News

Arik Air: Flight delayed over face-mask

Published

2 years ago

December 18, 2021

An Arik Air flight was delayed in Asaba on Thursday after a row over the wearing of face masks ensued between a passenger and flight officials, the airline has said.

A video of the incident had emerged online showing someone apparently being bundled out of the airplane by security officials as other passengers looked stranded on the tarmac.

In its statement, Arik Air said the passenger who was removed had been “unruly”.

“On Thursday, December 16, 2021, an Arik Air flight from Asaba which was originally scheduled to depart for Lagos at 4:50pm was later rescheduled for 8:30pm. At the commencement of boarding, the first set of passengers to enter the plane was a man and a lady claiming to be the man’s wife. The man was without a face mask and the lead crew asked him to comply with the COVID-19 boarding protocol. The passenger not only refused to use his face mask, he also turned down the use of hand sanitizer and pushed the lead crew out of the way,” the Arik Air statement said.

“The passenger then began to shout at the top of his voice and Arik Air’s Asaba Station Manager went to appeal to him for calm. He refused and continued to make video recording of the scene with his phone. He refused to listen to the Captain as well. Meanwhile the rest of the passengers were on ground waiting to board the aircraft.

“After several appeals were made to him by the SAHCOL Station Manager, Asaba Airport Company Senior Manager on Quality and Safety and others, the passenger had to be forced out of the plane by a combined team of Airport Security and Police at 9:15pm.

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“Arik Air strongly condemns such unruly behaviour by passengers on board any of its flights and advices that such actions could attract flight ban or sanctions prescribed by the regulatory Authority.

“Arik Air will continue to operate at the highest standards obtainable in the industry and advices customers to endeavour to comply with all safety instructions issued by the crew.”

News

Ghana is looking to supply Nigeria with its electricity needs following power grid shutdown

Published

15 hours ago

September 23, 2023

Seun Okerayi

LAGOS- With the goal of achieving “100% universal energy access” and maybe exporting electricity to its neighbor, Nigeria, Ghana has steadily been developing its power sector.

During his presentation in Lagos on the second day of the Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit, Mr. Hanson Monney, the Head of the Generation and Transmission Unit at the Ghanaian Ministry of Energy, made this point, emphasizing that via effective policy development and implementation, Ghana has already attained an impressive 80% to 85% universal energy access inside its boundaries.

“So, we are working on all these things to make sure that the power system of Ghana continues to be as good as it is or even better, and then, maybe, we can be exporting more to our big brothers in Nigeria when the grid is finally settled,” Mr. Hanson Monney said

This declaration follows the second national power grid breakdown in Africa’s most populous country and the continent’s top oil producer, Nigeria which resulted in a total blackout of homes and businesses.

In contrast, Ghana is aggressively pursuing a variety of energy sources, including grid electricity, mini-grids, and solar-dominated renewable energy, to attain “Universal access to energy by 2024” as instructed by the country’s President.

Monney agreed that the geographic limitations make it difficult to provide everyone in Ghana with access to electricity, particularly on isolated islands, riverbanks, or lakeside villages. In response to this, he stated,

“So, now, we are trying to scale our renewable energy access, and that is how we have planned in 2022 to scale up our renewable energy program,” he said.

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Financial sustainability is one of the biggest problems facing Ghana’s power sector, as the country struggles with growing debts and the purchase of surplus capacity.

“There is so much debt that the government has to shore up to make sure that the system is afloat because we have procured a lot of excess capacity, which comes with attendant costs. So, these financial challenges require some policy actions to eliminate legacy debts,” Mooney stated.

Monney stressed the significance of lowering electricity prices, particularly for enterprises, since high electricity bills are a major issue in Ghana. “We saw that in Ghana historically. These industries have been subsidizing the residential sector, and it should be the other way around. Industries should remain viable so that businesses can thrive,” Mooney stated.

Crime

EFCC declares Delta brothers wanted over alleged N330m fraud

Published

2 days ago

September 22, 2023

Seun Okerayi

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared two siblings from Delta State wanted for alleged fraud of N330 million.

This was contained in a statement issued by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State on Friday.

The anti-graft agency named 55-year-old Faith Onoja and 44-year-old Emmanuel Onoja, both from Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, as being declared wanted by the EFCC.

According to the commission, Faith’s last known address is “Close to Celestial Church, Ekrovie new layout, old Egini road, Orhuehorun, Delta State” while Emmanuel’s last known address is “No 6. Jasmison Street, NPDC/ND Western Estate, Warri, Delta State”.

The statement urged that “anybody with useful information as to their whereabouts should contact the commission” in its offices nationwide.

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Education

Gov. Kefas Grants 50% Tuition Cut for Final Year Nursing Students

Published

3 days ago

September 21, 2023

Seun Okerayi

In a move that underscores the commitment of the Taraba State Government to prioritize education and make it more accessible, the Taraba state Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas has approved a significant reduction in tuition fees for final year students at the College of Nursing and Midwifery Jalingo.

Effective immediately, all final year students pursuing their nursing and midwifery diplomas will benefit from a 50% reduction in tuition fees. This decision aims at alleviating the financial burden on students and their families, ensuring that quality education remains affordable and accessible to all.

Dr.Agbu Kefas stated, “Education is the bedrock of our society, and we are dedicated to providing opportunities for our students to excel without the undue burden of high tuition costs. We believe that this reduction will not only support our students but also contribute to the development of the healthcare sector in our state.”

The Taraba State Government remains committed to enhancing the quality of education and healthcare services in the state. This reduction in tuition fees is a significant step towards achieving these goals.