Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA), has said that the sanctions initiated against five airlines recently were for consumer protection-related infractions, and not for safety concerns.

Recalled that two weeks ago, Michael Achimugu, director, Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, NCAA , issued a warning that any airline that delays the payment of refunds to passengers within the stipulated time frame in Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, will be sanctioned.

A week later, the Regulatory agency announced that it had initiated enforcement action against Royal Air Maroc, Ethiopian Airways, Air Peace, Arik Air, and Aero Contractors.

Furthermore, Capt. Chris Najomo, acting director-general, NCAA, called an emergency stakeholder meeting to find lasting solutions to flight delays and cancellations, where he advised operators to trim their operations according to the number of aircraft they have and to treat consumer complaints with the desired urgency.

Reacting to the announcement, Allen Onyema, chairman of Air Peace, said he had noticed that some of his finance staff actually delayed some of those payments and he was not happy about it as his vision does not align with any practice that inconveniences his passengers.

He accepted the NCAA’s enforcement action and said the airline would improve its response time to such complaints.

Reports on some media platforms however suggested that the airlines may have been sanctioned for much more than just flight disruption issues.

In a statement sent in by Mr. Achimugu, he said, “Even the DGCA publicly announced at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos, the names of the airlines, and the reasons for the enforcement actions. My department is strictly for consumer protection issues, not technical matters. So why would anyone think that i can sanction an airline for safety reasons?”

“It is important to note that we do not sensationalise serious issues. The department protects both the operators and passengers and will continue to be an unbiased umpire,” He concluded.

Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman, Zinox Group, urged Nigerian entrepreneurs to prioritise integrity, due diligence, and resilience in navigating the country’s challenging business landscape.

In an end-of-year inspirational talk to a select group of young Nigerian entrepreneurs, monitored in Lagos, Ekeh expressed optimism about Nigeria’s economic prospects, predicting an economic rebound by the third quarter of 2025.

He also warned the young entrepreneurs about the rising threat of corporate blackmail, drawing from his own experiences in the business world.

Ekeh recounted his decade-long battle with corporate blackmail involving Benjamin Joseph, CEO, Citadel Oracle Concepts Ltd.

Recall that the controversy dates back to 2012, when Citadel Oracle Concepts Ltd. was among 13 companies awarded a Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) contract for the supply of HP laptops.

Procurement for the project was mandated through authorised distributors. TD Africa, a subsidiary of the Zinox Group and Nigeria’s largest HP partner, was approached by Citadel’s authorised representative, Princess Kama, to supply the laptops on credit.

The arrangement required FIRS payments to be deposited into a dedicated Citadel account at Access Bank, with TD Africa staff included as signatories to ensure adherence to the agreed terms.

While other companies honored similar agreements, disputes arose when Benjamin Joseph allegedly attempted to divert funds.

Princess Kama intervened, enabling TD Africa to recover its dues.

This intervention strained the relationship between Joseph and Kama, leading to a series of petitions and allegations by Joseph against TD Africa and Zinox Group.

Ekeh revealed that the allegations prompted extensive investigations, including the involvement of foreign-certified detectives, adding that, “These investigations, along with inquiries by the FIRS and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), exonerated TD Africa, confirming the validity of the transactions.

They also established that Joseph had authorised the procurement and that the laptops were delivered and payments duly processed.

“In February 2021, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court dismissed Joseph’s allegations as baseless and awarded N20 million in damages against him. Despite the court ruling, Joseph persisted in filing petitions and spreading misinformation through media outlets, targeting Zinox Technologies and its leadership.”

Speaking on the impact on Zinox’s operations, Ekeh disclosed that Joseph’s actions, allegedly backed by competitors and influential allies, nearly jeopardised Zinox’s digital census contract, valued at over $250 million.

Although Zinox eventually secured and delivered the project, delays prevented its execution under the previous administration, leaving critical census equipment underutilised, he stated.

Expressing disappointment in recent judicial decisions that have not held Joseph accountable, Ekeh lamented, “It is disheartening that despite valid and subsisting judgments, he continues to walk free, perpetuating false claims.”

He urged young entrepreneurs to stay vigilant against blackmailers, emphasising the critical role of integrity and technological advancements in overcoming such challenges.

“Learn from my experience. Never engage with blackmailers, as technology will soon render them obsolete in the tech ecosystem,” Ekeh advised.

The just concluded 4th edition of the Industrial Games Challenge organized by Total Automation Concepts (TAC) ltd for tertiary institutions was conducted online on Saturday, 21st December, 2024, just like the 2020 edition which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The process commenced on the heels of the 32nd COREN assembly at Abuja were specific institutions were invited based on their geographical spread across Nigeria.

The project coordinator, Engr. Paul Ugoji, stated that this was done deliberately to highlight the reach of “Gamification in Learning” as a tool that can complement the traditional means of knowledge transfer in ways that can bridge the gap between various industries and the academia.

He also said, for economic development, Nigerian students should regularly have access to relevant industrial applications and information that would enable them compete comfortably with their peers globally.

The institutions that selected to participate in the 2024 edition were Covenant University, Federal Polytechnic Bida, Federal University of Technology Bida, Landmark University, Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Petroleum Training Institute while the applications utilized for the competition were Alpha 1 Petroleum Products Loading Depot and Alpha 1 Crude Oil Production Platform.

The top 2 Engineering students from each of these institutions were picked for the finals after going through a general basic online training and selection process. The first stage of the finals was a team event which involved the summation of scores obtained from students of each institution after engaging both applications.

The top 3 teams that emerged as winners were Covenant University represented by Aghanwa Daniel and Obin Ubene Egwu with a combined score of 100.0% taking first position, Petroleum Training Institute represented by Ikechukwu Divine Sobechukwu and Joseph Great scored 98.4%, took second position while Nnamdi Azikiwe University represented by Gideon Ubakwe and Francis Nwafor scored 92.0%, took third position.

The funds which make up part of the reward structure were electronically transferred to the top 3 students and the department of the first position team from Covenant University. After this stage, the main final was conducted between the 2 students representing Covenant University to decide who would take home the available laptop as the overall best player and this was picked up by Obin Ubene Egwu.

Finally, for participating in the event, all the 6 institutions received 10 one-year free licenses each for both applications to be installed in any computer of their choice. Before concluding the event, some invited industry professionals who witnessed the competition advised the participating students on how to make the best use of the opportunities they have now while in school.

The participating students then expressed their appreciation of the concept utilized for the event and hoped that the competition would be sustained on an annual basis for the Nigerian educational system.

The project coordinator thanked the students, institutions and lecturers who coordinated the students without whom the event wouldn’t have been possible.

He highlighted some of the challenges faced as internet penetration, non-uniformity of academic calendar, students access to personal computers and sponsorship but stated that he was glad that some of these issues were surmounted to an extent.

Finally, he also indicated that next year’s edition would be broader with more gamified applications covering a crude oil refining facility, waste water treatment plant, turbine power plant, spill contingency exercise and many more could be incorporated into the competition with support or sponsorship from industries covered by the project, this as earlier stated would definitely help us bridge the gap between the academia and various industries.