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Tackling Air Fare: Passengers Urge FG to Strengthen Naira Value

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Some air passengers at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja have urged the Federal Government to strengthen economic policy to improve the naira value to curb skyrocketing air fares.

The passengers at the NAIA made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.

According to them, strengthening the value of the naira will help local airlines operators to buy the aviation fuel (JET A1) at a less exchange rate and will reduce the cost of domestic flights.

A passenger, Mr Olakitan Raymond, a media and entertainment expert, urged the Federal Government to put in place system that enable the nation’s currency to appreciate, saying this would in turn affect the price of the aviation fuel.

He said devaluation of naira had been the usual occurrence in recent years in the country, which had greatly contributed to the scarcity of aviation fuel.

“This is making local airlines to keep increasing their air fares. I am coming from Lagos. The ticket was about N72,000 and I booked two days ago with Air Peace.

“Air fare is very high. Of course, in December now, it is going to shoot up. Airlines are also complaining about operation charges, different taxations among others.

“Those in charge of economic policy should know what to do and how to go about it to rescue Nigeria, “ he said.

Pastor Segun Akanmu appealed to Federal Government to do the needful to free the nation from inflation that had been  badly affecting aviation sector.

Akanmu said travelling by air was no more for commoners in the country as the air tickets of all the local airlines were out rightly outrageous.

“I travelled to Lagos two weeks ago. I bought the ticket for N78, 000 from Ibom Air, while my return to Abuja on Air Peace was N70.000. The situation in the country is alarming.

“The government also increased the fare for parking space, and made toll gates for other parking spaces, which used to be free. Most of these things bounce back on the passengers.

“Initially, the airlines increased the fare to N50, 000. Immediately they discovered that fuel aviation was becoming scarce, they have to increase it a little bit, “ he said.

Another passenger, who worked with Nigerian Woman Trust Fund, but preferred anonymity, explained that aviation sector was at a critical stage and the relevant stakeholders` attention were urgently needed for its survival.

He said the masses were not finding it easy to travel by air as usual to their places of interest as a result of exorbitant prices of tickets.

“My colleague and I paid N178, 000 for our flight from Abuja to Taraba on Tuesday. For our coming, we paid N140, 000 from Taraba back to Abuja by Air Peace for economic class.

“We booked like two or three days to our departures“ he said.

He also urged local airline operators to improve services toward avoiding flight delays and cancellations.

“Delay is not a good practice. I am coming from Taraba state. I am supposed to be here since 12.15 p.m. My departure was 11a.m. We arrived at Abuja at 3.30p.m.

“Imagine the hours we were being delayed without any genuine excuse from them, “ he said.

Mrs Duro Ajala, a passenger told reporters that the increase in fuel prices and foreign exchange really posed serious challenge to the industry.

According to her, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) many times complained about unavailable FOREX for spare parts and maintenance.

“All these factors come to play when they are charging for their tickets. Government just need to intervene by apply best practice system to address burning issues in aviation sector.

“About a week ago, I booked with Dana Air for a round ticket from Lagos to Abuja for N125, 000.

“The price has actually gone higher. Though, it is fast and safe to travel by air compared to by road or any other means. You need to choose between high cost and your own safety, “ she said.

Reacting, Mr Sam Adurogboye, the General Manager,  Public Affairs, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said Air fares had been liberalised.

“It is now governed by demand and supply. We are against predatory practices; which is under-pricing, “ he said.

Newsmen checks at the booking counters of some airlines in Abuja airport showed that Abuja-Lagos, one-way economy flight sells for between N64, 000 and 85, 000, depending on airlines, while return tickets sells for between N123, 000 and N172, 000.

Flight booked in advance range from N60, 000 to N83, 000 for economy class on one-way.

In spite of high air fares, newsmen observes that most flights to and from Abuja are always fully booked.

The minimum ticket fare for a three-week booking on Air Peace, Max Air, Dana Air, Ibom Air and others have been pegged at 65,000 flat rate. (NAN)

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‘Lack of Teachers Stalled Academic Activities in Bayelsa for Three Years’

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From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

The people of Amatu 2 Community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, have appealed to the State government to come to their aide, saying that for the past three years their children have not been attending classes both at the primary and secondary school level due to the unavailability of teachers and corps members.

While making the appeal in Ekeremor Town, Mr.

Jerry Samasuode, a leader of the community, said they have written several petitions to the State Ministry of Education, State Universal Basic Education Board and Post Primary Schools Board to draw attention of government to their plight but no action has been taken for the past three years.

He said the situation is so bad that children of the community have forgotten their academic calendar as they don’t know when schools will resume or close for holiday, and that they fear that if nothing is done urgently to save the situation their children may grow up to become a problem to society.

Explaining further, he said “about five years ago corps members used to cover up for unavailability of teachers but today they also abandoned us. Both the teachers and corps members that were posted to the community used to complain about distance and poor standard of living as excuses but today there is a road from Yenagoa to Ekeremor.

“So, today distance should not be an excuse. Concerning the issue of poor standard of living, the community made an effort by providing accommodation, food and stipends to encourage them even though that is not part of our responsibility. Yet, when they are posted to our community, they will lobby officials to redeploy them to urban cities.

“Most of the teachers who work their redeployment to urban areas, told us that they are doing so because the government does not pay them rural posting allowances, even though we made money available for them to cover up for that but they have refused to come to our community. Yet, they will say education is the bedrock of development.”

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Education

ENSUBEB Executive Chairman Flags-off Agric Education Training

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From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

The Executive Chairman of Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), Associate Professor Hyginus Banko Okibe has flagged off the 2022/2023 Agricultural Education training programme for head teachers, teachers, and pupils at Independence Layout Primary School, Enugu.

Professor Okibe emphasized the importance of agriculture for economic development and growth, stressing that the country’s major problem is hunger due to people not engaging in farming activities anymore.

He noted that schools should be exposed to agricultural skills and technology; he however announced that there will be an agricultural trade fair, where produce from all schools will be showcased.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Dr. Patrick Nwabueze Ubru, in a keynote address, highlight the importance of agriculture, stating that without it, there will be no life.

He disclosed that 12,000 bags of fertiliser will be distributed to registered farmers in the state and noting that non-farmers will not receive farming inputs and fertilisers.

Ubru reiterated that agriculture occupies an important space in the Governor’s vision and manifesto as one of the developmental areas for reviving the economy.

He said that Enugu State has introduced dry season farming with solar pumping machines and embarked on three-cycle rice production, making it the largest producer of cassava in the country.

He further disclosed plans to establish agricultural processing industries in the three senatorial zones of the state.

Dr. Amaka S. Ngene, Executive Chairman of STVSMB and former Permanent Member of ENSUBEB, appreciated the guests and emphasized that the agricultural education training programme is child-centered, aimed at making agriculture a future career or hobby for the pupils.

She enumerated the objectives of the training, including the provision of requisite skills for self-employment.

Hon. Nwakaego Ajah, Permanent Member 3, thanked the Executive Governor of Enugu State, the Executive Chairman of ENSUBEB, and UBEC for the initiative in making Agricultural Science more practical-oriented at the Basic Schools.

She urged the learners and teachers to take the training serious and also promote their dignity in labour.

 The event featured lectures on food crops, planting, and care, and the distribution of farm inputs and plants to various schools.

The highlight of the occasion was the decoration of Dr. Amaka Ngene by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation.

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Police Arrest 3 Suspects over Gold Theft in Abuja

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 The Police said they have arrested three suspects over house breaking, robbery of gold and other valuables in Abuja.

The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said this during a media briefing in Abuja.

He added that the suspects were arrested following an investigation by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

ADejobi said further investigation revealed that the prime suspect in the case was a fish trader at the Kado fish market in Abuja.

He said the suspects had raided three houses in the Lugbe area of Abuja before getting to the fourth house where they jumped the fence and used a motor jack to expand the bars of the burglary.

Adejobi said the suspects expanded the bars of the burglary and had access into the house where they searched for items they could steal.

He said in the process, they found a safe in the house, went away with it and used a hammer and chisel to break the safe forcefully and found money, documents and gold.

“Upon the discovery, the prime suspect contacted a buyer to dispose of the items where he realised over N60 million after selling the items,” he said.

Adejobi said operatives of the IRT had also arrested 16 suspects in connection with theft and robbery of motorcycles and tricycles in Plateau.

He said the suspects, who were particularly involved in moving around at late night, picking up any tricycle parked without supervision, were arrested following credible intelligence.

The police spokesman said the suspects were also involved in moving around and stopping motorcyclists on the road while parading themselves as police officers with fake identity cards.

He said the members of the syndicate, who posed as policemen and accused motorists of late night movement, were engaged in confiscating motorcycles and telling them to go to the nearest Police Division to retrieve the motorcycles.

He said the suspects had so far stolen several motorcycles which they had sold to the receiving group in their syndicate.

Adejobi said police operatives had recovered eight motorcycles and 11 tricycles from the suspects.

He said police operatives had in the past six weeks arrested a total of 1,284 suspects over the offences of armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, homicide, cultism and other criminal offences.

Adejobi said 307 of the suspects were arrested over armed robbery, 296, kidnapping, 301, homicide, 176, rape and defilement, and 204, cult related offences.

The police spokesman said 284 firearms, 6702 ammunition of various calibres, 107 vehicles were recovered from the suspects while 97 kidnap victims were rescued during the period under review. (NAN)

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