Business

Ethiopian Airlines Offers to Partner Nigeria on National Carrier

Published

5 years ago

June 17, 2019

Ethiopian Airlines Offers to Partner Nigeria on National Carrier

Ethiopian Airlines has expressed its preparedness to partner Nigeria on the federal government’s planned national carrier.

The airline said a country with such huge passenger traffic needs government-backed airline, saying that it has all it takes, including technical know-how, equipment and personnel to partner with the planned carrier.

Ethiopian Airlines Managing Director, International Services, Mr. Esayas Haliu, who spoke to a team of Nigerian journalists in Addis Ababa, said the airline has succeeded in all it had established with many countries in Africa.

Hailu, said as the largest economy in Africa, with such huge population, which he described as most precious, Nigeria truly deserves a national carrier.

“There have been attempts to off-load some bids for foreign airlines by Nigerian government, Ethiopian has always been participating in that but so far, we have not been picked but we are able, capable and ready and whenever the vacancy is created, we are ready to come for any partnership.

“Secondly, Nigeria has been a very good host and by their volume of the population which is demography dividends, the most precious resource is the human resource, the largest economy, the mobility is very high both domestically and foreign, for that; Nigeria really requires a national carrier, we wish them success, if we are required to support, we are ready and willing to do that, any partnership that arises from that is most welcome and we are in expectation of that”, he said.

The East African carrier also hinted that it plans to introduce a second frequency into Lagos, through the Murtala Muhammed International airport, adding that it plans to connect the United States of America from Nigeria, subject to approval by the Nigerian government.

On the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), Haliu said the success of the treaty was the key to reducing the dominance of international mega carriers, which have 80 per cent of the African travel market and enhancing connectivity in Africa.

He noted that Africa has only three per cent of the global air travel market and 80 per cent of that market was dominated by international carriers, leaving African carriers with only 20 per cent.

According to him, the full implementation of SSATM would free the market from mega carriers, as the treaty guarantees access to African airlines to all signatory nations.

“When Single African Transport management which is advocated by African Union commission, when that one comes people think that only a few airlines will benefit from that, No!

“As we are speaking, 80 per cent of African traffic is taken by non-Africans, so all of us put together we have only 20 per cent so we need to attack that 80 per cent.

“We need to eclipse, 80 per cent should be African airlines and 20 per cent should be non-African airlines. This is our continent, that is our traffic and so for more African countries to come, the traffic, which is not in the hands of the African airlines is much more.

“So we have a lot more to play with, it’s not as if we have to scramble that same 20 per cent. No! We don’t settle for that and we want to contribute more than three per cent of the global air traffic which we are doing now, it’s only three per cent.”

He said it was in the bid to make such major contribution that Ethiopia Airlines is going to every African country and helping to establish regional national carriers.

According to him, if SAATM was fully implemented one of its benefits would be to redistribute wealth by reducing capital flight from Africa to non-African countries.

“All this effort is for African airlines to grow, thrive and dominate the 80 per cent of the market so that employment, taxes, revenue, opportunity the capital sinks in the African continent and does not fly away.

He, however, expressed dissatisfaction about the uncooperative stance of some African countries preferring to sell traffic rights to non-African countries at the detriment of African carriers.

“Right now, many of the African nations have been given traffic rights to non -African nations more and when fellow Africans ask they deny them services.

“So, SAATM is a very good solution for Africa to put its hands together, organise itself together and to thrive, so SAATM is the best thing that can happen to Africa because air traffic connectivity is a tool for economy, cultural exchange, tourism, regional tourism as well as people and goods transaction,” he said.

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Samed Olukoya

Is the CEO and Founder of Investors King Limited. He is a seasoned foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and other prominent platforms. With over two decades of experience in global financial markets, Olukoya is well-recognized in the industry.

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Business

Allen Onyema, Employee Indicted in U.S. For Allegedly Obstructing Justice in Bank Fraud, Money Laundering Cases Slammed Against Them

Published

14 hours ago

October 14, 2024

Ugwoke Ogbodo

Allen Onyema, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, has been charged in a superseding indictment with obstruction of justice for submitting false documents to the United States Government in an effort to end an investigation of him in earlier charges of bank fraud and money laundering.

The United States government also charged alongside Onyema, his employee, Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, for participating in the obstruction scheme, as well as in the earlier bank fraud counts.

In a statement issued by the U.S Government, the country’s Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said the founder of the airline, accused of using his airline company as a cover to commit fraud on the United States’ banking system, has, along with Eghagha, who is a co-defendant in the fraud cases, allegedly committed additional crimes of fraud in a failed attempt to derail the government’s investigation of his conduct.

Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Atlanta Division also revealed that through the diligence of US federal investigative partners, the alleged obstruction scheme of Onyema and Eghagha was revealed, making it possible for the defendants to be held accountable for their aggravated conduct of attempting to impede a federal investigation.

For Assistant Special Agent in Charge Lisa Fontanette, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office, “These cases represent the continued commitment of the Drug Enforcement Administration to identify and hold accountable those who engaged in fraud and money laundering.”

“Allegedly, Onyema and his accomplices fraudulently used the U.S. banking system in an effort to hide the source of their ill-gotten money.

“Today’s superseding indictment is indicative of the dedication IRS-CI special agents and our law enforcement partners have, as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, to neutralize threats to the United States from criminal organizations.”

“The charges announced today demonstrate the criticality of diligence and truth in criminal justice proceedings,” said Steven N. Schrank, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta that covers Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and our partners are committed to pursuing those who seek to exploit our nation’s financial system and any efforts to cover up illegal activity,” she added.

The statement obtained by Investors King explained how Onyema allegedly committed the bank fraud and laundered money running into millions of dollars. The statement reads “Onyema, a Nigerian citizen and businessman, is the CEO and Chairman of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline founded in 2013. Between 2010 and 2018, Onyema travelled frequently to Atlanta, where he opened several personal and business bank accounts. More than $44.9 million was allegedly transferred into his Atlanta-based accounts from foreign sources.

Beginning in approximately May 2016, Onyema, together with Eghagha, allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by Onyema.

The letters of credit were purportedly to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace and were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals.

The documents purported to show that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia.

However, the supporting documents were allegedly fake – Springfield Aviation Company LLC was owned by Onyema and managed on his behalf by a person with no connection to the aviation business, and Springfield Aviation never owned the aircraft.

The company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist. Eghagha allegedly participated in this scheme as well, directing the Springfield Aviation manager to sign and send false documents to banks and even using the manager’s identity to further the fraud.

After Onyema received the money in the United States, he allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts.

In May 2019, upon discovering that he was under investigation in the Northern District of Georgia for bank fraud, Onyema and Eghagha allegedly directed the Springfield Aviation manager to sign a key business contract, but also specifically told her to not date the document.

In October 2019, Onyema allegedly caused his attorneys to present that same contract, now falsely dated as being signed on May 5, 2016 (prior to the bank fraud that began in 2016), to the government in an effort to stop the investigation and unfreeze his bank accounts.

Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, 61, of Lagos, Nigeria, and Ejiroghene Eghagha, 42, of Lagos, Nigeria, were indicted on November 19, 2019, on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit credit application fraud, and three counts of credit application fraud.

Additionally, Onyema was charged with 27 counts of money laundering, and Eghagha was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft. On October 8, 2024, they were both charged in a superseding indictment alleging an additional count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The case is criminal action number 1:19-CR-464.”

However, the statement noted that an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Commerce, and Department of Treasury are investigating the case.

It informed members of the public that the indictments of Onyema and his co-accused person only contain charges, adding that the duo Nigerians are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

The statement further disclosed that Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Christopher J. Huber are prosecuting the case.

“This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF,” it concluded.

Business

New Website Unveiled by FG for Pay-Later CNG Conversion to Cut Transport Costs

Published

5 days ago

October 10, 2024

Yetunde Olugbenga

The federal government has unveiled a website that offers a pay-later option for commercial and private car owners looking to convert their petrol-powered vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

This was in response to the incessant increase in transportation fares following the removal of the fuel subsidy.

According to the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi) the initiative will help ease transportation costs and encourage more transporters to embrace CNG.

In a post on X, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) revealed that this initiative ensures a hassle-free experience for CNG users through an easy online application and a quick approval process.

“Switching to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is now more accessible than ever. With flexible payment plans tailored to fit your budget, transitioning from petrol to CNG has never been smoother or more affordable. These payment options allow you to convert your vehicle now and pay later with affordable monthly installments at competitive rates.” NOA stated.

The installment payment option aims to achieve the federal government’s projection of a 30-40% fare reduction as more motorists adopt this initiative.

In addition to the distribution of 2,000 CNG-powered tricycles among youths in the transportation sector across Nigeria, the pay-later option is intended to encourage more people to adopt CNG, thereby providing affordable mobility options.

Business

Nigerians Fear Increase in Fake Products as NAFDAC Officials Commence Indefinite Nationwide Strike

Published

7 days ago

October 8, 2024

Ugwoke Ogbodo

There are indications that fake producers of consumables and other items across the country may have a field day following an industrial action embarked upon by workers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Investors King gathered that the nationwide strike which started on Monday is indefinite and nationwide.

The decision of the staff of the agency to down tools followed the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to their management.

The decision to shun work was confirmed after a congress of NAFDAC staff convened on Friday, October 4, 2024 over unresolved issues.

The striking workers, under the directive of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) have been instructed to withdraw all services and vacate offices.

They were also ordered to remove personal belongings as the strike began.

The demands of the staff include a review and re-evaluation of the 2024 promotion examination results, which currently reflect a pass rate of just 35%.

The union is pushing for a minimum benchmark of 80% for this year and future exams. Another key demand is the settlement of salary arrears for employees hired in 2022 among others

In a statement signed by Secretary of the Association, Ejor Michael, the union accused NAFDAC management of ignoring their grievances, calling the inaction insufferable.

The staff have vowed to continue the strike until all demands outlined in their communiqué are met.

NAFDAC, which plays a critical role in regulating Nigeria’s food, drug, and pharmaceutical industries, is expected to face significant operational disruptions as a result of the industrial action.

Before now, there had been public outcry over the increase in fake products as Nigerians called out the agency and tasked it to be more proactive.

They expressed fear that there is a tendency that manufacturers of fake products would have ample opportunities to saturate the markets with dangerous products as those who would tackle them are now on strike.