The Senate has passed a resolution urging the Federal Government to allocate funds to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN),  to enable it to restore power to the Jos-Gombe 330KV transmission line.

The followed the adoption of a motion by Sen. Haruna Manu (PDP-Taraba) and co- sponsored by 16 other senators on “Urgent Need to Address the Vandalisation of TCN Transmission Lines in the North-East Region of Nigeria”, at plenary on Wednesday.

Moving the motion, Manu said that that the vandalism of critical electricity transmission infrastructure posed a significant threat to the economic prosperity, public health, safety and security of the zone.

“The recent incidents of vandalisation along the Jos-Gombe 330KV transmission line have resulted in severe disruptions to power supply affecting millions of residents.

“Also affected are hospitals, commercial activities and the overall well-being of the people in Plateau, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Yobe, and Borno.

“The indirect effects of power outages on food production further strain food inflation in the country, impacting the availability and affordability of agricultural products, particularly in the north-east which is a major cultivator and producer.”

Senators, while contributing to the debate on the motion, called for more attention to be given to the wellbeing of the people of the region whom they said,  had suffered from long years of neglect.

Sen. Kaka Lawan (APC-Borno), informed the senate that prior to the vandalism of the towers last month, some other parts of the north-east had been without light for two years.

“The issue of the 330KV line is a recent development. Before now, many parts of the zone had been without light for two years.

“Major facilities like airports, hospitals have no light as a result of the activities of vandals,” he said.

Sen. Ahmad Lawan (APC-Yobe) recalled that as far back as the 90’s, the “UNDP categorised the north-east to be the poorest in Nigeria”, adding that, “ even today, the situation has not changed.”

He said that although the federal government had intervened in  the North East Development Commission (NEDC), the agency had its own limits which would require that the government gave more attention to the zone.

Sen. Adamu Aliero (PDP-Kebbi) called for the arrest and prosecution of the vandals to serve as deterrent to other criminals.

“Let’s find out who the  vandals are. It’s a crime to go and destroy social infrastructure.

“Those who are responsible for this vandalism must be punished.
I am happy that the TCN promised to restore power this weekend. I hope they will keep the promise”.

In his remarks, President of the Senate,  Godswill Akpabio said that darkness would create opportunities for  miscreants and would wreak  havoc in the communities.

“As much as possible, the TCN should immediately rise to the occasion and the federal ministry of power should ensure that power is restored to the north-east.

“This is to aid the security of lives and property which of course, remain the primary focus of government.”

He urged the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance to follow up to know how far the resolutions of the senate were being obeyed.(NAN)

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has said that it would not hesitate to invoke relevant sections of the organisation’s  regulations to sanction Turkish Airlines over mistreatment of Nigerian passengers.

NCAA’s Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr Michael Achimugu, disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos.

Achimugu said that President Bola Tinubu had directed NCAA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and relevant agencies, to ensure that the rights of Nigerian passengers were protected at all times.

He said the NCAA was currently mediating on the feud between the European carrier and aviation labour unions, who picketed the airline’s operations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

According to him, the agency will not hesitate to roll out stiff penalties and sanctions to Turkish Airlines as Nigerian passengers, are still stranded at the airport, following its failure to airlift them to Istanbul.

Achimugu said the Federal Government and its agencies would spare no effort to call to order any airline that violates the rights of Nigerian passengers.

According to him, the Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, had in a virtual meeting on Tuesday from the United Kingdom initiated reconciliatory  moves between the Country Manager of Turkish Airlines and the unions.

He, however, said the representative of the airline exhibited some traits of impudence, which the regulator deemed amounted to lack of regard for the system.

Arising from the infraction, Achimugu said the Federal Government would not hesitate to look deep into the impasse with the possibility of extracting the right punishment if the carrier is found culpable.

The Federal Government, he said, would take every step to ensure the rights of Nigerian passengers are not trampled on by any carrier, including foreign airlines, in taking the right steps to address any infractions on their conditions of operations into the country.

He confirmed that over 300 passengers had been trapped in the imbroglio involving the Turkish Airlines, and aviation unions, as the carrier had canceled flights out of and into Nigeria until Thursday.

Achimugu said that, though, the carrier claimed to have communicated with passengers through electronic mail on the on-going hitch concerning its operations into and out of the country, some passengers still turned up at the Lagos Airport.

He said: “The NCAA is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the inability of Turkish Airlines to operate flights out of Lagos Airport, due to the picketing of its operations by aviation unions.

“We will ensure that the rights of Nigerian passengers are not violated.

“President Bola Tinubu has directed the NCAA, FAAN and relevant agencies to ensure that the rights of Nigerian passengers are protected.

“Currently, the NCAA is engaging officials of Turkish Airlines, but we have observed some degree of insolence of the Country Manager, who engaged our D-G in a shouting match, he was even banging the table.

“This behaviour to the NCAA is unacceptable. At the end of our findings, if the airline is found culpable, we will invoke the relevant parts of our regulation Part 17,  to met out the right punishment,” he said.

Achimugu on Wednesday evening visited the stranded passengers at the new terminal of the international airport, where he conveyed the message of the D-G to them, saying hat the authority would not rest until they were transported to their various destinations.

One of the stranded passenger, Obiekwe Ngozichukwu, a Guttenberg, Sweden resident, said he was afraid of losing his job as a top official of one of the hotels in that country, because the company had been calling him to resume work.

He said he visited Nigeria for his mother’s burial, but could not go back because of the cancellation of his flight, and had been sleeping on the floor at the airport for two days.

“We don’t know when we are leaving here, I appeal to the authorities to intervene and save us from this  experience.”

Another passenger, a Germany based construction worker, Charles Ifeanyi, also appealed to the Federal Government to intervene, to save the situation, lamenting that the authorities must not allow Nigerians to be maltreated anywhere in the world anyhow.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had began the picketing of Turkish Airlines in Lagos.

The picketing is to ensure that the carrier reinstates staffers, who were dismissed, forced to abandon duty or forced to resign under duress, including those victimised for their union membership in 2020. (NAN)

From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

The Enugu State Government has inaugurated the second Enugu State Multi-Door Courthouse (ESMDC) governing council for its continuations promotion of the growth and effective functioning of the justice system through Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) in the state.

The Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Raymond Ozoemena, during the inauguration urged the newly inaugurated council members to work hard in their place of assignments.

Ozoemena said that the second inauguration was a very important function of the judiciary as his intention was to move the judiciary forward from where the former chief Judge stopped as the  inauguration of senior advocacy, the Judges and lawyers were well taken.

He called on the members to always feel free to come and advise them wherever they go wrong.

In her speech, the newly appointed Chairman of the council, former chief Judge of the state, Justice Ngozi Emehelu said that the inauguration ceremony marked the beginning of a new chapter in the collective efforts of the judiciary and all stakeholder interests represented to improve access to justice and promote alternative dispute resolution in Enugu State.

Emehelu noted that the primary goal of the ESMDC was to promote the growth and effective functioning of the justice system through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods and its objectives as stated in section four of the Enugu State Multi-Door Courthouse Law 2018.

According to her, the section four of the ESMDC Law are to enhance access to justice by providing alternative mechanisms to supplement litigation in the resolution of disputes.

“To minimize citizens frustration and delay in justice delivery by providing a standard legal framework for the fair and efficient settlement of disputes through alternative dispute resolution.

“To serve as the focal point for the promotion of alternative dispute resolution in Enugu State and to promote the growth and effective functioning of the justice system through alternative dispute resolution methods,” she said. 

“The ESMDC Governing Council which is being inaugurated today the 22nd of May, 2024 is the second council and comprises a chairman, two ADR Judges and a Magistrate of Enugu State, The Attorney General of Enugu State.

“A representative of the Nigerian Bar Association, The director of the ESMDC, one representative of the private sector and one person whose membership in the opinion of the council shall assist with the promotion of ADR as a concept and the ESMDC as an institution,” she said.

She added that she was committed to working tirelessly with her fellow council members to ensure that the state Multi-Door Courthouse fulfils its mandate and serves the needs of our community effectively.

Earlier, the Chief Registrar of the state judiciary, Mr Kingsley Eze said that the original governing council was established in 2021 and their tenure ended in March 2024.

Eze listed the members of the new governing council to include Justice Ngozi Emehelu, the Chairman, Justice Enu Oluedo, Justice Ugonne Nweze, of the Customary Court of Appeal, Enugu State.

Others are Dr Kingsley Ude, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Enugu State, Justina Offia, SAN, Ngozi Ajogwu, the Chief Magistrate, Sir Odega Jideonwo, President, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture, (ECCIMA), Caroline Etuk, Director, Multi-Door Courthouse, Enugu and Mr Linus Okoro, Chairman Nigeria Barr Association.