News

Nigeria Air MD Breaks Silence On Controversial Aircraft

Published

2 years ago

June 6, 2023

The Managing Director of Nigeria Air, Dayo Olumide has disclosed that the aeroplane that landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on 26th May 2023, was a chartered one from Ethiopia.

Olumide disclosed this while answering questions from the senators on Monday, adding that it was launched in 2018 and his own responsibility was to secure an operating certificate for the airline.

Olumide said, “It is a pleasure to be here and to finally make our position known where I can clarify all the misconceptions regarding Nigeria Air as it pertains to the technical aspects of it.

“As you know this airline was launched with the logo in 2018. Several things have transpired since then that have nothing to do with me.

“I was invited last February, my mandate is to secure an air operating certificate for the airline not necessarily to operate the airline but to secure a licence to fly. And that is entirely my responsibility.”

The Chairman of the Committee on Aviation, Senator Olujimi expressed displeasure of the committee when she said that the entire arrangement of the Nigeria Air was shrouded in suspicion.

In responding to Olujimi’s question, Olumide said the aircraft that flew into the country that day did not need a licence, so it was hired.

He said, “I will like to address your question first before I go on. The aircraft that came in and left was a legitimate charter flight. Anyone of us here if we have a destination wedding in Senegal, we can charter an aircraft.

“You don’t need to have a licence to do that, you just charter an aircraft, an aircraft you paid for it, it will be brought here, take your passengers and off you go.

“And that is what we did. But in this case, it was to unveil. Ever since 2018, all you have ever seen about Nigeria Aircraft were pictures, and drawings, not the real aircraft, and we thought it was time to show what the real aircraft will look like and also to let shareholders know.

“You see we have institutional investors, they are not in aviation, but they are putting their money for 10 or 15 years and to exit may be at the premium. So they need to see what the actual aircraft will look like.

“So we brought it in here to show them what the aircraft will look like. Then the social media dimension came into it.

“It is an Ethiopian-registered one. Why is it Ethiopian-registered? To operate aircraft in Nigeria, they must be Nigerian registered; on 5th November. That aircraft was not on 5th November registered because it was a chartered flight and it came in with just a few day’s clearance and off it went.

“For us to get that licence which is my mandate, we must among other things have three aircraft before the NCA will give us a licence and those three aircraft must be Nigerian-registered aircraft.”

“There are five steps that one goes through to have a licence. We have gone from the first one to the second one but the problem is that when you change what we call post holders.

“Post holder is a technical term for director of maintenance, chief pilot, when you change them and replace them completely, you have to go back to phase one to interview them to be compliant to the authority, to the civil authority. But haven gone back to phase one doesn’t mean you have done anything thing wrong. That is a correct and normal process.

“So when this aircraft came on a chartered flight, everybody said we have launched Nigeria Air.

“There are learned people in the aviation industry who could have countered that when social media came out, they chose not to.”

News

IPF Holds Annual Ijaw Media Conference December

Published

12 hours ago

November 19, 2025

Editor

The Ijaw Publishers’ Forum has announced the second edition of its annual Ijaw Media Conference.

The conference themed “Safeguarding Oil and Gas Natural Resources for Future Generations in the Niger Delta” will take place on December 11, 2025, at KFT Place, beginning at 12 noon.

In a statement signed by the IPF National President, Comrade Ozobo Austin, the Forum noted that the conference is intended to strengthen public understanding of the dangers of oil theft, unchecked exploitation, and environmental pollution.

The statement highlighted the severe harm these practices inflict on the region, affecting both ecological systems and human communities and hindering long-term development.

The 2025 planning committee, chaired by Arex Akemotubo, has Tare Magbei as Secretary. The committee is charged with the responsibility of a successful programme.

Other members of the committee are:
Francis Abai, Financial Secretary while
Ezekiel Kagbala, Sunday Daniel; Mike Ugedi, Dr Kegbe, Sam Dogitimi,
Tam Okumbiri, serve as members.

The Forum urged leaders, stakeholders, and young people to work with relevant authorities and security groups to support continued public awareness efforts aimed at protecting the region’s natural resources and the wellbeing of its inhabitants.

The IPF also called for sponsorship and invites all stakeholders and the wider public to attend the conference on December 11, 2025

News

2027: Era Of ‘Ghost’ Voters Over, Says INEC Chairman

Published

19 hours ago

November 18, 2025

Editor

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has declared that identity theft and multiple voting, which have plagued Nigeria’s elections for decades, have been effectively eliminated following the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS.

Amupitan made the declaration in Abuja at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Dayo Oketola, the INEC Chairman said BVAS had now become a decisive tool in protecting the integrity of votes ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Represented by a National Commissioner, May Agbamuche Mbu, the INEC Chairman said the era of identity fraud in Nigeria’s elections is over, noting that BVAS has evolved into a foolproof verification mechanism at polling units across the country.

“The BVAS device has become our frontline defence against identity fraud, ensuring that only the rightful and eligible voter can be accredited at the polling unit..

“With the biometric safeguards now in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoral system,” he stated.

He backed the claim with data from the recently concluded Anambra Governorship Election, where 6,879 BVAS devices deployed for the exercise recorded what he described as a highly commendable performance.

According to him, more than 99 percent of polling unit results were uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing portal on the same day as voting.

“These outcomes confirm that the deployment of BVAS and IReV is no longer experimental but an entrenched part of Nigeria’s electoral architecture. The figure announced at the polling units is the same figure visible to the public. Technology has safeguarded the vote,” he said.

Amupitan also stressed the importance of the legal backing now enjoyed by the Commission’s technological tools.

He explained that while earlier innovations lacked statutory enforcement, the Electoral Act 2022, particularly Section 47 subsection 2, transformed digital devices from administrative guidelines into what he described as statutorily protected pillars of the electoral system.

“This legislative foundation ensures that our digital tools have both operational and legal legitimacy. It has strengthened public trust and enabled the Commission to innovate with confidence,” he added.

Despite the progress, the INEC Chairman admitted that connectivity gaps remain a major challenge.

He said the country’s 176,846 polling units, many of which are located in swamps, mountains, and remote communities, make real-time transmission of results one of the most difficult tasks during elections.

He, however, ruled out any possibility of returning to manual accreditation, which he described as vulnerable to human interference and a threat to electoral credibility.

Amupitan maintained that the era of ghost voters in Nigeria is over, insisting that the Commission is committed to transparent, verifiable, and credible elections.

“The gains we have recorded are too significant to reverse. The Commission will continue to strengthen the system and upgrade to more seamless solutions in future elections,” he said.

“Our mission is simple. Every eligible voter must be accurately verified. Every vote must be properly counted. Every result must be transparently shared. Technology has helped us to secure these foundations of democracy.”

News

JUST IN: Wike, Govs Makinde, Bala Mohammed Clash At PDP Secretariat

Published

20 hours ago

November 18, 2025

Editor

Chaos erupted at Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday as rival factions, led by Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State on one side, and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on the other, clashed over control of the party’s headquarters amid the ongoing leadership dispute.

According to ARISE, security operatives aligned with both the FCT minister and governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed engaged in a chaotic standoff over control of the complex, with teargas reportedly deployed around the premises by both sides.

Governor Makinde stormed the venue alongside the newly elected National Secretary, Taofeek Arapaja, while Nyesom Wike remained with Samuel Anyanwu, the embattled National Secretary who maintains that his tenure remains valid until December 8, 2025.

Party leaders have expressed deep concern over the incident, accusing the police of failing to maintain neutrality amid the ongoing leadership crisis within the opposition party.