Business

‘Second Abuja Airport Runway Project, A National Priority’

Published

10 years ago

October 15, 2014

Guest Lecturer at the 5th Triennal Delegate Conference of NAWOJ, Rivers State, Mrs Victoria Opara (right) former Chairman, Rivers State, Mrs Uche Atuzie (middle) and Director, Publication ,Rivers State Newspaper, Mrs Juliet Njiowhor at the Ministry of Women Affairs, Port Harcourt, recently.

The Federal Government has said that the second runway project at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, would be treated as a national priority.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Aviation, Capt. Shehu Iyal, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents on the achievements of the Jonathan administration in the sector.
To this end, Iyal said that President Goodluck Jonathan had given aviation authorities a marching order to immediately revisit the project and bring it to fruition.
He said “President Goodluck Jonathan has approved and directed the authorities to revisit the second runway project immediately and it is being revisited.
“I am proud to inform you here that I am part of the committee of the second runway project and it is going to be treated as a priority.
“There will be a second runway in Abuja for safety, for security and for efficiency.’’
The senior special adviser said that the project would ease the busy traffic on the existing runway and minimise the delay in take-off and landing, currently experienced by passengers at the airport.
On the issue of missing luggage and touting at the nation’s airports, the president’s aide said government was aware of the situation and was putting measures in place to address them.
He, however, said that missing of luggage was not peculiar to the nation’s airports, adding that it was a global challenge in the aviation sector.
“Luggage get missing both locally and internationally. Personally, I have experienced two instances; one coming from Frankfurt in Germany of all places.
“The second instance was at the Heathrow airport in London, where I lost a luggage while coming to Nigeria; such things happen.
“I am not saying that we are right and so we should leave it unchecked. I am sure the people in charge of that are looking into it,” he added.
On touting, Iyal said that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was currently training and retraining its security personnel to deal with the problem.
He said the Federal Government had resolved to assist airports with policemen and soldiers to check the activities of touts.
According to Iyal, the Jonathan administration has raised the country’s aviation sector to global standard in the last six years.
One of the greatest achievements, he said, was the retention of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category One Status, which Nigeria achieved in 2010 after a rigorous audit by FAA.
He said “just last month (September), we were able to retain the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category One Status, which we got in 2010.
“It will interest you to know that India, which is one of the top 10 economies in the world, just lost their own Category One status, but we are able to retain our own.
“I think this is an achievement all Nigerians need to be proud of.”
The President’s aide said that the election of Mr Olumuyiwa Aliu as President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council was another major achievement of the Jonathan government.
He explained that Aliu’s election had placed Nigeria in the league of countries doing well in the global aviation sector.
“Coming back home, we have today, what is called Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON), which actually started some years ago.
“The completion of the TRACON project under the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) was completed under the leadership of Jonathan.
“What TRACON means is that anywhere within the Nigerian airspace, we are able to track every aeroplane that is either flying in or out.”
Iyal said that the role played by the aviation sector in the success story of the fight against Ebola could not be overstressed.
According to him, the U.S. has started replicating the Nigerian example at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. (NAN)
ARU/VI/HA

Business

Western Marine Command Intensifies Anti-Smuggling Operations … Intercepts N8.75m Worth PMS

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

For officers and men of the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the battle is not over until smuggling is over.
In the wake of Wednesday May, 8, 2024, the ever vigilant officers, acting on a tip-off, intercepted 177 sacks and 61 kegs of 25 litres containing petroleum products, valued at about N8.750,000million.
The items were intercepted along Isalu Creek, Badagry Waterway en-route Benin Republic.
While briefing newsmen, the Command’s Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Paul Bamisaiye, said: “This seizure is most economically significant to the Command at this period of scarcity of Petroleum Products, especially Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in our cities, and shows the anticipatory posture in our response to economic saboteurs.
“At about 2:330hrs on Wednesday 8th May 2024, while on joint patrol by teams in the Command, credible intelligence was received of the movement of 2 boats laden with what was suspected to be petroleum products concealed in sacks. Upon receipt of the information, the team moved into Isalu creeks, Badagry waterway.
“On sighting the approach of the Officers, the smugglers took to their heels through the shore of the Creek. The loaded boats were then towed to the station at Badagry where preliminary examination was conducted and transferred to Western Marine Command Headquarters, Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos.
“Careful examination at the Command Headquarters revealed that the arrest was found to contain One Hundred and Seventy Seven (177) Sacks and Sixty One (61) Kegs of 25 Litres Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) containing Twelve Thousand Five Hundred (12,500) Liters with a total Duty Paid Value standing at Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N8,750,000) only”.
Bamisaiye noted that the action of the smugglers is a contravention of Section 245 & 254 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 which the service, through Western Marine Command, is responsible for enforcing.
“The Command, under the leadership of Compt. PK Bamisaiye, is poised more than ever to rid the waterways of all acts of smuggling and economy sabotage for the benefit of the growth of economy of Nigeria”, he said
Bamisaiye said so far, no suspect was arrested in the Command’s anti-smuggling operations.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

Illegal PMS Trading Booms In Lagos

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

Petroleum products being sought by motorists have disappeared from virtually all filling stations within Lagos and its environs, but are now booming in business in retail outlets.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that while the product could not be got at some of the petrol service stations, activities are in top gear in the local retail outlets where the price has gone beyond the reach of users.
It was also gathered that in some filling stations supplied with the products, preference are often given to retail outlet operators by petrol attendants against the consuming public.
A source, directly involved in the business, said some petrol dealers are cashing on the irregular supply to divert the products to retail outlets where they could easily make their gains.
It was also gathered that some sales representatives in the service of major oil marketing firms indulged in the diversion exercise because of their personal interest.
At the retail outlets a liter goes for N950,00 against the normal N760,to N800 at some stations.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

Customs Board Appoints Five DCGs, Eight ACGs

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

The Tide

The Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) has confirmed the appointment of five Deputy Comptroller-Generals (DCGs) and eight Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs) of Customs during its 59th regular meeting.
The meeting, chaired by the Honorable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, was held at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja last Tuesday.
National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, gave details of the confirmed appointments as: O.O. Peters (DCG /Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (rtd); B.M. Jibo (DCG Enforcement Inspection & Investigation); and B.U. Nwanfor (DCG Excise, Free Trade Zone & Industrial Incentives).
Others are: S.A. Bomia (DCG, Commander Training and Doctrine Command); and C.K. Niagwan (DCG, Tariff & Trade).
The Assistant Comptrollers General (ACGs) are: B. Imam (ACG Board); A.A.S. Oloyede (ACG, Trade & Tariff); S.K. Dangaldima (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘B’); A. Abdul Azeez (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘D’); S.A. Yusuf (ACG, Human Resource Development); N.P. Umoh (ACG, Training and Doctrine Command); C.O. Obih (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘C’); and S. Chiroma (ACG, Strategic Research and Policy).
The new appointments, according to the statement, were made to fill the vacancies created by some senior officers who recently retired from the Service, noting that the principles of federal character, seniority and merit guided the appointments approved by the board.
“These appointments are a testament to the officers’ exemplary services and dedication to the Nigeria Customs Service. The NCSB remains committed to providing strategic leadership to ensure effective and efficient service delivery for optimum performance”, he said.
While thanking the retired members of the management for their meritorious services, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, congratulated the newly confirmed officers and charged them to redouble their efforts to ensure the service attains greater heights in its mandates of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, and trade facilitation amongst others.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos