Transportation

Order Compelling Compensation for Delayed, Cancelled Flight Out Soon – FG

By Web News 352

The Federal Government has stated that it will soon issue an order, compelling airline operators to commence payment of compensation to passengers for delayed and cancelled flights not ‘caused’ by natural occurrences.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said this during a meeting with airline operators in Abuja on Monday.

His words: “On delayed flights, I want to speak for ordinary Nigerians who complain every day about delayed, cancelled flights. I know you have said all your reasons. You have blamed the government and a few things we do. But I also want to say that it is not all the time that it is government.

“At times, you say you were waiting for passengers to finish passing through the screening machine. At times, they have finished passing through screening machines. They are waiting in the lounge for five hours and you cancel your flight.

“So, you see, after some time, we will start implementing the provisions of the NCAA Act. You know, Nigerians don’t know there is compensation for delay. If it is an act of God, you cannot pay.

“But if it is human fault, the NCAA Act says you will pay. So, for all airline operators, while I have praised and supported you, I will also support Nigerians. You will pay them. After some time, I will put my feet on the ground. Pay them when you delay, cancel their flight.”

Keyamo also asked airline operators to establish reliable communication channels so that passengers can receive cancellation notices.

Vanguard / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Energy

Tinubu has not removed subsidy – Keyamo

By Web News 571

The Chief Spokesman for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign, Festus Keyamo, has said President Bola Tinubu did not remove fuel subsidy.

According to him, a section of the media is “mischievously twisting the narrative to read that Tinubu’s government has removed subsidy,” despite President Tinubu proclaiming that subsidy was gone while giving his inaugural speech on May 29.

Keyamo, who is also a former Minister of State for Labour, rather said that Tinubu’s administration only inherited a regime where there was no provision for subsidy in the 2023 Appropriation Act beginning June 2023 and the Petroleum Industry Act, which is now extant, has no provision for subsidy.

In a series of tweets on his official handle, @fkeyamo, he said, “A section of the Press is mischievously twisting the narrative to read that Tinubu’s government has removed subsidy. That is not correct. Tinubu’s govt has merely inherited a regime where there was no provision for subsidy in the 2023 Appropriation Act as of June 2023 and the Petroleum Industry Act which is now extant has no provision for subsidy.

 “President Tinubu merely acknowledged this state of affairs in his inaugural speech at the Eagle Square.

“So, any advocate of subsidy should convince the Nigerian people why President Tinubu should start on a note of illegality by promising to reintroduce something which the law has taken away. They should also convince the Nigerian people why President Tinubu should embark on a present illegality that gulped $10 billion of our scarce or unavailable resources in 2022 alone.”

He added that those claiming to defend the rights or welfare of workers should convince the Nigerian people that the $10 billion injected into the economy annually will not jumpstart the economy enough to create massive jobs and even increase the same minimum wage they complain about.

Punch/ Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

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Lifestyle

Festus Keyamo to Chair 2021 Cross River State Migration Summit

By Web News 545

The Minister of Labour and Employment for the state, Festus Keyamo is to chair the 2021 Cross River State Migration Summit slated for Calabar on April 22.

At the international event to be broadcast live and streamed on several social media platforms, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is billed to deliver a keynote address on Labour Migration As A Tool For Job Creation and Nigerian Development at the occasion.

Participants are expected from Canada, US, and several countries with the  Cross River State Governor, Professor Benedict Ayade as the chief host amidst other special guests that include the Chairman Senate Committee on foreign Affairs, Senator Adamu Mohammad Bulkachuwa, member of the African Union Labour Migration Advisory Committee, HE Dr Princess Ocansey from Ghana, Professor Michael Okom, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University Calabar and International Organization for migration, (IOM), Nigeria.

The summit is being powered by the Migration Control Services Agencies (MCA) headed by Prince Michael NkuAbuo Wellington, the Director General of agency in collaboration with the Journalists International Forum For Migration (JIFORM) comprising over 300 journalists covering migration across the globe.

Ajibola Abayomi, President of JIFORM and the Spokesman of the summit in a statement said the conference themed ‘utilizing the gains of migration to advance development in Nigeria’ was targeted at improving the migration framework in Nigeria and to further enlightened the citizens on how to benefit from the diaspora resources through legitimate means.

On his part, Prince NkuAbuo said the state was ready to tap into the migration potentials in order to increase the foreign exchange earnings into the nation by ensuring that the interest of the youths and potential migrants were adequately protected.

He hinted that the stage was set for the formal launching of decent jobs for the Nigerian youths in the gulf nation as well as study programmes in the US, Canada, Europe and others at the occasion.

NkuAbuo added that the MCA, the first state owned migration agency in the entire sub-Saharan established one year ago by Governor Ayande was also ready to partner with both local and international institutions to create more jobs and educate the youths to embrace regular migration.

Other participants listed for the event included   Susan Gong, a former Member of the Canada Immigration and Refugee Board and now the Chief Executive Officer of Altec Global, a foremost immigration consultancy firm; Professor Bryon Price, the Global Director of Diaspora Innovation Institute, City University, New York, USA; Senior Special Assistant to Oyo State Governor on Diaspora Matters, Mrs Bolanle Sarumi-Aliyu and representatives from several states in Nigeria.  

E-signed

Ajibola Abayomi

President JIFORM

Economy

Buhari Directs Release of Funds for FG Public Works Programme

By Web News 637

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that funds be released for payment of participants of FG public work programme.

This is contained in a Statement by the Honourable Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN.

President Muhammadu Buhari has graciously directed a release of the funds for the payment of stipends to the 774,000 participants of the SPW programme.

I have consequently directed the NDE to begin processing the payments and participants should begin to receive payments soon.

In order to eliminate fraud and/or double payments, I have also directed that every payment to participants should be made using the BVN of their accounts so we can have an audit trail of every single payment. Those who registered with different names shouldn’t expect payments

Festus Keyamo, SAN,
Hon. Minister of State, Labour & Employment.
20-03-2021