Television Nigerian

A number of younger attorneys have sent an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, pleading with him to use his power as president to pardon the former head of the Presidential Reform Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina, and his son, Faisal.

The attorneys, who were working under the auspices of the Young Lawyers League of Nigeria, asserted that Maina’s health was failing and pleaded for their claims to be granted on humane grounds as well as health reasons.

Emmanuel Ekwe, the chairman of the organisation, spoke to the media on Thursday in Abuja and stated that a letter to that effect had been submitted to the president through the office of the Secretary General of the Federation.

He stated, “In that letter, we have detailed our requests, which include, among other things, that Maina should be released from detention through lawful intervention by the president.”

“Also, we would like to clarify that his health is worsening, and we beg the president to release him on compassionate and health grounds,” they said. “We are pleading with the president to free him.”

He noted that Maina had served the country honourably and that he should not be harassed excessively because of this.

“Maina has used his knowledge to recover N1.3 trillion naira during the government of previous President Goodluck Jonathan in order to assist the economy before the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari,”

“Once more, during the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari, Maina was also successful in recovering 1.6 quadrillion naira.

“However, when it came time to pay him his five percent, that’s when all of his trouble began.”

The Economic Community of West African States, also known as ECOWAS, has given the go-ahead for standby Force to be sent to the Niger Republic.

This was part of the Communique that was read at the end of the second Extraordinary Summit that was held in the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Nigeria. Omar Alieu Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, was the one who read it.

The Communique issued the following directive: “the Committee of the chief of defense staff is hereby directed to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all of its elements immediately.”

In addition to this directive, it specifically ordered “the deployment of the ECOWAS standby force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.”

The following is an excerpt from the communique: “The Authority having studied the memorandum provided by the President of the ECOWAS commission on the current situation in the Republic of Niger, as well as ECOWAS engagement since the last special summit;

“And having studied the reports of the chair’s envoys to Niger as well as many other areas;”

“carefully studied the report and recommendations of the ECOWAS committee of chiefs of defense staff;

“addressed at length the most recent happenings in Niger since the previous extraordinary summit, which took place on the 30th of July 2023.”

“Noting that all diplomatic efforts made by ECOWAS, in resolving the crisis, have been defiantly repelled by the military leadership of the Republic of Niger; “taking note of the expiration of the one week ultimatum given for the restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger decide as follows:” “Noting that all diplomatic efforts made by ECOWAS, in resolving the crisis, have been defiantly repelled by the military leadership of the

“A. Restates its strong disapproval of the attempted coup d’etat and the prolonged illegal detention of President Mohammed Bazoam, his family, and members of his government.

“B. Further condemns the condition in which President Bazoum is being detained and holds the CNSP totally and solely responsible for the safety, security, and bodily integrity of President Bazoum, members of his family, and members of the government.

“C. Uphold all of the measures and principles that were agreed upon at the extraordinary Summit that took place in Niger on July 30th, 2023.”

“D. Emphasize the firm resolve of the ECOWAS authorities to continue exploring all possibilities for a peaceful resolution to the problem.”

“E. Put into effect all measures, including but not limited to border closures, stringent travel bans, and asset freezes against any and all persons or groups of individuals whose acts obstruct any and all peaceful efforts aimed at guaranteeing the smooth and complete restoration of constitutional order.

“F. Warn member states that have, either directly or indirectly, hampered efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the problem in Niger of the implications that will result from their actions in front of the community.”

“G. Request that the African Union give its approval to all of the decisions that the ECOWAS authority has made on the situation in Niger.

“H. Further call on all partner nations and institutions including the United Nations to support ECOWAS, in its attempt to secure a speedy restoration of constitutional order, in accordance with its normative instruments.

“I. Give the President of the Commission the directive to keep an eye on how the sanctions are being carried out.

“J. Issue an order to the Committee of the Chief of Defense Staff to promptly put the ECOWAS Standby Force and all of its elements into operation.

“K. Issue orders for the deployment of the ECOWAS standby force to the Republic of Niger in order to restore constitutional order there.

“L. Reiterate its unwavering dedication to the pursuit of constitutional order by democratic and peaceful means.”

On Thursday, the Nigeria Labour Congress, often known as the NLC, expressed its displeasure over the fact that pensions and other benefits owed to its members by various organizations were not transferred in accordance with the requirements of the law.

The organized labor accused several airlines of withholding pensions and other benefits from pilots and engineers working in the aviation industry. The organized labor further emphasized that the deductions were not appropriately reimbursed by operators.

The workers’ welfare and pension payments were made in accordance with the union’s announcement that it would initiate action to rectify the issue and ensure that workers receive their benefits.

During his speech at the symposium held in Port Harcourt by the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, with the theme: ‘Effective Economic Regulation of the Aviation Industry As An Imperative For Safety And Workers Welfare,’ the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, stated that some airline operators are not respectful to their pilots and engineers.

His exact statements were as follows: “While the operators denied the pilots and engineers the rights to join any unions or organisations of their choice, the operators of the airline formed and belong to several bodies locally and globally.”

The fact that some of these pilots and engineers are owed several months’ worth of salary has a negative impact on both their mental health and their work performance. This could have a detrimental effect on the technical personnel’s professional judgment as well as their sense of safety.

“Going ahead, the NLC would collaborate on changing the narration with sector groups, unions, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

“The character and type of the different capabilities and dispositions of the personnel have a significant impact on the results that an organization achieves.” It is also common knowledge that whatever transpires in a worker’s place of employment either motivates him to continue working or causes him to quit his job.

“There is consequently a significant functional relationship between the sensitivity of workers at any given point in time and the quantity of organizational outcomes, one of which is Safety. This is the case because there is a strong functional relationship between these two factors. A healthy staff ensures that the bottom line will be healthy as well.

It is unacceptable for some companies in the sector to continue using union-busting and union-resisting tactics in their workplaces. It is paradoxical that aviation businesses will hastily register with the various unions and associations of Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, which is a positive development, but at the same time they will refuse their workers’ rights to belong to unions that bring together workers in the industry.

In addition to this, he advocated for a healthy workforce by advocating for fast attention to welfare issues in order to guarantee safety in the industry.

He issued a challenge to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to make it essential for all pilots and engineers working in the Nigerian airspace to join to NAAPE for the welfare of the industry. He also said that all international pilots and engineers must also be required to comply with this instruction as a prerequisite for operating in the country. He said that this was for the benefit of the industry.

Additionally, Engr. Roland Ahmed of 7 Star Hangar, in his presentation, lamented the precarious state of Nigerian airlines in their current state.

Ahmed stated that the NCAA’s policy of requiring start-up airline operators to purchase six aircraft was not well-thought-out and that it could be detrimental to the business.

He stated that the reason the strategy was effective in the banking business may be the reason it is unsuccessful in the sector, and he urged the government to look internally in order to address the matter.

He continued by saying, “The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will not give you the minimum aircraft you have to start with; however, individual aviation countries would look at their economy, purchasing power, strength, and their Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) before coming out with any law or policy for operators.”

“Under the circumstances we find ourselves in right now, the possibility seems remote. We are putting the regulations through their paces. Let’s see where it takes us, but I think at some times we might want to have a rethink and see how we could go about it. ”

Ahmed also noted that working together would make the airlines more profitable; nevertheless, he dreaded the fact that the owner-manager syndrome and the existing unfavorable environment condition had persisted to make cooperation unsuccessful in the country.

During his address of welcome, the President of NAAPE, Engr. Abednego Galadima, indicated that the association selected the topic in order to encourage increased levels of safety in the industry.

In addition to this, he made the observation that the majority of the operators did not pay their employees’ salaries on time, and that problems with staff insurance, pensions, and gratuities were a significant obstacle in the industry.

He had high hopes that the topic would compel both employers and employees to work toward bettering their relationship in the workplace.

He emphasized that the workers should not receive less compensation than the employers deserved.

Aside from that, he urged the government of Rivers State to follow the route of the government of Akwa Ibom State and establish an airline and a Maintenance, Repair Overhaul (MRO) facility. He argued that doing so would result in increased earnings for the state and would also boost tourism.

In addition to this, he was against the requirement that new airlines begin with a minimum of six aircraft, which he called anti-business.

Galadima noted that the new law did not differentiate between general aviation and commercial airlines in any way, and he demanded that the NCAA change their stance in order to advance the aviation industry as a whole.

The takeoff location for six airplanes is enormous and impractical. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ought to keep a minimum of three planes available for operators. Nobody has a large beginning, not even life itself; everyone has to start somewhere. According to him, the NCAA need to continue to mandate a minimum of three planes for its operators.

The presiding pastor of the House On The Rock Church, Uche Aigbe, will appear in court in Abuja’s Chief Magistrate Court to answer charges of illegally possessing several prohibited firearms that were discovered in his possession.

The court reportedly dismissed Aigbe’s no-case argument, finding that the defense’s request for a trial was without foundation and substance.

Aigbe, Promise Ukachukwu, and Olakunle Ogunleye were charged with conspiring on February 12, 2023, to unlawfully and illegitimately possess an AK-47 rifle, according to the prosecution.

The prosecution also claimed that the defendants obtained the firearm from Inspector Musa Audu, a member of the Wuye Division, who was assigned to guard duty at the aforementioned Church.

In addition, the prosecution claimed that the defendants made threatening and inciting remarks to the church congregation that might have caused alarm and a disturbance while preaching a sermon about church membership.

As determined by the court, there was enough evidence presented by the prosecution to support Aigbe’s prosecution.

Police had accused Uche Aigbe, Promise Ukachukwu, and Olakunle Ogunleye of criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, and illegal possession of restricted weapons.