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Tag: seeks

  • Buhari seeks more global commitment on Lake Chad

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja called for more commitment from the international community on redirecting water to the shrinking Lake Chad.

    He warned that about 40 million population in the region would pose adverse migration and security challenges to the world.

    Speaking while receiving Letters of Credence from the High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Philip Baker, at the Presidential Villa, President Buhari said the tragedy of the shrinking Lake Chad would keep fuelling more illegal migrations, banditry and provide willing hands for terrorism since majority of the people have lost their means of livelihood.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “In 1920’s, an academic rightly predicted that except there’s a redirection of water to Lake Chad, it will dry up.

    “Now, whenever I go for any global meeting or visit a country, I will always draw the world’s attention to the adverse effect of climate change on the lake, and the resulting negative effects,” he said.

    Buhari urged the Canadian government to support the on-going efforts to divert water from the Congo River to the lake.

    “Canada has the capacity to help us. The lake is now less than 10 per cent of its normal size. A redirection will help our people from getting into the Mediterranean Sea,” he added.

    The President said Nigeria and Canada have good relations dating back to the early 60’s when Nigeria gained independence, hailing the country for “its vast resource utilisation and solid political background.”

    The Canadian High Commissioner lauded the President for providing leadership in the country, and championing the cause for the replenishing of the Lake Chad Basin.

    He noted that the Canadian Governor General, Julie Payette, had presented a picture taken from space of the vanishing lake to the President when she visited recently.

    Baker said more than 11, 000 Nigerians were studying in Canada, with many residing in the country, assuring the President that majority of the students return to build and invest their knowledge in Nigeria’s growth.

    The Canadian High Commissioner said he would work towards improving relations between both countries on migration, education, entrepreneurship training, mining, renewable energy and Information Technology.

    Also receiving Letters of Credence from the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Wendy Campbell Laing, Buhari said Nigeria remains grateful for the training support for the military in the Northeast  since it started fighting Boko Haram.

  • Olujimi seeks dissolution of ‘lopsided’ Atiku campaign council

    Senate Minority Leader Biodun Olujimi has called for the immediate dissolution of the Abubakar Atiku’s campaign council in Ekiti State for its alleged lopsided composition.

    Mrs Olujimi, who petitioned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus, urged the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to dissolve and reconstitute the campaign council in Ekiti State.

    The senator told Secondus to compel former Governor Ayodele Fayose to adhere strictly to the resolution reached among stakeholders on how the council should be constituted at a meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, on December 28.

    She noted that this would forestall cracks and crisis in the party, ahead of the forthcoming elections.

    Mrs Olujimi accused Fayose of hijacking the council and injecting his cronies in strategic positions with the portentous intention to side-line other members of the party from participating in mobilising for the PDP presidential candidate during the elections.

    In the petition, dated January 6, the PDP senator said only an immediate dissolution of the highly “lopsided” campaign council can avert unnecessary division in Ekiti State PDP.

    She warned that failure to accede to the request could be deleterious for the party’s chances in the state.

    Mrs Olujimi alluded to a publication in the newspapers wherein changes were made to members of Atiku/Obi Campaign Council for Ekiti State without notifying the stakeholders.

    The senator described the development as “demeaning and mischievous”.

    She added: “The original composition has Prof Olusola Kolapo as chairman; Otunba Yinka Akerele as Director General and Chief Sanya Atofarati as spokesperson/Director of Media, among others, while the position of a Secretary did not exist in the original composition by the national directorate.”

    But the composition has Prof Olusola as chairman; Chief Dipo Anisulowo as DG; Chief Gboyega Oguntuase as Secretary; Jackson Adebayo as spokesperson and Lere Olayinka as Director of Media and Publicity.

    Mrs Olujimi warned that the PDP might lose the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The petition reads: “It has become imperative to swiftly alert the National Campaign Council of our great party, the PDP, and the public to kindly disregard the misleading publication as to the actual composition of the campaign council. The purported publication is not only untrue but also contravenes the prescribed provisions of our party’s guidelines and directive.

    “It should be understood that this is another orchestrated plan of former Governor Ayo Fayose to convert the party’s resources and fortunes to his personal enterprise, as usual.

    “He did it during the last governorship election and our party paid dearly for it, in spite of my advice, warnings and outcry. Once beaten is twice shy.

    “The publication reportedly cited the cronies and stooges of Mr Ayo Fayose as Chairman, Secretary, Director General, Spokesperson, Director of Media and Publicity, among others.

    “This is most unacceptable, as Ekiti people and Nigerians cannot afford to lose this golden opportunity to change the APC-led maladministration at the national and state levels for one person’s self-centeredness.”

    Mrs Olujimi added that in the spirit of equity, justice, fairness and general acceptability in Ekiti PDP, majority demanded that “Mr Fayose should be mandated to comply immediately with the earlier resolution of the party by adhering to the earlier membership and composition of the Atiku/Obi Presidential Council, as previously agreed by the State Working Committee (SWC), led by the party’s Chairman Oguntuase, Senator Biodun Olujimi, Senator Duro Faseyi, Prof. Olubunmi Olusola and Federal lawmakers there present”.

    She added: “That if he (Fayose) fails to comply with the above, we shall be left with no other option than to take appropriate actions that will reflect the wish of the people, as agreed in the meeting of the campaign council at the PDP state secretariat and chaired by Prof. Olusola Kolapo, the Campaign Council Chairman, on 28 December.”

    According to her, the gestures and moves of Fayose are antithetical and negate the foundational principle of the party.

  • Atiku seeks Nigerians help to chart a new course

    The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has urged Nigerians to join him in charting a new course for Nigeria in the New Year.

    Stating that Nigeria has become the world headquarters for extreme poverty, Atiku expressed the conviction that with the support of Nigerians, the country can become the world headquarters for hope and extreme devotion to the cause of lifting the citizenry out of poverty.

    In a goodwill, the former vice president described 2019 as yet a blank page, saying that Nigerians must not settle for whatever it brings.

    The message reads: “Rather, we must take collective action, through our choices, in making it a year where we revive national hope, with visionary leadership that sees our economy and institutions working again as they did in our golden era.

    “We can chart a new course and open a new chapter that sees every Nigerian living in peace and prosperity with their neighbour. It can be the year when our youths finally get a job instead of being unfairly tagged as lazy.

    “With purposeful leadership, it can also be the year when we put an end to terrorism and usher in a golden age of peace.”

    Atiku added that freedom will not just happen by itself, stressing that change must be effected from the top to the bottom.

    He said: “We already have the vision, the vision of a nation that is a beacon of hope for the Black Race and the world at large, what we lack and what 2019 can provide, is the leadership that has the capacity to translate that vision into reality.

    “In 2019, Nigerians need a leadership that is 100 per cent  for 100 per cent of Nigerians, 100 per cent of the time. We have seen where division and sectionalism has led us to. Now let us try unity and patriotism.

    “Don’t lose heart and hope. Nigeria is no stranger to overcoming difficulties. In fact, we have an uncanny ability to perform our best when the worst is upon us.”

  • Gana seeks Donald Duke’s nullification as SDP candidate

    FORMER Information Minister Prof. Jerry Gana has approached the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama, seeking Donald Duke’s nullification  as Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) presidential candidate.

    They argued that the process that produced the party’s flag bearer violated the SDP constitution.

    Duke,  a former Cross River Governor, polled 812 votes to defeat his closed rival, Prof. Gana, who polled 611 votes at the party’s national convention held at Old Parade Ground, Abuja, on October 7.

    The matter, which was slated for mentioning yesterday, was stalled due to the indisposition of the judge, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, owing to ill health.

    Read also: Gana loses out as SDP affirms Duke as presidential candidate

    However, the claimant, Prof. Gana, who was present in court yesterday, was represented in the proceeding by Pius Akubo (SAN), J.A. Abraham (SAN), Joshua Musa (SAN) and Innocent Daagba, among others.

    The first to fifth defendants were represented by Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN). No counsel announced appearance for the sixth defendant, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Akubo informed the court that the counsel had conferred and agreed that a short adjournment be granted to allow the judge recover fully and to enable the claimant counsel respond to the processes served on him by the defendant’s counsel last Friday.

    The parties agreed to come back on November 13 for hearing.

  • NCC seeks UK’s collaboration on digital inclusion, others

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the United Kingdom (UK) government, have agreed to collaborate on digital inclusion, cyber security, capacity building and bridging the  yawning access gap in the nation’s information communication technology (ICT) space.

    NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, spoke on the collaboration after meeting with Senior Private Sector Development Adviser & Head, Digital Inclusion at Department of Foreign &International Development (DFID), Alessandra Lustrati, who led a high-powered delegation from the UK on courtesy visit to NCC headquarters in Anuja..

    “This delegation is here to explore how the UK government can channel a significant intervention to the tune of £1.2 billion to create wealth and posterity in selected countries around the world. And this creation of posterity will leverage the power of ICT to provide access to unserved and underserved areas in the country. The intervention is also on cyber security and capacity building, three key areas,” he said.

    Earlier, Danbatta had told the delegation that there were 200 access gaps in the country and the Commission was looking at different rural technology solutions to bridge the gaps in two years, as against the 20 years projected.

    “With the right rural technology solution, we can do it faster, because at the rate we are plugging the gaps, it will take us about 20 years to conclude.  These gaps deprive 40 million Nigerians of access to telecoms services, out of 190 million.

    “The good thing about getting a solution to the access gap problem  is that, we know where the gaps are, we have our access gap map, we can actually point out where the gaps are,” he said.

    Speaking earlier, Lustrati told the EVC that the UK government was hoping to start the implementation of the intervention from as early as April, next year, noting that the project was deliberately made “country-specific” to enable countries like Nigeria choose the nature of the interventions they desire.

  • ECOWAS Court seeks better funding

    Ahead of its resumption of hearings today, judges and workers of the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met for several days last week to work out ways of enhancing its operations.

    They met at the court’s seventh judges’ retreat and the 10th judicial retreat, both of which held separately, at the Goshen City, Nasarawa State.

    New judges of the court were sworn in on July 31 for a tenure of four years. They assumed duties on August 27.

    The judges also considered the court’s 2019 draft budget and witnessed the presentation of the new digital case management system being developed by the court towards computerising its case management system and enabling online filing.

    The judges include the President, Justice Edward Amoako Asante (from Ghana), Vice President, Honorable Justice Gberi-Be Ouattara (Cote d’Ivoire), Justice Dupe Atoki (Nigeria), Justice Keikura Bangura (Sierra Leone) and Justice Januaria Silva Moreira Costa (Cape Verde).

    At the judicial retreat, with the theme: “The jurisprudence of the ECOWAS Court of Justice: 2004 to 2018,” participants were taken through the court’s past decisions, its growing responsibilities, particularly as it relates to its bourgeoning human rights jurisdiction.

    They also examined measures to improve the court’s operations, ease access to the litigating public, particularly the indigent.

    The retreat, which frowned at member state’s reluctance to enforce the court’s decisions, the recent reduction in the number of its judges from seven to five and the shortage of personnel, resolved to work assiduously to overcome the challenges posed by these developments.

    Presentations at the retreat included: “Jurisprudence of the ECOWAS Court of Justice on access to the court; an overview of the jurisdiction of the ECOWAS Court of Justice; human rights in the jurisprudence of the court; non-exhaustion of local remedies as a distinctive feature of the ECOWAS Court of Justice human rights mandate” and “an analysis of the Community Legal Order as declared by the ECOWAS Court of Justice.”

    The retreat also explored topics like: “State responsibility, sources of law and the application of Article 38 of the International Court of Statute by the ECOWAS Court; preliminary procedure, expedited procedure, provisional measures, consolidation and withdrawal/discontinuance in the practice and procedure of the ECOWAS Court of Justice; default judgment, revision, interpretation of judgement and supplementary judgement in the Jurisprudence of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.’

    There were also presentations on the “written and oral procedure, pleadings, witnesses and expert standard of proof and the role of the judge rapporteur in the practice and procedure of the ECOWAS Court of Justice,” and “‘Improving the image of the court.”

    At the opening session of the judicial retreat, Justice Asante said the retreat was intended as an opportunity for the court’s judges and staff to reflect on the various issues that impact on the court and its effectiveness.

    He regretted the reduction in the number of the court’s judges and the delay being experienced in the delay in the translation of court processes into the three working languages of the court – English, French and Portuguese. He noted that about 107 cases were currently awaiting hearing, while many more would still be filed.

    Asante expressed displeasure that member states were not honouring their obligation under Article 24 of the 2005 Supplementary Protocol on the court, which required each state to determine the competent national authority for the receipt and processing of execution of the judgements of the court in accordance with the rules of civil procedure in each state.

    He noted that only five of the 15 ECOWAS member states- Burkina Faso, Guinea, Nigeria, Mali and Togo- have notified the court of the designation of the focal points for the enforcement of the decisions of the court.

    Asante, who disclosed that judges, at their retreat, (which preceded the judicial retreat) promised to give their best, noted that the court, between April 2004 and October 2018, delivered 318 decisions, comprising 190 judgments, 105 rulings,18 revision judgments and five advisory opinions.

    He praised the court for its achievement so far, stressing: “Undoubtedly, the court has interpreted and applied numerous provisions in its Rules of Procedure and the Protocol on the court as amended. Through its decisions, the court has developed a rich jurisprudence on its practice and procedure and its human rights mandate.”

    The court’s president urged all staff to be committed to duty and aid the court in the effective execution of its mandate.

    When the curtain dropped on the retreat on October 27, participants were elated about the outcome of the week-long exercise. They said the objectives of the programme were achieved.

    They called for enhanced funding, provision of adequate working facilities, including a befitting structure for the court. They also stressed the need for more personnel, particularly translators, to allow prompt translation of court processes into the court’s three languages, to address the current delay caused by the slow pace of translation.

    Asante, who expressed delight at the success of the retreat, said the court was working on ways to ensure that its decisions were enforced. He noted that the non-enforcement of the court’s decisions has negatively impacted on public’s estimation of the court.

    He said: “We are now working on measures to allow individuals come before the court to enforce judgments given in their favour.” According to him, the process will require that a judgment creditor is allowed to initiate a fresh suit to enforce the judgment, where the state is reluctant.

    The court will then award certain compensation in favour of the individual, and as a result, the judgment debtor state is made to lose certain facilities it has in the commission (ECOWAS).

  • SAN seeks equal application as lawyer backs Executive Order 6

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mr. Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) has welcomed the Executive Order 06 issued by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He urged law enforcement agencies to ensure its equal application without fear, favour or ill-will.

    A former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Legal Adviser Mr. Victor C. Nwaugo also backed Executive Order 6.

    Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), had said the essence of the Executive Order 6 was to ensure that assets connected to persons under investigation or trial were not dissipated.

    Okutepa said Nigeria was not the only country where that kind of executive order was being issued.

    He recalled that in the United Kingdom, there is the Unexplained Wealth Order, which is applied to those whose assets appear to be more than their legitimate income.

    Okutepa said: “I think the essence of these orders is to ensure that corruption is dealt a fatal blow in our land. I think the greatest enemies of Nigeria are Nigerians not the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “The primitive acquisitions of material wealth in Nigeria and the unbridled manner it is done and being done should worry any right thinking person. The primaries of political parties have come and gone but we all saw what aspirants went through.

    “We should be worried that people buy their way to power. The rate of corruption and corrupt influences in Nigeria require extraordinary measures to deal with.

    “Those talking about human rights of those who have sentenced us to economic death sentence should appreciate that when those people were killing us vide corruption, they did not think of our own human rights to good road, health care and other social amenities.

    “Nigerians must see that corruption is the greatest business enterprise in Nigeria. We all hate it but love its practice. For me any measure that will bring corruption to an end is good for Nigeria.

    “Corruption is a heavyweight wrestler. It cannot be fought with kids’ glove. We need necessary process to fight it and I believe the Orders of government are necessary instruments to fight it.

    “As Nigerians, we should insist on even application to all and sundry without fear or favour affection or ill-will. There must not be selective applications.”

    Nwaugo said the order was merely a presidential policy directive issued towards curbing corruption.

    “It should be borne in mind that, in course of the campaign for the election of Muhammadu Buhari as the President of Nigeria, he made fight against corruption one of the cardinal principles of his administration, which Nigerians overwhelmingly endorsed by voting him into power.

    “That the 1999 constitution guarantees freedom of movement and fair trial of a Nigerian citizen does not guarantee absolute freedom or innocence of every Nigerian.

    “The constitution qualifies such freedom and fair trial under Sections 35 (1) (c) and 36 (5) of the constitution.

    “Presumption of innocence does not qualify as absolute innocence hence once an accused is under investigation, his right to freely move may be temporarily hampered within the realm of the security agency concerned or even before the court if charged.

    “In fact, once a person is standing trial, his freedom of movement is temporarily hampered pending the trial and determination of his case as his right to movement will be subjected to the discretion of the court concerned,” Nwaugo said.

    The lawyer recalled that America had refused to allow journalists interview security agents who interrogated the perpetuators of bombing of twin pillars of America, as it was classified as a matter of security.

    “Extra ordinary situation requires extra-ordinary measure. In Nigeria, right before our very eyes few individuals have cornered by fraudulent means, the resources and  wealth that would have librated Nigeria from the shackles of poverty.

    “Contracts running into billions would be awarded for construction of roads, the roads would not be constructed, but the money released and shared by few while the majority will be made to suffer the effect of failure to construct such roads. Some lose their goods or lives for few wicked fraudsters to smile to the bank.

    “There is the argument that Order 6 of 2018 seeks to usurp the functions of the Judiciary particularly because some of the presumed persons to be affected by the Order are already standing trial before the court and therefore subject to the discretion of the court in determining whether they can travel out of Nigeria or not.

    “That argument cannot hold water in the face of the case of Barr. Ikenga Imo & Anor vs. President of Federal Republic of Nigeria & Anor, FHC/ABJ/CS/740/18where the court affirmed our position that Executive Order 6 of 2018 is not self executory but that concerned security agency shall seek the discretion of court in the temporary seizure or restriction of movement of the citizen concerned.

    “In other words, the security agency concerned in the ongoing cases before the court can only restrict the movement of any accused person or temporarily seize the suspected corruptly acquired property after obtaining an Order of court to that effect.

    “I have carefully perused the contents of Executive Order 6 of 2018, I have also compared same with the constitutional provisions guaranteeing fundamental right of Nigerians, I have also looked at Sections 5 and 15 (5) of the 1999 constitution which empowers the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria to exercise Executive Powers of the Federation and abolish all corrupt practices.

    “I have come to the immutable conclusion that Preservation of Assets Connected with Corruption and other Related Offences Order 2018 is a necessary instrument that will enable the relevant agencies wage war against corruption in Nigeria,” Nwaugo said.

  • Ambode seeks stakeholders’ support against delay in justice administration

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged stakeholders to come up with innovative models for achieving speedy and efficient justice delivery system, which can be replicated across the country.

    He said despite efforts, the plague of delay in justice delivery is still of major concern.

    The governor spoke yesterday at a special service held at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos to mark the opening of the 2018/2019 Legal Year.

    His deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule, delivered his speech at a similar service held at the Lagos Central Mosque, Nnamdi Azikwe Street, Lagos.

    Ambode said the judiciary must continue to be in the forefront of judicial reforms, to meet the expectation of the modern day justice sector.

    He said the justice system must remain sound, fair and effective because the state had responsibility for 24 million people, who looked up to it to protect them with the law.

    The Chief Judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke, led the 58 high court judges and 122 magistrates to the service, which was also attended by Senior Advocates of Nigeria, other lawyers, former Deputy Governor Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu Oba Kabiru Shotobi and his chiefs.

    The governor hailed the judges for their diligence and hard work, pledging that his administration would support and partner the judiciary in the new legal year.

    He said: “As we begin another judicial year, I assure you of my continued support and partnership.”

    In his sermon, the Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, Anglican Communion, Rev. Humphrey Olumakaiye, praised the judges for the stabilising roles they played in democracy by insisting on the supremacy of the rule of law at all times.

    He urged them to always do justice, irrespective of who was involved, saying injustice was an invitation to disaster and curse.

    “Justice and peace are two sides of a coin,” the cleric said.

    He prayed that God should forgive judges who had soiled their hands and stigmatised themselves.

    Delivering a lecture at the Lagos Central Mosque, an Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Dr. Ismail Musa admonished judges and magistrates to dispense justice with the fear of God.

    He said judges must always have it in mind when hearing cases and delivering judgment that they are representatives of God, who is the Judge of all judges.

    Musa said in order to be good judges, they must hear cases and deliver judgment within the doctrines of God, who he said “is the Judge of all judges”.

    Justice Oke, answering questions from reporters, warned lawyers to desist from giving bribes to judiciary workers.

    She said she would recommend any lawyer caught to the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for sanction.

    Justice Oke reiterated that her administration had zero tolerance for corruption and was determined to change the face of the judiciary within the best global practices.

     

  • Buhari seeks Senate’s nod for fresh $2.86bn foreign loan

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday requested Senate’s approval for a fresh $2,868,540,000 external loan.

    The request was contained in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

    Saraki read the letter in the Senate chamber yesterday.

    Buhari noted that the loan would be used to partly fund the 2018 budget.

    In the breakdown of the loan, Buhari explained that $2.786 billion would be borrowed from the international capital market for the part-financing of the 2018 budget’s fiscal deficit and to finance key infrastructure projects in 2018 budget.

    He said the Federal Government needed to raise another $82.54 million from the international capital market to refinance the balance of $500 million mature Eurobond.

    The President said: “Pursuant to Sections 21 (1) and 27 (1) of the Debt Management Office (Establishment Etc) Act, 2003, I hereby request for distinct and specific resolutions of the National Assembly to:

    “Issue USD2.786 billion in Eurobonds and other securities in the international capital market for the implementation of New External Borrowing approved in the Federal Government of Nigeria’s 2018 Appropriation Act, for the part-financing of the 2018 budget’s fiscal deficit as well as to finance key infrastructure projects in 2018 budget.

    “And issue Eurobonds and other securities in the international capital market for the refinancing of USD82.54 million, being the balance of the five-year, USD 500 million mature Eurobonds.”

    Buhari also sought Senate’s approval for N346 billion Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) budget for 2018.

    The breakdown of the budget shows that while N313.883 billion should be appropriated for capital expenditure, N31 billion was earmarked for recurrent expenditure.

  • NAMA seeks local refining of aviation fuel

    Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Managing Director (MD) Captain Fola Akinkuotu has charged stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to consider the production of aviation fuel (Jet A1) in line with the content development initiative of the Buhari administration.

    Akinkuotu, guest speaker at the yearly Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) forum organised by PSRG-Richardson Oil and Gas, held at Eko Hotel  and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos said the call became imperative given the high cost of aviation fuel which costs over 30 per cent  of operational cost of airlines.

    He said apart from cost, the supply of the product is, sometimes, epileptic, resulting in flight disruptions.

    He said the production of Jet A1 in Nigeria would regularise supply, reduce cost which would also translate to lower air fares by airlines.

    The NAMA boss, who delivered a paper on the topic “Aviation safety in Nigeria – Challenges, issues and Solutions”, lamented the high cost of aircraft maintenance, which he described as “atrocious because these costs are denominated  in dollars.”

    He revealed, however, that effort was being made by the Federal Government to set up a Maintenance, Repairs and Operations (MRO) facility “as part of plans to reduce capital flight, lower the times aircraft leave the country for repairs and lower the cost of maintenance.”

    On the state of air safety in Nigeria, Akinkuotu said: “The recent pronouncement by the U. S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that Nigeria’s air carriers’ operations are in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO’s) standards is good news that rekindles hope in the sector.

    He said: “ The  aviation sector in Nigeria is all together safe as accidents have remained at zero level for six consecutive years with serious or reportable incidents at acceptable levels.”

    This, according to him, does not presuppose there are no challenges and issues in the sector which deserve mention and require adequate attention.

    Akinkuotu noted that as an airspace manager, NAMA has embarked on the modernisation of airspace infrastructure through the Installation of Instrument Landing System (ILS), Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), Doppler Very High Frequency Omnidirectional radio Range (DVOR) and Wide Area Multi-Lateration (WAM) for low-flying aircraft surveillance and control, even as he revealed that Installation of ILS/DME and DVOR/DME is ongoing in 12 airport locations while CAT III ILS will be completed in Abuja and Lagos before the end of the year.