DECEMBER 17, 2020

By Amos Akpan

We must note that domestic airlines are privately owned businesses. They do not share their profits with Nigerian public. Yes! They employ Nigerians who work for their wages. On accountability, it is what they declare that stays as accountability records. As at today, there is no airline that is a public listed company. It is not easy for any government to explain giving the commonwealth of Nigerians to individual’s private concerns.

However, the growth and success of industries aggregate to economic development and national prosperity. This is the reason governments provide enabling environment for privately owned companies to prosper in their businesses. The aviation industry contributes to the GDP of Nigeria.

Like other countries have done, Nigerian government needs to bail out Nigerian airlines from the effects of COVID-19 and the #endsars protest. The effects of these events threw the economy into recession, which reduces the ability of air travelers to afford ticket prices. This results in low patronage, which turns into low income, nil profits and loss.

Government may not be expected to give cash to the airlines. These are the ways government can support the airlines: give guarantees on aircraft insurance premiums; use bonds to secure payments through Nigerian brokers; extend repayment period on existing loan facilities; restructure new loans to maximum five per cent interest; repayment period of seven to 10 years.

Other ways government can support the airlines include: exempt them from payment of VAT; unify and gazette the implementation of duty exemption on aircraft and aircraft spares; stop granting multiple entry points to foreign airlines and give diplomatic support to Nigerian airlines designated on international routes. Government has to be commended for activating the principle of reciprocity against those countries that introduced unfavourable policy on Nigerian carriers and Nigerian citizens. Government has to sustain this policy because it encourage equal playing field for local carriers.

Government should also instruct current operating airlines to send their payroll to banks; the federal government should pay their three months staff salaries through the bank. This can be repaid without interest in 12 months effective March 2021. Government can allocate forex at a special rate to domestic airlines so they can pay for spare parts, maintenance, and training.

Let us address those who criticise domestic airlines for always failing and then ask government to use public funds to bail them out. These people seem to anchor their criticism on outdated/unviable business plans by the promoters of domestic airlines. The people criticising airline operators’ business strategies seem to know so much about airline management. They even sound like they know what it takes to run an airline that will make profits and be sustained while remaining in competition with foreign counterparts. My problem is that these commentators criticise past and current operators as if they were dump and cheat businessmen. They seem to be saying the operators deliberately run their own businesses aground.

Who are these commentators? All of them are friends and associates in the aviation industry; some of them are stakeholders because they operate allied aviation businesses within the industry.

But none of these commentators have leased, purchased and operated an aircraft in history. Most of their businesses depend on patronage from government agencies, the Ministry of Aviation and the airlines. If their records are x-rayed, they do not pay accurate taxes, they do not pay multiple taxes like the airlines currently do. Their highest exposure in terms of financial loan is about N100 million.

The minimum share capital required to register an airline that will operate beyond Nigerian borders is N2 billion. Managing freight and forwarding company, a security company, a travel and tour company, or a public relations company is not the same as managing scheduled commercial airline operations.

These critics cannot determine the break-even payload of an aircraft type on a specific route. They cannot derive the revenue passenger per kilometer on a route from available statistics. They cannot factor how much is insurance per hour from the ACMI (Aircraft, Crew Maintenance and Insurance) cost analysis of an aircraft operations in a specific territory like Nigeria.

My point is that informed input is key to valuable criticism. When you say Nigerian airlines do not have viable business plans, you have to support it with acceptable data. When you say an airline should change from passenger services to cargo flight services, you support your statement with strategic depositions. Airline business modules require huge investment capital, long gestation tenure, and the operations are 100 per cent regulated.

Currently the airlines are facing very rough business terrain. Cost of funds from our banks is high. There has been extremely low inflow of foreign direct investment this year, almost zero in aviation. Very scarce foreign exchange, which means airlines, cannot get forex to pay for spare parts, maintenance and training. Fuel price, insurance premium, and cost of operations keep increasing. Ticket prices per seat and freight charge per kilogram is rising in response to increasing cost of operations. The problem is that purchasing power of potential air travelers has a ceiling based their economy and percentage of the population. Consequently, there is a limit to the increase on airfare and freight charges.

The government has to address the causes of rising cost of operations. The airline management has to inculcate financial discipline and acceptable corporate governance.

The airlines will not survive the current trend because fewer people can sustain buying tickets at the current prices from January 2021. This means patronage will be low, income will dwindle, and this means loss of jobs and business bankruptcy.

What the airlines are asking government to do is not an aberration. That is what other governments even in Africa have done for their airlines, which are also privately owned. The reason for their support is because those governments know that air transport is catalyst to any economy. They know that airlines employ a lot of people. They know that besides direct employment by airlines, there are thousands of other people that are indirectly employed by airlines either they are working for catering service companies, fuel marketers, handling companies, freighting and forwarding companies and many others. The economy of any nation is sustained by air travel because that is the fastest way of taking people from place to place.

Nigerian government and institutions have to decide and determine to create environment that supports domestic airlines to operate safe and profitably. There is need to avoid the current spate of trading blames. We must note that private investors who could have invested in quicker returns yielding ventures chose to invest in our domestic air transport services. Have we considered where we would have been had these entrepreneurs not stepped into this high risk investment portfolios when Nigerian Airways went into comatose and eventually died?

It is not wise to lure investors to establish domestic airlines; yet we retain an environment set up for the business to be unprofitable.

No business will survive if it produces a can of juice for N5, 000 and sells it at N5,000 or it produces a hotel room per night at N10,000 and sells it for N10,000.

For domestic airlines currently the cost of producing a seat per one hour’s flight is above N35, 000; yet there is a limit the domestic airlines can raise the price of seat per flight because the national economic indices determines the purchasing power of the potential air traveler. We need to eliminate unnecessary cost carried by the airline because of the environment.

Urgent impediments government has to address to induce the survival of airlines include high cost of aviation fuel; cost of Forex; high Insurance Premium – same as active war zones- Afghan, Syria, Somalia; high cost of funds – Double digit interest rates on short tenor loans; multiple taxation; high cost of maintenance, as Nigeria has not Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) with sufficient capacity. Government has to also address the unfair advantage given to foreign airlines in Nigeria. The efforts of the Hon. Minister of Aviation to establish a national carrier is laudable. It is wise if the government can address the critical success factors in the current operating environment so that the national carrier will survive.

Domestic airlines contribute to Nigeria’s GDP. Airlines employ approximately 12,000 Nigerians not to mention auxiliary services and its multiplier effects. Every other service provider in the aviation sector survives because the airlines pull in the air traveler.

If government does not give bail out to Nigeria Airlines urgently, it will take a longer period for our domestic aviation to recover. The foreign airlines have received first, and some second, tranches of bailouts from their home governments.

We must not forget that the economic downturn faced by airlines is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is a global problem, and as stated earlier, many governments have assisted their airlines. Some have sustained the airlines so that they will not sack their workers. Retaining the workers and not allowing them to go into the labour market is a huge contribution by airlines worldwide.

That is why the International Air Transport Association has renewed calls for governments to extend financial support to airlines to help them overcome the coronavirus-induced financial crisis.

IATA Secretary General, Alexandre de Juniac correctly noted recently that airlines continue to burn through cash and it is expected to persist into next year. He therefore urged countries that had already given their airlines palliatives to continue with the second tranche of that support. But in Nigeria, airlines are requesting for bailout of any kind.

The calls for increased support for airlines is global because airlines have continued to suffer due to travel restrictions imposed by the governments to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and in Nigeria, the recession will have devastating effect on airlines because passenger traffic will certainly deplete after the high season.

Globally, many airlines have either furloughed their workers or cut jobs to deal with the pandemic. Some have received billions in state aid but are increasingly facing operational challenges due to a weak travel outlook amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But our government is yet to give support of any kind to our airlines; yet, labour and government frown at the lay off of workers. I think government should be concerned when workers are relieved of their jobs because there are millions of young men and women who are already in the job market. I think government should do everything possible to ensure that airlines retain their workers; hence this bailout for airlines is very critical.

Akpan is the Managing Director for Flight and Logistics Solutions Limited based in Lagos

DECEMBER 17, 2020

By Chinedu Eze

After many months of no direct flight between the lucrative Lagos-Johannesburg route, Nigeria’s biggest carrier, Air Peace, on Thursday commenced flights to South Africa’s major city, Johannesburg. 

The flight which took off from Murtala Muhammed international Airport, Lagos in the early hours of Thursday had passengers, staff of Air Peace and journalists onboard a memorable inaugural flight that connects Africa’s biggest economies. Since South African Airways suspended flight operations, Nigerians travelling to South Africa had to connect flights to about two or three countries to get to South Africa since there were no direct flights going to the destination. 

Passengers had complained of how stressful connecting these flights was and this has reduced the number of travellers on one of the most lucrative routes in Africa. Passengers who spoke to journalists said they were elated to have a Nigerian carrier doing a direct flight on the route.

Speaking during the commencement of the inaugural flight at Lagos airport, chief operating officer at AirPeace, Mrs. Toyin Olajide said the airline was most delighted to commence it’s second international flight from Lagos to Johannesburg. Olajide said for AirPeace to commence another international flight at a time like this shows AirPeace is an airline to reckon with and it is here to stay.

South Africa’s state-owned airline had on September 30th suspended all its operations as it struggles to raise a bailout of more than 10 billion rands ($591 million). One of the most frequently visited countries for Nigerians in Africa is South Africa, which targets Nigerians for her well-known tourism destinations. The two countries have close social and financial relations.

In 2012, the total bilateral trade between Nigeria and South Africa l grew to $ 3.6 billion. The Nigeria – South Africa Chamber of Commerce was created to encourage and facilitate bi-lateral trade relationships between Nigeria and South Africa. Its offices are in Lagos, Nigeria, and it has in its membership 315 companies currently trading in both Nigeria and South Africa.

DECEMBER 18, 2020

The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) says the rate for pre-travel COVID-19 testing for travels within the ECOWAS region will be harmonised.

Dr Osagie Ehanire, Nigeria’s Minister of Health, who spoke at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) Daily Briefing on Thursday in Abuja, said that the conclusion was made at the 4th Meeting of ECOWAS Ministerial Coordinating Committee on COVID-19 .

“The fourth meeting of ECOWAS Ministerial Coordinating Committee on COVID-19 held this morning, of which President Buhari is the ECOWAS Champion.

“The committee applauded the decision of the Federal Executive Council to approve the reopening of four land borders and recommended easing of cross border travel and trade in the ECOWAS sub region.

“Harmonised Guidelines have been developed and agreed on as an important tool to control spread of the pandemic.

“The ministers were concerned about the resurgence of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the region, the decline in adherence to non-pharmaceutical preventive measures and agreed to propose a uniform rate for pre-travel COVID-19 testing for travels within the ECOWAS Region.’’

Ehanire also said that the Technical Working Group of the FMoH on COVID-19 was examining modalities to obtain access to vaccines for the country.

“They are in conversation with the WHO-GAVI on the COVAX- AMC facility, to support 180 lower and lower middle income countries to access anti-COVID-19 vaccines.

“ At a presentation to Ministers of Health of the ECOWAS region today, under West African Health Organization (WAHO), the Afro Regional Director of the WHO, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, announced that COVAX has been assured for only 20 per cent of the quantity of vaccines required for low and lower middle income countries.

“This is as high income countries have secured first rights to vaccines rights for all their citizens and in some cases, for double their population.

“We continue to closely follow issues related to vaccine development and have held talks with representatives of vaccine developers to work on additional and alternative sources to meet our national vaccine security needs.

“Nigeria will be working on a mix of public, private and external funds.

“The African Union has set up an African Vaccine Acquisition Team (AVAT), aiming to acquire vaccines for up 60 per cent of the population,” he said.

Meanwhile, the health minister said that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country has continued to rise with the total number now at 75,062.

“A record number of 930 confirmed cases were diagnosed on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020; the highest daily number recorded since the virus was detected in February 2020.

“This is what we have warned about for many weeks and it gives cause to worry, not only about the causes, but also about the course of events.

“As the festive season and holidays approach, many people will want to celebrate, many will crowd into shops, markets and places of worship, many will travel with mass transit transport, many will even travel to Nigeria from high burden countries.

“These are all circumstances that are proven to accelerate COVID-19 transmission and have caused explosive increase in other countries,” he said.

According to Ehanire, the country’s epidemiological trend has already started to show that the curve is rising again with the total number of active cases now 7,087.

There is also a corresponding increase in the number of serious cases requiring hospital admission in High Dependency Units for oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation support in Intensive Care Units.

“If we include those in hospital for observation, the need for more hospital beds will become more acute.

“This is an indication of what the second wave is and we all have to play a role in confronting,” he said.

Ehanire urged Nigerians to play their part to prevent COVID-19.

“I shall remind everyone of all that we are already at the beginning of another phase of this pandemic and it is vital that we remember our civic responsibilities, if we are to respond decisively to prevent catastrophic resurgence.

“I urge Nigerians to adhere to very simple non-pharmaceutical measures, such as appropriate wearing of face masks, use of alcohol-based sanitisers and most especially, physical distancing.

“Being in a crowd and not wearing a mask strongly increases the risk of contracting COVID-19, with higher risks for persons especially 50 years and above, and those with co-morbidities such as hypertension, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

“It is always of benefit for citizens to fortify their immune systems by improving their nutrition with fruits and vegetables,” Nigeria’s health minister advised.

DECEMBER 18, 2020

LONDON (Reuters) - A new national lockdown in England can’t be ruled out after Christmas, British schools minister Nick Gibb said on Friday, before rowing back the comments and emphasising the regional “tiered” system of COVID restrictions does work.

Asked if the whole of England was now headed to towards a national lockdown, Gibb told Sky News: “Nothing is ruled out of course as we tackle this pandemic but the test system is a very effective way... to focus the restrictions.”

Asked to confirm that the government was not ruling out a post-Christmas national lockdown, Gibb said: “That’s not what I said. We have a very effective tier system.”

Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Guy Faulconbridge

DECEMBER 18, 2020

By William James, Elizabeth Piper

LONDON (Reuters) - Large areas of England will be added to the ‘very high alert’ COVID-19 category this weekend, placing residents under the most stringent set of restrictions to tackle a rising number of infections.

Britain, like other countries, is struggling to tame a second wave of novel coronavirus cases and deaths, and the government is having to defend a plan to relax contact restrictions for five days over Christmas.

In a sign of mounting anxiety over the potential consequences of Christmas socialising, the government said most secondary school pupils would have a week of remote learning before returning to classrooms in January.

Health minister Matt Hancock said cases in the southeast of England were up by 46% in the last week, while hospital admissions were up by more than a third. In eastern England, cases were up by two-thirds, and hospital admissions by nearly half.

“It is therefore necessary to apply Tier 3 measures across a much wider area of the east and southeast of England,” he told parliament, referring to the strictest of three levels of COVID-related restrictions being applied in England.

He said the new measures would be in force from Saturday. A small number of areas had their restrictions eased.

London was placed into Tier 3 this week after an emergency review identified a surge in infections.

The changes mean that from Saturday, 68% of England’s population will be in Tier 3 and 30% in Tier 2. Fewer than a million people will be in the more relaxed Tier 1.

In Tier 2, bars are shut and households are banned from mixing to socialise indoors. Tier 3 also shuts dine-in restaurants, hotels, theatres and cinemas, and places more rules on socialising and travel. Shops, workplaces and schools mostly stay open in all tiers.

Under the new plans for secondary schools announced on Thursday, most pupils will spend the first week of the new term in January at home, learning remotely until Jan. 11. Only those in exam years, those considered vulnerable and the children of critical workers will be allowed back to school on Jan. 4.

The education ministry said the delayed return, paired with a programme of free testing for pupils and school staff, would “help to deliver the national priority to keep education open for all and help fight the spread of the virus”.

The government has allowed family members to travel to visit relatives over Christmas, but is now urging people to keep their celebrations small and local.

The semi-autonomous governments of the other nations of the United Kingdom - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - each set their own public health policies, independently of London.

Additional reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Peter Graff

DECEMBER 18, 2020

BY  Leke Baiyewu, Abuja

The House of Representatives has faulted physical inspection of cargoes at the seaports and land borders, asking the Federal Government to install functional scanners to make for speed and efficiency.

The call was sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by a member, Leke Abejide, at the plenary on Thursday.

The motion was titled ‘Need to investigate the lack of transparency in the transfer of technical know-how from Cotecna Destination Inspection Limited to Global Scan Systems Limited’.

Moving the motion, Abejide said the House Committee on Customs and Excise recently embarked on a week-long oversight visit to Zone A Command of the Nigeria Customs Service to ascertain the level of revenue generation and the challenges.

Abejide said the committee discovered anomalies that if not tackled, the Nigerian ports would remain at the risk of imminent collapse.

He said, “The House is appalled by the non-functional scanners rotting away at the ports, which were meant to detect arms and ammunitions concealed in containerised cargoes, further putting the country at risk of unabated security risk.

“In 2006, Nigeria acquired cargo scanners worth more than $120m and retained the service providers on Build, Own, Operate and Transfer terms.

“The contract also provided that the service providers were to provide training services and technical support to the Nigeria Customs Service on risk management, valuation and classification.

“By the end of 2013, the transition process from Cotecna, SGS Scanning Nigeria Limited and Global Scan Systems Nigeria Limited, the former service providers, were completed and the scanners handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service.”

He said the modernisation in the Nigeria Customs did not last long, as a year after the handover, the scanners had stopped functioning and Nigerian ports and borders were once again returned to the analogue era of 100 per cent physical examination.”

According to Abejide, only about 40 to 60 containers are physically examined at Apapa Port daily, while between 50 and 70 are examined daily at Tin Can Island Port, but an installed scanner can take up to about 150 containers daily.

He said the committee discovered that the scanners were better in standard than the scanners in the Port of Doha, Qatar.

Adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to “provide viable scanners for Nigerian ports and border stations, and in the process involve relevant sttakeholders such as the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority from inception of negotiation.”

The House also mandated its Committee on Customs and Excise to “investigate the era of scanners in Nigeria, the contracts, management, cancellations, re–awards and operations, which led to the total collapse of the multimillion dollar scanners in all the seaports and border stations.”

DECEMBER 18, 2020

BY  Leke Baiyewu, Abuja

The House of Representatives has faulted physical inspection of cargoes at the seaports and land borders, asking the Federal Government to install functional scanners to make for speed and efficiency.

The call was sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by a member, Leke Abejide, at the plenary on Thursday.

The motion was titled ‘Need to investigate the lack of transparency in the transfer of technical know-how from Cotecna Destination Inspection Limited to Global Scan Systems Limited’.

Moving the motion, Abejide said the House Committee on Customs and Excise recently embarked on a week-long oversight visit to Zone A Command of the Nigeria Customs Service to ascertain the level of revenue generation and the challenges.

Abejide said the committee discovered anomalies that if not tackled, the Nigerian ports would remain at the risk of imminent collapse.

He said, “The House is appalled by the non-functional scanners rotting away at the ports, which were meant to detect arms and ammunitions concealed in containerised cargoes, further putting the country at risk of unabated security risk.

“In 2006, Nigeria acquired cargo scanners worth more than $120m and retained the service providers on Build, Own, Operate and Transfer terms.

“The contract also provided that the service providers were to provide training services and technical support to the Nigeria Customs Service on risk management, valuation and classification.

“By the end of 2013, the transition process from Cotecna, SGS Scanning Nigeria Limited and Global Scan Systems Nigeria Limited, the former service providers, were completed and the scanners handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service.”

He said the modernisation in the Nigeria Customs did not last long, as a year after the handover, the scanners had stopped functioning and Nigerian ports and borders were once again returned to the analogue era of 100 per cent physical examination.”

According to Abejide, only about 40 to 60 containers are physically examined at Apapa Port daily, while between 50 and 70 are examined daily at Tin Can Island Port, but an installed scanner can take up to about 150 containers daily.

He said the committee discovered that the scanners were better in standard than the scanners in the Port of Doha, Qatar.

Adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to “provide viable scanners for Nigerian ports and border stations, and in the process involve relevant sttakeholders such as the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority from inception of negotiation.”

The House also mandated its Committee on Customs and Excise to “investigate the era of scanners in Nigeria, the contracts, management, cancellations, re–awards and operations, which led to the total collapse of the multimillion dollar scanners in all the seaports and border stations.”

DECEMBER 18, 2020

By Chinedu Eze

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has confirmed the increase in the number of Nigerians struggling to travel overseas due to economic hardship.

There has also been an alleged increase in the spate of human trafficking, which makes Immigration work more daunting at international airports, as officers must carefully identify those who meet the conditions to travel and those who attempt to leave the country illegally.

This was disclosed by the Comptroller of Immigration, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, Mr. Abdullahi Usman, who said the Command was working with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to ensure that those suspected to be victims of human trafficking are rehabilitated, while those behind the illicit movement are arrested and taken to court.

Usman said many of those who wanted to leave Nigeria illegally, largely women, claim to have secured jobs overseas; others claim they were going to meet with their husbands, while some said they were invited by their siblings but did not have any document to corroborate their reasons.

He said there is a body known as the Association of Recruiters who now mediates between Immigration and those who are travelling out of the country to work.

“The Nigerians who were stopped from leaving the country since international flight operations started on September 5, 2020 did not meet the given requirements for leaving the country.

“They gave unconvincing reasons why they wanted to leave but those reasons were not backed by proper documentation.

“Some said they were leaving for employment, but somebody that is going for employment and he has no employment visa, is it not a market? That is why we refused them departure. Somebody said they were going on visit, you ask him of his return ticket and he doesn’t have return ticket.

“Someone women said they were visiting their husbands, where are the details of the husbands? They won’t give reasonable answers. Where is the marriage certificate? It takes her time to respond. “Do we allow those kinds of people to go? No. This one now said he is going to meet the brother, we said fine, let’s have the details of the brother whether he is resident there or not. He can’t produce it.”

He added: “Some will come with visa officers, on profiling she will tell us that she is going for employment. She is going to Dubai for her ticket but when we are profiling her, she said is going to Egypt because she is following Egypt Air. “So all those are issues. Those ones that have managed to say, okay they have given us the invitee there, we have seen the resident permit of the invitee, we now said okay, how much do you have to go with? He said N20, 000.

“You are going to Dubai you are calling naira and it is N20, 000. Is it good to allow that person to go? No. So we now advise them; we give them travel advisory. If you want to go for employment, make sure you have contract agreement letter. But again we have gotten a formal way of processing this kind of issues.

“The Association of Recruiters in Nigeria is to be licensed by the Ministry of Labour. We have Association of Recruiters now in Nigeria. So the process is that they will be licensed by Ministry of Labour.

“Then when they are licensed by the Ministry, their passengers that want to go will be screened by NAPTIP after they are screened by NAPTIP then they come to Immigration control post, where we will now look at it whether they have the requirement to travel out of the country or not,” Usman explained.

The Comptroller also confirmed that the number of Nigerians that want to leave the country, especially to Middle East and other parts of Asia continue to increase daily.

He also disclosed that under this period, from September 5 to December 15, the Command repatriated about 75 persons from different countries and mainly EU countries, Lebanon and other countries in the Middle East.

“Those repatriated based on Immigration related offenses were attended to by us, some that had drug related issues were referred to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Some who were repatriated on alleged cybercrime were referred to the police,” Usman added.

DECEMBER 18, 2020

By Wale Olapade 

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Rev Yakubu Pam has said that the 2020 general staff retreat is aimed at preparing the commission for efficient pilgrimage exercise in the first quarter of next year.

Speaking during the NCPC General Staff Retreat for 2020 tagged Total Transformation, NCPC boss who was addressing staff at 2020 general staff retreat for the commission held in Jos recently said “this retreat is aimed at preparing us for 2020 Pilgrimage in first quarter of next year.

Rev Pam was optimistic that the 2020 exercise would be one of the best to be conducted by the commission.

He further explained that the retreat would serve as a veritable platform to discuss the way forward for the commission and also an opportunity for the zonal staff to understand the six point agenda of the Executive Secretary.

He described the commission as a family and so does not expect anything less and further commended the staff of the commission for their commitment to service.

He promised to carry every staff of the NCPC along in all the pilgrimage programmes.

He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the opportunity given him to serve, using the NCPC as a veritable platform.

He assured that the commission would continue to adhere to the COVID 19 guidelines and protocols of the Federal Government.

DECEMBER 20, 2020

The Netherlands and Italy will ban flights carrying passengers from the United Kingdom, and Belgium is suspending flight and train arrivals, after Britain detected a new coronavirus strain.

The Netherlands' ban, from 6am (5am GMT) on Sunday until January 1, came hours after Britain announced a stay at home order for part of the country to slow the new variant.

“An infectious mutation of the Covid-19 virus is circulating in the United Kingdom. It is said to spread more easily and faster and is more difficult to detect,” the Dutch health ministry said in a statement.

The Dutch public health body, the RIVM, therefore “recommends that any introduction of this virus strain from the United Kingdom be limited as much as possible by limiting and/or controlling passenger movements”.

Belgium also announced that it was suspending flight and train arrivals from Britain from midnight (11pm GMT) Sunday.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told Belgian television channel VRT the ban would be in place for at least 24 hours.

Following the example of the Netherlands and Belgium, Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio said in a Facebook post that Italy will suspend flights to and from the UK.

France also said it was considering suspending flights and trains from Britain. Germany said it might ban flights from Britain and South Africa to prevent the spread of the new, more infectious coronavirus strain circulating in both countries, a source close to the German health ministry told AFP on Sunday.

Dutch case of virus variant

The Dutch health ministry said on Sunday that a “case study in the Netherlands at the beginning of December revealed a virus with the variant described in the United Kingdom”.

Experts were looking at how the infection happened and whether there were related cases.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s cabinet had now taken the “precautionary decision” to ban flights from Britain, the statement said, adding that other forms of transport were still under review.

He urged Dutch citizens not to travel unless strictly necessary.

“Over the next few days, together with other EU member states, [the government] will explore the scope for further limiting the risk of the new strain of the virus being brought over from the UK,” the statement said.

The Netherlands is under a five-week lockdown until mid-January with schools and all non-essential shops closed to slow a surge in the virus.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said early data suggests the virus circulating in London and southeast England is up to 70 percent more transmissible.

Johnson also said London and southeast England, which are currently in the highest level of a three-tier system of rules, would now be placed in a new Tier 4 level.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)