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Ecobank Sends Important Message to Customers Over Service Disruptions
Ecobank Nigeria has issued a notice to customers regarding fluctuations in its interbank funds transfer service, which may result in delayed transactions.
The bank reassured its customers that efforts are underway to resolve the issue and that all affected transactions will be processed as soon as the service is restored.
In a statement, Ecobank acknowledged the inconvenience caused and emphasized its commitment to minimising disruptions.
“We are working diligently to resolve this issue and ensure normal service delivery,” the statement read.
The bank also noted that other electronic banking services remain fully accessible, allowing customers to continue enjoying a seamless banking experience.
To assist customers during this period, Ecobank encouraged the use of its live chat feature on ecobank.com and provided an email address, [email protected].
The bank reiterated its dedication to providing reliable financial services across its platform, thanking customers for their understanding and patience.
As Africa’s leading Pan-African bank, Ecobank assured customers of its commitment to addressing their concerns promptly while delivering innovative and customer-centric solutions. The bank concluded with an appeal for continued trust as it works to resolve the current challenges.
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Keyamo Says FCCPC Made ‘Careless’ Statement on Air Peace’s Airfares
Festus Keyamo, minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has strongly condemned the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for its recent statement regarding Air Peace’s airfares, describing the remarks as “very careless.”
The criticism comes after the FCCPC, on December 1, announced its intention to probe Air Peace over significant price hikes on advance bookings for certain domestic routes.
During an appearance on Arise News’ This Morning show on Sunday, Keyamo expressed his concerns about the FCCPC’s handling of the situation, asserting that the commission should have consulted the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the primary regulatory body responsible for overseeing the airline sector, before making such a public statement.
“I think it was a very careless statement — I say that with all apologies — by the agency, without even consulting the core agency involved in regulation, which is the NCAA,” Keyamo remarked.
“The powers to regulate for the airline to inform about their price increase and all that is domiciled in NCAA, that is the core agency. We cannot have an agency of government floating all over the place, having all the powers; that means if there’s a problem with yam pricing, they will go and call the agricultural minister. I don’t think their powers are stretched to that point, but I say that with apologies because also I’m a minister of government.”
Keyamo emphasised that the FCCPC should have reached out to the NCAA for a proper review of the situation.
“They should have contacted the NCAA for them to look at the figures and the books which we have been doing, so we would have given them facts,” he continued.
“But to single out a few airlines while we are struggling to expose them to the world for them to get more enhanced capacity was a bit careless.”
The minister also pointed to the larger challenges plaguing Nigeria’s aviation industry, specifically the limited capacity of airlines to acquire aircraft and service domestic routes effectively.
Keyamo noted that the real issue facing Nigerian airlines goes beyond the maintenance of existing aircraft and lies in the complexities of leasing new ones, a situation compounded by the volatility of the foreign exchange market.
“Nigeria’s own is even in a more precarious position because it is not about maintaining the aircraft alone, but in terms of renting the aircraft itself, which is what they call ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance),” Keyamo explained.
“An ACMI contract, also known as wet or damp leasing, is an agreement between two airlines, where the lessor provides an aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance to the lessee in return for payment based on the number of block hours operated.”
According to Keyamo, most Nigerian airlines operate on ACMI contracts, which are priced in foreign currencies, making them susceptible to fluctuations in exchange rates.
“When you take them on lease, you take them with the aircraft, the crew, insurance, and everything, all of these are in foreign exchange,” the minister said.
“With the fluctuating nature of our Naira against the dollar, you expect that it will affect their cost of operation.”
To address these financial pressures, Keyamo explained that the government is actively working to improve the conditions for Nigerian airlines, particularly by exposing them to international markets where they can access better terms for leasing aircraft.
“What we are therefore doing is ensuring that we expose them to the market across the world, where they can now assess aircraft on very good terms. This will impact the prices of tickets and their cost of operation,” he noted.
The minister further clarified that these efforts are aligned with broader initiatives to address the sector’s challenges, particularly the application of the Cape Town Convention.
“That is what led us to addressing the issue of the practice direction pursuant to the Cape Town Convention,” he stated. “That is the core of the problem of the aviation industry, and this president and the vice president graciously supported us to get to.”
Keyamo’s remarks, stakeholders note, highlights the complexities facing the Nigerian aviation industry and the importance of a coordinated and informed approach to regulation and policy-making.
Before Keyamo’s comments, the FCCPC had expressed deep concern over recent comments by Air Peace, which it believed were part of a strategy to obscure the ongoing investigation into potential consumer rights violations, including exploitative ticket pricing.
Last Thursday, the Commission refuted a misleading media report that misrepresented a meeting between FCCPC officials and the Air Peace team on December 3, at the Commission’s Abuja headquarters.
The meeting, which was part of a larger investigation following numerous passenger complaints, was intended to address these concerns in a confidential manner.
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FCCPC Warns Air Peace against Obstructing Ongoing Inquiry
Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has warned Air Peace against obstructing the ongoing inquiry into alleged exploitative ticket pricing and other potential violations of consumers’ rights.
This is according to a statement on Sunday by Ondaje Ijagwu, Commission’s director, Corporate Affairs.
The FCCPC’s inquiry into the airline was prompted by a surge of complaints from passengers about unfair pricing, flight cancellations, and other practices potentially harmful to consumers.
The commission conducted a meeting with Air Peace on December 3, 2024, to address the concerns raised in numerous petitions.
The FCCPC said the session, which was held in camera, was intended to protect the confidentiality of the investigation.
However, the commission noted that “shortly after the meeting, leaks surfaced in the media, misrepresenting the proceedings and making unfounded claims.”
Recall that the FCCPC had clarified the situation on December 5, reiterating that its investigation into Air Peace was ongoing.
In the statement, the commission said, “The inquiry is still ongoing, and the public should be wary of manufactured news. The report claiming that Air Peace was not under investigation was not disseminated through our official communication platforms.”
Ijagwu said the leaks quoted Air Peace’s Chairman, Mr Allen Onyema, making various statements, including a boast that he could “shut down the airline” as a favour to the nation, but conveniently omitted other comments that raised concerns.
The FCCPC noted that Onyema’s remarks appeared to be intended to undermine the investigation and distract from the core issues.
The airline had earlier, in a press conference on Friday, asserted that only the aviation regulatory agency had the authority to investigate its affairs, an argument that the FCCPC dismissed as a misunderstanding of both the legal and moral framework surrounding consumer rights.
“The rights of passengers are inalienable and guaranteed under the FCCPA,” the FCCPC countered, emphasising that the Commission has the legal mandate to investigate pricing practices and other consumer-related issues in all sectors, including aviation.
The Commission pointed to Section 17(e) of the FCCPA 2018, which gives it the authority to conduct inquiries when necessary or desirable in connection with any matter falling under its purview.
Further reinforcing its mandate, the FCCPC cited Section 127(1)(a) of the FCCPA, which empowers it to ensure that pricing practices across all sectors, including aviation, are fair and non-exploitative.
One of the major issues under investigation is Air Peace’s pricing practices.
The FCCPC said the airline had recently proposed fare hikes ranging from N500,000 to N700,000 for a one-hour domestic flight, citing high fuel costs.
However, several consumer complaints contest these figures, claiming that Air Peace’s fuel cost is inflated.
“At the proposed N500,000 fare, a Boeing 737-500 would be fetching a whopping N60 million per one-hour service,” the FCCPC stated.
It contrasted Air Peace’s pricing with a competitor airline that recently reduced its fares to as low as N80,000 for similar domestic routes, demonstrating that affordability and sustainability can coexist in the aviation industry.
Ijagwu said in addition to concerns about pricing, several passengers have complained about arbitrary flight cancellations and poor compensation practices.
FCCPC noted that for instance, on November 29, a group of irate passengers at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport staged a protest after experiencing a four-hour delay on the Abuja-Lagos route. The protest led to a security intervention to restore order at the airport.
It added that passengers have also reported that after experiencing flight cancellations or delays, they were forced to pay a 50 per cent surcharge to rebook their tickets on another day.
The FCCPC said despite these efforts to deflect attention from the ongoing inquiry, it remains resolute in its commitment to safeguarding consumer rights.
“No amount of blackmail or cowboy tactics can stop the Commission from the ongoing thorough investigation of the allegations against Air Peace,” the Commission warned.
Reaffirming its role, the FCCPC underscored its responsibility to ensure that all sectors, including aviation, operate in a fair and competitive environment.
“The Commission is committed to safeguarding consumer rights, promoting market fairness, and fostering a competitive and transparent marketplace across all sectors, including aviation,” Ijagwu said.
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Engr. Aziz, Former NIMC DG Celebrates Prof. Iya Abubakar at 90
The immediate past Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Aziz, has paid glowing tributes to a former Minister of Defence, Prof. Iya Abubakar, as he clocks 90 years on December 13.
In a statement he entitled “Celebrating a Visionary at 90,” Engr. Aziz said that it was “with immense pride and gratitude that I join the celebration of an extraordinary milestone in the life of an exceptional leader and trailblazer – Senator Prof. Iya Abubakar.”
According to Engr. Aziz, himself an ID4Africa Emeritus Ambassador, at 90, Prof. Abubakar’s legacy stands tall “as a symbol of intellectual brilliance, visionary leadership, and boundless dedication to the advancement of education, technology, and nation-building.”
Recalling his encounter with Prof. Abubakar, Engr. Aziz stated: “I am particularly privileged to be one of the greatest beneficiaries of the Iya Abubakar Computer Center – an incredible institution that was far ahead of its time. It is astonishing to recall how he procured and established what was then the largest computer in Africa, a CDC Cyber 72 series with a remarkable 64 kilobytes of memory.
“This technological marvel was accompanied by a line printer capable of printing 1,200 lines per minute, a digital plotter, and a suite of high-level programming languages such as FORTRAN, COBOL, PASCAL, BASIC, and APL, among others. His foresight and determination revolutionized computational capacity in the region and inspired countless minds, including mine.”
Engr. Aziz stated further that “Senator Prof. Iya Abubakar’s contributions extend far beyond technology. As a scholar, statesman, and leader, his influence has shaped policies and institutions that continue to benefit generations.
His dedication to education, research, and national development serves as a beacon for all of us striving to make a difference in our various fields.”
Therefore, “On this momentous occasion of his 90th birthday, I salute his monumental achievements and enduring legacy. May he continue to inspire us all with his wisdom, humility, and unwavering commitment to excellence,” Engr. Aziz further stated.
Born on December 13, 1934 in Belel in the Maiha Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa State, Nigeria, besides serving as Minister of Defence (24 October 1979 – January 1981), Prof. Abubakar had previously served as Minister of Internal Affairs (1981–1982).
As an academic, Prof. Abubakar was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1975, a position he held until 1978 when he was forced to resign by the then military authorities following the ‘Ali Must Go’ student protests of 1978. Prof. Iya Abubakar had previously become the Head of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, ABU, Zaria, at 32.
Prof. Abubakar’s academic trajectory is sprinkled with sparkles of excellence. He achieved a first class honors degree in Mathematics at the University College, Ibadan (now University of Ibadan), before he went to England for postgraduate studies at Cambridge University in 1958.
In 1960, he conducted research at the Pasadena Seismological Laboratory in the United States for a year. And, one year later, he was awarded a Ph.D. in applied mathematics and theoretical physics from Cambridge University, becoming the first person from the Northern region of Nigeria to receive this degree.
He worked as a visiting professor at the University of Michigan from 1965–66, before being appointed as professor of mathematics at Ahmadu Bello University at the age of 28, in 1967. He held this position until 1975, as well as a visiting professorship at the City University of New York from 1971 to 1972.
As a consummate politician, Prof. Abubakar was elected Senator in 1999 for the Adamawa North senatorial district in Adamawa State covering the local government areas of Madagali, Maiha, Michika, Mubi North, and Mubi South. He was re-elected in 2003 and served in the Nigerian upper chamber of the National Assembly till 2007. As a serving senator, he was notably Chairman of the Senator Committee on Science and Technology, among other roles.
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