punch news thisday Airlines Contribute N58 Billion to Economy Domestic and foreign airlines that operate in Nigeria contribute about N58 billion to the nation’s economy and support 61,000 jobs. This was disclosed by the Ministry of Aviation in a new report titled: “Evolving Towards a Risk-based Aviation Safety Strategy”, which outlined plans for the reformation of the sector. According to the report, airlines registered in Nigeria directly employ 7,000 people locally and support through their supply chain a further 33,000 jobs with further 21,000 jobs supported through the household spending by those employed by airlines and their supply chain. Also, airlines registered in Nigeria carry about six million passengers and 119,000 tonnes of freight a year to, from and within Nigeria and directly contribute about N29 billion to the GDP. “The sector contributes indirectly another N17 billion through the output it supports through its supply chain and further N11 billion comes from the spending of the airlines and their supply chains,” the report stated. The report noted that the plan of the Ministry of Aviation is to further develop the sector to boost revenues accruing from it to the GDP, create more jobs and make airline operation more profitable. The first step to actualise this, it pointed out, is the modernisation of the airports and other infrastructure that will enhance safe air transport in Nigeria, attract international travellers and enhance local carriers to operate more international destinations. “Our reform programme therefore will place Nigeria as a hub for the airfreight and passenger flows in the West Africa sub-region in the immediate future and Africa in the long term,” the report said. thisday Pirates Plunder US Ship Spotted in Niger Delta It was an eerie sight: an American oil supply ship abandoned in one of the danger-filled creeks that snake through the south of Nigeria, stars and stripes fluttering from its mast, but no sign of life on board. A crew from NBC News tracked the C-Retriever to the outskirts of the Port of Onne two weeks after pirates boarded it and took hostage the two U.S. citizens on board— the captain and the chief engineer. The incident has been cloaked in mystery, with no information on the fate of the two men or where they are being held and the Nigerian Navy refusing to say what became of the vessel after the October 23 attack in the Gulf of Guinea. Finding the ship was a complicated and potentially perilous operation through waters that have become increasingly popular with pirates and sea-robbers who take cover in the inlets while they stalk victims. Piracy is surging in Nigeria, with Capt. Richard Phillips declaring it worse even than Somalia, where he was taken hostage in 2009 and then rescued by Navy SEALS, a high-seas drama chronicled in a current Tom Hanks movie. When we tried to hire two speed boats at a jetty known as Borokri, the locals were reluctant, deeming it too risky to travel with a crew that included a white cameraman and an Asian producer. vang Nigeria to adopt S’Africa’s road tolling system As part of the efforts to ensure the successful implementation of road management policy in Nigeria, the Federal Government is set to adapt the South African model of tolled road management. Mr. Abdulrasaq Oyinloye, Managing Director of the Infrastructure Bank, stated this in Abuja at the opening ceremony of a training programme on tolled roads and road management. Oyinloye said the bank is collaborating with the Development Bank of South Africa, DBSA, to organise a two-day training for stakeholders in the road sector. According to him, South Africa has been in the road management for the past 20 years and it is good Nigeria learn from them to reinvent the wheel. Oyinloye said the training, entitled Tolled Roads and Road Management: A Sustainable Approach, was aimed at bringing the stakeholders in the sector on the same page. He said this would enable them have a clear and common understanding. of issues and dynamics, surrounding, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the road sector. vang STRIKE: ASUU branches meet today, exco on Wednesday ALL branches of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, will hold their congresses today to brief members on President Goodluck Jonathan’s offer. Nigeria public universities have been closed down over four months as a result of the Federal Government’s inability to implement the agreement it entered into in 2010 with lecturers. There have been a lot of calls from well-meaning Nigerians to the Federal Government and ASUU to come to a compromise so that students resume academic activities. asuu1 Both warring factions had maintained hard stand on the issue as ASUU argued that poor funding was responsible for the dwindling fortunes of education and its attendant poor quality of graduates, while the Federal Government said the university lecturers downed tools over enhanced earned allowance. However, the long closure of universities led the leadership of the Senate and President Jonathan to hold separate meetings with the union and relevant stakeholders last Monday, where new offers were made to the teachers with a plea for them to re-open universities. A branch Chairman of ASUU, who told Vanguard of today’s congresses in all the universities, said the meeting was for the chairmen to brief members on the outcome of their meeting with President Jonathan. He further said that the outcome of today’s meeting of the various branches would be communicated to the national leadership of the union, which will in turn convene an emergency NEC meeting between Wednesday and Thursday this week to consider the positions of various branches . vang Anti-terror war: Caging Boko Haram is tough work – ARMY, POLICE The Nigerian Army and the police have identified porous borders, scale of terrorist attacks and the capacity of personnel as some of the challenges security agencies contend with in prosecuting the war on terror in the northern part of the country. The Army on its part declared that the Boko Haram insurgency which has ravaged some states in the north, leaving on its trail destruction of lives and property would have spread to other parts of the country if it had not been caged in the north. Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Ibrahim Attahiru, Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar and Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade spoke to Vanguard in separate exclusive interviews on the challenges of fighting insurgency in parts of the country. army Army spokesman, Brigadier General Attahiru said: “The entire process of fighting terrorism cannot be over simplified because essentially, it is asymmetric warfare where you talk of asymmetric tactics and disposition and so on. But one thing with warfare is that you cannot just run away from challenges. However, what you fall back on is the kind of equipment you use in executing the warfare. In executing this warfare, it is not just about the weaponry, the emphasis is on the man behind the weapon. Those are the issues. “Nobody is going to say the entire campaign being executed is a very simple operation. It is quite complicated, but what I can assure you is that in no distant time, it will be all over, because each time there is a breach, we are learning a lesson, carrying out analyses and coming out with better strategies on how to counter challenges of the entire operation. vang Jonathan announces 2m Naira reward for Golden Eaglets President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday announced cash rewards and national honours for the Golden Eaglets and their handlers who won the FIFA U-17 World Cup on Friday in the UAE. President Goodluck Jonathan lifts the FIFA U-17 World Cup trophy at the reception for the Golden Eaglets Sunday in Abuja. Photo: State House President Goodluck Jonathan lifts the FIFA U-17 World Cup trophy at the reception for the Golden Eaglets Sunday in Abuja. Photo: State House Jonathan made the announcement at a special reception in honour of the victorious Golden Eaglets, held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The President announced a cash reward of N2 million to each of the team’s 19 players. Jonathan also gave N3 million to the head coach, Manu Garba, and N2.5 million each to the two assistant coaches, Nduka Ugbade and Emmanuel Amunike. The team’s doctor, physiotherapist, secretary, and the Chief Technical Officer were rewarded with N500,000 each. Also, the Team Co-ordinator, Media Officer and Curator were given N300,000 each. The President also said that the players, all their handlers and some key officials of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club would be given national honours at a later date. vang The Church kept Nigeria together – Jonathan PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan declared yesterday, in Warri, that but for the Church the country would have disintegrated, just as he assured Nigerians that by the end of April next year there would be relative steady power supply. Speaking at the flag off of this year’s Word of Life Bible Church’s Jubilee Word Festival at the International Gospel Centre, Warri, the President, paid glowing tributes to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor who marked his birthday yesterday, describing him as a “very very strong president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.” Cutting of the jubilee cake by Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and his wife Mama Helen flanked by President Goodluck Jonathan and Governors Uduaghan of Delta State, Liyel Imoke of Cross River State (left) and Governor Jonal Jang of Platue State (right)at the 26th Word Jubilee Festival held at the Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, Sunday. Photo: Henry Unini Cutting of the jubilee cake by Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and his wife Mama Helen flanked by President Goodluck Jonathan and Governors Uduaghan of Delta State, Liyel Imoke of Cross River State (left) and Governor Jonal Jang of Platue State (right)at the 26th Word Jubilee Festival held at the Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, Sunday. Photo: Henry Unini President Jonathan was accompanied by the governors of Plateau, Delta and CrossRiver states; Minister of Information and several PDP leaders, including the newly sworn in senator representing Delta Central District and the executive secretary of Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board. Speaking on The Role of Citizens in Nation Building, the president said nation building is a collective responsibility, and challenged Nigerians to join hands with his administration for the onerous task of building the nation. He said: “Whenever I have the opportunity to address a religious gathering like this, I always like to repeat myself that but for the Church, this country would probably have gone into oblivion. vang Man rapes, kills 10-yr-old cousin A 26-year-old man, Rafiu Idowu, is being detained by the Osun State Police Command for allegedly killing his 10-year-old cousin, Tawa Bilawu, after he allegedly raped her. Idowu who confessed to have committed the offence, said the victim lured him into raping her when she paid a visit to him at his family residence at Ile-Ogbo in Ayedire Local Government Area of the state. The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, for the state Police Command, Mrs Folashade Odoro, said the suspect, who is currently in Police custody, was arrested by a team of detectives from the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Jimoh. According to the PPRO, the suspect who recently returned to the state from Lagos also smokes indian hemp. The police claimed the suspect admitted that the deceased was his relative who pays him regular visit at his residence, adding that the late Bilawu was known to every member of his family. The suspect said: “Tawa Bilawu met me at the passage of my house when she came to visit me on that fateful day. I asked her where she was going and she said somebody sent her somewhere but she decided to check on me. vang Be vigilant against threats to financial market, Sanusi charges CFA members Governor Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Lamido Sanusi has called on members of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute to be vigilant against threats to stability of the financial market. He made this call in a keynote address delivered at the inauguration of the Nigeria chapter of the Institute in Lagos last week. “As professionals, critical analysis of the macro-economic dynamics, including identifying and proactively dealing with vulnerabilities that threaten our financial stability is imperative”, he said. The CFA charter is a qualification for finance and investment professionals, particularly in the fields of investment management and financial analysis of stocks, bonds and their derivative assets. The program focuses on portfolio management and financial analysis, and provides a generalist knowledge of other areas of finance. Sanusi commended global institute for its contribution to development of the banking industry saying, “The inauguration of the Society is a testimony to the progress that has been made by Nigerians in finance education and profession. There is no gainsaying that many Nigerians have been certified by the renowned CFA Institute, a development which I believe benefits larger economy. I urge members to use the Society as a platform to further enhance ethics, knowledge and professionalism in the Nigerian financial market. The new Chapter, thus, offers us a unique opportunity to reflect on our roles both as individuals and corporate bodies, and the impact such might have on the financial system as a whole. It is important for us to understand the critical role each of us has to play in efforts to ensure a smooth functioning of the financial system. As the Nigerian financial system develops and is increasingly globalising, it is imperative to imbibe the culture of transparency, accountability and good governance. “
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 10:29:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015