Former Managing Director of defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc, Erastus Akingbola, has told a Lagos High Court in Ikeja that the allegations made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are “false, incorrect and malicious.”
Akingbola, yesterday denied  stealing N47.1 billion from the bank.

Akingbola made this denial while testifying at his ongoing trial before Justice Habeeb Abiru of a Lagos State High Court.

Akingbola  and Bayo Dada, General Manager of Tropics Securities, were charged to court for allegedly stealing the money belonging to the bank.

While being led in evidence by his counsel, Chief Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), the embattled ex-bank chief  said he never authorised or benefited from any of the transactions for which he was being prosecuted.

He denied allegation that he had, between March and July 2009, transferred £8.5 million and £1.3 million belonging to the bank to Fulgher Solicitors, a United Kingdom-based law firm.

He said the naira equivalent was sourced from Regal Investment Company Ltd, owned by the board chairman of Intercontinental Bank, Dr Raymond Obieri, who granted him a N2.2 billion loan.

Akingbola said that after sourcing the money, he instructed the bank’s head of foreign operations, Mrs Ayoola Ayinde, to go ahead with the transfer.

An estimated N34 million worth of expired drugs were yesterday destroyed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria with supervision from the regulatory agency, National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Addressing a press briefing yesterday in Abuja to flag off the Pharmacy Week, with the theme, “ Achieving Health Sector Related MDGs In Nigeria Through Effective Pharmaceutical Services”, the chairman of the association, FCT branch, Superior Atumen, said the  drugs were collected over five years from only registered pharmacies which voluntarily gave them up.

He said, “the essence is to make sure these drugs do not get back into circulation,”

Atumen said pharmacists were committed to ensuring better pharmaceutical services in order to help Nigeria achieve targets of reduced maternal and child mortality embedded in the Millennium Development Goals.

The pharmacists also staged a Walk Against Hypertension to raise awareness about nominally communicable diseases in Kubwa in efforts to promote healthy living.

The Principal Detective Superintendent of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Pascal Joseph, has said that the perceived ineffectiveness of the commission in the fight against corruption was as result of its lack of political will.

 He disclosed this on Wednesday, while representing the Commission's Chairman, Ibrahim Larmode, at the fifth anniversary/annual general convention of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, in Lagos.

 Responding to questions by participants on why some people who have been indicted in several corruption cases have not been prosecuted, Joseph explained that EFCC could only investigate cases, but could not at the same time perform the duty of the court.

He said: “EFCC cannot perform magic. We are human beings. We ( the society) should also contribute to the performance of EFCC. When your relation is invited or investigated, don’t go to court to get injunction. That is not helping EFFC. We must have to gather information to enable us do our work very well. We need the cooperation from the society.”

Earlier in his keynote address, prominent politician and religious leader, Primate Olapade Agoro, said that the only way to win the battle against corruption in Nigeria was for the government to first of all divorce itself from all elements of corruption.
 “We are yet to find a government that will face the decent of governance in the interest of the common masses. Corruption could be nipped in the bud by a leader that is desirous and committed for the well being and welfare of the masses. Corruption is the worst enemy of humanity. It is even worse than death," Agoro stressed.

The Federal Government of Nigeria is already taking measures to prevent crises against a controversial movie said to have painted Prophet Muhammed in bad light.

Anger and violent riots have greeted the amateur film said to portray Islam and it's Prophet in bad light. The trailer of the film was upload to an online video-sharing website.

 The action of Nigeria's government i s sequel to the riots that broke out in Egypt and Libya on Tuesday after some Muslims attacked the consulates of the United States in both countries. Unfortunately, the US Ambassador to Libya, Chris Steven, and three other Americans were killed in the riots.

Both military and police formations in major cities in the North had been placed on high alert while security had been beefed up around foreign missions.

Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, on Wednesday said in addition to placing all police formations in the country on high alert, “the AIG in charge of Intelligence and Commissioners of Police in charge of the various Police Special Squads such as the Counter Terrorism Unit, Police Mobile Force and Special Protection Unit have been directed to ensure that their personnel are strategically deployed to prevent and nip all potential crisis in the bud.”

The statement quoted the IG as assuring law abiding Nigerians of the readiness and capacity of the police to provide adequate security for them and their property.

It warned those it described as “potential trouble-makers” to stay off the streets as the nation’s security agencies would bring the full weight of the law to bear on them.

Arsenal has been in the search for a Robin Van Persie replacement for the team. Someone who is a goal scorer like its former captain and so the gunners have been inquiring about buying the 34 year old Ivorian ex Chelsea player Didier Drogba from his Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.

Drogba has been in a war of supremacy with his ex Chelsea team mate Nicolas Anelka and the gunners are trying to capitalize on that to bring the Ivorian back to England.

It is still unclear if Arsenal is willing to pay above £200,000 per week which Drogba currently receives. The striker has also been linked to a Liverpool move.

Plus-size actress Eniola Badmus, who is popularly known as Gbogbo Big Girlz in "Omo Ghetto" surely had a blast while enjoying a beach birthday party at Oniru beach yesterday. Eniola enjoyed champagne shower while partying at a bar on the beach.



>>>CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM HER BEACH PARTY<<<

The question is simple: Who is your favorite actor?

I’m not asking who you think the absolute best actor of all time is. Just who you like watching the most.

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo is a bad economist, although he is a successful farmer, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said yesterday.



Mr Obasanjo had on Thursday said the introduction of the N5000 note would kill production and affect small businesses negatively.

The former president, who disclosed this at a roundtable advocacy forum organised by the Institute of Directors, in Lagos, said the way, Mr Sanusi, was fighting inflation by removing money from circulation was improper.

However, speaking at the sixth annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Mr Sanusi said Mr Obasanjo had introduced more high denomination in Nigeria than any other Head of State.

“General Obasanjo did N20; he did N100, N200, N500 and N1000. He has introduced more higher denomination than any Head of States,” Mr Sanusi said.

The CBN governor said that during the period Mr Obasanjo was introducing high denomination inflation in Nigeria was actually low.

“General Obasanjo did N100 in 1999; then he did N200 in 2000; he did N500 I think two years later; and did N1000. In that period, inflation was coming down because it was accompanied by very tight monetary and fiscal policies during his reforms.

“For somebody who have gone through that to come and stand up and say ‘introducing a higher denomination causes inflation’ I don’t know if somebody wrote his speech. I’m trying to see him or if he was misquoted.

“If he actually said that then he must be the single most important determinant of inflation in our history given the number of notes that he introduced,” he said

Mr Sanusi said printing higher denomination without increasing the money supply in the economy will not increase inflation. “This is simple economics,” he said.

He said that the cost of printing and minting all denomination of currency in 2009 was N47 billion and that by 2011 the CBN brought this cost down to N32 billion.

He said that by 2014 the cost would further be reduced to N25 billion thereby saving about 50 percent of the total cost of printing and minting all denomination of currency.

Mr Sanusi said the N5000 note would not cost more than N3 billion to print.

These are the best times for Jubril Adewale Tinubu, the mercurial entrepreneur dubbed “The King of African Oil”, by the renowned Forbes Magazine.

First he was named by ASKMEN magazine as one of the Top Ten CEOs in the world.  Also, his company has again been vindicated of any wrong doing for participating in the fuel subsidy scheme. This time around the sound and ethical practice of Oando was affirmed by the dreaded Aig-Imokhuede Committee on forensive review of fuel subsidy payments.



>>>CLICK HERE TO VIEW LIST<<<

As if that was not enough, JAT has also been nominated for the Africa Investor Capital Markets Personality of the Year for the Ai Institutional Investment Summit- Index Awards shortlist 2012. Winners will be announced at the Ai Institutional Investment Summit- Index Awards, on 21 September 2012, at the New York Stock Exchange.

In a top 10 list of the magazines top world CEO, Wale Tinubu was ranked second.

A star footballer is to go on trial accused of torturing and killing his mistress, then feeding her dismembered body parts to his pet dogs.

 Married Bruno Fernandes de Souza, 27, a goalkeeper once tipped to play for Brazil, is alleged to have turned model Eliza Samudio 'into a human sacrifice' to preserve his reputation after she gave birth to his love child.



 He is already serving a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence after being convicted of assaulting and abducting Ms Samudio, 25, but will be tried for her murder later this year.

Prosecutors allege that Bruno planned Ms Samudio's kidnap and murder with eight others, including his wife Dayane, a teenage cousin and former detective Luiz Santos, all of whom have been charged with murder, conspiracy to murder and kidnapping.

The goalkeeper, who played for Brazilian club Flamengo, is said to have watched as Santos committed 'barbaric tortures' on Ms Samudio before helping the former detective dismember her body.

Parts of the woman's body are alleged to have been fed to Bruno's dogs while the rest was buried in concrete.

Bruno is accused of ordering his wife to tell people that his love child, who was four months old at the time of the killing, had been adopted by them from a poor relative.

It is also claimed that Bruno told police Ms Samudio was 'a wh*re who will not be missed by anyone'.

A Brazilian newspaper has reported that the prosecution at the trial will allege that Bruno attacked a supporter, smoked cannabis and attended orgies with fellow players.

Edson Moreira, a detective who investigated the case, told the Sunday Express: 'An idol like Bruno, from such a major team, has turned out to be a monster.

'We have witnesses who will testify that he turned this girl into a human sacrifice merely to try to protect his reputation.'

The trial is expected to hear that Bruno met Ms Samudio at a party held by a teammate.

'Unfortunately for her, they slept together that night and she later discovered she was pregnant,' Mr Moreira said. 'When she approached de Souza and told him he was the father, he became enraged.


Prosecutors will allege that Bruno planned Ms Samudio's murder after she told him she would take legal action to prove he was the father of her child.

In a statement to police, his cousin claimed that, led by Santos, they kidnapped Ms Samudio from a hotel in Rio de Janeiro on June 4, 2010.

He said they drove her some 220 miles to a property in Belo Horizonte which the footballer and his wife used occasionally as a weekend retreat, where Ms Samudio was tortured.

It is claimed that Santos played loud music on the stereo to drown out the woman's screams.

Bruno, whose contract with Flamengo has been suspended, also faces charges of kidnapping, hiding a body and forming a criminal gang with intent to murder.

He has maintained his innocence throughout, claiming he has a 'clear conscience'.

According to MJ reader, who took the photo and sent to us, around 4am this morning, a woman in the picture supposedly fell from the sky in front of a house that was doing all night prayer.

The house is behind Redeemed Christian Church of God, Eagle Island, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. They said after she fell, she started crying and speaking a language nobody could understand.

Usually with stories like this we hear of mob action. But nobody tried to beat this woman. People were too scared to go near her. What a strange world we live in.

The Federal Government has announced that 149 Nigerians would be conferred with the National Honours Award on September 17, 2012. In a statement by Dr Henry Akpan, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, only Dr Mike Adenuga, the Chairman of Globacom Nigeria Ltd, would be conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

GCON is usually bestowed on the country’s Vice-President. However, last year, Aliko Dangote made history when he was conferred with the award.

11 Nigerians are to be honoured in the category of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) while 25 Nigerians will be honoured in the category of the Commander of the Niger (CON). Several Chief Judges would be honoured with the CFR while the CON would be conferrred mostly on some state governors and serving senators.

24 Nigerians including the former Deputy Governor of Lagos state, Mrs. Sarah Sosan would be honoured with the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).

38 people are to be honoured with the Order of the Niger (OON).

In the category of the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR), 38 people will be honoured with the award. The recipients include the General Overseer of TREM, Bishop Mike Okonkwo; AMAA Awards Founder, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe; Movie Producer, Teco Benson and more.

To see the full list, click on the Daily Times report here.

***

The award of national honours has come under criticism more than a few times especially when the renowed author, Professor Chinua Achebe rejected the offer twice.

He rejected it in 2004 when he was offered the award of  CFR by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and again in 2011 when President Goodluck Jonathan made the offer.

What are your thoughts on the national honours? What do you think about the names on the list?

Severe technology limitations, inadequate financial muscle and low innovations in terms of value-added service offerings in Nigeria are forcing over four million telephone subscribers to dump the networks of telecoms operators in the CDMA segment.

 As a result, the GSM operators, like Globacome and others, who have their network almost everywhere in the country with required financial muscle to support and build their network are now coming to the rescue of subscribers.

 He said, by virtue of their national presence, subscribers on GSM networks were able move freely to anywhere in the country without having to face immediate coverage limitation typical of Code Division Multiple Access, CDMA, networks.

Speaking in the same vein, the President, National Association of Telecom Subscribers, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said the limitation in network coverage could discourage mobile telecoms subscribers to stick to a CDMA line for long, arguing that “GSM offers wider coverage than the CDMA and this could be a point of attraction to customers.”

He specifically noted that players in the CDMA segment have the limitation of technology, inadequate financial muscle and low innovations in terms of offering value-added services to their customer.

Over the years, the merger option has been recommended for the CDMA operators to create a strong network with national coverage that will be able to compete with their GSM counterparts but the idea, first advocated by the former Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, was not considered by the operators until last month, when some CDMA operators announced moves to merge as a single operator.

The President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, Mr. Lanre Ajayi expressed hope that though the CDMA segment of the nation’s telecoms sector industry has been in doldrums for the past few years, the new merger arrangement, if well implemented, might open a new chapter for the operators.

“The development holds a good omen for the CDMA sector in Nigeria and subscribers who dumped their land lines would dust them up and make good use of them once again and I think this may be the beginning of a turnaround for the ailing operators.”

Globacom Limited Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga, has joined the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, among personalities to be conferred with the award of Grand Commander of the Niger.

A statement on Sunday by the Permanent Secretary (Special Duties Office) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Henry Akpan, said 149 Nigerians would be conferred with this national honours on September 17.

 He said, “The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office, have concluded preparations for the conferment of National Honours Award on 149 Nigerians and others.

“President Goodluck Jonathan will conduct the 2012 National Honours Award Investiture of deserving Nigerians and friends of Nigeria.”

Among the recipients are six Supreme Court Justices (CFR); the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar (CFR); Gabriel Igbinedion (CFR), former Managing Director of UBA Plc, Tony Elumelu (CON); and former Acting Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Kawu Baraje (CON).

Also, two retired Supreme Court Justices, Kayode Eso and Andrew Obaseki, will be conferred with CFR.

Others are governors Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) and Danbaba Suntai (Taraba), who will be conferred with CON.

Seven serving senators, including Victor Ndoma-Egba, Abdul Ahmed Ningi and Ayogu Eze will also be conferred with CON.

Others are Wole Olanipekun (OFR), former Military Governor of Lagos State, Brigadier-General Mobolaji Johnson (retd.) (CFR); Cletus Ibeto (CON), Benin-based lawyer, Omoruyi Omonuwa (OFR), Alex Izinyon (OFR), Labour Party Chairman, Dan Nwuanyanwu (OFR) and an artiste, Teco Benson (MFR).

The recipients also include the General Overseer of TREM, Bishop Mike Okonkwo (MFR), Osemawe of Ondo, Obama Victor Kiladejo (MFR) and film director, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe (MFR).

Land Rover has revealed the first images of its new Range Rover, which will make its public debut at the Paris motor show at the end of September.

The biggest change for the all-new model is the use of an all-aluminium monocoque body structure, making the Range Rover the first SUV to use such technology. The result is that the luxury SUV is up to 420kg lighter than the model it replaces in  what Land Rover describes as a “transformation” in fuel economy and CO2 emissions, as well as enhanced performance and agility.


Lighter, stronger and more refined, the world’s finest luxury SUV
Unmistakeably a Range Rover, a modern interpretation of iconic design cues
World’s first SUV with a lightweight all-aluminium monocoque body structure
420kg weight saving over outgoing model delivering improved fuel economy and CO2 emissions
An unrivalled breadth of capability with transformed handling and agility
State-of-the-art adaptive dynamics to further improve peerless ride quality
Enhanced all-terrain performance with introduction of Land Rover’s Terrain Response® 2 Auto
The pinnacle of SUV refinement, with a more spacious and luxurious interior and a truly composed driving experience
British designed and engineered at Land Rover’s development centres in the UK
Manufactured in a new, state-of-the-art aluminium manufacturing facility, Solihull, UK

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, September 7th, 2012, arraigned a Business Manager with the United Bank of Africa Plc, University of Ilorin Branch, Sirajudeen Abdullahi alongside two others: Segun Adelodun and John Afolabi before a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.

Nigerians are still worried about the the inability of the Group managing director of bank, Mr. Phillip Odozua inability to curb the high level of fraud that is being perpertuated by staff of the bank.

“Yes, some of them get caught at the end of the day but how come it is always happening in UBA?” a furious bank customer told Gistmania. In a spate of few months, managers of the the bank have been charged to court for fraudulent practice by the EFCC.

In this case, the  three accused persons, who were arraigned on an eight count charge, allegedly conspired with others (now at large), to obtain the sum of Fifty Nine Million, Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty Naira Only from the University of Ilorin Personnel Cost Account with the bank.


Sirajudeen Abdullahi

One of the charges reads: “That you Sirajudeen Abdullahi, Segun Adelodun, John Afolabi, Oloruntoba Akinyele (now at large), Badmus Kabir Omojasola (now at large), and John Balogun (now at large) on or about the 14th day of September,2011 at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court with intent to defraud conspired to obtain Fifty Nine Million, Six Thousand ,Two Hundred and Fifty naira Only(N59,006,250) from the University of Ilorin Personnel Cost Account in possession of the United Bank of Africa Plc by false pretence contrary to Section 8(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006”.

Counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo informed the court that the prosecution had filed an amended eight count charge dated August 29, 2012 , pursuant to Section 185(A) of the Criminal Procedure Act of the State and urged the court to invite the accused persons to take their plea. The presiding judge, Justice Mahmood Gafar obliged the application and the three accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Oyedepo then asked the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial and remand the accused persons in custody.

Responding, Bashir Oladipo, counsel to the first accused, Sirajudeen Abdullahi, said he was not against the speedy commencement of trial but prayed the court to admit his client to bail as the offence for which he was docked is bailable. “We are mindful that the granting of bail is at the discretion of your Lordship. I urge your Lordship to exercise your discretion in favour of the accused person.” Oladipo submitted.

Counsel to the other accused persons, Y.A. Dikko and O. T. Olorunisola who appeared for Segun Adelodun and John Afolabi respectively, aligned themselves with the position of Oladipo.

However, Oyedepo objected to the oral application for bail. He said there are facts available to the complainant which cannot be presented except under oath. He urged the court to insist on a formal bail application from the respondents to enable the prosecution place facts against the granting of bail before the court.

After listening to the arguments of counsel, Justice Gafar ruled that the defendants file a proper bail application before the court and adjourned to September 11, 2012 for hearing of the bail application. He also ordered that the accused persons be remanded in Police custody.

The decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to back the proposed introduction of N5,000 note into the Nigerian economy is one issue that is still generating ripples.

Reacting to former President Olusegun Obasanjo's criticism of the N,5000 note, the Presidency has waved it off, describing it as his personal opinion.

 Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, told journalists in Abuja that Obasanjo is an “ordinary citizen" and whatever he said has no bearing on President Jonathan.

Obasanjo had, at a forum in Lagos last Thursday, said the N5000 denomination, if allowed, would kill production and affect small businesses negatively.

But Okupe, a one-time spokesman for the same Obasanjo, said the Federal Government is right to approve the denomination, irrespective of whatever Obasanjo has to say.

“It is a project of the Central Bank of Nigeria and it is also important to carry people along. From my investigation and discussion with experts, there is no assurance that it will lead to inflation.

“There is $1000 bill in the United States and that has not negatively affected the economy there. It is not carried by all Americans, but by those who need it. The N5000 note will also be like that,"

The Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, also known as Boko Haram, yesterday claimed responsibility for the massive attacks on telecommunication facilities in Borno, Yobe, Kano and Bauchi.
 The group said the attacks on communication facilities will continue unabated because such companies are assisting the federal government and security agencies in tracking and arresting members of the group in many parts of the country.

The group said with the connivance of such companies, many of its members have been incarcerated in various prisons.

A statement written in Hausa and signed by Abul-Qaqa equally threatened attacks on the facilities of the Voice of America (VOA) as well as its correspondents and staff.

Our correspondent reports that more than 20 telecommunication masts of MTN, Airtel, Etilsalat and Glo have been set ablaze in Maiduguri and Bama in Borno State as well as Damaturu and Potiskum in Yobe State on Tuesday.

The development hampered communication and affected business transactions in the affected place while many employees of the telecommunication companies have fled.

“Our ultimate goal is the establishment of an Islamic State in Nigeria and we would not hesitate in taking punitive measures against anybody who sabotage or assist others that are sabotaging our efforts,” Qaqa said.

“This is why we are fighting the Nigerian government and its collaborators, including telecommunication companies. We would continue attacking them (telecoms) until the time they stopped releasing information about our activities.

“We have also established that through its various programmes, the VOA has launched a campaign of calumny against Islam. We have resolved to fight back by tracking and killing its employees. Any employee of the VOA that wants to remain alive must quit.

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is going haywire by vowing to introduce the controversial N5000 note, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (PDP, Borno South) has said.
 Speaking to our correspondent on phone yesterday, Ndume described the proposed currency restructuring as grossly unpopular and ill-timed, saying it portrays Sanusi’s penchant for running the apex bank like his personal estate.

The lawmaker, who vowed to move against the policy when the Senate resumes from recess in two weeks’ time, also flayed members of the National Economic Management Team (NEMT) for endorsing the policy without any discussion with the National Assembly.

“This is not what Nigerians are looking up to. They never asked for this. The nation has more pressing problems. Majority of Nigerians have misgivings about the proposed introduction of N5000 note and if they say they don’t want it, nobody should put it down their throats. Sanusi is running the CBN like his personal estate. He is behaving like he can do whatever he wants without consulting with anybody. There were many CBN governors before him and they never behaved like this. Up till now, Sanusi has not provided any cogent reason for the necessity of this policy.

“Who are the members of the NEMT to say they have endorsed the policy without the representatives of the people?  One major problem in this country is that public officers convert the institutions they are entrusted with to their personal property.  These people should look at public interests”, he said.

Aviation experts and international airlines are still raising concerns over the safety of Nigerian airspace as decaying equipment and poor facilities hinder effective communications between air traffic controllers and pilots.
 Sources told Daily Trust that many international airlines avoid over flying Nigeria’s airspace because their pilots are finding it difficult to communicate with air traffic controllers due to poor equipment and facilities in the aviation sector.

Documents leaked to Daily Trust indicate serious safety crisis in the nation’s airspace, with the foreign airlines avoiding it to due to the lack of Controller-Pilot-Data-Link-Communication (CPDLC).

But the Ministry of Aviation and Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) insist that the airspace is “super safe” and that the number of over flyers (aircrafts that pass through the nation’s airspace to other destinations) has actually increased in the last six months.

The official position contrasts sharply with the contents of many reports that detail a litany of concerns over obsolete communication equipment that make the nation’s airspace unsafe and force over flyers to shun it.

Daily Trust has copies of incidents’ reports sent to NAMA’s Managing Director Nnamdi Udoh on July 9 and 12, 2012 from Kano Flight Information Region (FIR), covering the entire northern states and parts of Chad and Niger Republics, alerting him of the “deteriorating quality and reception of Kano Area Control Centre frequencies 124.1MHz & 128.5MHz thereby making pilots/controllers communication terribly bad” in the region.

On Monday, July 9 this year, according to one of the reports, “Kano West failed completely (and) could not get aircraft even overhead ‘KAN’”.

On Tuesday, July 10, “reception improved to about 200NM on 124.1MHz which fell short of expected coverage area of at least ‘MIU’ (Maiduguri) to the east and ‘OBUDU’ to the southeast of Kano,” the report said.

Some of the airlines (over flyers) currently avoiding Nigerian air space, according to the report, are Air France’s AFR 889 from Kinshasa to Paris, AFR 995 from Johannesburg to Paris, AFR 900 from Yaoundé to Paris, AFR 928 from Luanda to Paris, AFR 896 from Brazzaville to Paris; British Airways’ BAW 55K from London to Johannesburg; and Air Namibia’s NMB 286 from Frankfurt to Windhoek.

Others are Emirates’ UAE 261 from Dubai to Sao Paulo, UAE 247 from Dubai to Rio De Janeiro; Qatari’s QTR 922 from Sao Paulo to Doha; Belgian Airline’s BEL 357 from Brussels to Kinshasa; and South African Airways’ SAA 237 from London to Johannesburg, SAA 260 from Johannesburg to Frankfurt, SAA 261 from Frankfurt to Johannesburg, SAA 264 from Johannesburg to Munich and SAA 265 from Munich to Johannesburg.

Another document, which was reportedly presented to the Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), dated 20 July 2012 with reference number NUATE/NP/00I/28/05/2K12, provided details of the danger posed by obsolete gadgets to aviation safety in the country.

“There are several cases where aircraft enter into Nigerian airspace unnoticed until neighbouring airspace notifies us through telephone etc, e.g. Ndjamena (Chad),” the report said.

It claimed that air traffic controllers on duty “sometimes watch helplessly whenever aircrafts are near collision and cannot provide air traffic control due to inability to communicate.”

Other documents in Daily Trust’s possession claimed that even the 20.6 million euro (N4.07 billion) Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) facility has never worked since its commissioning by President Goodluck Jonathan two years ago.

“Our neighbouring airspace has such facilities, which is probably why over flyers prefer using their airspace even though longer destinations,” one of the reports said.

A report of a fact-finding committee of the National Association of Air traffic Engineers (NAAE) on the aviation sector, inaugurated on 23 September 2011, said the TRACON project was actually commissioned by President Jonathan on 18 October 2010 while it was running on “test mode” and not fully operational.

On November 2011, air traffic controllers and safety engineers told a ministerial committee visiting one of the TRACON sites in Lagos that the TRACON simulator “has never worked and the supplied VHS radios (are) not of the required capacity.”

A veteran air traffic controller with over 20 years’ experience, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity, said the TRACON project “was not completed when it was commissioned”.

The air controller said that even communication equipment at the Kano Flight Information Region/Area Control Centre (FIR/ACC), which covers over 75 per cent of Nigerian airspace, are obsolete and in deplorable condition, leading to lack of communication with aircraft overflying the Kano FIR.

“The satellite communication equipments in Kano FIR/ACC are obsolete because they have been installed more than 20 years ago. Also, there has never been any major overhaul of the equipments since their installation,” the air controller said.

Another source told Daily Trust that “despite complaints by the air controllers to the dilapidating state of the equipments and its fatal implications to the flying public, both the NAMA MD/CEO and the minister of aviation” failed to take effective measures to address the issue.

“Super safe”

But both the aviation minister and NAMA’s chief executive have dismissed the allegations, insisting that Nigeria’s airspace is not only “super safe” and “secure”, but that the number of foreign airlines over flying it has actually increased in the last six months.

The aviation minister’s media aide Joe Obi told Daily Trust that it is “incorrect to insinuate or suggest that foreign airlines are refusing to fly into the Nigerian airspace for whatever reason”.

“The country’s airspace recorded 5 per cent increase on international air traffic movement within the last six months and there are strong indications that this figure will double as more foreign airlines are billed to commence operation into the country as well as over flyers,” he said.

“For the umpteenth time, we wish to re-emphasise that the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON), as conceived and scoped, has been successfully executed, closed out and running at optimal capacity to the delight of the airspace users,” he added.

“There is nothing like VHS. TRACON came with an emergency VHF Radio at inception with minimum TMA coverage range. This is deployed when main communication fails.

“The simulation at the Lagos TRACON site is working perfectly and currently being used to train air traffic controllers on Area Radar Control.”

Similarly, he said, “NAMA does not have a satellite communication system in isolation, but in sub-regional network known as AFISNET comprising of other Flight Information Regions.

“However this network is being replaced by a new network under the AIS automation project. The AIS automation project has 26 node MFDMA VSAT Network. This will serve as backbone for air-to-air and ground-to-ground communication,” Mr Obi added.

NAMA’s managing director too insisted that there is “effective radar coverage of Nigeria’s airspace” and that airlines did not shun it.

“The report that foreign airlines have shunned the nation’s airspace over safety concerns is nothing but a lie,” he told journalists late last month.

“Statistics available showed that the frequency of international aircraft movement increased by 12.8 per cent from January to June 2012 over the same period last year. Revenue from over-flyers increased by 5 per cent resulting in 8 per cent increase in passenger movement over Nigerian airspace,” he said.

Mr Udoh blamed some employees of NAMA, whom he said were too junior to comprehend the workings of the agency, of misleading the public.

“A NAMA staff who was recently promoted to level 12 by this administration feels the best reward for the agency is to mislead the public with false information regarding our operations, and portray its management in bad light,” he alleged.

“The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) is a junior staff association, therefore they could lack the information on the workings of the agency and the efforts the management has put in place to address various challenges in the nation’s airspace,” he added.