The report that aviation fuel scarcity has forced airlines to reduce their domestic flight frequencies and the pledge by the Nigerian government to support efforts at fortifying foods with micronutrients are some of the leading stories in Nigerian newspapers on Friday.
The Vanguard reports that passengers at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos Terminal 2, MMA2, and the General Aviation Terminal, GAT on Thursday lamented the inability of domestic airlines to increase flight frequency to their various destinations due to the scarcity of aviation fuel also known as Jet-A1.
This is just as the airlines said aviation fuel was readily available, with price still very high.
A visit to the two terminals, yesterday, by Vanguard revealed that most airlines have reduced flight frequencies.
Passengers were seen struggling to book and process their tickets for the few available flights.
A passenger, Mr Chike Eze, told Vanguard at Lagos airport that he was able to secure a seat on one of the airlines going to Owerri yesterday through a ticketing agent, ”but getting my boarding pass was a different problem all together. I had to fight and shuffle to get it.
“The passengers, who were desperate to travel were making things difficult for those of us who have already bought our tickets.
“Some of them were working through agents, who besieged airlines counters and were obstructing the work of the airlines staff behind the counters. Though I have just got my boarding pass, I may suspend frequent travelling for now.”
The Guardian says that the Health Minister, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has said that the Nigerian Government will continue to support efforts at fortifying foods with micronutrients.
Ehanire made this known during the 4th Annual Nigerian Food Processors and Nutrition Leadership Forum on Thursday in Lagos.
The forum was organised by the Aliko Dangote Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), and TechnoServe, under the Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods (SAPFF) programme.
The SAPFF Programme aims at addressing the lingering challenges in the food fortification sector using a market-based approach to assist over 90 food processors increase their capacity to produce and sell fortified foods to local markets.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that fortification is the process of adding key vitamins and minerals that are essential for good health to staple foods like edible oil, wheat flour, and sugar.
Ehanire said food fortification was an important pillar of health strategy, noting that it assists in disease prevention and health promotion.
The newspaper reports that Nigerian troops have neutralised 100 Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists, while 174 have surrendered to the Nigerian military.
The Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, disclosed this, yesterday, at a briefing to update newsmen on military operations across the country. His words: “Over the past weeks, the armed forces of Nigeria and other security agencies have continued to tackle the various security challenges facing the country. The briefing covered February 24 to March 10, 2022.
“Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), within the last two weeks, sustained aggressive posture by conducting clearance operations in the fight against terrorists and other criminal elements in the theatre of operations.”
Meanwhile, marauding herdsmen have, again, killed six persons in Guma Local Council of Benue State.
The Chairman of Guma, Caleb Aba, confirming the tragedy to newsmen, yesterday, said there was no provocation. He said: “Four people were killed at Iye in Uvir council ward and two more killed around Yelwata axis.
“One cannot explain the reasons for this renewed killing because there was no provocation at all. The herders just came, attacked the people and ran back into Nasarawa. This last one happened today (Thursday) between 03:00a.m. and 04:00a.m.”
However, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, has said that over 30,000 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists and their families have so far surrendered in the North East.
Mustapha, who disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement on the current security challenges in the North West in Kaduna, yesterday, noted that threats of the separatists in the South East and South South have reduced.
The Nation says that fraudulent importers and clearing agents operating at the nation’s sea ports are in for tough times in the days ahead as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it is fully ready to deploy scanners at the ports
The Service disclosed this yesterday in Apapa, Lagos, during the sensitisation programme it organised for the stakeholders in the maritime industry on Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) Standard Operating Procedure.
Speaking at the event, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs on Modernisation and ICT, Saidu Galadima said hard times are awaiting fraudulent importers that are always trying to misinterpret and twist import transaction values in order to evade or shortchange government during duty valuation on imported cargoes.
He said the scanning regime is set to commence at the nation’s sea ports and will be handling not less than 400 containers on a daily basis.
According to him, the scanners will enjoy four hours of rest every day and they are very environmental friendly and will save time to boost trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government.
His words: “This sensitisation is very key to the success of the non-intrusive technology that Customs is set to commence at the ports. The management of the NCS has directed us to come and sensitise you, the stakeholders on the flow of how the new scanner regime will operate.
“The essence behind the new technology is based on trade facilitation. Only compliant traders will celebrate. If you are compliant enough, you won’t have any contact with any Customs officer. Cargoes will be released without anybody needing to go to any Customs office.”
The Punch reports that the All Progressives Congress is currently battling no fewer than 208 court cases with some of them challenging the leadership of the party in various states and the legitimacy of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee.
The cases, which among others, are seeking a declaration nullifying all state congresses under the leadership of the CECPC, are threatening the party’s national convention scheduled for March 26.
This came to the fore on Thursday as Yusuf Ali, an aide to the Yobe State Governor and CECPC Chairman, Mai Mala Buni, told one of our correspondents that Buni remained the APC chairman.
At a June 25, 2020 meeting presided over by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), where Buni, emerged as the chairman of the caretaker committee, the party had asked all members with pending court cases to withdraw them.
To demonstrate the seriousness attached to the directive, the National Executive Council at its meeting on December 8, 2020, announced the expulsion of the former APC National Vice Chairman (South-South), Hilliard Eta, for going to court to challenge the dissolution of the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee.
A document obtained by The PUNCH on Thursday, however, showed that in the last one year, 208 cases had been instituted against the APC. In some of the cases, litigants had obtained court injunctions restraining the party from conducting its convention or recognising the leadership of some states.
GIK/APA