NEWS
Nigeria Air MD Breaks Silence On Controversial Aircraft
The jet that landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on May 26, 2023 was a chartered one from Ethiopia, according to Nigeria Air’s managing director Dayo Olumide.
On Monday, Olumide revealed this in response to inquiries from senators, noting that the airline had just been created and that obtaining an operating license for it was his personal responsibility.
Olumide said, “It is a pleasure to be here and to finally make our position known where I can clarify all the misconceptions regarding Nigeria Air as it pertains to the technical aspects of it.
“As you know this airline was launched with the logo in 2018. Several things have transpired since then that have nothing to do with me.
“I was invited last February, my mandate is to secure an air operating certificate for the airline not necessarily to operate the airline but to secure a licence to fly. And that is entirely my responsibility.”
The Chairman of the Committee on Aviation, Senator Olujimi expressed displeasure of the committee when she said that the entire arrangement of the Nigeria Air was shrouded in suspicion.
In responding to Olujimi’s question, Olumide said the aircraft that flew into the country that day did not need a licence, so it was hired.
He said, “I will like to address your question first before I go on. The aircraft that came in and left was a legitimate charter flight. Anyone of us here if we have a destination wedding in Senegal, we can charter an aircraft.
“You don’t need to have a licence to do that, you just charter an aircraft, an aircraft you paid for it, it will be brought here, take your passengers and off you go.
“And that is what we did. But in this case, it was to unveil. Ever since 2018, all you have ever seen about Nigeria Aircraft were pictures, and drawings, not the real aircraft, and we thought it was time to show what the real aircraft will look like and also to let shareholders know.
“You see we have institutional investors, they are not in aviation, but they are putting their money for 10 or 15 years and to exit may be at the premium. So they need to see what the actual aircraft will look like.
“So we brought it in here to show them what the aircraft will look like. Then the social media dimension came into it.
“It is an Ethiopian-registered one. Why is it Ethiopian-registered? To operate aircraft in Nigeria, they must be Nigerian registered; on 5th November. That aircraft was not on 5th November registered because it was a chartered flight and it came in with just a few day’s clearance and off it went.
“For us to get that licence which is my mandate, we must among other things have three aircraft before the NCAA will give us a licence and those three aircraft must be Nigerian-registered aircraft.”
“For us to get that licence which is my mandate, we must among other things have three aircraft before the NCAA will give us a licence and those three aircraft must be Nigerian-registered aircraft.”
“There are five steps that one goes through to have a licence. We have gone from the first one to the second one but the problem is that when you change what we call post holders.
“Post holder is a technical term for director of maintenance, chief pilot, when you change them and replace them completely, you have to go back to phase one to interview them to be compliant to the authority, to the civil authority. But haven gone back to phase one doesn’t mean you have done anything thing wrong. That is a correct and normal process.
“So when this aircraft came on a chartered flight, everybody said we have launched Nigeria Air.
“There are learned people in the aviation industry who could have countered that when social media came out, they chose not to.”
NEWS
200 Lecturers Resign from Kaduna Varsity as ASUU Threatens Indefinite Strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kaduna State University (KASU) chapter, has raised the alarm over the resignation of more than 200 lecturers from the institution amid concerns over poor conditions of service and the non-implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement.
Chairman of ASUU-KASU, Dr Abubakar Abdullahi, disclosed this at a press conference in Kaduna on Monday.
Abdullahi said the lecturers, including professors, had left the university for newer institutions within and outside Kaduna State.
SEE ALSO: FG Warns ASUU Against Strike, Insists On ‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy
He attributed the mass exodus to poor remuneration and declining welfare conditions, noting that the situation could have serious consequences for teaching, research and academic development at the institution.
According to him, the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement, which took effect in January 2026, provided improved conditions of service for academic staff in Nigerian universities.
However, he said implementation had yet to commence at KASU, despite several letters written by the union to the university management and governing council.
He added that the Visitor to the university, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, had also been notified of the situation.
Abdullahi expressed concern that more than eight months after the agreement was signed, KASU had yet to commence implementation, while many federal universities and some state-owned institutions had already started implementing the agreement.
He said some universities had also announced timelines for the payment of accrued arrears.
The ASUU chairman said the delay had made KASU academic staff among the least-paid university workers nationwide and warned that continued inaction would lead to the accumulation of salary arrears from January 2026.
He further warned that replacing experienced academics who had left the university would take years and require significant resources.
“Replacing highly skilled academics would take years and require significant resources,” he said.
The union has consequently issued a two-week ultimatum to the Kaduna State Government and university authorities to implement and domesticate the agreement.
Abdullahi warned that failure to meet the demands within the stipulated period could result in a total and indefinite strike at the university.
He disclosed that the ASUU-KASU congress met on August 12 to review the situation and resolved to declare an industrial dispute.
According to him, the decision was consistent with a resolution of ASUU’s National Executive Council following its meeting at the University of Abuja on August 8 and 9.
Beyond the implementation of the agreement, Abdullahi listed other unresolved issues affecting members of the union, including university autonomy, excessive workload, promotion arrears, death benefits, group life insurance coverage, wage awards and pension remittances.
He urged the relevant authorities to urgently address the issues, saying timely intervention would help preserve peace and stability within the university.
The ASUU-KASU chairman also appealed to parents and other stakeholders to support efforts to avert industrial action.
He reaffirmed the union’s commitment to pursuing its demands through lawful means and expressed hope that the government and university authorities would take concrete steps before the ultimatum expires.
International News
Ferrari’s First Electric Car Makes History With Record $40m Auction Sale
Ferrari’s first fully electric car, the Luce, has made automotive history after a bespoke version of the vehicle sold for a record $40 million at a charity auction in California.
The tailor-made Ferrari Luce “Chassis 0” was sold during Monterey Car Week on Saturday, becoming the most expensive new car ever sold at auction, according to collector car auction company RM Sotheby’s.
The winning bid was 36 times the car’s original estimate of $1.1 million.
SEE MORE: Police Arrest Man For Driving Fake Ferrari In Italy
Ferrari USA celebrated the landmark sale in an Instagram post, saying, “The bids kept climbing. Then, history was made,” while describing the transaction as a new record for the highest-priced new car ever sold at auction.
The sale comes months after Ferrari unveiled the Luce in May. The electric model features a distinctive bubble-like design that differs significantly from the Italian automaker’s traditional angular styling and has received mixed reactions from some Ferrari enthusiasts.
Ferrari previously described the Luce as “a different sort of Ferrari for a different sort of Ferrari client.”
The Luce is powered by four electric motors, with one motor driving each of its four wheels.
The exclusive “Chassis 0” features a pearl-like semi-gloss finish with a personalised pigment that produces changing reflections ranging from green to violet when struck by light.
Its interior is equally distinctive, featuring Perla Le Mans metallic leather and black design elements against a predominantly white background.
Ferrari said proceeds from the record-breaking auction will go to The Ferrari Foundation to support educational initiatives.
Following the auction, the vehicle will return to Maranello, northern Italy, where it was built, before being delivered to the unnamed winning bidder in the first quarter of 2027.
Meanwhile, deliveries of the regular Ferrari Luce, priced at about €550,000 ($640,000), are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.
NEWS
ICPC Moves Against Corruption, Trains 100 Lake Chad Research Institute Staff
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has sensitised 100 staff members of the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), Maiduguri, Borno State, on the need to uphold integrity, accountability and transparency in public service.
The Commission disclosed this via its X account on Monday, following a one-day anti-corruption education workshop organised at the institute’s conference hall.
SEE ALSO: BREAKING: Four Police Officers Arrested for Extorting ICPC Chairman in Abuja
The programme, themed “Promoting Integrity, Accountability, and Transparency in Public Service: The Role of Staff in Combating Corruption,” was aimed at equipping the institute’s workforce with knowledge of ethical standards and corruption prevention strategies.
Speaking during the programme, the Executive Director of the Lake Chad Research Institute, Professor Babagana Kabir, reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to transparency and collaboration with anti-corruption agencies.
Kabir urged staff to embrace professionalism and integrity, warning that corruption undermines institutional effectiveness, research development and public confidence in government institutions.
The Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Mr Linus Gubbi, highlighted the strategic importance of the Lake Chad Research Institute to Nigeria’s socio-economic development, particularly its contributions to agricultural research, crop improvement and land-use strategies that affect food security across the Lake Chad Basin.
Gubbi warned that vital public research could not thrive in an environment affected by corrupt practices.
He noted that when public resources, research grants or administrative processes are compromised through favouritism, procurement irregularities or financial opacity, citizens who depend on the institute’s innovations ultimately suffer the consequences.
The RACC stressed that the fight against corruption is not the sole responsibility of anti-corruption agencies but a collective duty that begins with individual public officers.
A lead paper titled “Anti-Corruption and Work Ethics in Organisations” was presented by ACS Abba Dzikwi.
The presentation examined the legal framework for combating corruption, various forms of corrupt practices in public institutions and the consequences of unethical conduct.
It also emphasised the importance of strong work ethics to organisational efficiency, effective service delivery and national development.
Participants subsequently engaged the ICPC team during an interactive question-and-answer session, seeking clarification on reporting mechanisms, whistleblowing procedures and the Commission’s mandate.
The ICPC team reiterated the importance of confidentiality in handling corruption reports.
Gubbi also encouraged the institute to strengthen its internal controls and transparency mechanisms, assuring the management of the Commission’s readiness to provide guidance and support for institutional integrity initiatives.
In his concluding remarks, he urged participants to go beyond merely receiving the sensitisation and instead put the lessons into practice by challenging unethical practices and promoting a culture of service that reflects the highest standards of the Nigerian Public Service.






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