Clearance of Aircraft Operated by Amaechi Forged – Minister

The Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, Thursday, said the clearance of the grounded aircraft operated by the Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amechi, was allegedly forged. Oduah said this in a statement signed by the Special Assistance to the Minister, Media, Mr Joe Obi, in Abuja. She said that there were three controversial issues surrounding the Bombardier Global Express 5000/Registration N565RS, allegedly owned by the Rivers Government. “The issues of operating with falsified clearances dubiously collected in the name of Caverton Helicopters, a USA-based company and why the aircraft was operated after the clearances had expired. “We want to state again that this particular aircraft is foreign-registered in the name of Bank of Utah Trustees, USA. This is the documentation available to the ministry.

Top Customs Officer In Sex-For-Cargo Mess

The Officer-in-Charge (OC), of the Legal Unit, Tin-Can Island Port Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Chief Superintendent of Customs Ibrahim Badisha, may have landed himself in deep mess as a Reverend Sister from the Daughters Eternal Father Mission, has accused him of allegedly pestering her for sex before a container, belonging to the Catholic Mission is cleared. The Reverend Sister, who pleaded anonymity, insisted that Badisha, who doubles as a lawyer, had consistently created unpalatable circumstances that made the clearance of the cargo container almost impossible except she goes to bed with him. She said the items in the container, which Badisha threatened to impound due to her “stubbornness,” was for Catholic charity donated by another Catholic Mission in the United States. It was gathered that the consignment included cars and relief materials for running a mission, catering for physically challenged persons and others with special needs.

3 Saved as Mast Falls on Home in Anambra

Just a few days after a telecommunication mast fell and killed a 52 years old man in Lagos, another telecommunication mast fell on a residential building at Udoka Housing Estate in Awka, Anambra State, on Tuesday, but luck was on the side of the 3  residents as they came out all alive.

Mr. Joseph Eze, his wife, Veronica and their daughter all had a well prepared dinner and went to bed when they heard a sudden bang on their building and ran out to see their house been divided by a mast that was still under construction.

Misplaced Priority: Nigeria Pledges N320 M For Mali Election

The Nigerian government on Wednesday pledged a donation of N320 m (US$ 2 million) in support of agricultural development and to conduct of free and fair elections in Mali. Vice-President Namadi Sambo made the pledge in Brussels at the International Donors Conference on the Development of Mali, organised by the European Union, a statement by Umar Sani, the Vice-President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, said. The statement quoted the vice-president as saying that Nigeria had so far spent $45 million (about N7.2 billion) on the ongoing efforts to achieve peace and restore normalcy in Mali. He said Nigeria had also committed moneys to humanitarian assistance, rehabilitation, administration and maintenance of military operations for the restoration of peace in the country. Sambo acknowledged that reconstruction of post-conflict-Mali required strong international support.

How To Curb Boko Haram Insurgence – Ex-British Military Chief

For Nigeria to curb the Boko Haram insurgency and restore peace to the troubled northern states, the Federal Government needs to effectively combine hard and soft power in approach, says former commander of British forces in Iraq, Lieutenant-General Robert Fry. Fry, a former commandant of the British Royal Marines, said at the National Defence College (NDC), where he delivered the 2013 Africa Today Magazine Lecture on the relevance of special forces in contemporary military operations, in Abuja yesterday, that at no time would either of the two options solve the situation. He called attention to the need to be wary of granting amnesty from the point of weakness, stressing that amnesty should rather be given from the point of upper hand.

Building Collapse Killed 7 in Umuahia

A building still under construction, collapsed and killed sever persons in Umuahia, the Abia State capital. More people are reportedly still trapped under the rubble as the Red Cross Society, the Construction Firm and Security Agencies are currently involved in the rescue exercise.

Diamond Bank Workers Protest

About 500 contract workers of Diamond Bank Plc, on Wednesday, protested at the head office of the bank in Lagos over alleged unfair practices and poor working conditions. The contract employees, who were recruited by various vendors and agencies, assembled at the bank’s head office in Victoria Island as early as 8 am and shut down its operations. The protesting workers, mainly secretaries, drivers, office assistants, technical crew members and front desk operators, lamented alleged inhuman treatment from the bank. Chanting solidarity songs, they demanded from the management their tax clearance cards, National Housing Fund contributions, pension fund, gratuity and career progression plan, among other. The workers accused the management of being selfish and insensitive to their plight.