the other.”

     To build safer skies, Dati said : “ We must strengthen our institutional capacity to manage conflicts at all levels. This involves Promoting open communication. Encourage a culture where safety concerns can be raised without fear of retribution. Transparency and dialogue build trust.

    “ Aviation personnel, whether pilots, engineers, or managers, should receive training in negotiation, mediation, and emotional intelligence. Leadership by example: Safety leadership requires humility, empathy, and fairness. Leaders must model calmness in conflict situations and guide their teams toward solutions rather than blame.

    He said : “ Aviation, by its very nature, is a complex system that relies on precision, coordination, and human cooperation. Yet, beneath the technological sophistication of our aircraft and the rigour of our safety standards lies one fundamental truth: conflict is inevitable where human interaction exists. What truly matters is not the presence of conflict, but how we manage and navigate it to enhance safety, efficiency, and trust within the aviation ecosystem.

    Giving further insight on the matter , Dati said : “In Africa, and particularly in Nigeria, challenges such as industrial strikes, inter-agency rivalry, resource mismanagement, and infrastructural deficits further highlight the importance of conflict management strategies in promoting aviation safety and sustainability.

    “The aviation industry in Nigeria has experienced a significant increase in incidents involving unruly passengers over the past decade, posing serious challenges to operational efficiency and, at times, compromising aviation safety. The International Air Transport Association (IATA, 2024) reports that disruptive passenger events now occur at a rate of 1 in every 568 flights, with verbal abuse, intoxication, and non-compliance among the leading causes.

    The former FAAN spokesperson said : “Therefore, navigating conflict for a safer aviation industry involves not only addressing existing disputes but also developing institutional frameworks, leadership capacities, and communication structures that promote a culture of safety, trust, and collaboration.

     “Understanding how conflicts affect aviation operations and exploring strategies for mitigating them is vital for ensuring a secure, efficient, and resilient air transport system capable of supporting global and national development goals.’

    Also speaking, President, Topbrass Aviation, Captain Roland Iyayi urged aviation authorities to fix challenges of inadequate infrastructure and provide the requisite training for personnel to enable them handle conflict arising from flight activities.

    Iyayi  said fixing such identified gaps will put players in the best position proactively to handle conflict situations.

  • Local carriers lose N15b annually to flight delays

    Local carriers lose N15b annually to flight delays

    The chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Peace Limited, Dr Allen Onyema has attributed passengers’ behaviour as one of the factors responsible for flight delays in Nigeria. 

    He said the trend has occasioned huge financial losses to local  airlines and the entire industry estimated at  N15 billion annually.

    He disclosed this in an interview in Lagos at the weekend.

    Dr. Onyema, quoting the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), said airlines contribute little to the cause of flight delays, but in Nigeria, besides weather, Very Important Persons (VIP)  Movement and technucal factors (Aircraft on Ground (AOG), passenger behaviour constitute  major cause of delays and cancelled flights.

    He said this is because, Nigerian travellers have not embraced the culture of rescheduling when flights are cancelled, a policy that follows international standards and recommended practices.

    He said the insistence of passengers whose flights are cancelled to be airlifted first the following day gives rise to disruption of flights, which snowballs into weeks of delays and cancellations.

    Onyema explained that airlines schedule the number of flights that must be operated by each aircraft but when a previous flight is cancelled passengers’ insistence that they must be airlifted first before the airline operates its normal schedule disrupts flight operations and emphasized that what passengers whose airlines are cancelled is to reschedule their flights in accordance to the existing airline schedule.

    In doing so, Onyema said subsequent flights will not be disrupted, delays and cancellations will drastically minimize and insisted that this is the system that is operated in other parts of the world, except in Nigeria.

    He said: “Let me tell you why delays and cancellations will persist in this country. Number one, apart from safety, apart from security, apart from weather and other issues, is unruly passenger behavior, a misunderstanding of how airlines’ scheduled operations are supposed to be run, is major cause of flight delays.

    “When weather is the cause of the delay or leads to cancellation at the end of the day, it is not the business of the airline to fly the passenger whose flight was cancelled first thing the next morning, no. All over the world, aviation is the same worldwide. The convention is, the passenger is expected to reschedule to the next available date. That is how it is done. 

    “In Nigeria, you want to fly, and you have three hours delay because of weather. And the time weather clears, you want to go in, and there is airport closure, because most of the airport don’t run at night. And the passenger will tell you, even though you put us in hotel, we will be the first ones to fly in the morning. It is not done like that, you reschedule to the next available date, because it is called scheduled flight operations,” Onyema explained.

    He said that what happens is that in Nigeria, in the morning, those ones that could not fly the previous day will be the first people you are going to fly and when you do this, you have disrupted the schedule of that morning.

    “Each aircraft does about six to eight flights a day; so, it is not only one disruption; you are talking about massive eight flights disrupted for that day. I will give you an example, the other day we were flying into Warri, we could not land because of weather. 

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    “The pilot hovered for about 15 minutes, but for safety he diverted to Enugu because Benin was also covered by bad weather. They stayed on ground in Enugu for about an hour or two, then the weather cleared. the aircraft was fueled. The weather cleared for them to take off to Warri but the Warri airport was closed because it is a sunset airport. 

    “The pilot announced the closure of the airport because it is a sunset airport and said that the flight would return to base, which is Abuja. With that announcement there was pandemonium everywhere, as the passengers started protesting against that decision. They brought the aircraft down and the captain was almost crying. 

    “They kept that aircraft on ground in Enugu for four hours. They said we should put them in a hotel in Enugu. Why should I put you in a hotel in Enugu? Did I create the weather? Did I create the airport? That was a force majeure,” Dr Onyema said.

    He also explained that the aircraft refused to allow to take off from Enugu to Abuja was programmed to operate four other flights that included Kano and Port Harcourt, pointing out that passengers at the other airports waiting for the flight would not know that it was passengers that created the problem.

    “That extra five flights you will start first to bring in passengers of the previous day will disrupt 40 flights in today’s flight schedule. It goes on like that for the next two weeks because you can never recover. 

    “You will never be able to recover, given the situation that most of your airport closes by 6:00 pm. In fact, you can’t recover.  It will only ease off after two weeks. God saves you if within those two weeks they don’t cause another problem for you, if that happens, it continues.”

  • NCAA reads riot act to airlines over flight disruptions

    NCAA reads riot act to airlines over flight disruptions

    The Acting Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo has read the riot act to domestic airline operators, expressing displeasure at the alarming reports of incessant delays, flight disruptions, and schedule changes without adequate notice to passengers.

    Najomo reiterated the need for airlines to improve their services as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is determined to enforce his five  point agenda as mandated by the president.

    Najomo stated that the current record of flight disruptions, poor customer experience and poor handling of passengers is unacceptable and must be improved upon.

    He stated that airlines must rejig their flight scheduled to match their number of serviceable aircraft and that airlines are all aware of the airports which have sunset operations.

    Hence, airlines “must consider scheduling flights into sunset airports early in the day so as to minimize cancellations as a result of airport closure at sunset.

    Najomo stressed that NCAA will ensure that airlines fulfil their obligations to passengers or face sanctions.

    “Airlines must handle persons with reduced mobility properly, with dignity and without discrimination as airlines are mandated to provide facilities for the movement of Persons with reduced mobility and by virtue of the provisions of Nigeria Civil aviation regulations part 19, airlines are required to provide on their ticket portal a mandatory field for special needs assistance and require their agents to actively ask customers during ticket purchase if they will require assistance” he reiterated.

    The Ag. DGCA pointed that “it is no longer business as usual as errant airlines will be sanctioned appropriately without fear or favor” noting that NCAA has stepped up its surveillance to monitor compliance with a view to fish out violators.

    The DCP&PA reemphasized that the Authority will not relent in its commitment to ensuring pleasurable travel experience and comfort for air transport passengers.

    He charged  airlines to  commit to work on all issues raised and make adjustments where necessary.

    The Director Consumer Protection & Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, emphasized the importance of the meeting stating that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development is focused on sanitizing the aviation industry and that sanctions will be applied for any infractions or flight disruptions not managed properly.

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    Concerns raised by the some airlines included poor airport facilities, the single standby generator at the General Aviation Terminal in Lagos, frequent bird strikes, bush burning in Port Harcourt congested boarding gates, were addressed by the Director of Airport Operations (FAAN) who informed that his agency had observed incidents of bird strikes occurred during grass cutting at the airports and that FAAN is working tirelessly to minimize bird strike incidents.

     He further informed that FAAN is also looking into issues that concern airport facilities with a view to finding immediate solutions to ease passenger and baggage flow at the airport which is has begun as evident at some terminals.

    A paper presented by Mrs. Ifueko Abdulmalik, AGM Flight Operations & Adjudication, on the provisions of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023 Part 19, dwelt on airline obligations to passengers in events of flight delays, cancellations, schedule changes, baggage delays and loss.

     She informed that 53 percent  of total flights operated in Nigeria in 2023 were delayed and one percent cancelled.

    “It was imperative to have the session so as to inform the airlines of the provisions of the regulations and applicable sanctions”, she said.

  • When reason takes flight

    When reason takes flight

    There is a pattern of behaviour that utterly confounds and begs the question whether agents involved yet had the capacity for clear reasoning. Among the Yoruba, people would ask in bewilderment concerning such agents: ‘Asasi ni, abi eedi?’ This roughly translates to saying: was it bewitchment or fated folly that accounted for such  egregious behaviour?

    Such is the sense you get about some residents of Awkuzu, in Oyi council area of Anambra State, who last week reportedly swooped on the scene of a fallen petrol tanker to scoop free fuel; and when firefighters from the Anambra fire service came on the scene to forestall potential disaster, the scoopers attacked them. The residents, including women and youths, had stormed the scene soon after the truck fell, spilling its contents into a nearby drainage. But the fire service got news of the incident and deployed to the scene, only that the scoopers viewed the firefighters as a hinderance to their freebie ride and pelted them with stones and other dangerous weapons.

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    State Fire Chief, Martins Agbili, an engineer, recalled that his office received a distress call soon after the incident occurred early morning penultimate Tuesday. He said: “Immediately we received the distress call, I sent my team of firefighters and firetrucks to the scene, given the possibility of an explosion or fire outbreak from the tanker laden with petrol. On arrival, however, the residents already immersed in the act threw caution to the wind and pelted my men with stones, apparently viewing them as a hindrance and ignoring the inherent danger. It took the intervention of officers from the state police command and military personnel to rescue the firefighters, as well as disperse and control the hostile crowd to enable my men to carry out their duty.”

    The fire chief voiced strong condemnation for the residents’ reckless behaviour, reiterating grave perils associated with such conduct. He reminded the public of the alarming frequency at which people get roasted alive following from similar mishaps, and wondered why people persist in the perilous venture despite hearing of horrific consequences elsewhere and being continually warned of the potential dangers through news reports and advocacy. He sternly cautioned against such behaviour, saying those who tempt fate would bear the blame for their misfortunes.

    It isn’t residents of Awkuzu alone who should pay heed to Agbili’s admonitions, but people everywhere else who hazard such insane enterprise. It is tantamount to cutting off the head to treat headache when people scamper for free fuel from fallen tankers to mitigate whatever hardships being encountered with the economy. A word should be enough for the wise.  

  • When reason takes flight

    When reason takes flight

    There is a pattern of behaviour that utterly confounds and begs the question whether agents involved yet had the capacity for clear reasoning. Among the Yoruba, people would ask in bewilderment concerning such agents: ‘Asasi ni, abi eedi?’ This roughly translates to saying: was it bewitchment or fated folly that accounted for such  egregious behaviour?

    Such is the sense you get about some residents of Awkuzu, in Oyi council area of Anambra State, who last week reportedly swooped on the scene of a fallen petrol tanker to scoop free fuel; and when firefighters from the Anambra fire service came on the scene to forestall potential disaster, the scoopers attacked them. The residents, including women and youths, had stormed the scene soon after the truck fell, spilling its contents into a nearby drainage. But the fire service got news of the incident and deployed to the scene, only that the scoopers viewed the firefighters as a hinderance to their freebie ride and pelted them with stones and other dangerous weapons.

    State Fire Chief, Martins Agbili, an engineer, recalled that his office received a distress call soon after the incident occurred early morning penultimate Tuesday. He said: “Immediately we received the distress call, I sent my team of firefighters and firetrucks to the scene, given the possibility of an explosion or fire outbreak from the tanker laden with petrol. On arrival, however, the residents already immersed in the act threw caution to the wind and pelted my men with stones, apparently viewing them as a hindrance and ignoring the inherent danger. It took the intervention of officers from the state police command and military personnel to rescue the firefighters, as well as disperse and control the hostile crowd to enable my men to carry out their duty.”

    The fire chief voiced strong condemnation for the residents’ reckless behaviour, reiterating grave perils associated with such conduct. He reminded the public of the alarming frequency at which people get roasted alive following from similar mishaps, and wondered why people persist in the perilous venture despite hearing of horrific consequences elsewhere and being continually warned of the potential dangers through news reports and advocacy. He sternly cautioned against such behaviour, saying those who tempt fate would bear the blame for their misfortunes.

    It isn’t residents of Awkuzu alone who should pay heed to Agbili’s admonitions, but people everywhere else who hazard such insane enterprise. It is tantamount to cutting off the head to treat headache when people scamper for free fuel from fallen tankers to mitigate whatever hardships being encountered with the economy. A word should be enough for the wise.  

  • Aviation: what flight for renewed hope?

    Aviation: what flight for renewed hope?

    The aviation sector needs a new flight to take Nigerians to a new experience in convenience and affordability. The new Federal Government has taken off on a good start, but will it pilot through the turbulence of vested interests and entrenched attitudes? KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR writes.

    Steadily, the aviation industry is giving a good account of its activities in the 100 days of the administration.

    From all fronts, since President Bola Tinubu assumed duties, the administration has been engaging operators, investors, regulators and stakeholders on the best ways to drive growth of the sector.

    To achieve this, the Federal Government has scaled up measures through robust regulation to enhance safety and security of aviation systems at airports, airsides and other locations where aeronautical equipment are installed.

    On the infrastructure front, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) embarked on a strategic programme to create facilities in the aviation cargo value chain.

    It set up a committee to develop air cargo, which unveiled a roadmap to achieve the objective.

    To demonstrate its commitment to achieving the focus of making Nigeria one of the leading operators/destinations for air cargo in the next few years, a cargo village is to be  constructed along the Access Road leading to the International Wing of the Lagos Airport.

    This feat has been applauded by many industry players and watchers.

    Managing Director, FAAN, Kabir Yusuf Mohammed said the move was aimed at addressing most challenges militating against massive avia-cargo exports in the country.

    The facility, which occupies land measuring 27.357. 137 square metres, Yusuf said, would be a one-stop  shop for processing, packaging, certification laboratory services, data gathering for traceability of products and produce meant for air freighting.

    He said the facility had become compelling because Nigeria needs to grow its non- oil export value chain.

     “By this feat FAAN management is truly determined to implementing the  recommendations put forward by the committee set up by the government to ensure Nigeria takes its rightful position in avia-cargo exports in Africa within  the next few years.

    “You can be assured that in the next couple years, cargo planes will be departing from our airports fully loaded with goods that meet destination standards and acceptance,” he said.

    The sector witnessed improvement in the regulation of domestic carriers as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) continues to step up its standards, procedures to enhance safety of flight operations.

    Besides, the NCAA recently issued enhanced Air Operator Certificate (AOC) Operations Specifications to holders.

    The regulator also redesigned the layout and format of the Operations Specifications on the AOC.

    These new and enhanced multi-paged operations specifications contain the authorisations, conditions, limitations and approvals issued by the authority in accordance with the standards which are applicable to operations and maintenance conducted by the AOC holder.

     Also, the Tinubu administration deployed a national aviation safety reporting system for mandatory and voluntary reports.

    This system came on the back of the NCAA’s establishing a robust Safety Data Collection and Reporting System (SDCPS) .

    Christened  SMS Pro, it   will  bring Nigeria to full compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

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    The SMS Pro system, according to NCAA’s Director-General, Captain Musa Nuhu, is web-based software, which is user-friendly and mirrors the  SSP & SMS ICAO-recommended framework comprising Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance and Safety Promotion.

     He said it allows for full integration of the  aviation industry such that each service provider has customised handles issued by the authority, to submit reports into the system.

    Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) concluded plans to install surface movement radar and ground control systems in Abuja and Lagos airports.

     The navigation equipment is to enable air traffic controllers monitor aircraft and vehicular movement during low visibility or night.

    The move is part of the Federal Government’s  quest to enhance the safety and efficiency of flights.

    Besides, the Federal Government embarked on the procurement of the surface movement radar due to its capability for detection, monitoring, and control of aircraft and vehicles on the ground for preventing collision between aircraft, and between aircraft and vehicles as well as between aircraft and obstacles on the ground  – runway, taxiway, and apron.

    A site acceptance test was conducted in Lagos on the equipment at Runway 18 Right.

    Meanwhile, the agency worked  with FAAN and airlines to ensure that vehicles coming to the airside carry a transponder to enable the surface movement radar to identify them and the controller to communicate and control them.

    NAMA conducted validation flights of instrument flight procedures at international airports.

    The exercise was part of preparations for the planned International Civil Aviation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) and ensure compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

     NAMA also rounded off calibration of navigational aids at major airports in the country and inaugurated ne ones in Maiduguri and Minna airports.

    Managing Director, NAMA Tayib Odunowo required documents like the Aeronautical Information Publications (AIP), Operation Manuals, MOUs with other agencies, which include military and Service Level Agreements (SLAs), have been reviewed and forwarded to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for approval.

    The NAMA management team inspected navigational aids at the Mallam Aminu Kano Airport, Kano, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to ensure that   gaps in critical and operational areas were being closed.

    The facilities inspected include the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) sites, control towers, mobile control towers, Air Traffic Control 3-D Tower Simulator at Centrex Lagos, as well as administrative offices.

     Other facilities assessed were ongoing projects.

    Meanwhile, the  management team is  billed to also visit Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu in the next few days, in continuation of the facility assessment.

    NAMA also  signed Letters of Agreement with the Agency for Aerial Navigation and Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) to enhance air traffic coordination between the Lagos Area Control Centre (ACC) and Lome Area Control Centre as well as between Lagos ACC and Cotonou Approach Unit.

    Specified in the Letters of Agreement are  procedures for separation of aircraft between the two ACCs in radio frequencies, the point at which aircraft are transferred and altitudes for transfer of aircraft across the common boundaries.

    Also in the agreement are modalities for the coordination of air traffic along the newly created routes (UL255 and UN247) within Lome airspace terminating at POLTO.

     Under the agreement,  issues bordering on  coordination and data interchange equipment like Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) and Air Traffic Services Message Handling Services (AMHS) would be surmounted with the deployment of the new VISAT 10.02 network.

    The concept of Free Route Airspace (FRA)  in operation within Kano Flight Information Region as well as its derivatives like increased airspace capacity; shorter travel time; reduced carbon emission, reduced operational costs to the operators and reduced workload for controllers and pilots, he said  was presented to the visitors for possible adoption and implementation.

    The ASECNA team also inspected navigational facilities at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, like the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) Site, control tower, mobile control tower at CENTREX, CAT III equipment as well as the newly installed Surface Movement Radar.

    The regional collaborations and synergy between adjacent FIRs are  critical to the safety of the African sky. Such would guarantee air traffic management as well as interoperability of Communication, Navigation and Surveillance /Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) systems among states on the African continent. 

  • In the wrong connecting flight

    Travelling for many can be interesting and it also brings new opportunities. You can do this by road, rail, and sea or by air. Travelling by air comes with excitement as well as challenges too, but the most important thing is to be sure that the end justifies the means.

    This can either be a direct flight or a connecting flight. Where you are going would definitely determine the kind of flight that you opt for in your journey (physical or emotional). For many, the direct flight is straight forward and you are sure to get to your destination faster than if you had to go with a connecting flight.

    The truth of the matter is that it is not all destinations that can be done with a direct flight. At such moments, you are stuck with a connecting arrangement and you just have to change planes (hearts) to get to the destination.

    Naturally, this heart is going from A to C but the heart (plane) must stop at B to continue the emotional journey to C, which is in between the place of origin and the destination. It is actually a hectic and stressful emotional process that can be stalled with baggage transfer, flight delays, flight cancellation and more. It is, however, worse when you miss the connecting flight or hurriedly find your way into the wrong flight.

    This is the emotional scenario that has played itself out in Amarachi’s life. At a distance, you would think she has everything going for her, but that is far from the real picture. Ever since she met this new guy, her emotional flight got diverted and she is stranded.

    “I got married at the age of 15 years, which was quite early. As the last child in the family, my parents and siblings resisted, saying I was not mature enough.”

    She loved him so much and they came to the realisation that this was her choice. She made up her mind to sink in this emotional boat and they just had to let her be. So, did this Prince Charming disappoint her? No, he didn’t! “I lived with him for about 13 years and we had a wonderful time together. The union produced three wonderful children and he was the best father any child could ask for. During this period, I also went back to school and read Accountancy,” she recalls.

    So, why is this babe raising an emotional alarm? “Just when I thought that my dreams were taking shape, the man died. It was the most traumatic period in my life and it was quite hard getting the pieces together.”

    Luckily, her in-laws were also as kind hearted as her late husband. They extended warmness, and things brought succour her way. It was six years in the emotional wilderness, and loneliness made the journey tortuous. Her mother also did not make things better and she kept urging her to look for another heart to lean on. “You are too young to be a widow; you need someone to support you and make life meaningful once more.”

    Young, restless and extremely attractive, the emotional corridors became very tempting. All kinds of hearts started to intrude and it was tough dodging and avoiding the turbulence of the emotional landscape. Her heart was unstable and it was at this point that a dashing dude sauntered into her life. He was all over her whispering sweet nothings, the type every gal wants to hear.

    Nothing ventured, nothing gained. She yielded and decided to open the doors of her heart widely and wildly for the Romeo to reign. What a relief!, was the ‘melody’ on her fragile lips for the first few months. He swept her off her feet, making her tipsy all the way. Now that we have found love, what are we gonna do with it?

    It was just too good to be real! Time certainly would tell, but in the interim, this poor heart fell helplessly into the emotional gutter. A few months after, she was pregnant. Did he take to his heels?

    Not yet! “He took me to the village to see his parents and some other relatives. Everybody welcomed me warmly and I was convinced at that stage that it was for real.” She continued: “He rented an apartment and we moved in together but we were not married formally.”

    She gave birth to a baby boy and thought that this would further guarantee her place in the uppermost part of his heart. “Shortly after the baby came, I noticed that his attitude towards me changed.”

    He later relocated to the extreme end of the state in search of another emotional greener pasture(s). “He stopped calling me and refused to answer my calls. I got so worried and a family friend told me how to trace him to his new abode. There I discovered that he was living with a sugar mummy; the woman rented a two-bedroom apartment for him and gave him some money to set up a new business.”

    All hell was let loose. Was this pretty lady going to abandon her emotional property for this ‘moneybag’ or was she ready to recover this asset from the old hag, no matter what? This emotional battlefield is quite complicated and our dear friend is just alone. Nobody wants to align with her and the ‘loot’ is satisfied with his new status. His fickle-minded heart is surely having fun. Only God knows how long this new mistress will be able to sustain him, before he goes hunting for the next victim.

  • Emirates: Why passenger, 71, was restrained on our flight

    Emirates: Why passenger, 71, was restrained on our flight

    Emirates Airline has explained why a 71-year-old passenger, David Ukesone, was restrained on its flight from Dubai to Chicago.

    The airline said Ukesone forced his way into another passengers’s seat.

    The airline, in a statement yesterday, said : “Emirates can confirm that Mr Ukesone was a passenger on flight EK235 from Dubai to Chicago on 23 January, and that he had to be restrained by cabin crew due to unruly behaviour during the flight.

    “Despite the best efforts of our crew to intervene and reason with him, Mr. Ukesone repeatedly disturbed other passengers, refused to remain in his assigned seat, and forced his way into another cabin class.

    “He also assaulted crew and bit another passenger. As a consequence he was restrained by our crew. Our cabin crew are highly trained to ensure the safety and security of our passengers, and constantly monitored Mr. Ukesone’s welfare throughout the flight. The safety and security of our passengers and crew is of the utmost importance and will not be compromised.

    “Upon arrival at the airport, the passenger was handed over to the authorities in Chicago. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the other passengers on the flight for their understanding, in particular the individuals who had assisted our crew during the flight.”

  • Flight of fantasy

    An idea is much like beauty, its appeal is in the eye of the beholder. That must be why there’s been so much firestorm over the sheer ingenuity in statecraft unveiled lately in Nigeria’s southeast state of Imo.

    State Governor Rochas Okorocha came up with the brainball of an idea and he’s just not being appreciated for it. He minted a crisp ‘Ministry of Happiness and Purpose Fulfillment’ out of the state’s dreary bureaucracy and named his biological kid sister, Mrs. Ogechi Ololo, to oversee the portfolio. But no one seems happy with this governance novelty other than the appointed happiness commissioner and, of course, the governor with his camp. What philistinism!

    How much else can artsmanship in the handling of a bogus bureaucracy get? Ololo was among 28 commissioners sworn into cabinet by Okorocha penultimate Monday to administer Imo – a state with a population of some 3.9million people, going by the grossly outdated but only available official data of the 2006 census. That is not counting the army of aides and advisers to the governor, of which Ololo was one before her emergence as happiness commissioner. Let’s be clear that straight comparisms hardly ever reflect all the factual underpinnings of reality. But just to make a point, you could match the Imo bureaucracy against the 18-ministry structure known to exist in Anambra State with a population of 4.1million people, courtesy of the 2006 census data; or the 24 ministries in Lagos State with a hotly disputed population of some 9million people, using the same 2006 census benchmark. Okorocha’s administration of Imo State is a swamping bureaucracy, and the governor surely needs as many structures as fancy can throw up to sustain the sprawl. So, what’s the fuss?

    Even the designation and mandate of the new ministry appear to yet be patchworks in motion. How then could anyone in good conscience foreclose its deliverables?

    At Ololo’s swearing in, her portfolio was cited in official records as ‘Ministry of Happiness and Couple’s Fulfillment’. And as the public erupted in uproar against the statecraft masterstroke, she jumped in to educate the undiscerning on the bounties that her brief holds. “I am truly surprised by the outbursts…(against) His Excellency, Dr. Rochas Okorocha. If you don’t understand something, keep quiet, read and research. Make good use of your senses,” she wrote on her Twitter handle @MrsOgechiOlolo, which she only recently signed up to, apparently to take issue with critics of her appointment. Ololo said the mandate of her new ministry included ensuring that Imo people remain happy despite all odds, and that couples in the state have a more fulfiling experience. Her words: “In a time when couples’ divorce is at all-time high, I will use my good office to ensure couples in Imo (are) fulfilled and serve as examples to the world.”

    It however seems doubtful that Ololo got her job description right at her inauguration by the governor. Because shortly after her tweet, the Okorocha administration renamed the portfolio ‘Ministry of Happiness and Purpose Fulfillment.’ The governor’s spokesman blamed the initial tag on the printer’s devil, saying: “There was a typographic error in the first statement issued on the swearing in of the new commissioners. The word ‘couple’ was inadvertently written, instead of the word ‘purpose.’ We regret that.” Error noted. And Madame Commissioner had been stomping the waves to deliver on couples!

    But that is just by the way. The point is, the design of the new ministry and its mandate remain in a flux, never mind that the attached cabinet post is squarely nailed down for the governor’s kid sister. So we can’t in honesty prejudge that the innovation is superfluous, can we?

    Actually, Okorocha himself said as much. In the face of public fury at the seeming prodigal nepotism, he said the impact of the new ministry would confound critics. “At the end of the day, the achievements of the new Ministry of Happiness and Purpose Fulfillment will be so amazing that critics of the initiative will not only be shocked, but will also regret to have drawn the curtain (against) the new ministry even before it takes off,” his spokesman said in a statement.

    The governor acknowledged the confidence crisis spilling over from his recent unveiling of South African President Jacob Zuma’s statue, to which N520million price tag was attached. He insisted though that Zuma deserved the controversial honour. “The criticisms that greeted (the) Zuma statue were all anchored on corruption allegations against the South African President. Yet, the fact remains the man is still the president of that country. He has neither been sentenced to imprisonment nor impeached as president following these corruption claims,” the government statement added.

    But if you take the Imo doctrine as scripture, Zuma could well be the proverbial prophet without honour in his home. Because only last week, the embattled leader lost two court cases linking him to corruption in one day. Pretoria’s high court ordered him to raise a judicial inquiry into graft charges against him, calling the president “seriously reckless” for challenging recommendations to that effect by the country’s watchdog. In another suit, the judge ruled that he abused judicial processes by trying to block a report linking him to corruption, and ordered him to pay the legal fees out of his own pocket.

    Ololo’s throwback to global precedents in justifying her new brief gets quite instructive upon scrutiny. “Let me educate Nigerians on this, for those lacking ignorance (sic). United Arab Emirates has ministers of happiness and they are ahead of us,” she had tweeted.

    Well, the UAE is the first and only Arab nation thus far to cite citizens’ happiness as a portfolio of government, naming a minister of state for happiness in February 2016. But it is moot that is the reason “they are ahead of us.” Leadership in the oil-rich country is relentlessly posterity-minded in developmental exertions and resource application – goals that seem helplessly a mirage in our clime. Isn’t the country a favourite playground for pleasure seekers, including Nigeria’s wealthy class? And the country isn’t letting up just yet. At the same time that he appointed a happiness minister, the UAE premier reformatted the Cabinet ministry to take an additional brief for future strategies, thus becoming ‘Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future’.

    Even then, expectations from the UAE happiness minister have not been so clear-cut. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times sometime this year, Ohood Al Roumi said she gets strange requests like: ‘My parents won’t accept my marriage. Can you help convince them?’ or ‘I got a traffic ticket. Can you fix it?’ Sometimes it’s just a simple plea: ‘Please make us happy,’ the paper reported. What Roumi was clear about, though, were the obligations of government. “We have no intention as government to impose happiness, or mandate it, or force it. We’re just doing the right things for our people … so they can have a better life,” she reportedly said. If you look into Okorocha’s Imo, would you say you couldn’t see the ‘better life’ genie running lose?

    There are a few other countries in the happiness race. Remote Himalayas kingdom of Bhutan enshrined the goal in Article 9 of its law and measures growth, not by the conventional gross domestic product (GDP) instrument but by the gross national happiness (GNH) index. Venezuela in 2013 created a Supreme Social Happiness ministry; and just last week, the only Indian state with happiness ministry, the central state of Madhya Pradesh, declared the minister wanted for murder.

    It isn’t very clear how much inspiration these parallels hold for Okorocha’s experiment. But Ndi Imo, Ndi Nigeria, a genius is at work. Let us be happy!

     

    • Please join me on kayodeidowu.blogspot.be for conversation.

  • Flight to Russia

    •But for Eagles, still a lot of work to do before the June 2018 Mundial

    On the political point, the Super Eagles have showed there is still a lot to cheer about Nigeria, if merit and focus are the drivers.

    On October 7, they became the first African country to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, which holds in Russia, in June 2018 — and that to the delight and pride of all. In the euphoria, everyone forgot any trouble or dissonance. Nothing mattered but the overwhelming bliss and pride of the moment.

    On the sporting front, the feat is even more spectacular, as long as records go. For the first time, in all six World Cup qualifications, since Nigeria’s debut in 1994, the team qualified well ahead of the final-day set of matches. Indeed, had the team been more clinical, and beaten Cameroon in Yaoundé on September 4, they would have wrapped up qualification, with two matches to spare!

    This is a great feat. Despite the 1-1 draw away to Cameroon, after thumping that country in Uyo three days earlier, they breezed through qualification with four wins and one draw, the only country from the quad of Cameroon, Algeria, Zambia and Nigeria — all African footballing giants by current standings — to log that record. If they win or draw away to Algeria on November 6, they would have ended the qualification series unbeaten.

    Between the 1994 squad that secured Nigeria’s first-ever qualification and this sixth feat, there is a glorious parallel — and Algeria, the Eagles final opponents, are the constant factor.

    Against Algeria, at home in Lagos on  July 3, 1993, in the final qualification series, a certain 18-year old, Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha, then of German Bundesliga club, Eintracht Frankfurt, burst on the Nigerian consciousness by firing in a 12-minute free-kick, to cancel out Algeria’s 5th minute lead. Nigeria would go ahead to win that match 4-1, to nick qualification among the triad of Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Algeria.

    This year, though against Zambia, another “Okocha variant”, the humongously skilful Alex Iwobi, of English Premiership side, Arsenal, would burst on Nigerian sporting consciousness, with a roar of applause. He not only scored the first of the two goals away, in the 2-1 defeat of Zambia that put qualification on course, he also scored the lone goal in Uyo, coming off the bench, that made Russia sure. But just as Algeria was at the bottom of the pack in the three-cornered final qualification league series in 1994, they are also at the bottom of the log this year.

    But all these would become mere statistics, if the Eagles and their handlers do not do the needful, to well and truly excel in Russia. Already, the 1994 team has been touted as the best-ever Nigeria ever assembled. This present set have placed themselves on a good pedestal to better the set of Stephen Keshi, Finidi George, Rashidi Yekini, Peter Rufai, and Daniel Amokachi, to mention just a few of those all-time greats.

    But the only way they can do that is to aim at a higher platform. Already, they have qualified with a match to spare, a feat the 1994 squad could not achieve. Now is the time to set their sights on a higher plane: go right ahead to better the second round feat of 1994, better the quarter-final African records of Senegal and Ghana — and who knows? Set a new African record, that teems with hope and promise.

    Nevertheless, this would not be attained by sheer dreams or rhapsodizing. Rather, it would be achieved by hard work and punishing focus. That would not come easy. The best practical way to do this is to, starting from the final day qualification match with Algeria, turn every match into a serious build-up. Qualification is sweet. But it’s now history. Now is the time to show hunger for rare glory, at the World Cup proper.

    Still, thus far, it’s a cascade of kudos to the Nigerian football aristocracy that made this sweet qualification possible: the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) that, for once, got its bearing right; its chairman, Amaju Pinnick, who continues to show a zero-tolerance for the mediocrity and scandals that hitherto was the lot of that body; the extremely focused Gernot Rohr, the Franco-German who, instead of roaring about his success, has stayed focused with stunning taciturnity, and the federal authorities that have gifted the team all the motivations it needs.

    The Nigerian football administration must stay focused; and must not ease their foot from the pedal until the team plays more high-grade friendlies and gets blended even better.  As the Zambians showed in Uyo, the Eagles can attain better team cohesion; and get more clinical in front of goal. If the right steps are taken, this team could morph into a gang, ready to meet any opposition at the Mundial. As a sports commentator often loves to say, gangs — not teams — win the World Cup.

    This is the direction to go for the ultimate glory.