ROTARY Club of Festac Town in Lagos State will sponsor the fibroid surgery and treatment of 10 women at a cost of N3million, its president Mrs Onyinye Ogbonna has said.
She spoke at the weekend during her investiture as the 38th president of the club.
The ceremony, which held at Golden Tulip Hotel in Festac Town, also featured the investiture of the club’s Board of Directors, launch of the club’s projects/fundraising.
Awards were given to some distinguished persons with sterling performance in their professions and selfless service to humanity.
Mrs Ogbonna said the sponsorship was meant to give those diagnosed with fibroid the chance to live a normal life.
She said: “We intend to provide boreholes for selected settlements in Amuwo-Odofin. We will empower and equip 20 women on vocational skills acquisition, embark on charity visitation to Beth Tarrey Home in Festac Town, donate birthing kits to 20 women, donate computer sets to identified schools and we will go further on our scholarship schemes to beneficiaries.”
Mrs.Ogbonna said Rotary International is the world’s first service organisation with over 1.5 million members in 340,000 clubs across the world.
“We are volunteers who work locally and internationally to fight hunger, provide quality education, improve health and sanitation, improve child maternal health and eradicate polio,” she said.
Rotary District Governor for District 9110, Dr Jide Akeredolu, urged Ogbonna to maximise her one-year tenure and keep the standard of the club high.
“You will also hand over next year what would be your achievements,” he said.
Describing the tenure of immediate past President Felix Nnamezie as impressive and successful, the Rotarian implored him to be there for the new president to advise and guide her with his experience.
The guest speaker and Editor of The Nation, Mr Adeniyi Adesina, spoke on: The Role of the Media in a Developing Economy.
He said Rotary Club International is a critical partner in the evolution of Nigeria with its immense contribution to the socio-economic development of the country and its people.
The editor explained that the media are expected to hold government accountable, educate the public, make government responsible and responsive.
Adesina said: “For the media to play its role effectively in developing economies, they must uphold the Code of Ethics of the profession, which includes truth, balance, fairness, accuracy. They are expected to perform their statutory roles in tune with the extant political environment, create a synergy between the government and the people, such that where government programmes are anti-people, the media would have to put sufficient information in the public glare to make the people reject them and make government change its mind for the public good.
“When government churns out courageous and/or people-friendly policies, the media must mobilise the people to support such policies to entrench good governance and development. The media have a role to galvanise the civil society to retool and re-engineer in the interest of the people.
“The media must provide opportunities for citizens to know and participate in how they are governed, because feedback is central to governance; it builds trust and confidence, thus making governance seamless and productive.”
Prohibitive offshore cost for aircraft maintenance is pushing indigenous carriers to evolve cost cutting measures such as leasing aircraft to ferry passengers who are increasingly getting curious over the arrangement, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.
INDIGENOUS carriers are evolving survival strategies to keep afloat and remain in business despite the inclement operating environment.
High rate of attrition, where airlines are forced to close shop less than a decade after they hit the skies, is increasingly becoming a recurring phenomenon in the Nigerian air transport sector.
In the last two decades, 18 airlines which were once very promising brands have been forced to close shop.
Investigations revealed that the managers of these carriers are evolving a raft of survival measures and strategies to keep their business running.
Part of the cure for the lingering headache, investigation revealed is wet leasing.
To block this huge gap, some domestic carriers have signed technical partnerships with aircraft lessors and other carriers within and outside the continent to keep their business running.
Investigations reveal that many carriers, including Arik Air, has entered into partnership with Value Jets on a wet lease arrangement to provide aircraft and crew for its operations.
In 2017, the 150 lessors are managing 8,400 aircraft worth $256 billion with 2,321 aircraft on backlog from 28 of them, their penetration having stabilised at 42.6 per cent.
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said there is nothing unusual if indigenous carriers consider aircraft wet lease as options for survival.
All that is required from the operator is to furnish the regulatory body with the terms of such deal in line with statutory requirements.
Speaking on the development, General Manager, Public Affairs , Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Sam Adurogboye, said the regulator does not frown at domestic airlines securing operating leases which is a temporary arrangement to take care of some situations.
He said the NCAA was aware of the wet-lease agreement between Value Jets and Arik Air affirming that it was an operational agreement to assist the airline.
Adurogboye said: “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has been notified by Arik Air of its wet lease agreement with Value Jets. It is nothing unusual in global aviation wet leasing of aircraft is an interim measure to take care of aircraft scarcity, such that the airline does not have operational issues.
“While the short term agreement lasts, the aircraft provider takes care of crew, aircraft maintenance, insurance and other issues. The airline, in this case, Arik Air pays for fueling, catering and airport and other aeronautical charges.
“The airline has not breached any regulation. We are excited that passengers are getting more curious about developments in the sector.”
An official of Arik Air said the use of Value Jets aircraft for their operations was simply a wet lease agreement. The official said wet leasing aircraft was a global practice, saying the carrier did not breach any law by using an aircraft of another airline. The official said: “It is strange that passengers are getting excited or worried over such development. What we have done is global practice.”
In aviation there are several types of aircraft leasing.
According to experts, aircraft leases are used by airlines and other aircraft operators.
A former pilot with Virgin Nigeria Airways and President Nigerian Aviation Safety Initiative (NASI), Captain Dung Pam, said airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons: to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide temporary increase in capacity.
He said the industry has two main leasing types: wet-leasing, which is normally used for short-term leasing, and dry-leasing, which is for a longer-term.
Globally, Captain Dung said the industry uses a combination of wet and dry leasing.
He said in some circumstances, an aircraft is wet-leased to establish new services; but as the airline’s flight or cabin crews become trained, they can be switched to a dry lease.
He said : “A wet lease is a leasing arrangement whereby one airline, the lessor, provides an aircraft, complete crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) to another airline or other type of business, acting as a broker of air travel (the lessee), which pays by hours operated.
“The lessee provides fuel and covers airport fees, and any other duties, taxes.
The flight uses the flight number of the lessee. A wet lease generally lasts between one to 24 months.
“As a global trend, wet lease is typically utilised during peak traffic seasons or annual heavy maintenance checks, or to initiate new routes.
“Besides, a wet-leased aircraft may be used to fly services into countries where the lessee is banned from operating.
“They can also be considered a form of charter whereby the lessor provides minimum operating services, including ACMI, and the lessee provides the balance of services along with flight numbers.
“A dry lease is a leasing arrangement whereby an aircraft financing entity; lessor provides an aircraft without crew, ground staff.”
Experts say a dry lease is typically used by leasing companies and banks, requiring the lessee to put the aircraft on its own air operator’s certificate (AOC) and provide aircraft registration.
A typical dry lease lasts upwards of two years and bears certain conditions with respect to depreciation, maintenance, insurances, depending also on the geographical location and political circumstances.
A dry-lease arrangement can also be made between a major airline and a regional airline, in which the major airline provides the aircraft and the regional operator provides flight crews, maintenance and other operational aspects of the aircraft, which then may be operated under the major airline’s name or some similar name.
Experts say a dry lease saves the major airline the expense of training personnel to fly and maintain the aircraft, along with other considerations such as staggered union contracts, regional airport staffing,
At the end of July 2015, the top 50 aircraft lessors managed 8,184 aircraft: 511 turbo prop regional airliners, 792 regional jets, 5,612 narrow body and 1,253 wide body airliners.
DG NCAA, Captain Mukhtar Usman
An industry expert and pilot, Captain Willy Funsho said there was nothing unusual about passengers buying ticket on one airline and entering an aircraft provided by another party.
Investigations revealed that many domestic airlines are toeing similar path to starve off waiting for aircraft endlessly from offshore maintenance facilities, either in Europe, Asia, Far East, Middle East or United States.”
Many indigenous carriers have their aircraft trapped in maintenance facilities aboard, either due to paucity of funds or inability to secure slot.
Besides Arik Air, other carriers have been undertaking aircraft leases from different lessors across the globe.
But, some passengers expressed confusion over the matter.
They said they were surprised to purchase an Arik Air ticket at the counter, only to get to the tarmac to board an aircraft without any logo of Arik Air.
Mr Cosmas Ibe, traveling on the Lagos – Abuja route said: “I was surprised after procuring the Arik Air, got to the Tarmac only to be checked into an aircraft bearing Value Jets. The inscription on the leaflet on board reads: “Value Jets operated by Arik Air.
“Besides, the crew was made up of foreigners. I think they are from North Africa. Communication was a little bit of some challenge, because their English language, for me, appears not very fluent. But, the important thing is that we got to our destination.”
Another passenger, who identified himself as Bayo Bolurin on the Arik Air Lagos – Abuja flight said he was also taken aback by the development.
He said: “Which one is Value Jets operated by Arik Air. My ticket read Arik Air, where did the Value Jet matter come into this.”
They kissed the dust
FROM Nigeria Airways, Okada Air that ruled the air space in the 1980s to Albarka Airlines, Flash Airlines, Fresh Air, Intercontinental Airlines, Concord Airlines, Oriental Airlines, ADC Airlines, Hold Trade Air, Gas Air, Hamsal Air, Harco Air Services, Freedom Air Services, Hamair, Mangal Air , Slok Air and Sosoliso Airlines.
Many passengers are also not in a hurry to remember NiCON Airways, Nigeria One, Nigerian Eagle Airlines, Nigerian Global, Premium Air Shuttle, Spaceworld International Airlines, Triax Air, Virgin Nigeria Airways, Wings Aviation and Falcon Airlines.
As these carriers rolled down the cliff, their disused aircraft continue to litter airports across the country, a sordid reminder to many passengers who continue to shudder why indigenous carriers rapidly experience short life span, which aviation experts describe as the ‘bust and boom’ circle.
Experts say the existing nine carriers: Arik Air, Air Peace, Overland Airways, Dana Air, AZMAN Air, Max Air, Ibom Air, Aero Contractors and Medview Airlines, are grappling with a myriad of challenges not limited to – insufficient operating aircraft; high cost of aircraft maintenance and limited slot at available aircraft maintenance centres.
A socio-economic group, Advocate for Equity and Fairness, has said West African countries deserve to fill some current African Union Commission (AUC) vacancies, following their contribution to Africa’s socio-economic growth.
The group noted in particular last February’s report by global auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers which named Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy for the second time consecutively.
It said this rating confirmed the country and by extension the region as an economic hub in Africa and an emerging powerhouse.
The group stated this in a statement signed by its Chairperson, Jane Thompson.
“Statistics shows that Nigeria is Africa‘s most populous country and the political and economic powerhouse of West Africa. It is the world’s seventh largest exporter of oil,” Thompson said.
She observed that Nigeria attained this “exalted position” not because it did not face daunting challenges in the economic and other critical sectors but for the remarkable contributions of some experts and technocrats.”
The experts and technocrats, she noted, included former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Akinwunmi Adesina, Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chukwuma Soludo, and Sanusi L. Sanusi, Oby Ezekwesili and the late Dora Akunyili.
She added: “Also, of recent, Mr. Ebiekure Eradiri, who has brought his wealth of experience to bear in repositioning the Bayelsa State Small and Medium Scales Enterprises.”
The statement added: “Okonjo-Iweala, who served both President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan, cut her teeth at the World Bank where she spent 25-years as a Development Economist and rose through the ranks to the number two position of Managing Director, Operations.
“Another contributor to Nigeria’s success story is the President of the African Development Bank, Akin-wunmi Adesina, who is the first Nigerian to hold that position. He was named as Forbes African Man of the Year for his landmark reforms in the Nigerian agricultural sector. Changing the narrative in the sector and attracting investors into the sector.”
“Similarly, the impactful tenure of Soludo and Sanusi as heads of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN is not in doubt. The indelible mark they left in coordinating Nigeria’s fiscal policy is there for all to see. The former was recently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari into the Economic Team. This can only be in recognition of the role he played while in office.
“Also, Mr. Ebiekure, Eradiri, a graduate of Chemical Engineering in Nigeria who after a short stint in Oil and Gas operations as field Engineer with International Oil Companies ventured into the Entrepreneur world outstanding a chain of company activities in Stromberg Holdings with activities in facility management/ Real Estate Services, Lubricants/ Petroleum Fluids, Specialists Engineering and Slickline Services.
“He further advanced as Bayelsa state consultant on Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development attaining the status of Train the Trainer with SMEDAN Abuja.
Aside its large economy, Thompson noted Nigeria’s history of political clout on the continent and its “critical role of a big brother to other African countries.
“It championed the fight against apartheid rule in South Africa, white minority rule in Zimbabwe, peacekeeping missions in troubled West African states – Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire. A good example is its call for a robust economic co-operation among African nations during a meeting of the Organisation of Africa Union (OAU) in 1970 despite being under a military regime,” she said.
The Oyo State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has criticised Governor Seyi Makinde’s claims that the judgment restraining him and the House of Assembly from sacking the council chairmen and members of the board of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has been vacated.
Makinde had stated on a political interview programme on Ibadan-based radio station, Fresh FM, at the weekend that the judgment had been vacated.
He spoke through his Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, Hon. Samuel Adejumobi (aka Agbara po).
The judgment had restrained the governor and the House of Assembly from sacking the elected chairmen, conducting another election or tampering with the funds of the councils. But the chairmen were sacked two hours after the new governor was sworn in on May 29.
Reacting to the claim yesterday in a telephone chat with The Nation, ALGON Chairman, Hon. Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, challenged Governor Makinde to produce the evidence that the judgment had been vacated.
He said the appeal filed against the judgment by the state government was still pending at the Court of Appeal, adding that the appellate court was yet to fix the date for hearing because the judges went on vacation.
The ALGON boss challenged the state government to name the court that vacated the judgment and the date such a decision was taken.
He urged the governor to stop deceiving the public over his wrong steps, stressing that integrity should be the hallmark of a state chief executive.
But Makinde also said that his administration was not borrowing to pay staff of local governments and Local Council Development Areas as claimed by the ALGON chairman. He said council funds were intact but that the government was paying salaries from it without borrowing.
The governor added that ALGON came out with the allegation of borrowing because it did not understand how his administration was handling the prompt payment of salaries, which he accused the past administration of having inflated by about N1billion shortly after the March 9 governorship election, which it lost.
Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, has called for a review of the country’s education curriculum to enable it to meet international standards and adequately respond to the challenges facing the nation.
Speaking at a lecture to commemorate the 110th Founder’s Day of King’s College, Lagos, the governor said there should be a shift from the curriculum, which is aimed at producing certificated individuals rather than individuals who can contribute practically to the development of the country.
Fayemi, whose keynote address was entitled: “The Promise of Kings College and the Development of Nigeria: Stakeholders in partnership with government for better outcomes in the education sector,” also called for the restoration of merit over quota system in the admission of students into legacy schools across the country.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Olayinka Oyebode, added that prominent Nigerians and old boys of the school, including the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Mohammadu Sanusi II, attended the lecture.
The governor commended the legacy schools, especially King’s College, for “producing leaders who are contributing to national development.”
He also called on all stakeholders to work together to reinvent the days when the nation’s education system produced men and women truly worthy in character and learning.
Fayemi said: “I can only imagine the immense pressure on school authorities during admission cycles. It is during such times that we see different lists of people seeking admission. This is a reflection of the decay in our society and the gradual relegation of meritocracy in favour of other considerations.
“It is possible for the King’s College community to show leadership by leading the country back to the path of meritocracy, where your admission is solely a function of your performance in an entrance examination ranked amongst your peers.
“We must bring back the days that every common citizen could access such institutions as King’s College without knowing anybody.”
If you don’t qualify to enter a school, simply apply to the next available school. While the promotion of the Federal quota system is not out of place for a diversified country as Nigeria, merit should not be sacrificed on the altar of such arrangements.”
While urging stakeholders to examine the role of the school in national development, the governor said government at all levels must build more schools to cater for the rising number of students and curb overloading of existing schools beyond their capacity.
The governor said the current challenges facing the nation’s education sector must be surmounted now in order to provide the “required solutions for Nigeria’s development in all ramifications – generation after generation.”
He said government, school authorities and other stakeholders must be proactive and strategise in order to reposition the nation’s education system.
Earlier, the President of Kings College Old Boys Association, Alhaji Ibrahim Kashim-Imam, had said the plummeting education system was responsible for the lecture marking the school’s 110th Founder’s Day celebrations.
A group from Ja’agi Tiffin in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State has appealed to the government to intervene in the lingering misunderstanding between Ja’agi Tiffin and their neighbours, Ja’agi Tako, to prevent bloodbath.
The people lamented that they are experiencing crises, which have resulted in the destruction of belongings and injuries.
The Nation learnt that in a recent crisis, 10 cars, 17 motorcycles and houses were destroyed, while 14 people were injured and hospitalised.
The community spokesman, Alhaji Idris Ahmed, who addressed reporters in Minna at the weekend over the recurring crisis between the communities, alleged that Ja’agi Tako people had attacked them three times without any security intervention.
Ahmed, the Madamin Ja’agi, said the crisis began when the village head pronounced deposition of the chief imam without concrete reasons and named another person to take over.
He urged the government to act in order to prevent a major crisis, saying the people of Ja’agi Tiffin and Ja’agi Tako are brothers, who have lived together for decades.
The spokesman accused the security agencies of fueling the crisis, noting: “It is surprising that no arrest could be made in a clash where weapons were freely used and injuries inflicted. Arresting the suspects would have acted as a deterrent to others and doused tension.”
He urged the government to investigate the crisis, unravel its cause and bring the actors to a roundtable, to avert anarchy.
The residents could not hold the last Eid-il-Kabir prayer because of the crisis that erupted at the prayer ground between two factions in the community.
Over 1,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and those from the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State at the weekend defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
An elated Senator Smart Adeyemi, who is the Director- General, APC Bello/Onoja Governorship Campaign Organisation, receiving the defectors in Kabba and Okebunkun, said Kogi was moving closer to becoming a one-party state.
He was joined by House of Assembly Speaker Prince Mathew Kolawole during one of the outings yesterday where he received over 1,000 returning members of the Audu/Faleke Group, who collapsed their structure in the ADC into the APC.
They were led by a community leader, Chief Emmanuel Olowodola, with members of the executive of the ADC in the areas.
Adeyemi said the recent defection of other parties’ bigwigs to the APC was a measure of the growing confidence in the party.
He described the coming of Olowodola to the APC, close to the governorship election, as a big plus for the party.
Adeyemi described Olowodola, a former Post Master-General of the Federation, as an accomplished politician who would add value to the party.
Said he: “People are moving to our party because of the growing confidence in the APC. This is the party to be; this is the party that means well for the people. This is the party of development.”
Kolawole said the gale of defection in Kogi West Senatorial District has turned the opposition PDP to a dead horse.
“Tell me, what remains of PDP? Very soon, we will obliterate PDP from the state’s political map,” he said.
Kolawole said the defectors would be accorded the rights and privileges of existing members.
Olowodola said he was delighted to be back in the APC fold with his supporters, adding that he would do his best by mobilising members to improve the electoral fortunes of his new party.
He hoped that the APC would win the November 16 governorship election and urged members to work for its success.
On Saturday, former Chairman, Kabba/Bunu Council Area and former House of Assembly member, Nathaniel Taiwo, with hundreds of PDP members, defected to the APC in Okebukun, where they were received into the party by Adeyemi, who handed over the APC broom symbol to them.
Kolawole on Saturday led a motorcade rally across Kabba town in support of Governor Yahaya Bello’s second term bid.
The rally, which began at the party’s secretariat, ended at the palace of Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Owoniyi, where the APC members received royal blessings.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State on Sunday conducted its primaries to pick candidates for the positions of chairmen and councillors in the council election scheduled for November.
The primary election was described as being peaceful throughout the 21 local governments.
It was conducted amid moves by a committee to reconcile intra-party conflict, which was blamed for the party’s loss of important offices following the 2019 general election.
The reconciliatory moves had been hit by secret and open pessimism, with a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, telling the media on Saturday that he could not yet be a part of it, as he was not convinced of its intent and direction.
However, a member of the 39-member Adamawa State APC Steering Committee, Dr. Umar Duhu, who spoke on the conflict, the reconciliation effort and the council election, said the reconciliation move would succeed, adding that the APC is poised to regain its lost glory.
Fielding questions from reporters in Yola, Duhu who was the pioneer National Vice Chairman (Northeast) of the APC, said every party member, besides Babachir, was well-disposed to the peace process.
“We have not brought BD Lawal on board (yet) because the reconciliation is a continuing process. You cannot reconcile everyone overnight,” he said.
Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company said it has begun installation of meters under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme.
The company, which disclosed this in Kaduna at the weekend in a statement by the Head of Corporate Communications, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, said since the commencement of the installation, meters have been installed for customers under the Doka, Barnawa, Zaria and Makera area offices in Kaduna State.
According to the statement, Integrated Power Ltd is the company’s MAP in charge of installing meters for customers in Barnawa, Makera, Kafancan and Zaria area offices, while Holley Metering is responsible for installations for customers under Doka Area Office.
“Mojec International is to meter customers under Rigasa Area Office and Cresthill Ltd is in charge of metering customers in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states,” the statement added.
It urged customers to take advantage of the MAP scheme to get metered by visiting the company’s website to register and make a request.
The statement enjoined customers under area offices where the scheme is yet to take off, to be patient, as logistic problems that have hindered the exercise will soon be overcome.
Zamfara State Police Commissioner Usman Nagoggo on Sunday launched reconciliation initiatives by meeting warring groups of Fulani herdsmen and Hausa farmers in Bakura Local Government.
Command spokesman Muhammad Shehu said the meeting, held at the palace of Emir of Bakura, was in continuation of quest to sustain peace.
He said other groups present at the meeting were Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, vigilance groups, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.
