The Nation Newspaper

Tag: stranded

  • Easter: Passengers stranded at Abuja airport

    Easter: Passengers stranded at Abuja airport

    Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was a beehive of activities on Thursday as passengers tried to travel for the Easter celebrations.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had declared Friday and Monday public holidays for Easter celebrations.

    NAN reports that there was heavy traffic in the departure hall and the booking points of the domestic wing of the airport.

    NAN also observed that some passengers were stranded as there were no available flights for them to travel to their destinations.

    An official of the airport, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said all flights for Thursday were fully booked and that there was no more available flight for the day.

    The official said that the upsurge was as a result of the long holiday.

    Mr Saroke Abdullahi, Deputy Station Manager, Azman Airlines, said there was an upsurge in passenger turnout and that all domestic flights for Thursday were fully booked by Wednesday.

    Abdullahi said that flights to Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri and Port Harcourt were the most patronised.

    He also said the traffic upsurge had forced many airlines to sell tickets at their last prices and emphasised that there was no fare hike.

    According to him, every airline has lower and higher prices for tickets.

    He said travelers who bought tickets early were likely to enjoy lower prices.

    “During rush periods like this, airlines sell their tickets at their last prices which is usually higher than the normal period but that does not necessarily mean fare hike,” he said.

    A traveller, Mr Saleh Magaji, told NAN that he was stranded because he could not get a flight to Kano.

    Magaji said he did not expect the increase in passenger traffic considering the harsh economic situation in the country; otherwise he would have booked before Thursday.

    He said he wanted to use the opportunity of the long holiday to travel to Kano to spend time with his family.

    Another traveler, Mr Joe Maduka, said he had rescheduled his trip to Port Harcourt since he could not get any flight for Thursday.

    Maduka called on all Christians to use the Easter celebration to pray for the economic turnaround of the country.

     

  • Addis Ababa – bound passengers stranded at Kano airport

    Addis Ababa – bound passengers stranded at Kano airport

    Numerous Ethiopia airline passengers, earlier scheduled to depart Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (*MAKIA) en- route Addis Ababa by 9am on Friday was later cancelled, compelling the passengers to be stranded.

    One of the passengers, Aminu Abubakar, lamented that the plight of the passengers was further worsened when the operators subsequently announced the rescheduling of the flight to 9am on Saturday but the fight was also eventually canceled.

    Accusing the airline operators of insensitivity to passengers’ plight, Aminu observed that many other international flights took off, while they were stiil awaiting their flight.

    However, efforts to speak with the Ethiopian airline manager failed, as he was said not to be available but a source, who simply identified himself as Abdul but declined to be exposed, explained that the cancellation was due to poor visibility, noting that the minimum visibility since yesterday was below 800 meters.

  • Nig students stranded in Cuba due to non-payment of allowances

    Nigerian students in Cuba under the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) programme of the Federal Scholarship Board are stranded, it was learnt.

    In the last eleven months, it was learnt that they have not received thier stipends from the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB), Abuja.

    The BEA scheme is a joint program run by the Nigerian government (through the Federal Ministry of Education) in collaboration with governments of other countries such as Cuba, China,Russia, Morocco, Algeria, Ukraine, etc. Under the scheme, outstanding students from all the states of the federation are nominated by the Nigerian government to the foreign governments.

    In a statement made available to our reporter and signed by the Nigerian student president in Cuba, Evelyn Balogun –Arogunjo, students under the scheme were yet to receive a cent from the government.

    ”Not a kobo or a single cent. We have not received a single cent in the last eleven months from the government that sent us abroad, how are we expected to survive?

    “Since January we have been going through hell and especially for graduates of this year who have been asked to vacate the school premises with the obligation to rent houses to live in and accommodation is extremely expensive.

    “Due to Cuba economic restrictions, we do not have the right or permission to work nor receive money from outside for those who have the opportunity compared to other Nigerian students on scholarship in other countries; we only depend on stipends promised by the federal scholarship board.

    The statement explained that, “Nigerian students on scholarship in other countries have all been paid except for us in Cuba and this is always the case”.

    According to the statement, “the graduates always receive stipends of eight months in their final year which is from January to August due to the fact that we are expected to be out of the country of residence by the end of August but now we are currently four months passed the expected date of departure, we are now in the obligation to pay rents monthly till when all allowances are sent.

    “The statement lamented that, “students were promised flight ticket fees back home after their 3rd year of career during the period of vacation which never arrived.

    “It is impossible to pay for our accommodation for the last four months from the allowance supposedly being sent due to the fact that the last four months was never budgeted in our stipends for this years”.

    “We the students with the assistance of the Nigerian Embassy here in Havana Cuba have done everything possible to communicate with the present Executive Director of the Federal Scholarship Board Mrs Ifeoma Agunwah through letters, calls, social media etc, but no concern has been shown about our present situation”.

    “Also with the expiration of our identification cards, our cost of living has quadrupled due to the fact that our status automatically changes to tourist one”, the state added.

     

  • Ekiti traders stranded at new locations

    Ekiti traders stranded at new locations

    •Govt: we are sorry

    Traders displaced from the Erekesan Market to other locations in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, have decried government’s abandonment,

    A visit to the alternative places provided by the government revealed that majority of the traders are still stranded and there was no government official on ground to assist in allocation of stalls and shops.

    The traders appealed to the government to move faster and make the alternative market sites comfortable for them as Yuletide approaches.

    Governor Ayo Fayose ordered the relocation of traders to Agric Olope and Awedele Markets for the two-year period the construction of the new market would take.

    The Agric Olope Marke was still bushy and not tidy for any trading to take place.

    Some of the traders were said to have paid N5,000 per space outside the market to display their wares.

    The traders said they are afraid of keeping their wares in the market as there was no security on ground.

    At Awedele Market, some of the stranded market women bemoaned their fate but they were pacified by the Iyaloja of Ado Ekiti, Mrs. Waye Oso.

    Commissioner for Information Lanre Ogunsuyi pleaded with the market women for patience and understanding.

    He said: “It is practically impossible for the government to put all facilities needed at the new locations and at the same time build a new ultramodern market.

    “We are sorry about the perceived inconveniences because settling down in a new environment do occasion some trauma. We are sorry about this because these are our people.

    “We are promising them that this period of inconvenience will soon be over. We will be meeting with the traders periodically to know their plight and ensure that all of them get spaces to be able to do their businesses.

    “But we have to make it clear that this government will rather concentrate energy on how to speed up the building of that demolished Oja Oba market than to dissipate energy on providing new facilities at the market where they were resettled.”

     

  • Commuters stranded at Lagos Airport over new rules

    Commuters stranded at Lagos Airport over new rules

    Hundreds of passengers were yesterday stranded along the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) road over new rules rolled out for airport cabs and limousine operators by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    According to sources, only 34 out of the 500 cab and limousine operators have complied with the new rules set by FAAN, which requires them to acquire relatively newer vehicles painted in new colours before plying the airport road.

    From the Medical Road axis of Ikeja, where the operators have a park, only a few had complied with the newer car regulation, which mandates them to get vehicles of year 2,000 models and above.

    The newer vehicles are to be registered with FAAN commercial department and painted in dark blue colours.

    As a result of the limited number of vehicles on the road, fares were increased to N100 for some routes, where the operators charge N50.

    From the Medical Road axis, many commuters trekked about two kilometres to get to both the old, new and international terminals .

    Speaking on the issue, the General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, attributed the development to scarcity of fuel.

    He said many cab operators were complying with the new regulation to bring about sanity in transport operations around the airports.

    But, domestic airlines were still yesterday grappling with the scarcity of aviation fuel forcing them to adjust flights on account of unavailability of Jet A – One.

    Jet A – One is the industry parlance for aviation fuel.

     

     

     

  • ‘We are stranded in Malaysia’

    Over 70 Bayelsa State indigenes, who were sent to study in Malaysia under the scholarship programme, have cried out that they are stranded in the country.

    There was indication yesterday that the beneficiaries of the programme were stranded and battling deportation threat from the Malaysian government.

    The son of a former deputy governor (name withheld), is said to be among them.

  • Patients stranded in Anambra as NAUTH is shut

    Patients stranded in Anambra as NAUTH is shut

    The strike by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) grounded treatment yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) in Nnewi, Anambra State.

    Doctors in Federal medical establishments started  the action on Tuesday to demand the implementation of the agreement the NMA reached with the Federal Government in 2009 for improved services in the Health sector.

    Several patients in the teaching hospital were discharged on Tuesday at noon.

    But the situation was different at the Anambra State University Teaching Hospital (ANSUTH), where the doctors were seen attending to patients.

    At the Onitsha General Hospital, a patient, Mrs. Obianuju Igbo, expressed worry over the strike.

    It was learnt that the doctors at the Anambra General Hospital in Awka were not part of the strike.

    They were said to be non-members of the NMA and NARD.

    When our reporter visited Nnewi yesterday, the wards, including the paediatrics, medical, surgical and labour, had few patients.

  • Thousands of commuters stranded on Abuja-Lokoja highway

    For more than six hours yesterday, thousands of commuters were stranded on the Abuja-Lokoja highway following heavy security against the Boko Haram insurgency.

    The army mounted an unusual blockade in Abaji, homestead of a Boko Haram coordinator, Kabiru Sokoto, who is detained by the State Security Service (SSS) after his arrest in Taraba State early this year.

    Commuters pleaded with President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on the army to give the checkpoint in Abaji a human face and fast track the screening of passengers.

    Investigation by our correspondent revealed that there was easy passage of commuters between 5am and noon but a sudden heavy security was mounted as from 1pm.

    As at 6pm, there was no hope for the stranded commuters, most of whom might sleep in their vehicles in Abaji.

    An official of the Federal Roads Safety Commission(FRSC), who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “We are helpless; the soldiers told us that they decided to strengthen security based on orders from above.

    “We have done our best to put structures in place for easy passage, but if it has to do with security issues, we have our own limitations.

    “We will make representation to the government on the traffic gridlock in this axis; it is now left to the appropriate authorities to liaise with the Army on how to improve the situation at the checkpoint in Abaji.”

    The source added: “As it is, we should have more than 200,000 commuters stranded because at a random count, we have about 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles on queue with no hope of leaving Abaji. Most of these commuters in Abaji are Muslims going for Sallah celebration.

    “We are certainly trying to resolve the traffic challenge caused by this sudden security build-up. We have always had the checkpoint but today’s (Thursday) has been standstill. We cannot talk about the information at the disposal of the authorities.”

    Some of the commuters spoke with our correspondent in Abaji.

    Hajiya Zainab Malik said: “This experience is just harrowing. I got to Abaji at about 12.15pm and here I am at 5.29pm on the same spot. Yet, I am not sure of when I will get home on the eve of Sallah.

    “They told us that the tight security has to do with Boko Haram scare. But we have not noticed any threat at all.”

    Alhaji Musa Yabagi, said: “I am carrying my ailing aged mother home for treatment but you can see the helpless woman gasping for breath. I feel so disappointed.

    “I want to appeal to the President to intervene, especially during festive period like this. If we cannot have good roads, we should be allowed to move about freely. It is this kind of situation that makes some of us to lose faith in the system. Who can be this callous to give this kind of order.

    “Yet, when we got to the checkpoint, they were only doing sight and pass method. They were not checking anything than to look at faces. Why should we wait for five hours for soldiers to look at our faces?”

  • Floods leave thousands stranded in Delta communities

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta, Senator James Manager, has urged the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to take urgent steps to make the East/West Road motorable, so that relief materials can be taken to people stranded in the areas.

    Manager (Delta South Senatorial District) spoke while donating relief materials to flood victims in camps at Patani, Bomadi and Burutu local government areas.

    He said flood victims in Patani and others have been cut off, except by boat.

    Manager said the cost of transportation from Warri to Port Harcourt has increased from about N1,000 to N4,000 because transporters take the longer route through Asaba-Onitsha-Owerri to Port Harcourt.

    He said this has led to an increase in the price of foodstuff and other items.

    Manager urged the relevant bodies to fumigate the affected communities when the water recedes to avoid an epidemic.

    Manager’s wife, Mrs. Juliana Manager, distributed relief materials at other camps.

    Items distributed included foodstuff, toiletries, mattresses and N200,000 cash to each of the camps and villages.

    Mrs. Manager said the items were donated by her husband, Mr. Frank Enekorogha (Burutu Federal Constituency) and Mr. Oboro Preyor (Bomadi State Constituency).

     

  • Flood: Hundreds stranded on East-West highway

    Hundreds of travellers on the East-West highway spent Saturday night on the road after a section of the busy highway was cut off by flood at Umeh Junction in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.

    Sources said over 60 cars broke down as about six kilometres of the road was flooded.

    It was learnt that only trucks were able to drive through the water and many commuters were stranded. Many of them were forced to turn back.

    Mr. Neil Mcluskey, who was forced to abort his trip to Port Harcourt and return to Warri, told our reporter at Ohore, Delta State, that he was forced to make a U-turn after wading through water that reached beyond his knee.

    He said: “It is a shame that no government agency is here to warn people of the danger on this road. I saw two cars that were washed off the road by the fast moving current. This could have been avoided, if the national Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other agencies were on hand to warn drivers of what laid ahead.”

    Hundreds of desperate passengers wade through several kilometres of water to dry land, where they boarded new vehicles to continue their journeys.

    A lady, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “I had to wade through the water because I had to get to Warri today (Sunday) for my parents’ wedding anniversary. I walked for over two hours before I got another vehicle. I got to Warri around 1am and came down with cold.”

    The flood submerged Patani, Koloware, Bulu-Aniama, Ogolomo, Abare, Torou-Angiama, Aven, Ogor, Adobor, Uduophori and Amatebe in Patani Local Government Area and Uzere, lgbide, Edherie, Ivrogbor, Ehwen, Edherie in Isoko South Council.

    Many residents have been displaced.

    Vehicles plying the Patani/Ughelli route have increased their fare from the N200 to N500.

    The Patani home of former Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development Mr. Raymos Guanah was affected.

    Guanah, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, Mr. Brave Enode and Mr. Dogubo Mologe, whose houses were also submerged, have built a temporary camp on the Patani/Uzere Road for victims.

    They also provided food and relief materials for the victims.

    Guanah urged the Federal Government and relevant agencies to come to their aid.

    He said the havoc wrecked by the flood was beyond the state government’s control.

    The Pere of Kabowei Kingdom, L. M. Erebulu, thanked Guanah, Ekiyor, Enode, and Mologe.

    The Anglican Bishop of Western Izaw Diocese, Rt. Rev. Edafe Emamezi, has relocated from his court.