Business
Aviation Stakeholders Raise Alarm Over NCAA Appointment Saga …Harp On Safety
Some stakeholders in the Aviation sector, under the auspices of Aviation Elders, have raised alarm over the controversy surrounding the appointment of a substantial Director General (DG)of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
This is coming as supporters of the acting DG, Captain Chris Najomo, intensified campaign for his continued stay in office, amid calls for a new DG by many industry experts.
There were reports that President Bola Tinubu had confirmed the Acting DG, but the reports, however, did not state how he was confirmed.
There were also no indications that a letter was sent to the National Assembly for confirmation, leaving stakeholders in the aviation industry to worry about the source of the news and what it tends to achieve.
The presidency and the Senate have however remained mum over the development.
But the Aviation Elders, in a statement by Kolade Hassan and Sya Mohammed, are wading into the matter, insisting that the emergence of Najomo as substantive DG runs fowl.
“The Acting DG, NCAA, may have declared himself as DG-NCAA in a very boastful manner without presidential pronouncement and Senate confirmation”, they said.
Siting a video where Najomo boasted of his confirmation, the stakeholders said “Whatever position you hold in government today, it’s transient as you cannot remain there forever.
“In the industry today, if we the elders cannot stand up for the truth, then nobody can. The whole world is watching what is happening in the industry. And the whole world is aware of the dangerous politics being played at the agency.
“Are those engaged in announcing the substantive DG ahead of the presidency and the National Assembly aware that we have lost out on American Category One Certification, and today Nigerian commercial airlines are banned from flying into America? Are they aware that very soon, other countries will ban Nigeria?
“Are these people aware that two aircraft engines failed in some local airlines last month, with a cargo airline overshooting the runway? This to us is a clear evidence of lack of safety regulatory compliance by the operators and the NCAA. The report will be released by AIB soon, yet some people want Najomo confirmed at the expense of the sector.
“Weeks ago, a helicopter crashed, killing 2 crew and 6 NNPC staff. The IOC, such as Shell, Total, Chevron, and NNPC are not even sure if the NCAA can guarantee the safety of their oil workers going forward.
“United Airlines had three major air returns, almost killing over 200 people, yet no action from NCAA as to what’s happening. In fact, the Nigerian Safety and Investigation Bureau (NSIB) had earlier indicted NCAA with regards to the Sikorsky SK76c helicopter which crashed on October 24, 2024. This is among other infractions noticed in their operation
“Is this what Nigeria has become? We elders in Aviation are worried and have reached out to the powers that be. Something has to happen to save Nigeria from this international embarrassment.
“How on earth will a DG be confirmed to be substantive in the media, ignoring even the presidency and the National Assembly? This shows desperation on the part of the sponsors.
“The desperation to keep running NCAA as though it’s a personal business must end now, as what elders see sitting down cannot be seen by a child even if he climbs to the tallest tree.
“For us to achieve the aviation that meets the global standard, it’s always key we discard personal interests and put Nigeria first. The safety of our people should be prioritized and should be the primary objective of all administrators as against politicization of positions.
“We are optimistic that President Bola Tinubu and his team will not allow this desperation to overwhelm them and succumb to the desires of those desperate to keep the industry in their pockets”.
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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
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
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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