Business
Ethiopian Airlines Meets Envoys Over Passengers’ Detention
Most popular carrier in Ethiopian Airlines Meets Envoys Over Passengers’ DetentionAfrica, the Ethiopian Airlines, has met with the ambassadors of Nigeria, Ghana and six other African countries with a view to finding amicable solutions to the reported delays and detention of some passengers at the Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Mesfin Tasew, in a statement obtained on Monday, spoke against the backdrop of the recent reports alleging maltreatment of Nigerians by Ethiopian police and immigration officials.
While denying the allegations that Nigerians travelling through the Bole Airport hub are maltreated unjustly and subjected to unfair police and immigration detention, he noted that only passengers who fail to comply with the required international security standards are delayed or sometimes detained for normal police and immigration processes.
The Nigerian Ministry’s of Foreign Affairs had earlier said over 270 Nigerians are serving various prison terms in Ethiopia, adding that most of them were imprisoned for drug-related offences.
The Ministry was reacting to a recent viral video by one Dr. Paul Ezike on social media on the alleged plight of Nigerian inmates in the Kaliti Prison in Ethiopia.
However, the Ethiopian Airlines GCEO, had told journalists in Addis Ababa last week, that efforts were being made by the carrier to address the issue.
This, he said, led to a recent meeting with the ambassadors of some eight African countries in Addis Ababa.
“We had to call about eight ambassadors from West Africa to my office. They were kindly willing to come to Nigeria, Togo, Senegal, Ghana. They expressed their concern.
“So, we are discussing this. It is unfortunate, we don’t want any passenger to be inconvenienced as they pass through Addis Ababa Airport, but some of these things are beyond our control. That is the case. Otherwise we don’t want anyone to be inconvenienced”, Tasew said.
Lamenting the situation further, the Africa largest carrier boss said its findings had shown that some passengers transiting through the Bole Airport hub often were carrying beyond the required amount of dollars or precious metals allowed by the Ethiopian government laws.
He observed that the failure to declare such huge amount to the Customs officials at the point of entry often had led to the arrest and detention of such passengers.
Tasew, however, noted that plans were on by the government of Ethiopia and Nigeria to resolve the matter through diplomatic channels.
“Some passengers are found carrying drugs. If they are found carrying drugs, definitely they are not allowed to continue their flight.
“The security people will take them under custody. If they are found carrying weapons without permission, they do the same thing until they investigate and see that it is an approved weapon and so on.
“So, some passengers, when they are found to be non-compliant, they can go under the custody of police.
“The second problem that we witness is that some people carry a lot of money on paper, a lot of dollars, or valuables like gold in large size or dollars for example in tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, sometimes even millions; over a million dollars are carried in their bags.
“Such passengers might probably not have incurred the wrath of the Ethiopian government if they were not passing perhaps a day in the country during their flight.
”If they are transiting without coming to Addis, the security people don’t touch them. They can carry the money because it’s their money, they are not coming to the country.
“However, for some reason, if they want to pass a day or a night to get their connection and they have to come out to the hotel, the national regulation says that all passengers carrying over $10, 000 or its equivalent or in gold or other normal ornament, have to declare it at the Customs section on arrival.
“You have to tell them that ‘I am carrying $30,000’. They may ask you, ‘where is it’? You can take it out from your bag and show them. You are then asked to sign on a piece of paper they will give you.
“And the next morning when you are going out, as you pass through the X-ray, the Custom officials are there. If they see it and ask you whether you have a permit to carry the money, you then show that paper and nothing will happen. You are free to carry out your money, even if it is $1m. All they are asking you to do is to declare it.
“If you don’t declare, then the government assumes some Ethiopians had met with you in order to take such hard currencies out of the country. So, the government assumes that if you didn’t declare it when you were coming in, then it means it’s not your money; somebody in the city has given you the money, so it is illegal to take out the money.
“The government confiscates the money. This is another problem that we have. So, to protect them from doing this, you may have heard that before the flight arrives, the cabin crew announce to all our esteemed passengers to declare to Customs if they are carrying more than $10,000”, he explained.
By: Conlins Walter
The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”, Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.
Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.
By: Chinedu Wosu
Chivita| Hollandia (CHI Limited) leading fruit juice and value-added dairy manufacturer in Nigeria has rewarded its long standing distributors at the recently held 2024 Distributor Conference. The event with the theme, “Break Boundaries Exceed Expectations” served as a platform to recognise and reward the exceptional contribution of the distributors and wholesalers who play a critical role in Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) success and business goals for the year.
The Distributor Conference was held in two sessions. While the morning session featured keynote addresses, industry insights and brand immersion experience, the evening session was a cultural display of elegance and funfair that culminated in the award presentation and recognition of the contribution the trade partners made to the company in the 2023 year under review.
A key highlight of the event was the award ceremony which acknowledged outstanding trade partners in various regions across the country. The awards recognized commitment, dedication, and outstanding performance in areas of sales growth, brand promotion, and market expansion.
Eelco Weber, Managing Director, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), stated that the company’s success story is incomplete without the strong partnerships it has built with trade partners. “Today, we celebrate not only the achievements, but the collaborative spirit that has made our growth possible” he said.
Bola Arotiowa, Chief Commercial Officer, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), in his statement revealed that, the event which was first of its kind will continue to be an annual meeting to enable the company work more closely with its distributors, share insights and action points, help the trade partners familiarize themselves with the company’s goals and objectives for each year, and serve as a driver for mutual success.
“Our distributors are the backbone of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited). Their relentless efforts in distributing our products, promoting our brands, and expanding our reach across the nation is truly commendable. As the bridge between us and our valued consumers, it is very important to reward their hard work and dedication for being an essential part of the Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) family. Together, we will continue to deliver great products to our conusmers which in turn will deliver value to them”, Mr. Arotiowa added.
Speaking at the conference, HajiyaBilikisuSaida, Chief Executive Officer of Smabirm Nigeria Limited, who won the Outstanding Distributor of the Year in North 1 region, and got a reward of two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) products expressed delight at the company’s recognition, and stated that the awards served as a way to inspire distributors to do more and put in more effort, which in turn would help both the distributors and the company to grow.
Other outstanding performance distributors of the year rewarded with a two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) stock include, Sunny Chuks Limited for East 1 region, MRS FA & Sons Limited for East 2 region, Hussakas Ventures for North 2 region, Rookee 1388 Ventures for Lagos 1 region, Pik N Pil Ventures for Lagos 2 region, FaithJoe Event Management Limited for West 1 region, and Progress Family Nigeria Enterprise for West 2 region.
The annual Distributors Conference aims to strengthen the bond between Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) and its trade partners. This collaborative approach fosters mutual growth and ensures the continued success of the brands in the Nigerian market.
A global leader in insurance and asset management, AXA Mansard, has supported three female-owned MSMEs with business grants totaling 1.4 million to boost their operations.
This, the company said, is part of its commitment to women and the Medium, Small, and Medium-scale Enterprise (MSME) sector in the country.
The three businesses were successful at the International Women’s Day Pitch Competition, organised in partnership with SME 100 Africa in Lagos.
According to the Head of Marketing, AXA Mansard, Olusesan Ogunyooye, the competition, which is aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, “is another way AXA is demonstrating its commitment to the causes of women and stimulating the MSME sector in Nigeria”.
The business pitch competition received numerous entries from women across different sectors, but after a rigorous selection process, shortlisted participants were selected to participate in the competition.
Ogunyooye said “the programme provided a unique opportunity for women from various works and socio-economic classes to showcase their innovative ideas and solutions in sectors such as food, tech, fashion, and fragrance, creating an atmosphere filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of community”.
He stressed the importance of investing in women, saying it is not just the right thing to do, but also aligns with AXA’s purpose of acting for human progress.
He explained that AXA believes the future of women should not be at risk, hence investing in their economic empowerment is a crucial part
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