Allen Onyema speaks on aviation workers’ agitation From

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Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

On Monday, Onyema spoke on the rising spate of strikes by workers in the country’s aviation sector, on the Morning Show of Arise television.

The aviation mogul, speaking on how the industrial actions affect the sector, said airlines suffer losses when such strikes take place.

“Whenever these strikes erupt in the aviation industry, it is the airlines that suffer most, together with the flying public,” he said.

“The loss of revenue and the cost associated with the strikes are enormous. Airline operators in Nigeria lost several billions of naira within those two days of disruptive activities and no one is going to give that back to us.

“The insurance on our planes is static. Whether you fly, or we don’t fly, those aeroplanes have been insured. Salaries are to be paid and monies owed to fuel vendors, they must be paid.

“So, each time you call for a strike in the aviation sector, it is very disruptive and the consequences are very, very high.

“I have to say this, the aviation sector is tied to the security of the country, and anything to do with national security is taken very seriously.”

Onyema said strikes should not be considered if parties involved are open to dialogue.

He also said the demands of the unions should be taken seriously by the government.

“Let strike be the last resort. As a non-violence practitioner, and as long as the other party is open to discussion, you must continue to avail yourself of that opportunity to continue discussing,” the businessman added.

“It is only employed in a nonviolence parlance when the other party refuses to discuss. But as long llen Onyema, chief executive officer (CEO) of Air Peace, says aviation union workers should see strikes as the last resort to getting demands met.as your party is ready to discuss, there shouldn’t be direct action. However, complaints should be looked into.”

Last week, aviation workers went on a two-day warning strike over some unmet demands. The

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

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On March 3, 2023, the federal government had revoked the visa, resident permit, and work permit of Brown, following allegations bordering on racism by aggrieved stakeholders of the company.

Brown subsequently stepped strike ended last Tuesday. eplat Energy Plc says the federal government has withdrawn its lawsuit filed against the company and Roger Brown, the firm’s chief executive officer (CEO); at a federal high court in Abuja, over an alleged breach of extant provisions of the Immigration Act, 2015.down from his position after an ex-parte order that stopped him from functioning as the CEO of the organisation.

The unions had raised concerns about the non-implementation of the national minimum wage consequential adjustments and arrears for workers of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency since 2019.

In the suit, marked, FHC/AB/ CR/149/2023, the defendants were accused of conspiring among themselves to allow Roger Brown accept employment as CEO at Seplat Energy Plc “without the consent of the comptroller-general of immigration”.

Giving updates on the lawsuit in a statement on Thursday, Basil Omiyi, Seplat’s board chairman, quoted the notice of withdrawal as saying all the proceedings in the charge were withdrawn.

They also rejected the planned demolition of aviation agencies buildings in Lagos to pave way for an airport city project initiated by Hadi Sirika, the minister of aviation.

In order to jolt the authorities, the unions later issued a seven-day

“Seplat Energy is pleased to announce that it has become aware of the notice of withdrawal/ discontinuance of the legal action that was previously instituted at the federal high court sitting in Abuja, by the Nigeria Immigration Service (acting for the federal government of Nigeria) against the company and some of its directors and officers,” the statement reads.

“The notice of withdrawal/ discontinuance of the action dated 6 April 2023, was issued by the director of legal services at the Nigeria Immigration Service, and stated in part that ‘the claimant, hereby, discontinues all the ultimatum to the government after the warning strike. proceedings in this charge against the above-named defendants’.

They threatened to shutdown Nigeria’s airspace, if the federal government fails to grant their requests by Wednesday, April 26, 2023, when the ultimatum elapses.

“The company continues to engage with the ministry of interior to bring closure to the false allegations presented to the ministry as a result of which the residency status of its chief executive officer was withdrawn.”

The statement also reiterated that a federal high court in Lagos had vacated the ex parte interim orders against Seplat, Brown, and Omiyi, “including the orders that restrained the chief executive officer, Mr. Roger Brown from participating in the running of the company”.

AfDB: We’ll leverage private sector to address financial gaps in Africa

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

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Kelvin Urama, vice-president of economic governance and knowledge management complex at AfDB, spoke on the bank’s plans to improve financing in Africa at a virtual preannual meetings news conference on Thursday.

The bank’s annual meetings is scheduled to hold from May 22 to May 27, 2023, in Sham El Sheikh, Egypt.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Mobilising Private Sector Financing for Climate and Green Growth in Africa’, Urama said the need for financing in the region was very humongous for the public sector financing to meet.

“This year, the bank will focus frican Development Bank (AfDB) says it would leverage the private sector to address the various financial gaps on the continent.on how to leverage the private sector to address the financial gaps for achieving the paramount actions and bring good transitions on the continent,” he said.

“To do this, we have structured five different and very interesting knowledge events for the meeting, one of them is the presidential dialogue.

“This will feature our heads of state having a dialogue with the bank’s president on the changing global financial architecture and the role of the multilateral development banks.

“How do we position multilateral development banks (MDBs) and the MDB reforms within the era of trying to mobilise financing more for Africa to reach all the financing gaps we had already highlighted?”

Urama also said there would be an inauguration of the African economic outlook 2023, which would focus on mobilising private sector financing for climate change and green growth in Africa.

“Here, the report will have key areas on looking at the macroeconomic performance and outlook on the continent,” the bank’s vicepresident said.

“It will also examine youth innovative financing mechanisms to mobilise private sector financing in Africa for climate and green growth.

“Also, we will talk about how to harness micro capital to address the gap on the continent and innovative financing instruments for crowding in private sector investment in Africa.

“The next is on harnessing micro capital to finance climate change and green growth in Africa, and then we have a study on key actions to achieve inclusive growth and sustainable development in Africa.”

This, Urama said, would identify the blueprint for the continent’s development for the next 40 years.

He said it would put Africa on sustained growth of 7 percent to 10 percent gross domestic product (GDP) annually and consistently for the rest of this incubation period of the agenda 2063.

“And ultimately, it will be able to address poverty and all the other development challenges that Africa faces,’’ Urama added.

On his part, Quaynor Solomon, AfDB’s vice-president, private sector, infrastructure and industrialisation complex, called for innovative and creative thinking to address challenges in Africa.

Solomon said the meeting would allow the continent to deliberate on avenues to address all the climate change challenges on the continent.

He noted that it was important for the continent to leverage innovation measures to tackle the issue of climate change in Africa.

88 Schools Get Modern Learning Kits

By Stanley Onyekwere

As part of efforts to promote quality education, In its bid to ensure enhancement of the educational system, for positive learning outcomes in students, the FCT Administration FCTA has distributed assorted modern learning items to senior secondary schools in the Territory.

The FCTA revealed that through its Secondary Education Board (FCT-SEB), it has so far handed over the learning kits to Principals of 88 senior secondary schools in the Territory.

SEB’s Director, Dr. Mohammed Ladan, who reiterated the commitment of the FCT Administration to improve the standard of education in FCT, said the Board on its part is positioned to ensure that resources are efficiently utilised to meet the needs of each school.

Ladan added that education is a top priority for the FCT Administration, and as such will not be relegated to the background nor the standard compromised, saying the primary purpose of education is to mould young minds for a brighter future and to build good leadership foundation.

He said: “In achieving this, the Board will continue to make concerted efforts to ensure effectiveness and efficiency both in quality of teaching and learning, welfare of staff as well as improved academic performance of the students.”

Furthermore, the SEB Director explained to the Principals of their primary assignment, which is the enhancement of the educational system, so as to bring out positive learning outcomes in the students, and urged them to give adequate attention to the welfare of staff, students, maintenance of the infrastructure, by ensuring cleanliness in their various schools.

He also informed them of the various progress made since his assumption of office, which include the accreditation of schools for the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) Examinations, just as he warned