Economy
Keyamo: FG May Seize Dana Air Assets To Refund Passengers, Travel Agents
Keyamo: FG May Seize Dana Air Assets To Refund Passengers, Travel Agents
Keyamo: FG may seize Dana Air assets to refund passengers, travel agents. Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, says the federal government may seize Dana Air’s assets to refund passengers and travel agents whose funds remain trapped.
The minister spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during the ministry’s fourth-quarter stakeholders’ engagement, themed “leveraging public feedback to drive excellence in aviation services”.
Keyamo said he will also instruct the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to investigate why the affected refunds have not been processed. He explained that the suspension of Dana Air’s operations was taken to avert a potential tragedy, noting that the decision was made in favour of safety over commercial considerations.
Keyamo said the administration received “damning reports” on Dana Air’s safety record and operational standards during its review of the airline’s status. He said the NCAA had decided to ground the airline, but he urged the authority to prioritise passenger safety based on the findings before them.
According to him, “for Dana, the problem is that it was a choice between safety and disaster.”
“So we didn’t take the commercial thing as a priority. The priority was safety and we all looked at the damning reports that we met on the table,” he said.
“It was a decision of the NCAA to suspend them, but I pushed them to say, look, these are the reports we are seeing on the table about safety record, about lack of standards that put the lives of Nigerians at risk.
“If they continue flying, I don’t know whether most of us will be here. Many of us would have been victims of one of those flights. God forbid.” Keyamo said he has directed Chris Najomo, acting director-general of the NCAA, to identify how passengers and ticket agents can be refunded.
The minister added that he has “asked Najomo to dig deep to find out how those passengers and agents will be refunded. He has to dig deep on that”.
“One solution will also be that if that same individual or those entities are trying to come back to aviation under any guise, whether to go and register a new AOC or use any business within the aviation sector, they have to go and settle their debts first,” he said.
“We should look at their assets. There are assets that are still available. Let them sell their assets.
“Let’s cannibalise their revenue and pay people. Let’s find a way to go after their assets and get money to pay Nigerians who are owed.
“NCAA should do that because they can’t get away with it.” On April 24, 2024, the NCAA was directed by Keyamo to suspend the operations of Dana Air, following an incident involving the airline’s plane at Lagos airport a day before, which veered off the runway.
Two days later, Keyamo said internal reports, which were done two years before the incident, showed that Dana Air was unfit to fly, adding that the consistent incidents experienced by the airline made him call for a suspension.
‘TINUBU HAS APPROVED SPECIAL FUNDING FOR NAMA TO ACQUIRE EQUIOMENT’
Keyamo also said President Bola Tinubu has approved special funding for the acquisition of equipment for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). He said the new financing approach removes NAMA’s equipment procurement from the annual budget cycle.
Also, Ahmed Farouk, the director-general (DG) of NAMA, said the agency now has a fully functional flight calibration unit for validating instrument approach procedures.
Farouk, represented by John Tayo, director of air traffic services, said NAMA has also signed agreements with Sierra Leone and Liberia to support calibration services in line with ICAO requirements.
He said the agency has approved night operations until 10pm at the airports in Owerri, Enugu, Yola, and Ilorin.

FG May Seize Dana Air Assets To Refund Passengers
Farouk added that the approvals follow calls from stakeholders to extend operating hours beyond Lagos and Abuja.
He also said that ad-hoc approval has been granted to Air Peace for flights to Anambra and Asaba.
“We are always available to grant extension because of our capacity. For now, we will not be able to operate all the airports in the country till 10pm,” he said.
The DG said following Keyamo’s directive, operations have remained open till 10pm at the aforementioned airports.
Economy
FG Inaugurates PenCom Board, Tasks Members On Protection Of Pension Assets
FG Inaugurates PenCom Board, Tasks Members On Protection Of Pension Assets
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Board of the National Pension Commission, reinforcing its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the protection of over ₦28 trillion in pension assets.
Speaking at the ceremony, the SGF, Senator (Dr.) George Akume, charged members to uphold strong corporate governance while maintaining a clear boundary between oversight and management.

PenCom
The Board, led by Chairman Agbaje Opeyemi Olukayode, pledged to safeguard contributors’ funds and support national development, while the Director-General Omolola Oloworaran reaffirmed commitment to collaboration in delivering secure and timely retirement benefits for Nigerians.
Economy
SEC Sign MoU With NYSC To Fight Ponzi Schemes
SEC Sign MoU With NYSC To Fight Ponzi Schemes
SEC sign MoU with NYSC to fight Ponzi schemes. The initiative was designed to sensitise young Nigerians to the risks of fraudulent investment schemes and promote sound, legitimate investment practices.
The Securities and Exchange Commission and National Youth Service Corps have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a community development service group focused on investment education for corps members.
The initiative was designed to sensitise young Nigerians to the risks of fraudulent investment schemes and promote sound, legitimate investment practices.
According to a statement by the SEC on Sunday, the MoU was recently signed by its director-general, Emomotimi Agama and NYSC director-general, Olakunle Nafiu.
It was also meant to promote financial literacy and sound investment habits among young Nigerians.
In addition, the collaboration will help equip corps members with essential knowledge and skills to identify and avoid Ponzi schemes and other illegal investment practices.
It will also help enhance public awareness campaigns against illegal financial schemes across all LGAs in the country, among other objectives.
“Based on the scope of the collaboration, SEC shall develop and provide relevant and up-to-date educational content, materials, and training modules on capital market operations, safe investment practices, and the identification and avoidance of Ponzi schemes.
“SEC will also be responsible for the content, resources and funding of training sessions for selected corps members and NYSC supervisors who will serve as trainers and facilitators in their respective communities.

SEC
“On its part, the NYSC shall facilitate the integration of anti-Ponzi scheme education into its Education and Enlightenment CDS programme. This may involve dedicated sessions, workshops, or awareness campaigns during orientation camps and throughout the service year,” said the statement.
The parties shall collaborate on joint awareness campaigns, utilising various channels and platforms, including social media, traditional media, and community outreach, to disseminate information on safe investment and expose fraudulent schemes.
Economy
Persistent Grid Collapse, Weak Power Supply Worsening Economic Hardship: Oyintiloye
Persistent Grid Collapse, Weak Power Supply Worsening Economic Hardship: Oyintiloye
Speaking with journalists on Sunday in Osogbo, Oyintiloye said the situation had continued to deteriorate despite assurances and reforms introduced by authorities.
He described unreliable electricity as a major setback to the federal government’s reforms in the power sector.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene, noting that poor power supply is worsening economic hardship across the country.
Oyintiloye said the poor supply has compounded the effects of the current heatwave, making living conditions more difficult for many Nigerians.
The former lawmaker called for the constitution of a panel to investigate recurring national grid collapses and persistent supply challenges despite significant investments.
“It is a terrible situation across Nigeria with persistent poor power supply,” he said.
“Many small-scale businesses and large industrial players are affected, while most homes cannot boast of even three hours of electricity supply daily for domestic use.
“Despite numerous reforms and promises, the national grid continues to collapse. The situation is now compounded by gas supply shortages, weak transmission infrastructure, and chronic underinvestment across the power value chain.
“Nigerians are groaning, and urgent action must be taken by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and his team. The situation cannot continue like this.”
Oyintiloye warned that the situation has already triggered protests in parts of the country and could escalate if not addressed promptly.
“The situation must be quickly addressed before it becomes a national embarrassment. Nigerians need to be informed whether the issue is due to structural failure or sabotage within the power sector,” he said.

Electricity
“This epileptic power supply has led to a series of peaceful protests nationwide. I appeal for the President’s intervention before these protests turn violent.
“Electricity is essential for households and the survival of businesses. Since the end of last year, there has been no stable power supply across the country, despite assurances by those in charge and huge investments in the sector.
“Poor power supply should not be added to the challenges Nigerians are currently facing. The high cost of fuel has also made it difficult for those relying on generators to cope.”
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