Index to Nigerian Newspapers

President Muhammadu Buhari's body language as to his preferred candidate for the presidential ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has unsettled aspirants such as Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo, national leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi. The lack of clarity on the president's direction is fuelling agitation among the aspirants and their supporters as the deadline for the conduct of the political parties' primaries approaches.

The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) yesterday directed officials of the Aviation Security (AVSEC) and logistics sub-sector to commence an immediate strike from today, August 16th, 2023. The union in a circular said the withdrawal of service became inevitable after the expiration of the ultimatum given to the affected organisations. The circular was sent to the Director-General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Commissioner of Police, Airports Command, the Airport Commandant, Director, Department of State Security (DSS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos Command. The circular signed by the General Secretary, NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Aba, decried the poor working conditions of AVSEC workers who are mostly graduates, saying they are being paid a paltry N30,000 monthly salary. The Circular read, “As you are all aware, the union has done everything possible to resolve the lingering crisis of extreme impoverishment of employees of Aviation Security (AvSec) & logistics sub-sector of the aviation industry in Nigeria, but to no avail. “The managements of all the companies in the business have all failed to secure decent contracts that can avail fair remuneration for their workers.  “With current salary levels as low as N30,000 a month for graduates, there is no gain saying that AvSec employment in Nigeria is nothing other than a slave labour camp; to call a spade a spade. “This situation can no longer be allowed to continue. In this regard, and further to our letter of ultimatum dated 26th June, 2023, all workers in all Aviation Logistics companies in Nigeria are hereby directed to totally withdraw services as from August 16, 2023 indefinitely, until our demand for fair remuneration is met.

NURTW members continue to operate at motor parks and garages in Lagos State despite the suspension of its activities by the state government. Checks at various parks revealed that touts, known as agbero, have continued to extort drivers of commercial vehicles. Armed hoodlums have taken over the Orile-Mile 2- Badagry and the Mile 2- Apapa expressways, demanding money from truck and commercial bus drivers and commercial motorcycle riders. Drivers are at no one's mercy as security operatives look the other way.

The biting scarcity of dollars may force some airlines to shut down operation any time from now, Daily Trust can report. Though the scarcity has always crippled airline operations, it got worse recently with many airlines finding it extremely difficult to continue operations as they are unable to source for dollars to pay for aircraft maintenance.

No fewer than 10 aircraft belonging to local operators are in different maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities abroad as they are unable to source for dollars to pay for the cost of maintenance. Daily Trust reports that an average C-check costs $1m (about N750m at N750/$) and it could be more depending on the extent of the check to be carried out on an aircraft.

The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) on Wednesday asked the federal government to go after the "big fish in the ocean" in order to widen the tax net and deepen compliance. President and Chairman of Council of the Institute, Adesina Adedayo also declared that the institute has opened up a platform of engagement with the government to shore up the revenue generation. The 40th anniversary of the institute is a platform to showcase the achievements of the institute. Nigerians can now earn US Dollars by acquiring premium domain names, most clients earning about $7,000 to $10,000. Daily Finance is sponsoring a millionaire man who reveals a $127/hour trick anyone can do to get rich with Bitcoin, without buying it.

Several railway projects worth over $21.3bn (about N16 trillion) across the country have stalled due to lack of funding, findings by Daily Trust have revealed. The development is threatening the federal government’s railway modernisation programme designed to connect all states of the federation. The projects include the Ibadan-Kano Standard Gauge Railway ($5.3bn); $11.17bn Lagos-Calabar coastal railway project; $3.02bn rehabilitation project for the Eastern Line (Port Harcourt-Maiduguri) and the $1.9bn Kano-Maradi railway project. All the projects were incorporated in the 25-year railway roadmap unveiled during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo which will expire in 2025. It would be recalled that in 2016, China and Nigeria signed an agreement for the over $11 billion contract to build the coastal railway which was to start before the end of 2018. While the project did not take off, the federal government at the same time flagged off the Lagos-Ibadan project which is 157km and completed it in record time. Meanwhile, the minister yesterday assured that the Customs building obstructing the standard gauge to Apapa Ports would be removed in three months’ time. Speaking during a meeting with the management and leaders of the Nigerian Railway Workers (NUR) at the  Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) headquarters, the minister also assured of the commitment of the Bola Tinubu-led administration to the railway modernisation programme. He also gave the Nigerian Railway Corporation three weeks to complete the operationalization of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Train Station at Apapa. Daily Trust reports that the Customs building had stalled the linkage to the Apapa Port forcing the NRC to temporarily bypass it and create a track in order to start freight services on the Lagos-Ibadan Railway.

The recent floating of naira has taken its toll on international airfares with ticket prices on several routes increasing by about 40 per cent, checks by Daily Trust have shown. From N665 last week, the exchange rate for international flight booking was pegged at N770 on Wednesday, triggering an increase in air fares.

An average six-hour international flight now goes for over N2m in line with the new exchange rate, which our correspondent learnt is now dependent on the Importers and Exporters (I&E) windows following the unification of the exchange rate system. Daily Trust reports that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has quashed the multiple exchange rate as part of the economic reform of the present administration.

The floating of the naira now implies that the exchange rate would now be determined by the market forces.

The recent floating of naira has taken its toll on international airfares with ticket prices on several routes increasing by about 40 per cent, checks by Daily Trust have shown. From N665 last week, the exchange rate for international flight booking was pegged at N770 on Wednesday, triggering an increase in air fares.

An average six-hour international flight now goes for over N2m in line with the new exchange rate, which our correspondent learnt is now dependent on the Importers and Exporters (I&E) windows following the unification of the exchange rate system. Daily Trust reports that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has quashed the multiple exchange rate as part of the economic reform of the present administration.

The floating of the naira now implies that the exchange rate would now be determined by the market forces.

Ambassador George A. Obiozor of Ohanaeze Ndigbo World Wide has accused the PDP of political suicide by abandoning zoning ahead of the 2023 general elections. Governor Samuel Ortom has denied media reports that his committee has thrown the presidential ticket of the party open.

Sheikh Abdulrahman Ahmad of the Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's approved loan facilities, claiming they excluded Muslims due to interest charges. He called for the federal government to collaborate with Islamic finance experts to make loans accessible through Sharia economics. Ahmad also criticized the petroleum subsidy for Nigeria's underdevelopment.

The federal government announced a free train ride for Nigerians from Christmas to New Year, but it caused tickets to become scarce and exploration and other infractions marred the initiative. Sunday Amos was happy with the gesture, but the other option was to stand. She boarded from Idu station on December 28th, 2021. Passengers were not willing to listen to the reporter and had to pay high prices for their train tickets. Sunday Amos was happy with the gesture and boarded from Idu station instead. An NRC official spoke to the reporter and said better customer service was needed. The turnout was impressive and 18000 people were carried between December 24th and January 4th, excluding the people from Abeokuta.

In an effort to carry out its "rescue Nigeria" goal, the Third Force movement, which operates under the aegis of the National Consultative Front (NCFront), has committed to support reputable candidates for the elections in 2023. According to its founding political testament and mandate, the movement stated in a notice from yesterday that it is starting a serious search and recruitment process to find credible candidates to support in the 2023 elections as part of its rescue mission for Nigeria. To this purpose, the movement has invited all qualified Nigerians who may choose to run for any elective office in the 2023 general elections (as stated by INEC) to do so on the Third Force Mega Party's platform.