IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the operations of all Boeing B737 aircraft of domestic carrier, Max Air.

The suspension is with immediate effect, according to a letter by the regulator to the domestic airline.

The letter was dated July 12, 2023 and marked NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/363. It was titled, ‘Suspension of Parts A3 and D43 of the Operations Specifications Issued to Max Air with Immediate Effect’. The letter was signed by NCAA Director of Operations, Training and Licensing, Capt. Ibrahim Bello Dambazau, on behalf of NCAA Director General, Capt. Musa Nuhu.

By implication, all domestic flights of the airline will be on hold until the suspension is lifted. The letter read, “The Authority’s action is due to the several occurrences that involved your Boeing B737 aircraft as listed hereunder:

“Loss of Number 1 Main Landing Gear (MLG) wheel during the serious incident involving a Boeing 737-400 aircraft, registration marks 5N-MBD which occurred between Take-off at Yola Airport Adamawa State and on landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja Nigeria on 7th May, 2023.

Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, has issued a one-week ultimatum to the Department of the State Security Service (DSS) to either charge the detained suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele to Court or set him free.

The Judge issued the order while delivering ruling in a fundamental human rights suit instituted against the DSS and others by Emefiele. The judge said Emefiele hasn’t shown that his arrest and investigation is unlawful, but noted that it is within his right to get fair hearing.

Justice Muazu further stated that the suspended CBN governor can’t remain in detention without a formal charge, adding also that the DSS can’t use the period of Emefiele’s detention to search for evidence against him. Justice Muazu held that the DSS has power to carry out its constitutional duties of making arrest, detain and ensuring prevention of internal crime but however said that such duties must be carried out within the law.

Emefiele had sued the Attorney General of the Federation AGF, Director General of the DSS, seeking enforcement of his fundamental human rights to freedom of movement and dignity to human life. In the suit, the suspended CBN Governor had applied that his arrest and detention since June 10 without valid order of court be voided and set aside.

Emefiele demanded a compensation of N5M as exemplary damages for his alleged unlawful detention. He was suspended as CBN governor on 9th June and arrested in the early hours of June 10 at his Ikoyi, Lagos home. Shortly after President Bola Tinubu suspended him, the DSS had on June 10 arrested the apex bank governor who has been in detention since then.

President Bola Tinubu has written to the National Assembly, seeking an amendment to the 2022 supplementary appropriation Act. Tinubu, in a letter to the House of Representatives, said the amendment was to allow the Federal Government to source N500 billion for palliatives to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on Premium Motor Spirit known as petrol.

During plenary on Wednesday, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, read Tinubu’s letter, titled, ‘Request for the amendment of the 2022 appropriation act’. According to the President, the money would be sourced from the 2022 supplementary Appropriation Act of N819.5 billion.

“I write to request the approval of the House of Representatives for the amendment of the 2022 supplementary appropriation act in accordance with the attached. “The request has become necessary in other to among other things source for funds necessary to provide palliatives to mitigate the effect of the recent removal of fuel subsidy on Nigerians.

“Thus the sum of N500 billion only has been extracted from the 2022 supplementary appropriation act of N819.536 billion for the provision of palliatives to Nigerians to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal. I hope that the House of Representatives will consider the request,” the letter read.

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2023 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into the 110 Federal Government Colleges (Unity Schools) across Nigeria.

Of the 69,829 pupils who sat for the examination, 76 pupils had the highest score of 203. The examination was written on June 3, 2023 in Nigeria, Benin Republic and Togo. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, David Adejo, after receiving the results from the Registrar of the NECO, Ibrahim Wushishi, on Wednesday, said a total of 72,865 pupils registered for the examination.

The Permanent Secretary while applauding NECO for the conduct of the examination appreciated the increase recorded in the number of female students. Adejo said, “A total of 72,865 pupils registered compared to 71,738 for 2022 with Lagos State having the highest number of 18,644 and Taraba with the lowest of 102.

“With 38,801 female registrants against 34,064 males, we are making progress with bridging the gender parity. 69,829 pupils sat for the examination, 3,036 pupils were absent, 76 pupils had the highest score of 203. The lowest score was 01 mark and this was scored by six (6) pupils.”

He said the admission criteria for selection of qualified candidates into Federal Unity Colleges remained the same: 60% Merit; 30% Equality of State and 10% Exigency.

"To be honest, I cried. I cried a lot," says Vanina Correa, who is about to captain Argentina in New Zealand at the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup. The veteran goalkeeper, who was in the squad for the 2003 edition in the United States, is talking about her emotions when the national men's team were crowned world champions last December.

An estimated five million people poured on to the streets of Buenos Aires to give Lionel Messi and his team-mates a hero's welcome home after defeating France on penalties in the final in Qatar. Seven months on from those incredible scenes in Argentina's capital, La Albiceleste are preparing for their opening match at the Women's World Cup against Italy at Eden Park, Auckland, on 24 July (07:00 BST).

No country has managed to hold the World Cup for both the men and women at the same time. That is unlikely to change in the coming weeks. While Argentina are on top of the world in the men's game, the women - 28th in Fifa's rankings - have not won a match at their three previous appearances at the global tournament in 2003, 2007 and 2019.

That perhaps explains why there is little evidence in the football-obsessed country that boss German Portanova and his players are about to take part in the biggest women's sporting event.

President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the killings and violence in Plateau State, his spokesman, Dele Alake, has said. The President strongly condemned the recent internecine killings in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau and parts of Benue State.

Tinubu also said the country must break the cycle of violence. “It is most unfortunate that in this orgy of violence, an innocent eight-month-old baby in Farin Lamba community of Vwang District, Jos South Local Government, died in a conflict she knew nothing about,” the President said, according to a statement by Alake on Tuesday.

“A major consequence of perennial conflict is always the tragic loss of innocent lives. “To build virile, peaceful and prosperous communities demand tolerance and forgiveness for every perceived wrongdoing.” The President urged socio-religious leaders in the troubled areas as well as the leadership of Arewa Consultative Forum, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, and Christian Association of Nigeria to work together to help foster genuine and long-lasting peace.

“While reaffirming his government’s strong determination to stamp out violent crimes and all forms of criminalities everywhere in Nigeria, the President has directed security agencies to fish out the masterminds of the dastardly acts to face the full wrath of law,” the statement added.