Flights in Nigeria disrupted as ground staff go on strike

Airlines in Nigeria said on Monday that flights were being disrupted after ground staff began an indefinite strike to demand higher pay.

Air Peace, which has the biggest fleet in Nigeria, and smaller domestic carrier Dana Air said the strike by the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) was delaying flights and they hoped the issue would be quickly resolved.

“The strike has affected all operations of all airlines being handled by the company [NAHCO],” Air Peace said in a statement.

British Airways and Qatar Airways, among the foreign airlines frequently flying to Nigeria, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The National Union of Transport Employees and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria issued a notice last week that its members would go on strike from Monday to press NAHCO for better pay.

Flight disruptions are common in Nigeria due to issues surrounding logistics, labour union strikes and fuel scarcity.

In May 2022, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, an umbrella organisation of domestic airlines, suspended flights for days saying the price of jet fuel had jumped from 190 to 700 Nigerian naira per litre (from $0.45 to almost $1.70). The rise was primarily caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. 

Al Jazeera

Billion-dollar deep seaport opened in Nigeria

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nigeria opened a billion-dollar Chinese-built deep seaport in Lagos on Monday, which is expected to ease congestion at the country's ports and help it become an African hub for transshipment, handling cargoes in transit for other destinations.

President Muhammadu Buhari has made building infrastructure a key pillar of his government's economic policy, and hopes that this will help his ruling party win votes during next month's presidential election.

The new Lekki Deep Sea Port is 75% owned by the China Harbour Engineering Company and Tolaram group, with the balance shared between the Lagos state government and the Nigerian Ports Authority.

"This is a transformative project, game changer project. This project could create at least 200,000 jobs," Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun told Reuters after the port was commissioned by Buhari.

China is among the largest bilateral lenders to Nigeria and has funded rail, roads and power stations.

By Seun Sanni, Reuters

Video - Power generation firms to be privatized in Nigeria

Nigeria is facing a huge financial headache caused by challenges in funding its record 49 billion U.S. dollar budget. The government has announced plans to privatize its power generation companies and use those proceeds to plug the budget deficit.

CGTN 

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Priest dies in house fire caused by bandits in Nigeria

Around 02:00 GMT in the village of Kafin-Koro (centre), in Niger State, armed individuals locally referred to as "bandits" set fire to the residence of a priest, who was burned to death, said Wasiu Biodun, spokesman for the police in the state.

They set fire to the house of Father Isaac Achi, after failing to gain access. "Unfortunately, the bandits set the house on fire, while the said Reverend Father was burnt alive," he said.


The assailants shot and wounded another priest as he tried to escape: "The lifeless body of Father Isaac was recovered while Father Collins was rushed to hospital for treatment," the spokesman added.

In another attack a few hours later, "bandits" broke into a house in the village of Dan Tsauni (Kankara district, northwest), Katsina State, and abducted five worshippers preparing to attend Sunday mass in a nearby church.

"The terrorists seized five people in the house, shot a priest in hand and fled with the five hostages," state police spokesman Gambo Isa told AFP.

The priest was taken to hospital for treatment, he added.

Nigerian authorities are struggling to stem rising violence in the north and central regions where armed groups target rural communities, killing thousands and abducting people to ransom. Residents said that security forces are often outnumbered and outgunned and suspects are seldom detained.

The attacks sometimes target religious figures such as clerics. In July last year, Rev. John Mark Chietnum was killed after he was kidnapped in the northwestern Kaduna state.

Sunday's incident sparked international condemnation. In a statement, Antonio Tajani, the Italian foreign minister, called the attack "cowardly and inhuman."

Niger state Gov. Abubakar Sani Bello said the killing signalled that no one was safe. "These terrorists have lost it and drastic action is needed to end this ongoing carnage," he said.

Nigeria's Christian Association has asked authorities to investigate and do more to protect civilians. "Enough of the attacks and wanton killings of innocent Nigerian citizens," said Bulus Yohanna, the association's chairman.

AFP

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Kidnapped priest dies in captivity

 

 

Sacking of unmarried pregnant police officers scrapped in Nigeria

A rule banning unmarried Nigerian police officers from getting pregnant and ensured their sacking if they did, has been scrapped.

In a landmark case, a judge ruled the regulation was discriminatory as it did not apply to male officers who got co-workers pregnant.

The case was brought by a corporal who was sacked in 2021 after getting pregnant.

The woman was awarded 5m naira (£9,100) in compensation.

The ex-officer - who is named in Nigerian media as Omolola Olajide - challenged her dismissal on grounds of discrimination since her male counterparts are not dismissed in similar circumstances.

Although Ms Olajide was compensated for the violation of her fundamental right to freedom from discrimination, she will not get her job back as she was on probation at the time of her dismissal.

In a ruling in the south-western city of Akure, Justice Dashe Damulak said the regulation was "discriminatory, illegal, null and void" and struck it out.

The judge ruled that the regulation "violates sections of the Nigerian constitution as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Ratification and Enforcement Act, which abolished discrimination on basis of gender".

Nigerian police have not yet responded to the ruling, but experts believe it could have far-reaching consequences for other organisations which have similar regulations.

By Alex Binley, BBC