5 minute read
Sudan crisis: Air Peace offers to evacuate Nigerians for free
From Abubakar Yunusa ABUJA
Air Peace, a commercial airline in Nigeria, has expressed its readiness to evacuate stranded Nigerians in Sudan, North-East Africa free of charge if the Federal Government can get them to a safe and secure airport in any of the neighbouring countries bordering Sudan.
Advertisement
This was disclosed in a statement on Monday by the chairman and chief executive officer of the airline, Allen Onyema.
According to him, Nigerian students and others stranded in the war-ravaged nation need urgent help.
Mr Onyema said he is compelled to help because Nigeria cannot afford to lose her citizens in that country, adding that it would be his own commitment to making sure that the stranded Nigerians in the war-torn country are safe.
“Again, Air Peace is willing to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Sudan free of charge if the government can get them to a safe and secure airport in any of the neighbouring countries bordering Sudan. Everything must not be left to the government and the government alone.
“We are very ready to do it immediately. No time wasting.
Any action that would promote national pride, national cohesion, peace and unity, we are for it.
“Again, we have no apologies for believing in our nation and loving the nation despite certain national challenges. If they are moved to Kenya or Uganda or any other country, we will move in to get them out. Some parents have started calling on us to help. We are ready to do this again and again,” he said.
Airtel partners AXA mansard to launch innovative health bundle
Nigeria’s leading mobile network operator, Airtel, has partnered with insurance and asset management company, AXA Mansard, to launch an innovative health bundle, aimed at addressing the healthcare needs of Nigerians who cannot afford the high cost of healthcare in the country.
The Airtel AXA-Mansard Health Bundle is an innovative solution that empowers Nigerians to conveniently access health insurance value offerings, allowing Airtel customers to access affordable healthcare insurance as they buy Airtel data bundles.
CEO AXA Mansard Health, Tope Adeniyi, disclosed that the aim of the partnership with Airtel to launch the product is to improve social impact through affordable medical interventions for all. This, according to him, would ensure that no Nigerian lacks the basics as far as healthcare is concerned.
He said, “The product offers high-speed internet data plans bundle with healthcare benefits. Customers will have access to affordable healthcare insurance and access to primary healthcare services.
“We have created the first digital healthcare bundle for Nigerians that basically ensures customers can access a doctor at any time of the day.”
Head, Customer Communications, Airtel, Guruman Iwundu, stated that
Airtel has taken the lead in addressing healthcare situations that require urgent attention, such as Nigerians relying on selfmedication, closet doctors and traditional leaders.
He stated further that the Airtel AXA-Mansard health bundle will provide telemedicine, pharmacy services up to 60,000 Naira annually, and hospitalisation reimbursement covering of N20,000 monthly and up to N240,000 annually.
“The health bundle will give Airtel customers access to healthcare via a short code when they buy specific date bundles.
There are three bundles available: N700 that gives 1Gb data and healthcare insurance valid for 7 days, N1700 that gives 2Gb data and healthcare insurance valid for 30 days, and N3500 that gives 10Gb data and healthcare insurance valid for 30 days.”
AGF finally agrees to appear before reps over ‘illegal’ sale of 48m barrels of oil
From Abubakar Yunusa ABUJA
Abubakar Malami, attorneygeneral of the federation, has agreed to appear before a house of representatives ad-hoc committee investigating the alleged illegal sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil in 2015.
Mark Gbillah, chairman of the committee, announced on Thursday that Malami will face the lawmakers on April 27.
Peoples Daily had reported that the committee summoned Malami and Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, but they ignored the invitation.
Last week, Ghillah said the committee obtained reports that Malami received funds from outside the country through the whistleblower policy but did not remit it to the federation account.
The committee chairman also said the minister of finance approved payments to whistleblowers which were not in accordance with the policy.
On Wednesday, the committee displayed documents allegedly involving the payment of $200 million to two companies for “consultancy service”.
Gbillah said the attorney-general wrote to the committee that he will appear before the lawmakers with a “comprehensive response”.
He said: “Today we are in receipt of a letter from the attorney-general of the federation and the minister of justice who is averring his determination to respect the doctrine of separation of powers and to support our extant laws. He has indicated the fact that they are trying to put together the comprehensive response that we have raised.
“While we appreciate the attorneygeneral’s response we would like to indicate that it came a lot later than we expected and it came without the response that we referred to.
“So, we will appreciate it if the attorney-general and honourable minister provides these responses and also appear before the committee next Thursday. So, let’s give him the window to appear before the committee.”
Ghillah said the finance minister has not shown regard to the committee by responding to the query sent to her office.
He said the committee will issue a warrant of arrest if the minister fails to appear before the lawmakers.
“Unfortunately, the honourable minister of finance has still been evasive. The committee has not received any submission or response from the honourable minister of finance,” he said.
“The accountant-general sent a response and has not responded to our follow-up because we asked further questions about the information he provided us.
“But we want to call on the honourable minister of finance, like the attorney-general show regard and respect for the separation of powers as enshrined in our constitution and respond promptly to the request of the committee so that we can get to the bottom of our investigation.
“Like I already said, we are giving her the benefit of the doubt. We are not unmindful of the other powers we have and we are not afraid to exert them and we will do so if the leeway we have provided is still neglected and not recognised by the honourable minister of finance.”
In December 2022, the house of representatives set up an adhoc committee to investigate a whistleblower’s claims that 48 million barrels of Bonny Light crude were illegally sold in China in 2015.
The committee was also mandated to investigate all crude oil exports and sales in Nigeria from 2014 till date — as well as all proceeds recovered through the whistleblower policy of the federal government.
From Abubakar Yunusa, Abuja
The federal government says it is considering how best to achieve petrol subsidy removal without disrupting livelihoods in Nigeria
Gabriel Aduda, permanent secretary at the ministry of petroleum resources, spoke to journalists on Thursday at the end of the 2023 Nigeria international energy summit (NIES).
Budgeting N3.35 trillion for the first half of 2023, the federal government had said it would end under-recovery payments by June.
The government also said it would disburse the sum of $800 million secured from the World