News
Reps summon Sirika, Keyamo over suspended Nigeria Air project
The house of representatives has summoned Hadi Sirika, former minister of aviation, over the suspended Nigeria Air project.
The former minister is expected to brief the lawmakers on the status of Nigeria Air before he left office.
Sirika is also to provide “insights on a wide range of controversies and allegations surrounding the project”.
The lower legislative chamber also invited Festus Keyamo, the current minister of aviation and aerospace development; Chris Najomo, acting director-general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); and local airlines operators.
The NCAA is expected to provide the legislators with the details of the Nigeria Air project as well as certifications issued.
The green chamber passed the resolution during the plenary session on Thursday after the adoption of a motion sponsored by Tarkighir Dickson, a lawmaker from Benue.
The Nigeria Air which is the national carrier was unveiled by Sirika about three days before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
While moving the motion during the plenary, Dickson claimed that Buhari’s government “spent billions of naira ostensibly to acquire the said new national carrier but the status of the project remains unclear regardless of billions of taxpayers’ funds utilised on the project”.
He said if the “negative trend is not investigated, it may lead to issues with accountability and continue to be a recurring expenditure item in the federal budget”.
The motion was passed when it was put to a voice vote by Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker of the house, who presided over the plenary.
The house subsequently asked the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and ministries of budget, national planning and finance to avail the committee on aviation with data and “financial resources” deployed on the national carrier project.
The committee will also carry out a “forensic audit of the process” of Nigeria Air and report its findings to the house within four weeks for further legislative action.
Controversy has surrounded the Nigeria Air project after it was hurriedly unveiled at the twilight of Buhari’s administration.
In an investigation in June, the house of representatives committee on aviation labelled the project as a fraud, calling on the federal government to suspend it.
The committee said it was “totally dissatisfied with the actions” of Sirika flagging off the operations of Nigeria Air “despite a standing court injunction” and without any provision for “sustaining the operations of the airline”.
In August when he assumed office, Keyamo suspended the national carrier project.
In September, the minister said the national carrier was suspended because agencies raised red flags.
News
Internal Security: Police EOD Recovers Explosives, Prevents Calamity In Borno
As IGP Commends Officers, Assures of Continuous Strides in Ensuring Safety, Security
The Nigeria Police Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit has again successfully recovered unexploded military ordnances in Maiduguri on 22nd November 2024, following reports from vigilant residents.
Acting swiftly, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) team was deployed to secure the affected areas.
All ordnances were safely evacuated without any loss of life, injury, or property damage, and normalcy has been restored.
In the Dala Kacchallah area, the operatives recovered six (6) unexploded projectiles and one (1) mortar bomb near an uncompleted building.
Reports indicate that the items, washed ashore by recent flooding, were abandoned by local scavengers. Similarly, at the Gwange Riverbank, a military hand grenade was discovered.
In both instances, the EOD-CBRN team safely removed the ordnances, declared the areas safe, and conducted explosive risk awareness campaigns to sensitize residents.
Commending the professionalism and prompt response of the EOD-CBRN Unit, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM has assured Nigerians of the Force’s commitment to ensuring public safety and security.
The IGP also noted that the EOD team in Borno State has been consistent in responsiveness and professionalism in preventing series of calamities as many IEDs have been safely recovered in many instances within the state. Investigations are ongoing to trace the origins of the recovered items and to prevent future occurrences.
The Inspector-General of Police urges members of the public to refrain from handling suspicious objects and to promptly report such discoveries to the police.
The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its mandate to protect lives and property across Maiduguri and its environs.
ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA
23RD NOVEMBER, 2024
News
Fire guts LAUTECH teaching hospital
Property worth millions of naira were on Saturday destroyed at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, as a result of a fire incident.
The incident, which happened around 5 am in a paediatric consultant’s office, affected electronic gadgets, engines, books, office equipment, roofs, and others worth millions of naira.
A credible source told our correspondent that the fire incident was suspected to have started from an electric spark.
It was learnt that about 16 patients had to be quickly rushed out of the ward.
However, in a statement sent to PUNCH Online in Ibadan, the state capital, on Saturday, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Ogunleye Omotayo, said no life was lost in the fire incident.
The statement read, “The management of the institution wishes to state that the fire incident that occurred early this morning (Saturday), as carried by some news media, was put out without any remarkable damage to the hospital.
“Noting that no human damage was recorded in the incident, the management wishes to state that Investigation is still ongoing with regard to the cause of the incident.
“At the moment, light has been restored, and work activities have resumed in the section where the fire incident took place.
“The management wishes to thank all staff, the state Fire Service, and all other well-wishers for their concerns and prompt response. The fire incident raised no cause for alarm. Everyone is advised to go about their normal daily activities without fear.”
News
Nothing wrong having a Christian as Alaafin of Oyo, says Oladigbolu
Rahman Oladigbolu, a Nigerian filmmaker, says he sees no reason why the Alaafin of Oyo cannot be a Christian.
Two years ago, Lamidi Adeyemi, Alaafin of Oyo, died at the Afe Babalola Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, after battling an undisclosed illness.
He was 83 years old and had been on the throne for 52 years — the longest-reigning Nigerian monarch at the time.
Since his death, the throne has been vacant.
Speaking in an interview with Rudolf Okonkwo, Oladigbolu, a prince in the Oyo kingdom, said religion should not be a factor in the selection of the next Alaafin.
“In Oyo, where I came from, we are trying to select a new king. It has been the tradition for some decades that the Alaafin of Oyo will be a Muslim,” he said.
“Now, we have some Christians among the people vying for the position, and there are discussions about whether Oyo can have a Christian Oba. Of course, if you can have a Muslim Alaafin, I see no reason you can’t have a Christian Alaafin.
“The whole point should be to ensure that people would not be talking about religion in issues like this, but it is difficult because of the agenda of people wanting to impose their religion on others.
“So these are where all the problems still lie, and until we’re able to understand it, I don’t see how we can move forward.”
Oladigbolu said education and enlightenment are necessary to solve division caused by religion.
“It is only enlightenment that can carry people to the point where religious considerations no longer matter in societal affairs,” he said.
“When people are enlightened to the point where it doesn’t, then it won’t.
“But today, they still see each other from their religious prism because even the behavior of people that occupy positions in society gets influenced by religion.”
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