A new law that would mandate government officials to prioritise local airlines for official trips would soon be sent to the National Assembly for legislative scrutiny, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo, has said.

The new law, to be known as the ‘Fly Nigeria Act’, would soon be sent to the National Assembly. It would help to boost the country’s aviation industry by requiring that all government-funded official trips be taken using Nigerian airlines.

This is just as Keyamo said that a previously strained relationship with the UAE has been mended, which led to the resumption of flight operations on October 1, 2024.

He added that the welfare of local airlines has been prioritised through negotiations with international partners to support their development.

Keyamo said, “We are in the process of pushing the Fly Nigeria Act to the National Assembly. There is a Fly America Act, and I believe there is also a Fly India Act. Most major countries have their own ‘Fly Act’ to promote their national airlines.

“Only when a local airline does not operate on a particular route can an international airline be used.”

According to Keyamo, the Fly Nigeria Act is not just an aviation policy but also a strategic move to strengthen Nigeria’s economy.

“This will be enacted as a law. We are unsure how nationalism will influence its reception, but it is a key policy push from us,” he added.

Speaking further, the Minister said this administration is the first to make the support of local airlines a primary objective.

“Across Africa, governments typically sponsor or support their national carriers, but in Nigeria, aviation has been entirely driven by private participation.

“It is essential to focus on private airlines that serve our domestic and regional airspace, creating policies that foster their growth and development while ensuring active government support for the sector.

“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has made remarkable improvements, particularly in revamping Hajj terminals across the country. Several terminals were reopened last year, and more are set to be rehabilitated this year.

“We have also taken decisive action against the misuse of private chartered planes for illegal activities, which has resulted in revenue losses for the federal government.”

Mr Keyamo noted that over the past decade, approximately ₦120bn has been lost due to unauthorised charter operations.

To address this, a task force was established dedicated to curbing illegal airline operations.

Additionally, African and Aerospace University, which is now fully operational and open to international students, was engaged.

The minister encouraged prospective applicants to take advantage of this opportunity.

He added that Abuja and Lagos airports have been recognised for their excellence in safety and emergency management, winning prestigious awards and securing re-certification.

“We also visited Boeing at their invitation after they identified Nigeria as the next major hub for the airline business.

“This visit resulted in the signing of an MOU that has already begun yielding benefits. Last year, Boeing trained pilots for private airlines in Nigeria at no cost, marking the success of this partnership.

“The ministry aims to set up a policy called the Fly Nigeria Act, which will be presented to the National Assembly to promote local airlines,” Keyamo said.
The minister said, Nigeria’s inability to fully comply with the Cape Town Convention has affected its capacity to lease or acquire aircraft, as the country was not represented on the relevant committee.

The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has said he was ready to work with the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to achieve a working country.

 Governor Bala stated this on Thursday when he hosted Obi at the State’s Presidential Lodge.

He explained that he discussed challenges facing the nation. He commended Obi’s dedicated efforts in leading the opposition voices.

He stressed that the opposition parties and politicians need to come together to give the country good governance.

“We discussed state by state challenges and I feel highly appreciative of what he is doing as the leader of the opposition because whether we like it or not, he is the leader of the opposition now in Nigeria. I want to say at this level not to make some of those doubting Thomases and mischievous minds to pre-empt what we are doing, that I’m ready to work with Peter Obi. We will make sure we come together, close ranks, bring good governance to the country, give vibrant opposition with knowledge, timelines, visions in such a manner that we will rescue and recover our country. Our coming together is a message and the message is going to resonate because all our colleagues, the PDP governors are behind this kind of journey because it is a transcendental one. We are coming together to work together irrespective of party, region, religion or any other thing,” he said.

In his remarks, the former Labour Party presidential candidate said his visit to the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum was to discuss issues happening in the North.

He emphasized that leaders have it as a duty to address the poverty and hardship in the country.

“It’s just a consultation and discussion meeting that will continue to go on as we talk about the future of this country. We have to discuss issues happening in the North. I have told the governor today that the North is a critical component if we are going to get it right in this country. There is poverty in Nigeria. We have to deal with the issue of poverty and until you solve poverty, then you can talk about criminality,” Obi said.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has asked the Department of State Services to investigate the Chief Judge of the State for alleged age falsification.

This was the subject of plenary on Thursday at the Assembly following the presentation of some documents to the assembly by the leader of the House, Hon Major Jack.

Afterwards the Deputy Speaker, Hon Dumle Maol raised an allegation against the Chief Judge of the state, Simeon Amadi.

He said , “These document before me simply say that the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Simeon Amadi falsified his age in service. Mr Speaker, that is a very serious allegation, and I do hope that this House takes legislative notice.”

The House debated on it and resolved to write a letter to the Director of the DSS to do its investigation and revert to the House on their findings.

In his remarks, the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule called for an investigation into the alleged age falsification against the state chief judge.

He said, “The documents are only suggesting a case of age falsification by the honourable Chief Judge of the state, Simeon Amadi. What it means is that there has to be an investigation to that effect.”

After a voice vote, the House  eventually agreed to write the DSS to investigate the age falsification allegation against the Chief Judge.

Dr. Paul Enenche, the firebrand senior pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, stormed Anambra with a healing and deliverance crusade that drew multitudes into the presence of God.

The spiritual gathering took over Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, where Governor Charles Soludo, the state’s number one citizen, was spotted in deep worship, his voice lifted in song and prayer alongside church members and indigenes, in viral video.

Moved by the sheer order and impact of the crusade, Soludo, in a statement shared by The Punch, not only announced a full refund of the venue fees but also extended an open invitation for Dunamis to return, made it clear that the state welcomed such divine encounters.

Beyond that, the governor revealed bold plans for a major facelift of Ekwueme Square and its surroundings, enhance its beauty and lighting in alignment with Anambra’s identity as ‘The Light of the Nation.’

In a statement issued Thursday by his Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, Soludo called on the church to stand in the gap, intensify prayers for Anambra’s spiritual renewal while partnering with the government to restore moral values among the youth.

The statement read in part, “Our people are known for hard work and innovation, not for kidnapping, internet fraud, drug trafficking, and other criminal activities. We must collectively redirect the minds of our youths towards productivity and positive impact.

“We commend Pastor Enenche for preaching messages that promote righteousness and godly living. This will help reshape the minds of young people and contribute to building a safer and more prosperous Anambra State.”

SEE VIDEO BELOW 

The House of Representatives, on Thursday, deliberated on and adopted four significant tax reform bills after a thorough clause-by-clause review at the Committee of the Whole, presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.

Naija News understands that with the approval secured, the bills are now set for a third reading on the next legislative day before final passage.

According to Daily Trust, most of the contentious provisions that had previously sparked debate were resolved by the committee overseeing the reports, ensuring a smooth adoption process.

One of the key clauses considered and adopted was the Value Added Tax (VAT) distribution formula, which now follows a structure of 50% based on equality, 20% on population, and 30% on consumption—an approach initially suggested by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).

The House also dismissed the proposal for a gradual increase in VAT rates, opting instead to maintain the existing 7.5% rate.

Additionally, lawmakers voted to remove the term “ecclesiastical” from one of the clauses, replacing it with “religious” to avoid controversy.

Another critical decision was the approval of continuous funding for agencies such as TETFUND, NASENI, and NITDA through development levies.

The contentious clause on inheritance tax was also adjusted, clarifying that inheritance acquired before dissolution cannot be taxed.

The tax reform bills adopted by the House include:

1. A Bill for an Act to Provide for the Assessment, Collection, and Accounting of Revenue Accruing to the Federation, Federal, State, and Local Governments; Prescribing the Powers and Functions of Tax Authorities, and for Related Matters (HB.1756).

2. A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, No.13, 2007, and Enact the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill to Establish the Nigeria Revenue Service, Charged with Powers of Assessment, Collection, and Accounting for Revenue Accruable to the Government of the Federation, and for Related Matters (HB.1757).

3. A Bill for an Act to Establish the Joint Revenue Board, the Tax Appeal Tribunal, and the Office of the Tax Ombud for the Harmonisation, Coordination, and Settlement of Disputes Arising from Revenue Administration in Nigeria, and for Related Matters (HB.1758).

4. A Bill for an Act to Repeal Certain Acts on Taxation and Consolidate the Legal Frameworks Relating to Taxation, Enacting the Nigeria Tax Act to Provide for Taxation of Income, Transactions, and Instruments, and for Related Matters (HB.1759).

The Senate has passed a vote of confidence in its President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

The vote of confidence in Akpabio was passed unanimously during Thursday’s plenary, following a motion moved by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) and seconded by Deputy Minority Leader, Olalere Oyewumi (Osun West).

The decision comes 48 hours after the suspended Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central), addressed the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in New York, claiming she was suspended for raising allegations of sexual harassment against Akpabio.

PUNCH Online reports that Natasha filed contempt charges against Akpabio and others over her six-month suspension without pay from the Senate.

The Senate has urged Nigerians not to be distracted by the allegations, emphasising that the matter is already before the court.

Citing Order 40 of its standing rules, the Senate stated that it could not interfere in an issue under judicial consideration.

An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court sitting at Wuse Zone 6, on Thursday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of controversial social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, VDM.

The arrest order followed a criminal defamation case that was brought before the court by a renowned female gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo.

In his ruling, Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana ordered the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to arrest VDM and produce him before the court to answer to criminal allegations that were levelled against him by the gospel singer.

The court noted that the defendant failed to honour a summon it issued on March 5, which directed him to appear for the proceeding.

Despite a passionate plea by counsel to the defendant, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, who was presebt in court, Magistrate Iyana declined to vacate the arrest order.

Adeyanju had begged the court to allow him to personally produce his client on the next adjourned date.

Specifically, VDM was alleged to have made defamatory statements against the singer through his social media page.

It allegedly claimed that Chinwo was involved in a contractual dispute over her purported diversion of the sum of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.

Aggrieved by the allegation which she described as not only false but also injurious to her public image and reputation, the gospel singer, adduced before the court, documentary evidence that included emails and payment receipts, in a bid to establish her innocence.

The complainant’s team of lawyers led by Mr. Pelumi Olajengbesi, insisted that the defendant’s action was contrary to Sections 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24 (1)(B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015.

It will also be recalled that Chinwo’s counsel had also instituted a N1.1billion suit against VDM before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The lawyer prayed the court to compel the defendant to delete, retract, and issue a public apology for all the alleged false and defamatory statements he made against Chinwo and her brand.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission (SEDC) and Senator representing Abia North, has rejected calls from the Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) urging him to run for president in 2027.

The NYLF, a coalition of 40 groups, made the request after a courtesy visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The group’s President, Comrade Eliot Afiyo, named Obasanjo as its patron and listed Kalu and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as their preferred contenders for the 2027 presidency. The group also suggested that the Governors of Zamfara and Adamawa States, Dauda Lawal and Umar Fintiri, serve as running mates.

However, in a statement issued on Thursday by his media office and signed by George Maduka, Senator Kalu firmly dissociated himself from any presidential ambition, reiterating his commitment to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Kalu emphasized that there is no division within the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding the party’s 2027 presidential candidate and urged the opposition to refrain from using his name for political distractions.

The statement read in part: “Nigerian politics operates within a framework of a federal and presidential system, allowing citizens the right to vote and be voted for. Senator Kalu has the right to decide what position he should be considered for, and the presidency in 2027 is not one of them. He has publicly endorsed President Tinubu for re-election and remains committed to the work required to support him.”

Kalu further expressed confidence in Tinubu’s economic reforms, stating that achieving long-term stability, inclusivity, and adaptability requires the President to serve a full eight-year tenure.

“Since Nigeria’s return to democracy, no leader has shown the courage to reform the dwindling economy as Tinubu has. Kalu believes the best Nigerians can do is to support and re-elect the President in 2027 to complete the good work he has started.”

The former Abia State Governor also highlighted his long-standing friendship with Tinubu, dating back to their time as governors in 1999, and reaffirmed his unwavering support for the President’s progressive economic policies.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that most Nigerians are only interested in using public offices to enrich themselves and their cronies and then leave the country worse than they met it.

The former President said these people obtain billions of naira in loans, believing that paying back from public funds after being elected won’t be a problem.

Obasanjo disclosed this in his new book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’ where he painted the characters of chief executives at both the federal and state levels.

The book was one of two new books unveiled to mark Obasanjo’s 88th birthday last week.

The former President said the majority of those who have been opportuned to hold leadership positions in the country such as governors, presidents, ministers, commissioners and local government chairpersons, were ill-prepared, satanic, self-centred and were all out to corruptly enrich themselves while the nation continues to wallow in abject poverty and condemnable underdevelopment.

Obasanjo said that many clamouring to be governors or lead the country in one form or the other are only interested in using their offices to enrich themselves and their cronies and then leave the country worse than they met it.

He said, “How do you explain the situation of a chief executive, a governor, whose business was owing the banks billions of naira and millions of dollars before becoming a governor and within two years of becoming governor, without his company doing any business, he paid all that his businesses owed the banks.

“You are left to guess where the money came from. Having got away with that in the first term, he consigned to himself almost half of the state resources in the second term. He was a typical example of the goings-on at that level almost universally in the country with only a few exceptions.

“State resources are captured and appropriated to themselves with a pittance to staff and associates to close the mouths of those that could blow the whistle or raise alarm against them while in office and when they are out of office.’’

He further said, “The ones that are criminally ridiculous are the chief executives that deceive, lie and try to cover up on the realities and truth of action and inaction on contract awards, agreements, treaties, borrowings and forward sales of national assets. Such chief executives are unfit for the job they find themselves in.”

Speaking on the N15.6tn Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project, the former President described it as wasteful and corrupt.

Minister of Works, David Umahi, had revealed that the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will cost N4.93bn per kilometre, stating that the contract was awarded on a counterpart-funding basis and not a Public-Private Partnership.

About N1.06tn has been released for the pilot phase, or six per cent of the project, which begins at Eko Atlantic and is expected to terminate at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

Many prominent Nigerians, including the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, have questioned the Federal Government’s decision to award the contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech Construction Company without competitive bidding.

Chagoury is believed to be Tinubu’s long-time business partner and friend.

Assessing the two years of President Bola Tinubu-led administration, Obasanjo said it appears that the game of short-changing the over 230 million Nigerians would continue because “everything is said to be transactional and the slogan is ‘it is my turn to chop.’’

“Typical examples of waste, corruption and misplaced priority are the murky Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road on which the President had turned deaf ears to protests and the new Vice-President’s official residence built at a cost of N21bn in the time of economic hardship to showcase the administration hitting the ground running and to show the importance of the office of the Vice-President. What small minds!”

He equally slammed the federal government for spending N21bn on a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, calling it a misplaced priority and conduit designed to embezzle public funds.

To address some of the challenges facing the country, the former President said that there is a need to interrogate the Western liberal democracy being practised and see how it could be reviewed to reflect African peculiarities.

“If the West, from where the liberal democracy started should complain about it not working well for them, we should be wise enough at this stage to interrogate, carry out introspection, internal analysis and realise that Western liberal democracy is not working for us and is not delivering apart from the shortcomings of the operators.

“We should seek democracy within African history, culture, attributes and characteristics, one that will take necessary African factors into consideration. Until we can get a better word or description for it, let us call it Afrodemocracy.

“It is from Afrodemocracy that we will draw up an African people’s constitution for any African that chooses to go the way of Afrodemocracy, which will avoid most, to all, the faults we have found in Western liberal democracy,” he suggested.

Following the six months suspension that was slammed on her by the Senate, the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a contempt charge against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Equally cited as contemnors in the Form 48 she entered before the Federal High Court in Abuja, are the Clerk of the National Assembly and the

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, Senator Neda Imasuem.

The embattled Kogi lawmaker maintained that her suspension constituted a willful disobedience to a subsisting order the court issued against the defendants on March 4.

Based on her application, the court, in a notice of disobedience of court order signed by its Registrar pursuant to Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act 2004, urged the Defendants/Contemnors to take notice of their wilful disobedience of the order that was issued against them by Justice Obiora Egwuatu.

It warned that disobedience of the subsisting order rendered Akpabio, Senator Imasuem and the Clerk of the National Assembly liable for contempt of court, for which they may be committed to prison.

According to the Form 48, a copy of which Vanguard sighted on Thursday, the defendants/contemnors, “deliberately and contumaciously disregarded” a binding directive of the court and “proceeded with acts in flagrant defiance of the authority of the court.”

It was alleged that an enrolled order of the interim injunction that was issued by the court, was duly served on the defendants on March 5.

Justice Egwuatu had on the strength of an ex-parte application that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan filed through her team of lawyers led by Mr. Michael Numa, SAN, restrained the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, from “proceeding with the purported investigation against the Plaintiff/Applicant for alleged misconduct sequel to the events that occurred at the plenary of the 2nd Defendant on the 20th day of February, 2025, pursuant to the referral by the 2nd Defendant on 25th February, 2025 pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.”

The court further issued an order “directing the 1st -4th Defendants to come and show cause; why an order of interlocutory injunction should not be granted against them restraining them from proceeding with purported investigation against the Plaintiff for alleged misconduct without affecting her privileges as stipulated in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended), the Senate Standing Order 2023 and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.”

As well as an order declaring that any action taken during the pendency of the suit “is null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”

More so, Justice Egwuatu gave Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan the nod to serve the processes on the defendants through substituted means, by either handing them to the Clerk of the National Assembly, or by pasting them on the oremises of the National Assembly or by publishing same in two national dailies.

The Senate President, Akpabio has in response to the suit, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to meddle in the affairs of the Senate.

The court adjourned further proceedings in the case till March 25.