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Int’l Flight Destinations From Nigeria NarrowsWhy FG shifted resumption by one weekCountries that Nigerian travelers can...
28/08/2020

Int’l Flight Destinations From Nigeria Narrows

Why FG shifted resumption by one week

Countries that Nigerian travelers can go to when international flight operations resume in the country on 5th September, 2020 has narrowed down.

In other words, Nigerian travelers have few choices of external destinations they can go to due to decision of the federal government to clamp down on flight to some foreign destinations in Europe and America in retaliation to their flight ban.

Recall that last week, the minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika announced that Nigeria will resume post-COVID-19 international flights, at two of the nation’s airports, Abuja and Lagos. He had given the date for commencement as 29th August at that time.

He was, however quick to add last week, that the country will only accept flights from countries, that have no existing travel ban against Nigerians.

Many countries, amid the COVID-19 pandemic shut their airspace and closed their borders since March, 2020. Some of them are now easing things up, but with a lot of restrictions.

Britain, for instance has Nigeria on its travel ban, just like the United States, which imposed its ban in February, 2020.

UK, seen as the most favoured destination of Nigerian travelers, pre-COVID, had drawn up an exempt list of countries and territories, in which Nigeria is conspicuously missing.

In Africa, only the Islands of Mauritius, Reunion, St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha made the list.

For Nigerians, flights to Britain can only be allowed on essential basis, such as medicare, studies or joining families.

Those coming into Nigeria outside of the exempt countries will have to abide by the 14-day quarantine rule that was put in place on June 8, 2020.

These include travelers coming in from the United States, with the world’s heaviest Coronavirus cases.

While Nigerians are welcome in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), they cannot go to Cyprus and Saudi Arabia. Therefore, going by the principal of reciprocity

Tompolo’s Contract Boosted NIMASA Revenue, says Bashir JamohThe maritime contract between theNigerian Maritime Administr...
15/07/2020

Tompolo’s Contract Boosted NIMASA Revenue, says Bashir Jamoh

The maritime contract between theNigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Global WestVessels Specialists Limited owned by ex-Niger Delta warlord, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo boosted NIMASA’s revenue and reduced the incidents of piracy on the nation’s territorial waters.

This was stated by Dr. Bashir Jamoh, the director general of the apex shipping regulatory agency in Nigeria. According to reports, the debt recovery and surveillance contracts awarded to the Global West Vessel Specialists Nigeria Limited (GWVSNL) NIMASA under the Goodluck Jonathan administration and cancelled by Buhari was awarded to Snecou Nigeria Limited, a company owned by the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dr Davies Akanya.

A major part of the contract was to recover the huge debts owed NIMASA by shipping companies in the region of $15 billion, which NIMASA then estimated in the region of $5 billion on no cure, no pay basis.

It will be recalled that the former director general of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, had in 2011, awarded a 10-year maritime security contract to GWVSNL. As part of the contract, GWVESNL was expected to provide platforms to be used by the Nigerian navy and other security operatives to patrol the waterways.

The Federal Ministry of Transportation under Chibuike Amaechi, had July, 2016 directed NIMASA under Dr. Dakuku Peterside to terminate GWVSNL’s contract and discontinue payment to it. The directive was sequel to the freezing of GWVSNL’s account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Five years after the suspension of the contract, Bashir Jamoh, the new director general of NIMASA who had been a top management official in NIMASA for over 20 years, before finally becoming the DG, has come out to disclose that the discredited contract was indeed a blessing to NIMASA.

According to him, this was because it boosted the agenc

FG Says Airfares were not HikedThe Federal government has ruled out the possibility of increment in airfares as a result...
15/07/2020

FG Says Airfares were not Hiked

The Federal government has ruled out the possibility of increment in airfares as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika stated this recently at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja while inspecting resumption of flights from the nation’s capital to Kano and other parts of the country.
He refuted claims that airfares had increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic stressing that since there was no physical distancing onboard airplanes, airfares would witness little or no change in prices.

Reports showed that Kano, Port Harcourt and Owerri airports resumed operations on Saturday, 11th July, 2020 joining Abuja and Lagos, which had resumed on Wednesday, July 8, 2020.

Sirika also explained why physical distancing onboard flights was not mandatory.

On airfares, he said that there was no price increase in airfares because “I know that someone travelled at about N30,000, while another person told me it was N25,000 from Abuja to Lagos.

“So, I want to assume that even if the increase had happened, like I said earlier on during the COVID-19 briefing, it will be minimal that passengers can afford,” posited the aviation minister.

He also said that the purpose of the inspection, which was done alongside members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, was to ensure that the airports were opened in accordance with protocols established by PTF.

He said that the aviation authorities had done well by complying with the PTF COVID-19 protocols, as the airports were safe for operations. On why it was not mandatory to observe physical distancing onboard flights, Sirika said, “Because of the nature of the airplane, the aircraft cabin is hygienic enough once you have your mask on.

“So you are safe to remain sitted on your seat and where possible, we will keep the distance. Airplanes are designed in such a way that the ambient air at altitudes is clean. It is not contaminated,” he st

Over N3 billion Racket AllegationOsinbajo Taskforce busted?Over three billion naira is alleged to have been collected il...
15/07/2020

Over N3 billion Racket Allegation

Osinbajo Taskforce busted?

Over three billion naira is alleged to have been collected illegally from truck owners by the Presidential Taskforce on the clearance of Apapa gridlock chaired by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo since inception of its operations on May 24th2019.

This allegation was made by Chief Anthony Agbalusi, the deputy chairman of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Tin Can Island chapter.

According to an interview monitored in Arise Television in Lagos recently, Agbalusi, who is also the Chairman of Concerned Truck Owners Forum made a telegraphic presentation of how the taskforce had turned the assignment given to it by President Muhammadu Buhari into a huge business and an empire of corruption.

The haulage operator stated that it was the outcry by truck owners over extortion by the Navy that was managing the traffic in Apapa corridors that led to intervention of President Buhari.

He noted that even when other taskforces managed the traffic, including during the time the Nigeria Navy was in-charge, the trucks were made to file in one straight line as directed so that other vehicles will be passing. He said that this order was followed and operations were moving.

He started that the present disorder started after the establishment of the current Presidential Task Force that has Engr Kayode Ogbeifa, former commissioner of transport in Lagos State as vice chairman. According to him, the taskforce stated that the federal government does not want vehicles on the road and ended up scattering the order of operations that had been established at that time.

He alleged that after displacing the former operational order, the taskforce started collecting 300,000 naira to pass each truck moving to the ports. He claimed that “it is either you pay… or your vehicle will be parked.”

Explaining further, he alleged that the Presidential Taskforce, as a routine, passed 150 vehicles every Monday from Fatgbem

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