Tag Archives: Ground

Recovery Of N30b Debt May Ground Domestic Airlines

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Despite the plummeting fortunes of domestic airlines in the country due to the harsh economy, they will have to pay up their debts worth more than N30 billion or be grounded by regulatory agencies.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) are going after airlines to recover over N30 billion debts accumulated in the last 16 years.

The Guardian learnt that the renewed debt recovery, following a directive from the Federal Government, will involve the deployment of all means possible to succeed, including grounding some airlines that have not embraced the option of a peaceful resolution.The debts were incurred from sundry services offered to commercial and chartered airlines operating on government-owned and private aerodromes.Sources disclosed that one of the most popular airlines in the country is indebted to FAAN to the tune of N12.5billion, and would soon be shut out of some routes. NAMA confirmed the development, estimating that N8.08 billion debt liabilities are to be reclaimed from airline operators and private and some state-owned airports.

A document shown to The Guardian revealed that domestic operators collectively owe NAMA N3.89 billion between 2001 and 2013. While that is still unpaid, the domestic airlines have also accrued N1.6 billion from January 2014 to June 2016. Some airlines that are already defunct are owing NAMA N1.048 billion, while private and state-owned aerodromes owe N1.54 billion.

A member of NAMA special committee on debt recovery said the agency was under enormous pressure to meet the Federal Government’s revenue target, coupled with an in-house liability burden, which the agency has to meet, especially on pension. Pension outstanding in the agency is in the tune of N18 billion, it was learnt.

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http://guardian.ng/business-services/recovery-of-n30b-debt-may-ground-domestic-airlines/

Ground Troops Invade Arepo Creeks, Destroy 140 Camps

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Barely 24 hours after the ground troops, made up of Soldiers from 174 Battalion in Ikorodu and personnel of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service (SBS), started the ground operation to rid the creeks of Arepo and other areas of vandals and oil thieves, over 140 camps of the militants in the border towns of Ogun and Lagos states have been destroyed, report says.

It was gathered that 75 camps were destroyed on Wednesday, while another 65 had earlier been destroyed on Tuesday.

A key military source told said that apart from destroying 140 camps, the military also recovered police uniform bearing the rank of a corporal and a military uniform.

Other items that were recovered in the camps include; four dane guns 36 cartridges 20 cutlasses, two bags of Omo, half bag of Garri, half bag of rice, a computer set , a cheque book and an identity card.

It was also learnt that eight speed boats allegedly belonging to the vandals were destroyed by the troops who are combing the creeks of Arepo, Ishawo, Awawa and other areas.

The movement of the ground troops came in the wake of security alert in Badagry area of Lagos over reports that militants had fled to the area.

It was also learnt that the Commander of the ground troops is Lieutenant Colonel Julius Ogbobe, who is also the commander of the Land component of Operation Awatse.

Investigation around the Badagry area and other neighbouring communities showed that security agencies have been deployed in strategic areas, and soldiers attached to the Lagos State security initiative commonly called Operation Mesa (OP MESA) have been deployed in strategic areas.

Credit: Sun

Airlines May Ground Flights As Fuel Scarcity Bites Harder- Report

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Airline operators have urged passengers to expect more delays or cancelled flights as the scarcity of aviation fuel, known as Jet A1, bites harder, adding that scheduled operations may stop altogether, unless more fuel is delivered in the next few days.

Since last week, domestic airlines have faced severe challenges sourcing aviation fuel for their scheduled flights.

It was gathered yesterday that Total, a major supplier of the product, imported two ships of aviation fuel, but was directed to wait until the ships with petrol were discharged. The consequence is that the scarcity of aviation fuel would linger for some time.

In response to the scarcity, foreign airlines have devised means of fuelling their aircraft outside Nigeria and only top up on arrival in the country.

It was learnt that as a result of this, many passengers might not be accompanied on their flights by their luggage, as the foreign airlines are forced to drop the luggage in order to carry more fuel, much to yhe displeasure of passengers when they arrive their destinations.

 “BA takes fuel from London and sometimes they stop in Malta so to avoid refuelling in Nigeria, even though they have a supply contract.

“The other day, Air France came to Abuja and met with Total. They normally take about 60,000 litres, but they asked for 20,000 litres, which is like a top up. That is what most foreign airlines are doing now,” an inside source said.

Another challenge the airlines are facing is the delay in trucking the product from Apapa, which could last for hours and when it arrives the airport, airlines would wait for another two hours for the product to settle so that contaminants would not get into the aircraft tanks.

Credit: Thisday

All Eyes And Ears Must Be On Ground Against Boko Haram- Buhari

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Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is calling for civilian “foot soldiers” in the fight against Boko Haram, appealing to traditional hierarchies and centuries-old methods to weed out Islamist plotters.

Eyes and ears on the ground were vital, he said, as concern mounts over suicide and bomb attacks in the northeast, particularly in mosques.

“The ward head, the village head and the local police knew every new entrant into the community,” Buhari said late last month.

“They kept tabs on them and detected traits of criminality before evil-doers got the chance to act against (the) common interest. We must go back to those rudimentary acts of local policing…

“In this new phase of war, all of us are generals, all of us are foot soldiers, and all of us are intelligence officers.”

Buhari has ordered his military commanders to end the violence by the end of the year, after at least 17,000 deaths and more than 2.5 million made homeless in six years of conflict.

Human intelligence is crucial to any counter-insurgency. But claims of military abuses against civilians in Nigeria, have eroded co-operation and trust.

Credit: Vanguard