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FAAN Assures Of Adequate Security At Airports

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The Federal Airports Author
ity of Nigeria (FAAN) last Thursday assured airport users of adequate security at the nation’s airports.
The assurance is contained in a statement signed by Mr Yakubu Dati, the General Manager, Public Affairs of FAAN.
Dati said that necessary operational and security measured had been put in place at all the airports.
“The management of FAAN wants to assure members of the public, especially passengers and airline operators, that necessary operational and security measures have been put in place at all our airports.
“The measures put in place is to ensure hitch-free passage of passengers and cargo during the forthcoming Easter holidays.
“Members of the Bomb Detection Unit of the Nigeria Police Force have also been deployed at the airports to complement the effort of our aviation security personnel at the security screening points,’’ he said.
Dati said that passenger facilitation at various airports in the country had been enhanced by the installation of more modern and bigger conveyor belts and metal walk-through detectors.
“The expansion and modernisation of all the airport terminals in the country under the Airport Remodeling projects of the Federal Government now provide better ambience.
“The remodeling and modernisation have also created more space for shops and restaurants at the terminals.
“This helps passengers to relax comfortably while waiting for their flights,’’ the spokesman said.
However, The Tide source reports that some of the passengers who missed their flights complaint of slow process of boarding by the airlines operators if some of the nation’s airports.
Mrs Mary Okereke, an intending passenger to Enugu, said that she missed her flight scheduled for 10: 30 a.m. due to the slow process of check-in by the airline.
“I think the airlines are overwhelmed by the number of intending passengers; I got to the airport about two hours before my flight.
“But I could not still travel to Enugu with that flight because I could not make it to the checking counter before my scheduled flight.
“I have to wait for the next flight in the afternoon or the flight going to Port Harcourt.
“My appeal to the airline operators is that they should put measures to hasten checking-in procedure at the counter or increase the number of counters at festive periods,’’ Okereke said.
Another intending passenger, Rufus Nnamdi, said that some airline operators were not sincere about the sale of tickets online.
“I live in South Africa and am home for my traditional marriage, I had done all my booking online from South Africa about three months ago.
“But on getting to the airport today en-route Enugu, the airline is telling me that there are issues with my online booking.
“They are more interested in passengers who come to buy tickets at the airport because they pay more than those of us that had booked online,’’ Nnamdi said.
An official of the airline who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity confirmed that some of the intending passengers who booked online had no problem with their scheduled flight.
“Yes it is true that we have complaints from some intending passenger who had booked online.
“My advice to them is to come to the airport on time, due to the high volume of traffic of passengers we have now.
“ Especially passengers going to the East, they just need to come to the airport early for checking and other boarding processes to avoid missing their flights,’’ the source said.

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Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members  In Brass Water

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A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways
The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and  members of his church were in a programme.
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?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet  to be recovered
as search party are still ongoing.
Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report,  our Correspondent gathered  that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.
The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit
The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s  on the sad accident
By: CHINEDU WOSU
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Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

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The Rivers State Council of  Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.
Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt,  recently.
Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.
He noted that  the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.
According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.
He also  informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.
“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.
Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.
The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.
He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.
The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.
He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.
Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.
By: King Onunwor
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FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

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The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.
 Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.
“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.
The minister noted  the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.
According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.
Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.
He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.
“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.
He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.
“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.
Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.
“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.
“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.
She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.
Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).
“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.
“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.
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