Tag: Port Harcourt

  • Atiku Abubakar promises to expose and prosecute Nigerian oil thieves

    If elected president in 2023, Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, has promised to name and shame oil thieves in the country.

    This pledge was made by Atiku Abubakar on Saturday during an interactive session with the Business Dialogue Stakeholders Forum at the Eko hotel in Lagos. Atiku attended the session alongside his running mate, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

    The PDP presidential candidate also promised to seize any oil blocks assigned to Nigerians who have yet to put them into operation.

    Nigeria- I Will Name And Shame Oil Thieves, If Elected - Atiku Abubakar (News Central TV)
    Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s Presidential Candidate for the Peoples’ Democratic Party

    “If you are not going to develop oil blocs given to you, we will take it away and give it to those who will develop it.” he stated, adding that We will also assemble the names of those involved in oil theft, publish same and prosecute them.”

    He reiterated his resolve to privatising the refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Warri in order to boost production.

    The Chairman and Director General of the Atiku/Okowa presidential campaign team, governors Udom Emmanuel and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Akwa Ibom and Sokoto states, respectively, spoke at the gathering and asked stakeholders to support their presidential flagbearer, for a better Nigeria.

  • United Nigeria Airlines finalises plans to operate flights to Accra

    Through diplomatic processes, United Nigeria Airlines Limited has been authorized to begin operating flights into Ghana.

    United Nigeria Airlines Limited, with a base at Enugu International Airport and an office in Abuja, is anticipated to finish the necessary procedures and start conducting commercial flights into Ghana.

    “… United Nigeria Airline Company Limited from Nigeria has been designated through the diplomatic channels to commence commercial flight operations into Ghana,” Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Ing. Charles Kraikue, confirmed to AviationGhana.

    AviationGhana sources say the Nigerian carrier, which operates a fleet of four Embraer ERJ-145LR and presently operates domestic flights to Lagos, Abuja, Enugu Owerri, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Anambra, Asaba, and Osubi, is also carefully planning its schedule and will announce it in the months ahead.

    United Nigeria Airlines joins the list of Nigerian carriers designated through official channels to operate flights between Ghana and Nigeria such as Air Peace, Arik, Dana Air, and MedView.

    Africa World Airlines (AWA) remains the only Ghanaian registered carrier designated to operate commercial flights into Nigeria.

    AWA currently operates scheduled flights from its base in Accra to Kumasi, Takoradi, and Tamale. For regional flights, it services the Accra-Lagos-Accra and Accra-Abuja-Accra routes.

     

  • Port Harcourt: Nigeria church crush leaves 31 dead

    Nigerian police say they have launched an investigation after 31 people died in a crush in the southern city of Port Harcourt.

    It happened in a sports field on Saturday morning where a church was handing out food to the poor, some of whom had waited there overnight.

    The crowd “became tumultuous and uncontrollable” and organisers failed to calm the situation, police say.

    Many of those who died in the crush were women and children.

    Witnesses told the AFP news agency there was frantic pushing and some were trampled underfoot when people trying to reach the entrance were forced back.

    “They were telling people ‘Go back, go back, go back,’” Chisom Nwachukwu said. “Some people that were pushing from backwards were marching on those people.”

    Security and emergency services were called to the scene to try to bring the situation under control. Some of the injured are being treated at Port Harcourt’s military hospital.

    The King’s Assembly Church said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident, and was reviewing its safety and crowd management procedures.

    It started the annual charity in 2014 but said this year’s “turnout, build up and the attendant circumstances were absolutely unanticipated”, and that attendees started gathering before security teams for the event were on site.

    Rivers state police commissioner, Eboka Friday, has called on religious and charity groups to “ensure they work with the police for security and crowd control” in organising such programmes in the future.

    In addition to the police investigation, a regional government committee will be formed to look into the circumstances of Saturday’s incident, says Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike.

    Nigeria has seen several similar tragedies in recent years, including an aid agency food programme in Borno state last year where seven women were trampled to death.

    Port Harcourt is the main oil hub in Nigeria, but despite the country’s oil wealth about 40% of Nigerians live below the poverty line.
    Source: BBC