SON tasks importers on manufacturing

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has urged importers to venture into manufacturing to create wealth and job opportunities for the nation's teeming unemployed youths.

The  Director General,  SON, Osita Aboloma said that the importer should make efforts to establish manufacturing and assembling of electronic products  to boost trade.

Aboloma said such initiative would ho a long to save the country's foreign exchange since most of what is imported into the country can be manufactured locally.

He advised importers to get the required standards to make their products competitive, noting that with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) accented by President, Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian manufacturers must up their game so as not to be overwhelmed by foreign goods.

Aboloma was represented  by the Director, Inspectorate and Compliance Directorate, Mr Obiora Manafa, at a one day sensitisation programme with importers and pdealers of electronics in Alaba international market in Lagos.

He said adhering to standards was the surest way to bring back the glory days of Alaba international market.

He expressed SON's readiness to work with local manufacturers to make their goods exportable in a bid to earn foreign exchange  and boost the Nigerian economy

He said, "Instead of faking established brands, build your own brands and make money from it. We are also advising them to go into manufacturing, we cannot continue to depend on import of electronic products. 

" For example, Made in Nigerian cable is one of the best  all over the world. The electronic  products  importers should emulate the cable sector by going into manufacturing.

" We are open anytime to help you to  in selecting tmaterials and  equipment for you start producing. This is better for you and for the economy at large."

According to him, the fight against substandard products is a big one, saying that a lot of unscrupulous are been made to face the law for dealing in substandard products to serve as deterrent to importers who have intentions to indulge in the nefarious act.

He pointed out that SON has in its warehouse substandard electric cables waiting for court order to be destroyed, while also restating it's commitment to bringing down the influx of substandard goods into the country.

"We are ust waiting for the court order to destroy, while we have obtained court orders for some of them, very soon we are going to do destruction so that people will see the extent we have gone in this fight and we are not going to relent on our effort in our fight against substandard product. It is a very huge market filled with a lot of smugglers bringing in goods without SONCAP certificates. We fish out these people by going to their warehouses and even outside the market. It is a continous fight and we are really making progress," he added.

He stated that the electronic dealers have agreed to join hands with SON to fish out the bad eggs giving Alaba international market a bad name, saying that the workshop was aimed at bringing back the lost glory of the biggest market in West Africa.

He said in line with the federal government's commitment to creating an enabling environment for the ease of doing business in Nigeria, the agency has come to further demonstrate its deep commitment to continual improvement in products and services delivery.

He added that SON has made concerted efforts to facilitate trade and fast track the import process by upgrading its portals to be functionally active, reduce its service charges, reduced the turn around time through automation and currently test-running the deployment of electronic demand notes, receipts and cargo clearance to reduce the turnaround time and human contact in its service delivery.

Earlier, the president, Alaba International Amalgamated Trader Association and Executive Chairman, Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria (EDAN), commended SON's integrity, capacity for work and tireless contribution and encouragement toward ensuring that the market stands out as an exemplary leading market with quality assurance practices.

He highlighted that the agency's sensitisation visits have created great positive impact in its industry, stating the association's readiness to collaborate with SON to drive its zero tolerance for substandard imports programme.

"We are here for you as brothers, friends and partners in progress to comply and collaborate with you to ensure product quality and standard and at the same time look forward for an up-to-date information on standardisation and its benefits, advice and assistance on your product quality management for an improved cost effectiveness and adequate technical support to match the quality required for competitiveness in global trade," he said.

He appealed to SON to regulate the movement, arrest and closure of warehouses by working with the office of the Executive Chairman of the association.

The president general, EDAN, High Chief, Stephen Agabige, commended SON's enforcement activities in the market, saying that before now it was very difficult to sanitise the electrical market, but for the intervention of SON it is gradually winning the war.

"When they came here last week, we took them round in our bid to show our support to SON and to say that we are not in support of fake products in our market. We showed them the people who indulge in fake products. We also have a committee established to ensure sanity in our market. We have also given them more power to carry out their duties and in two or three weeks time, every product in our market will be original," he said.

He urged dealers to do the right thing, alluding that the sensitisation was an eye opener for most importers to make them competitive.

Over 700 participants attended the events

Air Peace begins flight to Warri

Nigerian and West African largest carrier, Air Peace on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019 began flight operations from Lagos to Warri,in Delta State

The airline's inaugural flight which took off from the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2, Lagos touched down at the Osubi Airport , Warri at 11.15pm.

The ERJ-145 aircraft piloted by Capt. Crosby Otobo was welcomed with a water guard salute by fire fighters stationed at the airport .

Mr Allen Onyema, Air Peace Chief Executive Officer, said the move by the airline to extend its operations to Warri was part of the airline's no-city-left-behind project 

Onyema, represented by Mr Adeyemi Ayodeji, Manager, Ground Operations, Air Peace, said Warri was the 14th city the airline was operating into in Nigeria.

"We want to assure our passengers that this is just the beginning. We have plans to introduce flights from Warri to Port Harcourt and also from Warri to Abuja, " he said.

Onyema said the airline operates to five regional locations in West Africa (Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Senegal) and had on July 5, 2019 began flight operations to Sharjah- Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

According to him, Mumbai in India and Guangzhou , China will soon come on board as part of the airline's expansion on the international routes with its fleet of B777 aircraft.

He said the flight to Warri would be once daily and assured the Air Peace passengers of on-time departure and safety which were very key to the airline's operations.

Receiving the airline's officials, Mr Paul Erugbenu, Chairman, Osubi Community and the Community Secretary, Comrade Williams Eyarunu, thanked Air Peace for extending their operations to the airport.

Also, passengers on board the inaugural flight who were gifted various items by Air Peace expressed delight with the development noting that it would make the route more competitive for the airlines thereby reducing air fares.

Increase in tariff not panacea to Nigeria power sector's problems, says expert

An energy expert, Dr Damola Omole, Head, Power and Energy Strategy, Dangote Industries, says increasing electricity tariff will not solve the the problems bedevilling the power sector in Nigeria.

 Omole made the assertion on Wednesday at the ongoing Power Nigeria Agenda Exhibition organised by Informa markets in Lagos.

Omole said increasing the tariff would only amount to funding inefficiency, adding that the Federal Government should intensify efforts to encourage more players to invest in the sector.

He said the government should dilute the Distribution Companies to minority stake and thereafter sell its major stake to more credible players.

According to him, consumers should be metered before effecting tariff increases as estimated billing is generally unfair.

Omole also urged the government to look into the issue of supply and cost of gas to the thermal power plants in order to reduce the over N7.5 trillion lost annually to irregular power supply.

He noted the country's manufacturing sector was worst hit by the irregular supply with about 17 million small and medium scale businesses spending over N2 trillion annually in running generating sets.

Omole said: "Manufacturers only get seven hours of supply on average with the balance of over two-third self sourced.

"Grid supply should be 20,000MW for manufacturing sector to thrive but supply is currently less than 4,000MW.

"Grid power supply is irregular and unpredictable for manufacturing processes."

He explained that electricity consumed through alternative means cost N78 per kilowatt while supply from the grid was at N32 per kilowatt , thus increasing the cost of production for manufacturers.

According to him, the ripple effects of power shortages include reduced production, job losses, outright closure of factories or relocation to other African countries.

Omole noted that the power sector reforms  had failed to yield the desired result due to the failure of the generating companies,the transmission company and the distribution companies to align for a common purpose.

He said the lack of synergy between the layers in the energy value chain had resulted in over 2,000MW of electricity not been supplied to the end users by the distribution companies.

Omole also decried the lack of industrial clusters across the country which would have been of great benefit to Nigeria manufacturers and enable them compete with their contemporaries outside the country.

On his part, Mr Gareth Rapley , Group Exhibition Director, Informa market, said the exhibition which had over 130 local and international exhibitors was put in place to find solutions to the challenges facing the power sector in Nigeria.

Rapley noted that the energy problem was not peculiar to Nigeria and could be overcome with collaboration between the government and the private sector. 

He said the conference therefore was an opportunity for players in the energy sector to dialogue and exchange ideas on how best to address the issues confronting the sector.

Nigeria Adopts 10 standards to boost oil and gas industry

Industry demands and the need to keep up with best international practices in the Oil and Gas sector in Nigeria has spurred Standards Organisation of Nigeria into paving the way to adopt ten America Petroleum Institute(API) Standards for the nation.

This was disclosed by the Director General/ Chief Executive Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Osita Aboloma Esq. during a joint Technical Committee (TC)meeting on Oil and Gas / Petroleum and Petro Chemicals convened in Lagos recently

Speaking at the meeting, the Director General SON, represented by the Director Standards Development Mrs. Chinyere Egwuonwu revealed that all the standards are critically relevant to operations in the Oil and Gas industry, hence the need to adopt them in collaboration with the stakeholders as Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS)

According to him, adopting of international standards as national standard is not a new development, especially where the standards are elaborated by global leaders such as API who since 1919 have established a clout for convening subject matter experts in establishing, maintaining and distributing consensus standards for the oil and gas industry.

He further indicated that, “the API standards being adopted today are recognised not only for their technical specifications but also for their third party accreditation which facilitates acceptance by international bodies and has been a cornerstone in developing standards for the worldwide oil and natural gas industry.”

However, Aboloma cautioned that “in adopting international standards we must ensure that the standards are not in conflict with our statutory regulatory requirements and special consideration should be on or environmental factors, economic considerations, security of products, national interest and most of all global best practices.”

According to Aboloma, the nation’s oil industry does not exist in isolation therefore the standards adopted will ensure the availability of the NIS, enhancing market competiveness, prevention of dumping of goods, promoting export and a reliable basis for technological transfer and industrial development.

The Joint Chairmen of the TCs, on Oil and Gas/ Petroleum and Petrochemicals, Prof Joseph Ajienka of the University of Port-Harcourt and Prof Sunday Ojolo of University of Lagos sitting in for Prof Boniface Okorie of the UNN respectively, in their varying capacities spoke separately during the meeting

They both appreciated the DG SON for giving them the opportunity to serve, while exhorting all the participants to carry out what was described as a call to national duty with zeal and ensuring their comments and contributions are vibrant and robust enough to achieve the purpose of the TC

The API Standards adopted and rechristened NIS include are as follows:
API RP 50 2013 Natural Gas Processing Plant Practices for Protection of the Environment

API RP 520; 2014 Sizing, selection and Installation of Pressure-relieving devices in Refineries Part 1 Sizing and selection
API RP 520 2: 2015, Sizing, Selection and Installation of Pressure- Relieving Devices in Refineries Part II Installation
API 553: 2012 Refinery Valves and Accessories for Control and Safety Instrumented Systems
API 554: 2007 Process Instrumentation and Control

API 12L: 2008 Specification for Vertical and Horizontal Emulsion Treaters
API 2000:2014 Venting Atmospheric and Low –Pressure Storage Tanks
API 12F:2008 Specifications for Shop-Welded Tanks for Storage of Production Liquids
API 12D: 2008 Specification for Field Welded Tanks for Storage of Production Liquids
API STD 610: 2011 Centrifugal Pumps for Petroleum Petrochemical and Natural Gas Industries.

Mr Agboola Afolayan, Deputy Director Standards Development / Head Chemical-Tech moderated the proceedings of the day while Engr Oljuie Head Lagos 1 office / Group Head LPG Engr. Nwaoma Olujie was also on hand to support in driving the process which culminated in the adoption of the API standards

Stakeholders represented from the oil sector include representatives of, Cakasa Nig Comp. Ltd., Peachlite Eng. Consulting Services, Winelight Analytical Systems, Lopa Energy Ltd. Addax Petroleum, Dorman Long Engineering, Mobil Producing Nigeria and agencies like Nigeria Society of Chemical Engineers, FIIRO, Nigeria Institute of Mechanical Engineering and the Nigerian Institute of Welders.

AfCFTA: MAN, SON Partners to Checkmate Illegal Trade Deals

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) have partnered to checkmate illegal trade deals that might exist since Nigeria recently signed African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) .

Although, the president, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN),  Mr Mansur Ahmed stated that the agreement would open lots of opportunities for the Nigerian economy, but stated that it comes with potential threats and challenges where unscrupulous dealers in substandard goods would hide under it to bring in fake and substandard goods.

To address this challenge, he called on the present administration to empower SON in terms of human, technological and institutional capacity  in a bid to combat dumping post AfCFTA.

In his words, “I believe this creates a new demand for SON and other regulators to scale up their activities to prevent dumping. By doing this, we are not protecting the interest of only the Nigerian manufacturers, but the African manufacturers at large.

"It requires an even greater cooperation with stakeholders such as MAN. I believe this is what the agency is working on now and we will certainly support any effort in this regard.”

He added: “SON has built capacity, they have incorporated new technology in their work, but also the challenges in the ports have increased and with the signing of the AfCFTA there will be more challenges that would be facing SON. I think returning SON to the ports is something we should look at.”

According to him, plans are ongoing to sign a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SON which would enable both parties to work more extensively, while also addressing issues confronting the manufacturing sector.

“The MoU would address all issues as they arise in a continuous basis, because it is not something we can do once and forget about, we will be interfacing SON continuously and therefore, we need to find a framework which will be provided by the MoU that will enable us to resolve issues as they come without creating challenges to operators or regulators,” he said.

“This is a meeting we should have had a very long time ago. The importance of this meeting to MAN is very clear where we now have a basis to understand the objective and requirements of SON with regards to ensuring continuous quality of products not just for the ones manufactured locally, but also imported, because this ensures a market that we can compete effectively.

"We have had for too long substandard goods being imported into the country which does lots of harm to our economy and specifically to our operations in the sector and I think with this kind of collaboration and cooperation with the regulator and the industry.

"I believe that the possibility of reducing the importation of substandard goods would be brought down to the barest minimum,” he said.

The Director General, SON, Osita Aboloma, said the meeting was aimed at safeguarding the local manufacturers to achieve accelerated industrial development, saying that SON and MAN’s robust relationship have spun over the years.

He pointed out that the standards body is also working with MAN as a team to protect the manufacturing sector against the influx of substandard products.

He said going forward, any importer who abuse the import permit given to manufacturers to import raw materials and machinery for local production would be answerable to SON.

Aboloma added: “Like every other sectors, there are bound to be bad eggs who take advantage of loopholes by importing finished products instead of raw materials and machinery. We have also agreed that anybody that takes advantage of this window to import finished products instead of raw materials that we have given concession to will be answerable to us in his personal capacity, he will no longer be sheltered under the concession given to MAN.”

“Import permit is different from SONCAP that is more rigorous for people to bring in goods into the country. So when you have permit to bring in machinery or raw material, but if you bring in finished products, it is illegal whether it is substandard or quality because you have already abused the system, you are not only taking advantage of it to bring in substandard products, but also shortchanging the federal government revenue to earn foreign exchange.  

"We  have perfected plans to sign an MoU to checkmate the lacuna, fashion out definite rules of engagement between SON and members of MAN,” he said.

Air Peace Captain Debunks Report Saying Aircraft Landed Without Tyres

 

Simisola Ajibola, the captain who operated the Air Peace flight on July 23, which had nose wheel collapse, has debunked reports, saying the aircraft landed without tyres.

 

She said the incident, which took place at the international runway of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, happened after the aircraft touched down.

 

“We had a very serviceable aircraft. Our aircraft are machines that are well maintained. It wasn’t the first flight of that day. When we flew the aircraft it was perfectly in good shape.

 

“The report about initial landing without tyres is not true. The incident happened after we touched down.  I didn’t go into the air without tyres, we weren’t on a decent without tyres. Some reports say we called for emergency while in the air and that is not true. It was after we landed we asked for emergency services. So whatever happened, happened on the runway that day,” Ajibola added. 

 

However, Tunji Oketunbi, corporate communications manager, Accident Investigation Bureau, (AIB) said the bureau has begun investigation into the issue and will come up with preliminary reports soon.

“It is a cumbersome process. Some components have been retrieved from the airline to help with the investigation. So it will take some time but we are doing everything possible to ensure the report is out sooner than expected,” Oketunbi added. 

 

SON Seizes N38m Worth of Substandard Galvanised Roofing Sheets

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has stormed a ware house in Ogba area of Lagos to clamp down on a dealer who imports and produces substandard galvanised roofing sheet into the country.

The Director General, SON, Osita Aboloma, represented by the Director, Inspectorate and Compliance, Engr. Obiora Manafa, said the move was to serve as a deterrent to unscrupulous importers and manufacturers who indulge in illicit trade, saying that there is no hiding place for substandard goods in the country.

Recall that the agency recently seized over N200 million worth of substandard aluminium roofing sheet in Uyo.

Manafa added that the seized galvanised roofing sheet in Lagos  is worth over N38 million, adding that SON will stop at nothing to ensure that only goods that conform to the Nigeria Industrial Standard (NIS) are allowed to thrive in the Nigerian market.

He explained that the roofing sheets fell below the NIS 180 standard for galvanised roofing sheets which stipulates the minimum thickness for roofing sheet to be 0.15mm.

In his words, “The objective is to evacuate substandard roofing sheets from the market. We are moving all of them away for destruction. The task force were given a term of reference, but the overall mandate is to eradicate substandard products from the Nigerian market. The roofing sheets are substandard, because if you look at the standards for galvanised roofing sheet NIS 180, it stipulates the minimum thickness for the product and the minimum thickness is 0.15mm, but most of the galvanised roofing sheet we have here fall below the standard and this is what we do not want to allow into the Nigerian market.”

He said going forward, SON would go through every nook and cranny of the country raiding markets, warehouses, adding that the aim is to protect unsuspecting consumers while also adding value for hard earned money spent on purchasing goods.

“If you use this kind of roofing sheet for your structure, any little wind would destroy it and this is what we do not want to encourage. So, we are appealing to all Nigerians especially importers and our local manufacturers also to stick to the NIS 180. We have valued this one to be around N38 million and we are still going to seize more. This campaign is ongoing to continue in the country. We are appealing to everybody not to waste their money buying substandard goods, because if you continue dealing with this product, SON will seize and destroy them. We are not happy we are destroying these products because it is a loss to the economy, but we have to protect Nigerians which is our primary responsibility,” he said. 

We want consumers to have value for any money they spend on buying products. Some of these substandard were imported and manufactured locally and we are seizing all of them because they failed to meet the specific requirement of the NIS. For aluminium sheets, if the standard is below 0.4, we will seize and destroy them. We are doing all of this to safe the local producers of quality goods and we also do not want these unscrupulous people bringing in this product to underprice our local manufacturers and if this happens, they will not make money and lay off their workers. This is why we are fighting tooth and nail to eradicate substandard goods in the country,” he stressed.

He said the seized goods where smuggled in because they do not have SONCAP certificate, saying products such as this must not come into the country unchecked.

“Our Independent Accreditation Firms (IAFs) who we appointed to do inspection activities on our behalf must have tested them and ensure that they comply to the standards. Even if they beat us at the port, we will go after them in the markets and warehouses to look for them. Right here in the warehouse, we have conducted a lot of test on these products, we have our micrometer screw gauges which we use to check the thickness. 

We cannot do this alone, this is why we work with sister agencies and intelligent surveilance units to gather information about how to get these products before they enter into the countr,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, the Coordinator, Surveillance Intelligence and Monitoring Unit (SIM), Suleiman Isa, said the goods would be destroyed and recycled, pointing out the enforcement exercise would be a national activity.

“We have succeded in loading the substandard products and we are about to take them to our warehouse. The next line of action is destruction and recycling which will be determined by the management of SON. 

This is going to be a national activity and it is going to be happening on a continuous basis. We are also using this opportunity to advise all importers and even the local manufacturers to ensure that they meet the minimum requirements of the standards for these products. Failure to do this, their products will be seized and destroyed,” he said.

“We have been carrying out sensitisation programmes to enlighten people on the dangers of substandard products, but the issue is that people go for inferior products because of the price and at the end of the day the cheap products are not cheap, but expensive,” he stressed. 

 

SON, Customs Bicker Over Products Examination At Ports

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has stated that the directive by the Federal Government that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) should always invite it for the daily cargo examination at the various terminals at the nation’s sea-ports, has not been compiled with.

Indeed, stakeholders interested in the matter have urged SON to take the matter up with to the federal government, adding that the refusal by NCS to carry along SON during inspection of products at the ports affects the ease of doing business mantra of the federal government.

This has reportedly led officials of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to continually lay ambush for containers that have already being cleared out of the ports and released by the customs. Already, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has expressed shock at the development, noting that the action has led to the incessant stoppage of containers on the highways,

The LCCI, through its Director General, Muda Yusuf, noted that it was improper for the operatives of SON to be intercepting containers on the highways on account of some fees or charges that have not been settled by importers.It also argued that “where there were outstanding charges to be paid to SON or issues about SONCAP compliance, such matters should be dealt with before the container leaves the port”.

Justifying its action, SON had alleged that the Nigeria Customs Service has failed to invite its personnel for examination of containers, hence its decision to intercept containers after they are released at the ports.

An official however told The Guardian that, SON has been permanently shut out of the statutory cargo examination. He equally denied that SON had seized any container after inspection on the highways.The public Relations Officer (PRO) of Apapa Command of Customs; Nkeiruka Nwala, a Deputy Superintendent of Customs had defended the agency’s action saying the service cannot invite the Standards Organisation of Nigeria for cargo examination, because SON is no domiciled in the ports.

Nwala said that for cargoes that require the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) certificate, men of the Nigeria Customs Service have always demanded that from importers, even before duties on the cargoes are collected.

She said: “SON is not domiciled in the ports, it’s just like saying that items that require end-user and then you say that the officials at the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) that customs should be inviting them”

“If they (importers) have any document they are supposed to provide from such before cargo examination, they go to SON on their own, it has nothing to do with Customs. If they are importing items that require SON certification, they go on their own to get the certification.

“So if you don’t have it (certification), we will send you back to SON. So the work of SON is not about examination, it is product certification. So customs cannot be inviting SON; for what? It is a certification and documentary thing”, she insisted.

According to her “But if for any reason SON now have an import that they suspect the certification process or anything, all they need to do is to send a message via the NICIS 2 platform and notify that they have interest in a container that is it.”

“If an importer or his agent imported an item that requires SONCAP, we all have a list of items that require SONCAP we only ask the importer to bring the certificate, they are part of the documents you must provide”, she explained.

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has however advised the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to report the Nigeria Customs Service to the Vice President, if the service fails to invite them for examination of cargoes at seaport.

According to the Director General of LCCI, Yusuf interception of containers on the roads would affect ease of doing business policy of the federal government urging the organisation to report the NCS to the Vice President who is in charge of implementing the policy ease of doing business at the seaports

Air Peace Chairman pledges support for late Chris Iwara’s family …Eku community, friends, others paid glowing tributes

The Chairman of Nigerian leading airline, Air Peace Limited, Mr Allen Onyeama said the company will ensure the family of the late Mr. Chris Iwara, the airline’s former Corporate Communication Manager who died on June 7th in a ghastly motor accident at Mangoro area of Dopemu along the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway in Lagos is adequately catered for. 

Mr. Allen described the death of Chris as one of the saddest day in his life and explained that staff of the airline are finding it hard to come to term with the demise of the ex spokesman whom he described as a consummate lawyer, journalist and cooperate communication expert who worked tirelessly to positively project the image of the airline.

The Air Peace Chairman, while speaking at the burial ceremony of the late Chris in his home town, Eku in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta state on Saturday recounted how he received the sad news from his wife on the fateful day and rushed back to Lagos from his home town in Anambra state to coordinate the medical service been given to his spokesman affirming that the company was planning to immediately to fly Mr  Chris Iwara abroad for further treatment before he gave up the ghost.

In an emotional laden speech, the Air Peace Chairman, who led a delegation of over 50 members of staff of the airline to the burial ceremony said he has lost a dependable ally and disciplined soldier who always stand for justice, fairness and equality among staff irrespectively of tribe, religion and position.

Mr. Allen, who is the Chairman of Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria, said “l am yet to see a young man with the quality of my wonderful late friend, Chris. He is one whom l delegates multiple tasks to and goes to sleep knowing that those assignments are done deals. He exudes passion for whatever you commit into his hands to carry out. He was super intelligent, a hard worker, multi-skilled, extremely dedicated”.

He said “l close from work by 2.am and each time l look through my cameras, l see Chris still moving from one office to the other at such time just to make sure that everything is going according to plan even those outside the  purview of his office. If there is one thing l admired most about him, it is his fearlessness, he is a soldier who takes the bullets for the company most times, he looks at me and tells me, Mr. Chairman, with all due respect Sir, l disagree with you on this and this is the way l think we have to do this things and always, his suggestions and advice are right”

According to Mr. Allen, “on that fateful day, l was already preparing to fly Chris oversea for the best medical services he could get anywhere, but God knows best, we cannot question him. I will ensure his family gets the best of support in life and l will lend supports to anything that Chris represents.”

He added that Nigeria has lost an upwardly mobile, fearless and courageous future leader whose interest in championing justice for the oppressed and less privilege and victimized members of the society is legendary.

In his tribute, Editor of Guardian Newspaper Limited, Mr. Abraham Ogbodo said few youth with the sterling quality of the late Chris Iwara exist in Nigeria just as he said he lack words to describe his present feelings.

Mr. Ogbodo, who spoke on behalf of Atamu Social Club of Nigeria, a foremost social cultural group of the Urhobo nation said “the late Chris was a son to me; a bright and shining star has been shot down, the Urhobo nation has just lost one of its brightest rising stars. Eku town has lost its best advocate and defender while the Atamu has been denied a versatile and irreplaceable son and leader”.

He added that “Chris was a Nigerian who fight for and defend the oppressed and a voice for the downtrodden. The Legal profession will miss one of its finest breeds while the media profession; the Baptist church will also miss its best hand, devout and staunch disciple of Christ. But Heaven just gained an Angel and what wisdom and fortitude have mere mortals like us to question the deeds of the Almighty God?

Mr. Ogbodo affirmed that “the late Chris Iwara is a rare breed, an irreplaceable and indescribable genius, a man of many parts. A young man full of life and energy: no one dare make imputations or conjectures to belittle him or infringes his rights or those around him yet he is the most gentle and respectful young man you will ever come across”

The occasion witnessed outpouring of glowing tributes from colleagues at Air Peace, families and members of the Eku community, colleagues in the legal and media professions as well as church members, childhood friends and beneficiaries of scholarship awards the late Chris championed for indigent Urhobo students in various tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

The officiating minister Reverend D Unuse described death as a debt every one owe his or maker and prayed for grace for the Iwara family to bear the lost of their son.

The Air Peace Chairman, the company Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide, Chief of Finance and Administration, Mrs. Ejiroghene Eghagha and Head, Transcorp Hilton Group Nigeria, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo in company of the airline staff also paid a condolence visit to the parent of the late Air Peace image maker, Chief Solomon and Mrs. Rose Iwarah in their family compound along the old Sapele road.

Youth Development: Dana Air Partners Soccer Stars ProjectTM with Samson Siasia

As part of its commitment to youth and sports development in Nigeria, Dana Air has announced its partnership with soccer stars projectTM with Nigeria’s ex international, Samson Siasia, scheduled to commence from July 15 to Aug.15.

The project which is scheduled to hold across 13 states of the federation: Lagos, Rivers, Abuja, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Kano, Plateau, Abia, Delta, Sokoto, Imo and Plateau is aimed at discovering and promoting young talented football stars in Nigeria.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Media and Communications Manager of Dana Air, Mr Kingsley Ezenwa said, Dana Air’s commitment to youth and sports development in Nigeria is unwavering. 

As you know, we are proud sponsors of two Nigerian Professional league teams – Akwa United fc of Akwa Ibom and Heartland fc of Imo state for the second year running and our sponsorship is just our contribution towards making the league glamorous and keeping the players motivated.’’

‘’Our partnership with the soccer stars project  is a good opportunity to take a lot of our talented football stars off the streets and empower them with good contracts as Fifa accredited agents will also be around to select from the pool of soccer stars abound in Nigeria.’’

 The former Super Eagles of Nigeria head coach, Samson Siasia, while commenting on his reason for the project said, ‘’the primary  aim is to groom talents in soccer with first hand opportunity to be signed by international scouts.

'Pre-screening exercise has commenced in some local governments and our desire is to search for upcoming players or professional footballers who can join the European league side on an automatic contract deal signing. ‘’

He noted that the trials which will be held across 13 states from July to August, will consist of several game practices and exercises designed to show the players’ range of ability, skills, speed and athleticism.  

Dana Air, one of Nigeria’s leading airlines; is the first domestic airline  in Nigeria to unveil a mouth watering sponsorship deal for two Nigerian professional league sides – Akwa united fc and Heartland fc of Owerri.

The airline is reputed for its innovative online products and services, superior on-time departures and word –class in-flight service.

SON clarifies position on picketing by AUPCTRE

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has clarified its position on allegations by the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) following which the Union picketed the SON Corporate Headquarters Abuja.

Addressing newsmen during the picketing, SON Head, Public Relations, Bola Fashina disclosed that it is the union rather than SON that was disrespecting the directive from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, which clarified the jurisdictional scope of the two Unions in SON. 

The Ministry clarified that AUPCTRE is to unionise the junior staff while the  staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) does the same for senior staff,  he said.

The SON spokesman alluded to the payment of 20 per cent of staff total emoluments as part of the Conditions of Service (CoS) since 2017 in addition to other welfare packages like group life insurance and provision of consumables during festivities among others. 

Fashina stated that the Management found it necessary to inform the staff of the clarification from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment for proper guidance on the exercise of their rights of association. 

He said “arrears of salaries owed staff employed in 2016 was 11 months which now remains only 2months to be paid. It has been appropriated in the 2019 budget and will soon be paid by the Federal Government through the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as stated recently by Accountant General of the Federation”.

On contract awards for general sensitization, he stated that the programmes followed an identified gap in the organisation’s reach out to stakeholders, stressing that they are appropriated; the awards follow the requirements of the procurement act. 

They are also complementary to the regular activities of the SON State Offices in educating sectoral stakeholders, Fashina said.

The SON Spokesman stated that issues of secondment of officers between Government organisations are provided for in the Public Service Rules, emphasising that the organisation is within extant provisions.

Commenting on purported promotion of staff within months of employment,  he emphasised that graduates of between 15 to 20years wrongly employed on CONRAISS 7 and 8 were advanced based on their qualifications and requisite experiences.

He stressed that due process was followed with the concurrence of the Hon. Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment secured in the absence of the SON Governing Council in place then.

On the way forward, Fashina stated that Management has extended its hand of fellowship to the AUPCTRE to dialogue towards arriving at a consensus. 

This he said includes invitation to Union representatives to take their place in a Committee set up to harmonise the two versions of existing CoS from 2012 and 2016.

According to him, letters were dispatched to the National President of AUPCTRE with copy to the FCT branch and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment inviting the union to the negotiating table. The meeting held for on Wednesday,  May 15, 2019 at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

The FCT branch of AUPCTRE, led by Comrades Aliyu Maradun, Chairman and Sikiru Waheed, Secretary mobilized its members to disrupt activities at the SON Headquarters,  Abuja.

Addressing the Press the Labour leaders accused the SON Management of disrespecting a directive from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment on voluntarism, coerssion and harrassment of their members in SON.

Their other grouses include:
- request for immediate approval of CoS
- promotion of some staff from CONRAISS 8 to 10, 7 to 11 within months of their resumption 
- immediate payment of outstanding salary arrears of staff employed in 2016 and 2018 promotion arrears
- immediate return of all Officers on Directorate Cadre on secondment to SON and 
- Independent review of contracts for nationwide Stakeholders sensitization workshops.

Osoba applauds Air Peace as Onyema wins Zik prize for leadership

Former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba on Sunday praised Air Peace for fighting its way to the top spot as the biggest airline in West and Central Africa despite the daunting challenges of doing business in the aviation sector.

Osoba made the commendation in Lagos during the 2018 Zik Prize in Leadership, where Air Peace Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Allen Onyema was honoured with the Zik Prize in Entrepreneurial Leadership.

He described Onyema as an exceptional entrepreneur who had transformed the airline business with the establishment of Air Peace, expressing optimism that the carrier would make Nigeria proud with its soon-to-start long-haul flights to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai.

Osoba, who was the chairman of the 2018 Zik Prize in Leadership ceremony, said: “Those who are being honoured today (Sunday) are eminently qualified. They earned the awards. Onyema has shown his quality. 

lIn spite of the difficulties of doing business in the aviation sector, Air Peace has become one of the biggest airlines in Africa. I fly Air Peace most of the time.”

Earlier, organisers of the awards, the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC), gave insight into why the Air Peace boss was selected for the Zik Prize in Entrepreneurial Leadership.

“As a testament to his industry and hard work, Onyema has in record time of four years built Air Peace Limited into the biggest airline fleet in West and Central Africa. 

"Air Peace has distinguished itself in the aviation industry, providing jobs for thousands of Nigerians and foreigners,” the Prof. Jubril Aminu-led Advisory Board of PPRAC said.

Meanwhile, Onyema has said his Zik Prize in Entrepreneurial Leadership was a challenge for him to sustain his passion for investing in pro-development projects and campaigning for nationalism without ethnic bias.

He described Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe in whose honour the prize was instituted as a highly detribalised Nigerian leader, saying the nationalistic ideals of the late first Nigerian president should guide the nation in its quest for peace and unity.  

We deboarded unruly passenger due to safety concerns - Air Peace

Air Peace on Monday explained that it deboarded a passenger, identified as Mr Christopher Aniagboso , from its Lagos-Owerri flight to guarantee the safety of crew members and customers.

Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Chris Iwarah,  made the claim in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos. 

Iwarah said Aniagboso,  who had booked the flight on May 12 was deboarded because his conduct had the  potential of jeopardising the safety of Air Peace passengers and crew.

He said : " Aniagboso had missed his morning Lagos-Owerri flight on May 12. He later showed up for the afternoon flight in good time and was issued an over-wing exit seat on request.

“After boarding, he was approached by a crew member for the normal safety briefing for passengers in the over-wing exit seats, but he suddenly claimed he could not understand English.

"Other passengers around him offered to translate to him, but he insisted that the crew must brief him in Igbo.

“When all efforts to have  Aniagboso cooperate with the crew failed, the crew advised him to change his seat as the flight was already running late. He declined the advice to change his seat."

According to him, the captain of the flight, who was eventually briefed on the development, also did everything to secure the passenger's cooperation to no avail. 

Iwarah said at this point, the airline's crew members were left with no other alternative than to advise Aniagboso to disembark to enable the flight depart.

“It is important to state that only those who are able to clearly understand and express their willingness to perform their safety responsibility are allowed by aviation regulations to sit in the exit row.

" It is also clearly stated in the safety cards that only those who can speak English are allowed to sit in the exit row.

"Also, all through his interaction with our ground staff, Aniagboso communicated in fluent English.

"His claim of not being able to communicate in English at the point of the safety briefing was, therefore, only meant to disrupt and delay the flight," he said. 

Iwarah added that Air Peace takes pride in promoting the use of all local languages on board its flights without discrimination. 

"We encourage our crew to speak the local language whenever it is possible to do so. But we do not allow passengers with ill motive to disrupt our flights and endanger the safety of our esteemed customers and crew.

“Conducts with the potential of jeopardising the safety of our esteemed customers and crew are not welcome on any of our flights," he said. 

FG urged to release accumulated Export Expansion Grant

In the last six months, non-oil exporters in the country have been mounting pressure on the federal government to release the accumulated Export Expansion Grant (EEG), from 2007 – 2016.

In a letter dated 10 April and signed by the Executive Secretary,  Organised Private Sector Exporters Association (OPEXA), Mr. Jaiyeola Olanrewaju, and directed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the association pointed out that the federal government had earlier approved promissory notes (PN) programme in 2017, at its Federal Executive Council  meeting and forwarded to the National Assembly for their approval in 2018. It was stated that National Assembly had also conveyed its approval for payment of N195 billion claims in January, 2019.

“We, the exporters have been waiting anxiously, since the approval from NASS for the PNs to be issued. It was only on 4th April 2019, almost 70 days after the approval from NASS that the DMO (Debt Management Office) called the exporters to brief us on the implementation of PN program,” the letter stated.

It went on to condemn the sudden move by the DMO to issue the PNs through a Reverse Auction Process, adding that the DMO has not been forthcoming with any further details about the mechanism of Reverse Auction Process.

Consequently, the association made a three-point demand on the issue. Firstly, was that the Reverse Auction Process (RAP) for issuance of Promissory Notes (PNs) should be reconsidered by the government. Secondly, that the government (including the Debt Management Office, DMO) should restrict themselves to issuing the PNs as the shortest term feasible for payment, while equal treatment should be meted to all beneficiaries of all categories of PN.

The third demand by OPSEA was that exporters should be issued PNs with shortest tenure (spread evenly over a maximum period of three years) bearing in mind that payment has been delayed for a period of three to 12 years for member’s claims.

The association declared that members were becoming unsettled in their businesses more than ever and unable to carry out their vital roles.
The association said government’s inaction was causing challenges to their members.

One of such major challenges it stated, was the accumulating interests on loans which was said to be making their investment and pricing decisions in their businesses very difficult. “We have taken up debts to service the receivables and these debts are incurring further interests with the continuing delay in the payment of EEG claims,” the letter added.

Though it is believed that the current government under the leadership of President Mohamadu Buhari, has shown clear intention to take the country out of the perennial dependence on oil revenue by getting other sectors up and working, analysts have insisted that the ongoing dispute could be a stumbling block if not nip in the bud.

According to OPSEA, the inability of government to meet up with the promissory notes for non-oil exporters for dues owed them for over nine years may undermine the successes recorded so far by the policy.

In a letter to the president appealing for his intervention on the matter, OPSEA recounted that before now, the previous administration commenced the issuance of EEG to genuine exporters but the grant was later suspended in 2007 due to duplicitous claims and counter-claims by stakeholders over who and who should indeed benefit from the package.

Meanwhile, initially pressure was on the National Assembly to do its work and give its legislative nod for the issuance of the federal government’s N350 billion Promissory Notes to exporters in continuation of the EEG. But the pressure is now back on the executive to complete what it started by ensuring that the PNs are settled without further delays.

Reliably sources have it that the Federal Executive Council had sent three issues for the formal approval by the National Assembly earlier in the year. The three executive resolutions bothered on the EEG claims, payment of construction contractors and pensions.

While the lawmakers were said to have since rectified the two items, it was however unclear then if legislative action on the EEG claims was made.

Anyaoku commends Air Peace over support for youth development

Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku has hailed the commitment of West and Central Africa’s biggest airline, Air Peace to youth development in Nigeria.

Anyaoku made the commendation on Sunday during the finals of the 12th edition of the Annual Under-16 Inter-State Emeka Anyaoku Cup in Lagos.

He urged Air Peace to sustain its support for youth development projects, saying the nation needed to invest more in its young people to ensure its well being.

Anyaoku affirmed that the tournament instituted in his honour by the  National Youth Soccer Association  and supported by Air Peace had continued to positively impact the youth.

He said some of the participants had been exposed to life-changing opportunities.

He presented a medal to Air Peace as a symbol of recognition of its role in youth development in the country.

Speaking at the event, Air Peace Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Allen Onyema said the carrier would continue to distinguish itself as a pro-youth organisation.

Onyema, who was represented at the event by Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah, said the airline had provided massive opportunities to positively channel the creative energies of the youth.

He said the airline, which would soon launch its international flights to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai, would continue to support efforts aimed at projecting a positive image for Nigeria.

He described Anyaoku as a worthy Nigerian who had brought honour to the country and should be celebrated.

Air Peace, he said, would continue to identify with projects conceived to celebrate Anyaoku’s distinguished service to the country. 

Passengers predict bright future for Air Peace on international routes

West and Central Africa’s leading airline, Air Peace on Monday ended the first round of its operations to give air travellers a foretaste of its soon-to-start long-haul flights to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai, with members of the flying public saying the carrier was on the right track to provide an exceptional international travel experience.

The airline deployed one of the four Boeing 777 aircraft it acquired for its international flights for the showpiece operations, which started on Good Friday.

It operated on the Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt routes, winning accolades from air travellers comprising top government officials, royalties, corporate executives, among others.

Air Peace said it deployed its wide-body aircraft for the Easter operations “to give Nigerians and the flying public an Easter gift and showcase our readiness for our international operations, starting with our inaugural international flights to Sharjah/Dubai. Other international routes, including Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai will later follow.

"We are set and ready to give Nigerians, Africans and the flying public a reliable alternative on our chosen international routes. But we are pleased to give our loyal customers on the domestic routes a foretaste of our long-haul offering.”

The Boeing 777 aircraft with registration mark 5N-BVE took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 10:01 a.m. and landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport at 10.46 a.m. to start the scheduled operations on the Port Harcourt-Abuja-Port Harcourt route.    
                                              The flights recorded huge passenger loads on all the sectors on Good Friday and Easter Monday, with ecstatic travellers praising the carrier for the initiative to give its domestic customers a feel of its international operations ahead of the actual launch.

Justice Sotonye Denton-West, who was on board the Port Harcourt-Abuja sector of the flight, commended Air Peace for giving its customers a wonderful experience on its Boeing 777 aircraft.

“I was hugely surprised when I saw the aircraft scheduled for my trip and when I boarded I was greeted to its luxurious atmosphere. With that, you can see the airline is on the right track with the state-of-the-art aircraft and wonderful service,” she said.

On his part, Director of Legal Services of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Kaltungo Moljengo, who was on board the Abuja-Port Harcourt sector of the flight, said he was satisfied with the luxury interior of the airline’s aircraft, its well-mannered and courteous crew and exceptional service.

He predicted a bright future for Air Peace on the international routes it planned to service.

Air Peace surprises travellers, deploys B777 for Easter operations

West and Central Africa’s biggest airline, Air Peace on Thursday pulled a big surprise on the travelling public with its plan to deploy its wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft for its domestic operations on the Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt  routes on Easter Friday and Monday.

Air Peace recently acquired four Boeing 777 aircraft for its long-haul operations to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai. Three of the wide-body aircraft have so far been delivered to the airline in readiness for its soon-to-start international operations.

A statement issued by Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Chris Iwarah said the carrier decided to deploy its Boeing 777 aircraft at Easter to "give Nigerians and the travelling public a taste of the luxury to expect on our international routes starting soon.

"The deployment of our beautiful big birds, the Boeing 777 on our domestic routes this Easter begins with our Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt services on Easter Friday and Monday.

“Although our decision to deploy our wide-body aircraft on the domestic routes has huge financial implications for us, we are pleased to honour our pledge never to spare anything in giving our esteemed customers an exceptional feel of air travel experience.

“In the next few days, we will be announcing a firm date for the commencement of our international operations.

"We plan to operate long-haul flight services to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg,  London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai. We are set and ready to give Nigerians, Africans and the flying public a reliable alternative on our chosen international routes.

"But we are pleased to give our loyal customers on the domestic routes a foretaste of our long-haul offering.

" It sure will be a memorable experience starting with our Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt services on Easter Friday and Monday.”

The airline said the flight departs Port Harcourt for Abuja at 10.45 a.m. and returns to Port Harcourt at 12.30 p.m. on Easter Friday. The Easter Monday operations, it added, would take off from Port Harcourt at 8.30 a.m., with a return flight at 10.45 a.m.  

Air Peace boss loses father

Chief Michael Chukwuka Onyema (Nze Onyebuchi of Mbosi), father of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema, has passed on.

A devout Catholic and community leader, Chief Onyema passed on at the weekend. He was 86 years old. 

Speaking on the passing of his father, the chairman of Air Peace said he and his siblings would greatly miss Chief Onyema.

He described the departed head of the Onyema family of Mbosi in Ihiala Local Government of Anambra State as “my best friend.”

The second son and last surviving child of the late Mr. Alfred Onyema, Chief Onyema was a valuable member of the Mbosi Traditional Council and an ichie in the king’s cabinet.

Chief Onyema was famous for his tireless sacrificial community service.

He was the motivator of the several corporate social responsibility projects undertaken by Air Peace in different areas of Nigeria.

An amiable and hospitable leader, Chief Onyema was also credited with the mass employment of Nigerians without discrimination on ethnic or religious basis.

After losing his wife, Mrs. Helen Ekwusi Onyema at a young age, Chief Onyema shouldered the huge responsibility of catering for the upbringing of his young children alone.

He was a man that loathed dishonesty. A very opened-minded and passionately detribalised Nigerian, he encouraged and supported his children to see every Nigerian as one.

Chief Onyema supported his first child, the CEO of Air Peace, to marry a Northerner against the counsel of some of his friends. He also happily gave out one of his younger daughters in marriage to a Yoruba. 

He was a natural activist, speaking up against injustice and man's inhumanity to man, an attribute he bestowed on his son, Allen Onyema.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later by the family of the departed leader.

International flights : Obiano seeks FG's support for Air Peace

Anambra Governor, Chief Willie Obiano on Monday urged the Federal Government to give the needed support to Nigerian carrier,  Air Peace to enable the airline begin flights on the international routes.

The governor made the appeal in a
statement issued by the State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Don Adinuba.

It will be recalled that no Nigerian airline is currently plying the lucrative international routes which recorded 15,645 flights in 2018.

The federal government has  however granted Air Peace approval to start long-haul operations to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai.

Adinuba quoted Obiano as describing Air Peace, which recently received its third B777 aircraft in preparation for its foray into the international market,  as the fastest growing and most ambitious airline in Nigeria's history. 

The governor expressed  satisfaction with the number of aircraft the airline had acquired since it commenced flight operations in 2014.

Obiano urged the federal government to support the airline with a flag carrier status instead of floating a new national carrier like the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited. 

"This is a more pragmatic step to take than the rumoured current attempt in some quarters to make the President Muhammadu Buhari administration establish a state-owned airline.

"This is despite the terrible record of Nigeria Airways and the government's wise suspension of Nigeria Air in September 2018.

"There is no way any state-owned or promoted airline can enhance Nigeria's reputation in the world that Air Peace is not doing and will continue to do with greater efficiency and results," he added. 

According to him, of  particular interest to both the flying public and the government is the airline's safety record which is excellent owing to the extra mile it goes to not only maintain its machines to the highest global standards.

He commended the professionalism demonstrated by Air Peace staff in their flight operations, asserting the airline’s flight services were comparable to those of its international counterparts.

Police most corrupt institution in Nigeria- SERAP survey

 

A new public survey released today by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) reports high levels of corruption in public institutions in Nigeria for the past 5 years. Of the five major public institutions surveyed, the police emerge as the most corrupt, with the power sector identified as the second most corrupt in the country today.

Other public institutions identified as corrupt by 70% of Nigerians surveyed are: the judiciary, education and health ministries. The survey reveals that the level of corruption has not changed in the last 5 years.

The latest report by SERAP entitled Nigeria: Corruption Perception Survey was launched today at the Sheraton Hotels, Lagos.

According to the survey, “a bribe is paid in 54% of interactions with the police. In fact, there is a 63% probability that an average Nigerian would be asked to pay a bribe each time he or she interacted with the police.  That is almost two out of three.”

The chair of the report launch Professor Akin Oyebode said: “Nigeria is looked upon as a giant of Africa. Yet Nigeria could not conduct free, fair and credible elections. It is a smear on the image of Nigeria. If we do away with selective enforcement and condonation of corruption, we will build and live in a better society. Corruption is a refined form of stealing. The politicians are stealing our common patrimony. Development of the people is almost inversely proportional to the level of corruption.”

The report read in part: “Corruption remains a significant impediment to law enforcement, access to justice and basic public services such as affordable healthcare, education, and electricity supply. Several Nigerians have to pay a bribe to access police, judiciary, power, education and health services. Corruption is still a key concern in the country with 70% of Nigerians describing the level of corruption as high and in the same measure, stating that corruption levels either increased or remained the same in the last five years.”

“The national survey carried out between September and December 2018, covered the police, judiciary, power, education and health sectors to assess the state of corruption in law enforcement and public service provision.”

“From the analysis of the anti-corruption legal and institutional framework in Nigeria, the following cross-cutting issues emerged: there is lack of political goodwill to consistently enforce the different anti-corruption laws; inadequate funding for the various anti-corruption agencies; weak public support and/or ownership of anti-corruption initiatives; poor clarity of roles between various anti-corruption agencies; and public perceptions of politicisation of corruption arrests and prosecutions.”

“Bribery experiences were interrogated and recorded in the key sectors of education, health, the police, judiciary and power. Data analysis was conducted under five different and interrelated variables. There was a 63% probability that an average Nigerian would be asked to pay a bribe each time he/she interacted with the police.  The likelihood of bribery in the power sector stood at 49%.  With the chances of encountering bribery at the judiciary, education and health services standing at 27%, 25% and 20% respectively.”

“The police were the most adversely ranked on this indicator. For every 100 police interactions reported by the respondents, there was a bribe paid in 54 interactions. The prevalence levels stood at 37% in the power sector and 18% in education,17.7% in the judiciary and 14% in the health sector.”

“51% of the individuals that paid bribes to the police and 35% to the power sector believed this was the only way to access the services sought from the institutions. The ranking of the education sector and the judiciary was less adverse with 16% perceiving bribery as the main avenue of accessing services in the institutions, and health services recording 13%.”

“The police and judiciary had the largest proportion of total bribes paid at 33% and 31% respectively. Bribes paid for education, power and health services accounted for 19%, 10.9 and 5% respectively of all bribes reported. The average amount of bribe paid by the respondents was highest among those who paid to the judiciary at about Naira 108,000 (US$ 298). All the other institutions ranked lower on this variable with Naira 12,253 and 11,566 reportedly paid to the police and education sectors, and Naira 6,462 and 5,143 paid for health and power services respectively.”

“Perceptions on corruption trends in Nigeria show almost 70% of the respondents perceived the current level of corruption as high compared to 15.5% that felt it was low.  70% of the respondents said corruption levels either increased or remained the same in the last five years. Only a quarter of the respondents felt corruption reduced in this period.”

“About 41% of the respondents projected that corruption will either increase or remain the same in the next year. About a third of the respondents (31.5%) believed the ruling elite are pursuing their selfish interests only therefore corruption levels will increase into the future. Additionally, about a quarter of the respondents (24.9%) believed the current anti-corruption efforts are not comprehensive enough. The poor state of the economy was also seen as a driving factor to increased corruption at 17.2%.”

“Respondents identified poor coordination among the different state players as a key obstacle at 18.4%. Lack of political will from the government and weak public support were ranked second at 12%. Civic action against poor governance: 54.8% of the respondents reported that they had not taken any action against poor governance. That more than a half of the respondents were unwilling to initiate action is alarming and points to low confidence levels that appropriate measures would be taken even if the respondents took action.”

“This assumption is buttressed by the finding that 82% of the actions taken were either not responded to or deemed sufficiently appropriate. Low civic action may also indicate low levels of public awareness on what redress mechanisms exist or how to access them.”

“The Federal government should establish an independent commission of inquiry to conduct a transparent, comprehensive, and impartial investigation into systemic corruption within the Nigeria Police Force, judiciary, and the ministries of power, education and health.”

“The Inspector General of Police should receive and investigate complaints of bribery and corruption against police officers filed by members of the public. The police should liaise with community leaders and civil society organisations in regard to incidents of police bribery and corruption within the community.”

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council should identify and review all outstanding cases of judicial corruption and refer such cases to appropriate anti-corruption agencies. They should apply the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers in a consistent and transparent manner, with full respect for the fundamental guarantees of fair trial and due process.”

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria and the NJC should publish annual reports of all activities involving the judiciary, including expenditure, and provide the public with reliable information about its governance and organisation, including the number of judges found to be corrupt, as well as ensure that the Chief Justice of Nigeria and all other judges make periodic asset disclosures.”

“The National Assembly should move swiftly to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act to ensure public access to asset declarations made by public officials, and urgently pass the Proceeds of Crime Bill, the Whistleblowers Bill, and the Witness Protection Bill among other relevant pieces of legislation.”

“The National Assembly should immediately publish all reports of investigations on corruption and corruption-related matters in the judiciary, education, power and health sectors among others that have been conducted by the National Assembly since the return of democracy in 1999.”

“A positive legacy by the in-coming administration on 29 May 2019 and the recently appointed Inspector General of Police will mean improving accountability of the police, and proactively working to end all forms of corruption within the rank and file of the police. The Inspector General of Police should streamline and prioritise internal control mechanisms by establishing an Ethics and Integrity Unit at each police station. The unit should include a human rights officer, an anti-corruption officer, and an officer responsible for service delivery complaints.”

“The survey targeted a total of 2,655 respondents selected from seven states spread across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria and the capital city of Abuja. The sample was proportionate to population size across these zones. The survey covered the police, judiciary, power, education and health sectors to assess the state of corruption in public law enforcement and service provision.”

“Data for the survey was collected through a survey among ordinary citizens picked through simple random sampling of Nigerians above 18 years; in-depth interviews with key governance experts including representatives of national anti-corruption bodies, trade unions, the business community, media, lawyers, academia, people living with disability and university student leaders; and a review of the legal and institutional frameworks guiding anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria to assess their effectiveness.”

 

Air Peace decorates 2 new captains, insists on high safety standards

West Africa’s biggest carrier, Air Peace on Monday elevated two members of its flight crew to the rank of captain, urging them to sustain the high safety standards the carrier is reputed for.

Speaking during the decoration of Mr  Oluwasegun Fatonade and Mr William Devine as captains at Air Peace Corporate Headquarters in Lagos, the carrier’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Allen Onyema said he was proud that they scaled the tough tests for donning the four-bar epaulette.

The rigorous requirements the new captains were subjected to, he insisted, were necessary to ensure they were qualified for the high quality of the airline’s flight operations.

He said Air Peace would continue to reward excellence as a pro-staff organisation and ensure that its workers were promoted without regard to ethnicity and favouritism.

“I’m one of the happiest persons today. I take pride in seeing people grow. We are pro-staff. In our own little way, we try to ensure that staff enjoy their time here. Anyone can become anything they want to be here without discrimination.

“I don’t meddle in matters involving selection and elevation of our flight crew. It is strictly on merit. For the flight crew training team to have adjudged the new captains worthy of flying for Air Peace, they really must be good. It says a lot about their quality.

" The tough tests they passed through before being selected for elevation as captains was necessary to ensure the sustenance of the high standards of our flight operations.

“It’s not everyone that was tested that made it. I urge the new captains to continue to work hard to sustain the high quality of our flight operations. The position of a captain is one that comes with huge responsibility, but I have no doubt they will excel in their new roles,” Onyema said.

Also,  Air Peace Head of Training, Capt. Ndubisi Ekwempu, who presented the new captains to Onyema for decoration, described them as hardworking and dedicated members of the flight crew.

Their elevation to the left seat, he said, was well deserved. He, however, urged Captains Fatonade and Devine not to rest on their oars.

He commended Air Peace chairman for giving the training team the liberty to do their job uninfluenced. Ekwempu praised the flight crew training team for working hard to produce the new captains.

National Development: The Private Sector Experience in the Nigerian Aviation Industry

National Development: The Private Sector Experience in the Nigerian
Aviation Industry By Eniola Ade-Solanke

Development is not rocket science, neither is it a mere game of chess. It has to be conscious and deliberate. Development is critical and essential to the sustenance and growth of any nation. A country is classified as developed only when is able to provide qualitative life for her citizenry.

According to research, a critical assessment of Nigeria’s development despite her abundance in human, natural and material resources reveals that the
country is yet to achieve the desired expectations as clamoured by her
citizens.

The growth of the agricultural sector, a system of mass education,
growth of local industries, export-oriented strategy, the discipline of leadership,
existence of effective bureaucracy, human resources development,
encouragement of a dynamic private sector working in co-operation with the
government towards a society-wide vision of development, institutional ability building and attention to the problems of governance, consistency and policy stability are key influencing actors critical to the development of our nation.

Only recently, our next door neighbour, Ghana, took everyone by surprise with
the launching of new Kotoka International Airport, Accra, with state-of-the-art
facilities and an imposing edifice that has become an attraction and
destination for tourists.

This feat was no doubt achieved within the shortestperiod possible with its government’s support.

In the case of Nigeria, the agency under whose care the nation’s airports are
domiciled, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), have been in the
public eye for quite a while – not necessarily on positive notes as the case with Kotoka Airport, but mostly about its unbridled controversies with
concessionaires and other investors in the industry.

Is it gratifying, for all intents and purposes for this agency to always be in the public eye primarily owing to its avowed mission to stifle the progressive efforts of investors? Rather than being impartial, they have assumed combined and conflicting roles as both competitors and regulators.

Or isn’t it necessary for government to provide the much needed support, atmosphere and enabling
environment for the nation’s aviation to thrive and compete favourably
among the league of nations of the world, like Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia,
Kenya, Egypt, Malaysia, United Arab Emirate (UAE) e.tc?

This appalling situation owing to a legion of factors not only frustrate
infrastructure development in Nigeria and sets us at the backseat of national
development, it does beg for an alternative solution.

If as a country, we are still at the stage where there are no proper heath care systems, where power
generation and supply is still a challenge, where access to quality education
is an issue, where so many things that require government input is lacking, then
why not provide an enabling environment for private sector investors?

The Public Private Partnership (PPP) model has worked in the development of
sectors such as energy, mining, transport and telecommunication in other
countries. The John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 4 (JFK Terminal 4) was the first major terminal to be managed by a foreign airport operator (Schiphol Group) in the United States.

It is the only non-airline, privately￾operated terminal at JFK. In May 1997, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey awarded a concession contract to JFK International Air Terminal LLC (JFKIAT), a subsidiary of the Schiphol Group, to operate, manage and maintain Terminal 4 until 2043.

According to the concession, JFKIAT was in charge of expanding the Terminal 4 and upgrading the airport infrastructure, which includes nine new international gates, customs and border security facilities and additional baggage space. JFK remains one of the best air terminal
models for the 21st century.

It would take more than words to achieve a Public Private Partnership (PPP)
that works and it is only when such collaborations work that the country can
enjoy the benefits. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO), a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is a partnership between the public
sector and the private sector for the purpose of delivering a project or a service traditionally provided by the public sector.

The advantage of a Public Private
Partnership is that the management skills and financial acumen of private
businesses could create better value for money for taxpayers when proper
cooperative arrangements between the public and private sectors are used.

However, in Nigeria, there is apathy towards the practical operation of this
model stemming from the attitude of Government; lack of investor security;
lack of respect for the sanctity of contracts and the rule of law.

Under this scenario, the case involving Bi-Courtney Limited, operators of the
MMA2 airport terminal is certainly not a good poster for the country. The MMA2
airport has made it easy for the travelling public to get better service than any
other airport in the country.

It has introduced innovation to air transport management and has been publicly adjudged the best terminal in the country owing to constant maintenance of modern facilities, technology
innovations, and good service to provide faster, safer and more customer
friendly experience for terminal users.

One must therefore celebrate the
promoters of MMA2 for resilience and doggedness for a rightfully earned
reputation in the Nigeria’s aviation industry through the demonstration of the positive possibilities for national advancement through Public-Private
Partnership against all odds.

The concern though, is that after 12years of such monumental success, no one
has been able to replicate such a facility or undertake similar private sector
investment, instead FAAN has decided to sell our fortune to the Chinese by
investing in an infrastructure that has not been completed in the last 6years.

Meanwhile the MMA2 which remains the Nation’s PPP pioneer success story
and a key employer of labour was completed in just 3years.

This PPP mechanism has influenced employment creation, leading to gainful
employment of an army of unemployed including capacity development for
skilled workers, which is a mainstream contributing factor for the boost of any
economy.

Going by these reality, it is obvious the only way for development to happen
in Nigeria is to attract the private sector to play a critical part in this journey. If
only more great Nigerians will heed the current call of the masses by assisting
Govt. to provide quality service in all sectors in the economy.

Interestingly, there have been ongoing engagement and sensitization by
officials of the same government on development, transformation,
collaboration etc. and the need to give PPP a chance since government
alone can no longer shoulder the responsibility of providing all necessary
critical infrastructure for the country at large.

But how best do you convince serious minded investors about the PPP
arrangement when local investors are being treated as unwanted partners?

When relevant agencies who are to create the enabling environment for
genuine private sector participation in the infrastructure development of the
nation’s aviation sector, across all levels, routinely breach binding agreements
/ contracts with sheer impunity and pay lip service to the ease of doing
business in Nigeria.

Clearly, there is a need to look inward to see to how the sector can move
forward, mine business opportunities available in air transportation services forinvestors and all key stakeholders in order to improve both the airport and
national economy and discontinue dissipating energy on how to fight
perceived enemies within.

The industry is begging for serious attention. The increasing influence of airports in the development of the region where they are located makes this matter one that requires unwavering attention.

This age-long tradition of inherent economic sabotage cannot take the sector anywhere. It’s high time to borrow
best ideas, global best practices and apply concepts that have truly been
impactful – all for the benefit of this struggling industry and our Nation at large.

Air Peace emerges best airline at Nigeria Travel Awards

Air Peace has again been chosen as Nigeria’s best airline, garnering 44.7 percent of the total votes cast in the domestic airlines category of the third edition of the Nigeria Travel Awards organised by Jumia Travel in Lagos on Monday.

The airline beat five other domestic carriers to clinch the “Best Local Airline of the Year” award. The first runner-up in the category came far behind with 15.6 percent of the total votes cast. Air Peace also picked the award for 2017.

The winner of the award was chosen by members of the public through a simple online poll that closed on March 6. The airline with the highest number of votes picked the award.

Speaking at the awards ceremony in Lagos, the Managing Director of Jumia Travel Nigeria and Ghana, Ms Omolara Adagunodo said the event was organised to celebrate and encourage those excellently acquitting themselves in their different spheres of operation.

Air Peace was represented at the awards by its Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Chris Iwarah, Assistant Customer Relations Manager, Mrs Patricia Ebilah and Corporate Communications Executive, Mr Efe Osifo-Whiskey.

Speaking after receiving the award, Iwarah assured that Air Peace was in the airline business to do Nigeria and Africa proud. The airline, he assured, would continue to sustain the high standards it was reputed for.

He said the carrier was poised to compete on the same platform with its counterparts across the world, especially with its soon-to-commence long-haul flights to Sharjah, Dubai, London, Houston, Guangzhou, Mumbai and Johannesburg.

He urged members of the flying public to continue to patronise Air Peace, assuring that the airline would neither disappoint them nor compromise the safety of its customers and crew.

Onyema tasks aviation staff on integrity as Air Peace honours pioneer manager

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema on Thursday urged aviation workers, especially those in the airline arm of the industry, to imbibe the virtues of hard work, humility, honesty and integrity to save their organisations from going down.

Onyema made the call during a reception held in honour of retiring Air Peace Flight Operations Manager, Mr. Olawale Amos Olajide in Lagos.

The Air Peace boss decried the increasing trend of dishonesty among airline staff, saying a lot of carriers had been destroyed by their workers’ lack of integrity and disloyalty.

He described Olajide as a dedicated, hardworking, honest and humble man of exceptional integrity and professionalism in the aviation industry.

Olajide, he said, joined Air Peace as pioneer Flight Operations Manager on July 1, 2013 and made huge contributions to the carrier’s ascendancy to the leadership of the air travel business in Nigeria and West Africa.

“Olajide would have retired two years ago. When he came to tell me, he did not say he was retiring to go and join another airline, because one thing is certain in this country, there is no airline better than Air Peace.

"I say this with every sense of humility and responsibility. When he told me he was retiring, I couldn’t take it. I told me ‘you are not going anywhere. You have to continue until I say it is okay’. He honoured my request to stay for another two years.

“Let me tell you something that you have to know tonight. If you have not got to the stage your employer will not allow you to leave, then you should begin to ask yourself questions. I want all of us here to make it impossible for your employer to let you go.

“What I am saying here is to encourage you to be like Mr. Olajide. Mr. Olajide gave his all to Air Peace. He was employed on July 1, 2013. That was the hardest period of our lives. That was the period he joined.

" He contributed immensely to everything we are today. He doesn’t react to pressure. Whatever comes, Mr. Olajide remains the same calm Mr. Olajide. He uses his calmness and humility to disarm you. He has patience in abundance. He has tolerance in abundance. I wish we all will learn from him. He is a man of integrity and honesty,” he said.

Onyema thanked Olajide’s spouse, Paulina and children for supporting their patriarch to sustain his reputation of hard work and honesty. He urged Olajide’s children to follow their father’s example and acquit themselves creditably in their different places of work.

He presented a certificate of excellence, cash and car to the retiring member of staff, saying Air Peace was grateful for his dedication to duty and would miss his valuable contributions to its flight operations.

Responding, Olajide said he was grateful to Onyema and Air Peace for the opportunity offered him to contribute to efforts to grow the airline. He assured that he would continue to be part of the carrier’s vision to transform air travel in the country and beyond.

2019Debate: KOWA party candidate: ‘We will probe OBJ over missing $16bn power projects

Presidential candidate of KOWA Party, Sina Fagbenro-Byron, has vowed to “set up an Independent Body of Investigators with specific powers to reopen the alleged missing $16 billion meant for electricity projects during the government of former president Olusegun Obasanjo and all reports of corruption in the electricity sector and to ensure effective prosecution of corruption allegations in the sector if voted into power.”

The KOWA party candidate said: “I am particularly interested in getting to the root of the allegations of looting of the benefits of families of the deceased employees of Power Holding Company of Nigeria; and the budgeted N16 billion between 2003 and 2007.”

Sina Fagbenro-Byron made the commitment today at the public enlightenment session on anti-corruption commitments for presidential candidates ahead of the February 16 general elections, organized by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

At the event which held at Radisson Hotel, Isaac John, Ikeja, Lagos, the KOWA presidential candidate said: “I also commit to a comprehensive audit of spending on security votes by presidents and governors since the return of democracy in 1999 and commit to direct the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to take legal action, in the public interest to hold governments to account on spending on security votes.”

SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare said: “We welcome the KOWA party presidential candidate’s detailed anti-corruption commitments. We call on other presidential candidates to publicly tell Nigerians what they will do regarding the illegal security votes, constitutional immunity clause, the missing $16 billion meant for electricity projects, and the opacity around asset declaration details by presidents and governors.”

“The leading presidential candidates--President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives’ Party and Atiku Abubakar of the People Democratic Party--should stop taking Nigerians for granted and speak to us directly on how, exactly, they will address these fundamental governance issues.”

Sina Fagbenro-Byron accepted all SERAP’s 5-point anti-corruption commitments for presidential candidates. His statement at the event read in part: “I do not subscribe to the current manner of management of security votes and I commit to subjecting such votes to public audit and scrutiny within 3-6 months of their expenditure and in which case the president and state governors shall be held responsible as Chief accounting officers regardless of whether they have delegated such powers.”

“I commit to decentralize the power generating, transmission and distribution capacity in Nigeria and will immediately institute a Law Review Panel to repeal and replace the Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005. Alongside this, I commit to the immediate set up of an Independent Body of Investigators to deeply investigate systemic corruption and impunity within the system.”

“I commit to the engagement of Independent Prosecutors as well as Special Anticorruption Courts in the six-geopolitical zones of the country for the effective and speedy prosecution of all indicted for corruption at state level. I also commit that within the first 365 days in office, to begin the process of a new constitution which will make provision for the institutions stated herein.”

“I commit to amending section 308 of the 1999 Constitution on immunity to exclude acts of criminal breach of trust. I also commit to work with the judiciary to improve the independence of the National Judicial Council, including by reviewing requirements for its leadership to allow retired judges of proven integrity to lead the council. I further commit to working with and encouraging the Chief Justice of Nigeria and National Judicial Council to ensure that the Chief Justice of Nigeria and all other judges make periodic asset declarations and public disclosures of such declarations.”

“I commit to empower the Attorney General and Minister of Justice or an Independent Investigator with an irrevocable instruction to cause to be periodically investigated cases of apparent disparity between the asset declarations of elected public servants, including of the President and Governors before assuming offices and their alleged wealth after leaving to refer such cases to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) the Code of Code Bureau for joint investigation and prosecution with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”

The public enlightenment session chaired by Dr Dele Seteolu, Lecturer, Department of Political Science Lagos State University (LASU) was attended by Professor Yemi Oke, University of Lagos (UNILAG); Professor Fassy Adetokunbo Yusuf, UNILAG; Dolapo Adeniran, Head Public Affairs, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); Seun Ademiluyi, National Human Rights Commission; representative of Mr. Tope Fasua, presidential candidate of Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party ANRP; and representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA); the Institute of Chartered Accountants; and the Institute of Taxation.

Others at the event were: representatives of the Chartered Institute of Stock Brokers; the Chartered Institute of Bankers; civil society organizations; the media and development partners, among others.

It would be recalled that SERAP had last month sent an open letter to major presidential candidates for Nigeria’s February 16 election urging them to “publicly commit to revolutionary and innovative anti-corruption reforms in five key areas, such as security votes, power sector corruption, judicial corruption and removal of immunity for presidents, vice-presidents, state governors and deputy state governors.”

SERAP then urged presidential candidates for Alliance for New Nigeria, Fela Durotoye; Young Progressives Party candidate, Kingsley Moghalu; KOWA Party, Sina Fagbenro-Byron; African Democratic Congress, Obadaiah Mailafia; African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore and others to make specific commitments on what they would do to address corruption in the power sector and security votes, among other issues.

The open letter dated 19 January 2019 read in part: “Consistent with their right to participate in their own government, Nigerian voters deserve a substantive debate during the campaign about issues that affect them, particularly with respect to combating corruption. Now is the time to make commitment for specific reforms that will strengthen Nigeria’s anti-corruption record and standing in global ranking. Set forth below are 5 main anti-corruption priorities that candidates should address. Please let us know which positions you will support.”

“Candidates should commit to scrapping security votes spending by presidents and state governors by repealing the constitution to include specific prohibition of security votes. They should also commit to a comprehensive audit of spending on security votes by presidents and governors since the return of democracy in 1999 and directing their Attorney General and Minister of Justice to take legal action in the public interest to hold governments to account on spending on security votes.”

“Prior to the elections, SERAP will issue a short report on the anti-corruption commitments that candidates and political parties have made. SERAP will then issue an anticorruption assessment report in March 2019, to set clear anti-corruption agenda for the next president and administration, which would assume office May 29, 2019.”