Nigerian passengers on an Air France flight from Paris to Abuja are currently stranded in Chad after an unexpected flight disruption.

The aircraft, which had earlier made a stop in Chad to drop off some passengers, left the Nigerians stranded.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this in a post on his X handle on Saturday.

Keyamo wrote, “It has come to my attention that some Nigerians on an Air France flight from Paris to Abuja are presently stranded in Chad, from where the flight earlier dropped some passengers.”

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The minister said he has directed the Consumer Protection Department of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to engage with Air France urgently to resolve the issue.

“I have immediately directed the Consumer Protection Department of NCAA to swing into action and engage Air France. We shall inform everyone of the outcome soon,” the minister stated.

He also urged Air France’s Nigerian branch to promptly state the fate of the stranded Nigerians and the measures being taken to assist them.

“I urge @AirFranceNG to immediately issue a statement on the fate of those Nigerians,” he added.

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This incident comes barely a month after some Nigerians on an Air France flight were left stranded for over 14 hours in Paris in April.

The delay caused frustration among passengers, with allegations of disrespect and discrimination levelled against the airline.

Following the delay, the NCAA announced that it had initiated an investigation into the incident.

The recent news of South Korean billionaire Chey Tae-won’s divorce settlement, totaling $1 billion, has caused a stir online.

Chey, chairman of the SK Group conglomerate, has been ordered to pay his ex-wife a divorce settlement of 1.38 trillion won (approximately $1bn), marking the largest divorce settlement in South Korean history.

Nigerians reacted in shock, with many commenting that marriage now appears to be a business arrangement rather than a romantic commitment.

However this is far from the largest divorce settlement in history.

Here are the most expensive divorce cases as  highlighted by The PUNCH:

• Jeff Bezos and Mackenzie Scott

In 2019, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the world’s wealthiest individual with a net worth of $197 billion, ended his 26-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott, finalising their divorce with a settlement of $38 billion.

• Bill Gates and Melinda Gates

The divorce settlement between Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates remained private, with no public disclosure of financial details. While the couple’s combined net worth was estimated at $130 billion, it is reported that Melinda French Gates received over $6 billion in stock shares, but the exact asset division remains undisclosed.

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• Alec and Jocelyn Wildenstein

In 1999, French-American businessman and art dealer Alec Wildenstein ended his 21-year marriage to Jocelyn Wildenstein, resulting in a divorce settlement worth $3.8 billion, with Jocelyn receiving an initial $2.5 billion and an additional $100 million annually for 13 years.

• Rupert Murdoch and Anna Torv Mann

Rupert Murdoch and Anna Torv Mann, married for over three decades and parents of three, separated in 1999. Their divorce settlement was valued between $1.2 and $1.7 billion, equivalent to approximately $40-56 million per year of marriage.

• Bernie Ecclestone and Slavica Radic

Bernie Ecclestone, former chief executive of Formula One group, ended his 25-year marriage to model Slavica Radic in 2009, with a reported divorce settlement of $1.2 billion.

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• Steve and Elaine Wynn

Steve and Elaine Wynn, Las Vegas casino moguls, had two marriages spanning 1963-1986 and 1991-2010. Their second divorce in 2010 resulted in a settlement worth $1 billion to Elaine, including $741 million in Wynn Resorts stock, the company they co-founded.

• Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Arnall

In 2014, oil tycoon Harold Hamm finalised his divorce from Sue Ann Arnall, paying her $974.8 million in a single settlement payment.

• Adnan and Soraya Khashoggi

According to Forbes, the late Saudi billionaire Adnan Khashoggi paid his ex-wife Soraya Khashoggi a divorce settlement of $874 million in 1982, equivalent to $42 million per year of their 21-year marriage, in an out-of-court agreement.

• Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum & Princess Haya bint al-Hussein

In December 2021, the Dubai ruler was court-ordered to pay a $728 million to his ex-wife, Princess Haya, ending a prolonged divorce battle marked by allegations of infidelity and threats. The settlement will cover Princess Haya’s lifelong security expenses and ongoing costs for their two children, Al Jalila and Sheikh Zayed, according to CNN.

• Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren

Tiger Woods and Elim Nordegren finalised their divorce in August 2010, after five years of marriage, with Elin receiving a reported $100 million settlement, equivalent to $20 million per year of marriage.

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• Stephen Spielberg and Amy Irving

Film director Steven Spielberg’s 1989 divorce from Amy Irving, his wife of four years, resulted in a settlement worth $100 million, equivalent to half his wealth at the time, or $25 million per year of marriage.

• Paul McCartney and Heather Mills

Paul McCartney’s ex-wife, Heather Mills, received a divorce settlement of $50 million, translating to $12.5 million per year for their four-year marriage.

• Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison

The Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford’s 1994 divorce from Melissa Mathison, his wife of 18 years and mother of two of his children, resulted in a settlement of $90 million, equivalent to $5 million per year of marriage.

• Michael Douglas and Diandra Douglas

Two-time Academy Award winner Michael Douglas’s 23-year marriage to Diandra Douglas ended in a divorce settlement of $45 million, which translates to approximately $2 million per year of their marriage.

• Madonna and Guy Ritchie

Madonna’s divorce from film director Guy Ritchie in 2008 reportedly resulted in a settlement of $76 – $92 million, paid to the British film director and her ex-husband of eight years. The specifics of their agreement remain private, so the exact reasons for the payment amount aren’t publicly disclosed.

No fewer than 305 directors have failed the written examination for appointment into the offices of permanent secretaries of the Federal Civil Service in the last four years, The PUNCH investigation has shown.

Recall that no fewer than civil servants who sat the 2022 FCS Promotion examinations failed, according to a list issued by the FCS Commission on November 30, 2023.

No fewer than 13,000 civil servants sat the 2022 examination, which was held in about 69 Computer Based Test centres across the country, while the candidates were drawn from the core civil service, the Nigeria Police, and other para-military and specialised agencies.

The letter, tagged FC.6241/S.35/Vol.xi/ T12/268, was signed by the Director of Promotions, Sani Bello, and addressed to the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

A list attached to the letter noted that only 3,851 civil servants out of the over 13,000 civil servants who sat the promotion examination passed.

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In the list, it was stated that 139 officers were promoted from the post of Assistant Chief Administrative Officer to Chief Administrative Officer.

A total of 191 were also promoted to the post of Assistant Chief Administrative Officer from the role of Principal Administrative Officer, just as a total of 313 civil servants were promoted from the role of Senior Administrative Officer to Principal Administrative Officer, while a total of 191 were promoted to Senior Administrative Officer from the role of Administrative Officer 1 among others.

However, an investigation by Saturday PUNCH showed that no fewer than 305 directors out of 664 have so far failed the qualifying examinations of the FCS between 2020 and 2024.

In September 2020, no fewer than nine directors in the FCS failed the first stage of a re-sit promotional exam as only 14 were shortlisted for a second round of the test out of the 23 directors who took the exam.

Similarly, in June 2021, another 21 directors on Salary Grade Level 17 in the FCS, who sat a written exam as part of the process of appointing them as permanent secretaries, also failed the examination.

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The 21 directors were among 46 senior officers, who took the examination in Abuja on Monday, May 31, 2021.

The remaining 25 of them, who passed the examination, made it to the next stage, which was the Information Communication Technology proficiency test which was held on Thursday, June 3, 2021.

However, in February 2022, another 37 directors failed the FCS qualifying examination organised to fill vacant positions of permanent secretaries declared by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

A total of 74 directors had sat for the examination, but only 37 of them scored 50 per cent and above while the other 37 scored below 50 per cent, which amounted to failure.

A circular obtained from the OHCSF with reference number HCSF/PS/CMO/154/I/70 and signed by Olusola Idowu on behalf of the Examination Committee explained that the 37 directors, who passed the examination, would sit an ICT proficiency test in Abuja few days later.

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However in August of that same year, another 137 persons out of the 344 civil servants on the directorate cadre jostling to be appointed as principals of the nation’s 110 unity schools across the country failed the examination organised by the Federal Ministry of Education.

The PUNCH gathered that the 207 directors, who passed the computer-based competency test, were scheduled for oral interviews after the examination.

In a similar vein, no fewer than 61 directors failed the written examination for the appointment of new permanent secretaries in the FCS, which was held on Monday, November 6, 2023.

A total of 85 directors were initially shortlisted for the examination out of which four were absent while only 20 directors passed the exam and were invited to the next stage which was the ICT proficiency stage.

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According to a memo dated November 7, 2023, obtained from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation which was dated, the 61 directors who failed the examination scored below 50 per cent, which disqualified them from the race.

More so, another 40 directors recently failed the qualifying examination for appointment to the position of permanent secretary.

A total of 92 directors were listed to sit the examination, which took place on May 27, 2024.

While 40 directors scored below 50 per cent, which indicated failure, according to the result of the examination obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, three were absent while one director could not complete the exam.

A May 28, 2024 memo by the Office of the Head of Service tagged, “HCSF/ CMO/ AOD/012/IX/59’ noted that the next test would be an ICT-based test.
PUNCH