Tourism
Blame Govt Agencies, Operators For Rot In Aviation- Tukur
By Lucky Onoriode George
Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, the minister of aviation, is being fed untruths about the health of the aviation sector. Although foreign airlines pay tax, they, however, shouldn't be flying regional routes. There are gaping holes in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority [NCAA] Act; passengers are being ripped off by local operators and the fight between Arik and British Airways may even further hurt the former.
These, among others, are the submissions of Mohammed Tukur, a former manager at Chanchangi Airlines and now Assistant Secretary General of Airline Operators of Nigeria[AON], in a recent interview with African Travel Times and www.africatravelnews.com.
Asked what really is the bone of contention between the Aviation Ministry, on the one hand, and British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, on the other, Tukur says, “Let us get it very clearly: the whole thing started when Arik Air complained to the Federal Ministry of Aviation over the much talked about slot on its Abuja-London route.
The issue systematically drifted from slot to airfare. “How we got there, I don't know, because I can tell you categorically that it is a lost battle.
As a Nigerian, I will advise Arik Air management to concentrate on their business by building relationships and partnerships which, at the moment, they do not have, because I'm convinced the airline has the capacity and as such they can compete with the likes of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic here in Nigeria, but not abroad.”
He maintains that to survive the tough competition, the management of Arik Air has to build inter airline relationship, through which they can move their passengers to other airlines, whenever they have issues, because on head-to-head, they are no match for the big, strong and reliable international carriers, which is why many Nigerian officials find British Airways
and sometime Virgin Atlantic schedules very attractive. As such, the business class of these two airlines becomes hot cake and demands for seat sky rockets.
“If an airline says that its business class is $12,000.00, there are other airlines and options. Why the noise over British Airways for God sake?” He queried.
“Airline business is expensive. If all Nigerian banks come together to buy a brand new average plane, we won't have any money in bank vaults from which we can make withdrawal via our accounts the following morning. What the government and its agencies have been doing in the last few months is nothing but a display of arrogance and ignorance.”
He said, the issue over airfares is not about the ordinary Nigerian that flies British Airways, because complaints are about business class. The economy fare remains competitive and many Nigerian travellers are not complaining. However, should the government and its agencies find something different from what we have been told, then that is airfare fixing.
They should come out and prosecute them because that is illegal anywhere in the world.
Asked whether it's true that foreign airlines do not pay taxes, Tukur said it is not true that they do not pay taxes. “I can say to you and confirm clearly that there is no British company or any other international company operating in Nigeria that would not pay taxes, if there are no Nigerians involved,” he stated.
“Government should ask its agencies. I know that foreign airline taxes, especially the $35.00, which the airlines collect from travellers, are paid to government as withholding tax goes to the Federal Inland Revenue Service; the leadership of that agency should be able to tell Nigerians who has or hasn't been paying. These are all blackmail by some individuals and backed by people in government.”
He observed that as far as airfare is concerned, “I do not think that any international airline has breached any law or regulation, provided they have not come out openly to say they have increased airfares. Same goes for the local airlines, except with the prior approval of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority [NCAA].
However with the loopholes in the existing laws and regulations, that allow airlines to adjust their fares without permission or approval from NCAA, I repeat again, the government and its agencies are fighting a lost battle.”
He maintains that “over the years, what we normally do as operators that know the laws and the regulations, is to bypass the term 'fare increment' and use 'fare adjustment' to achieve fare increment; and government and its agencies are aware of this and still refuse to abrogate the NCAA Act, which remains flawed in this area.
“I can confirm to you that all fare adjustments are fares increment, and until that law is abrogated or the clause is removed, no foreign airline or local operator will be found liable for prosecution or would be accused of breaching any law.”
He talks about what the minister should be rather fighting. He says, “To clear the doubts, the ministry and the National Assembly should expedite action in ensuring that the NCAA Act that has this anachronistic clause in this modern age and era is changed.
“To repeat what I said earlier, it is the stupid game of cat and mouse. You know the law and I know how to beat the law.
Whenever there is fuel or aviation fuel price increment or adjustment by oil marketers, we too circumvent the law by saying we adjust our fares; hence we are not allowed to use the word increment of fares without NCAA approval.
“African Travel Times is the only paper that I am divulging this information to because you seem to have done your homework properly and you deserve the truth, so that Nigerians can be liberated from the unfaithfulness of government and its agencies who are deceiving Nigerians. “If the NCAA Act is amended to say whether adjustment or increment, every operator must write to the relevant government agency for approval, giving all supporting reasons for that, the issue of airfare dichotomy will not arise in the first place.
“At the moment, we the operators, either local or international, have upperhand or we will continue to exploit the loophole in the law to our favour justifiably or not.
“The standard everywhere in the world is that, before any airline start flying into your country, you must have submitted your manual, in case of Nigeria, for approval and must state clearly your types of aircraft, your routes, fares, among others.
All the public hearing on the British Airways fares disparity so far are not addressing what we should be looking at.”
He maintains that some of the operators are just trying to pull down the managing director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria [FAAN], Dr. Harold Demuren, as someone who does not understand what he is doing.
Why is it that the operators of Nigerian airlines have no regards for passengers; they shift flights and cancel them with impunity?
He says, “This is a regrettable situation, and I must confess that that was not the standard we all signed up to uphold when applying for Air Operator's Certificate [AOC].
“During my time at Chanchangi, I recall one incident in which there were no crew to fly almost 160 passengers after several delays by us. I went to the passengers, talked to them and offered those that would want to stay till the following day information regarding when we would be able to fly them to their destination, Abuja. We put all of them at Lagos Sheraton Hotel and Towers, with meals. We then gave them free return tickets for their next journey.
“That is the rule; and I complied with it. Regrettably, today, no local operator does that anymore, even when the laws are there, but nobody is implementing them.
Sincerely speaking, I put the blame on the doorstep of NCAA because it's their responsibility to ensure compliance by operators. “Again, I sympathise with NCAA, because when you are close to someone or an organisation, you tend to understand the problems of the sectorand NCAA is aware of the various charges by aviation parastatals, bank loans and other challenges we are faced with in Nigeria.
“NCAA's failure to do its job by monitoring and ensuring compliance with minimum standard emboldens operators to delay and cancel flights with impunity at the expense of the Nigerian travelling public.
“Time past, when one operator cancels its flight, we ensured that we put them on any available flight that is on ground. However today, all that collaboration has gone. The question is, why?
He illuminates also on why there is a dearth of inter airline relationship locally? According to him, “One of the main reasons is that more than 13 airlines went under and that reduced capacity. Before now, we had Sosoliso, Dasab, ADC, Bellview, Al-barka, Spaceworld, EAS, among others.
“Before the recapitalisation, we did have flights going to different routes every 30 minutes or thereabout. Today, it is no longer so.
“Recapitalisation in the aviation sector was very cruel a policy. What we were asked to do was to act like the bank, take raw cash to the Internal Revenue Service and they stamp and give you a piece of paper, saying you have recapitalised.
Meanwhile, that money is taken away completely from your operation, and at the end, you run to the bank; and you know what bank interest rates are like in the country.
“I know people who paid cash that time and they never returned to operation again, after recapitalising.
Meanwhile, those who understand the business went about it the wise way by putting their assets on the line and just go to the authority to make some cash deposit against those assets.
“The owner of EAS Airlines and current governor of Kogi State was a victim; and that was how he lost the airline completely because he was so scared and not even NICON Air survived.”
He insists that by aviation rules in Nigeria, “if any operator failed to fly for four consecutive weeks, your Airline Operators Certificate [AOC] is gone.
“For instance, if your only plane is doing its last landing today for one reason or the other, effective today, you must have a replacement flying in your name or have logged in to fly a route before the last minutes of the 4-weeks or else, that AOC is gone no matter how many billions of naira it cost you.
“Talking of capacity, the scenario I painted cuts down our local capacity drastically. Today, if you approach any airline with possibility of taking your passengers for you, there is the possibility of that airline even over-booked.
“That is why during every celebration or holiday, we witness large number of people struggling to travel. With the coming of FirstNation Airlines, the situation is improving.
“Again, because of some of the airlines' preference for regional operations, local routes suffer shortages.
“In Nigeria today, Arik Air is the largest with good planes and capacity, but there is nothing stopping them from positioning one aircraft in Ghana to service that route effectively. However, most Nigerian airlines prefer to have local and regional routes with same planes, which is why we have delays and cancellations all the time, because you cannot eat your cake and have it.
“Presently, there is no Ghanaian investor that can run an airline that can fly out of Ghana. Same goes for Mali or The Gambia, though Banjul is not yet Category 1. Because of that, you now have international airlines like Emirates and Lufthansa doing regional flights. For instance, Emirates does Accra-Lagos-Accra and Lufthansa Airlines does Abuja-Lagos-Accra and back through same routes.
“This is unacceptable and the regional government must find solution to this imbalance by establishing a regional airline to create jobs and convenience for our people.
“The market is there and we must stop these foreign airlines from doing international and regional services.
“Here in Nigeria, we must stop Air France and Lufthansa from flying directly to Port Harcourt via Lagos where they put Nigerian passengers on transit in Nigeria.
If they are so serious in flying Port Harcourt, let their flight originate from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris directly to Port Harcourt because people from that part of Nigeria deserve direct flights and comfort; but to put them on transit in Nigeria is unacceptable.
“If they so desire to do so, they should apply for multiple landing in Nigeria which we can also generates money from because of the open sky agreements. If the international airlines are allowed to do local flights, what do they expect local operators to do?
“There are local airlines that can offer their passengers smooth local connections.
Arik Air has the capacity and I am convinced that they can position a plane at every time their flights arrive Lagos or Abuja.”
He observed that during Isa Yuguda tenure as aviation minister, no foreign airline enjoyed such unnecessary privilege.
Given that Arik Air has the capacity, he speaks of what they can do to assume that responsibility? “To achieve that collaboration or inter airline agreement with any of the international airlines, Arik Air must be a member of the International Air Transport Associations [IATA],” he said.
“Currently, its membership has been withdrawn, because without that it cannot seal any deal and it must also belong to IATA Operational Safety Audit [IOSA]. Arik Air needs every business it can muster and as such, must befriend foreign airlines, but not making them enemies.
“To fully become a big player, it must enter into inter-airline relationships. If it has inter- airline relationship with British Airways or Virgin Atlantic, for instance, what happened to it recently in New York would not have happened. Arik Air would have just transferred those passengers to other partner airlines instead of paying hotel bills for days as well as compensation to some.
“Any businessman that is always patronising Aso Rock is doing so to take what does not belong to such person; or to better put it, such a person is a criminal.”
According to Tukur, the way forward for the aviation sector is not farfetched.
He said, “The only sector that is left is the aviation sector. The banking sector is finished because the banks are not lending.
With the way the aviation sector is being handled presently, it appears that there is a deliberate attempt to destroy the sector.
“The government must seat down and properly articulate and make necessary changes, if Nigeria is to become the aviation hub of the sub-region; because we need to encourage more international airlines to come, instead of fighting a battle we cannot win.
Come to think of it, do we really have good facilities? No good airport. Nothing!
“The much touted on-going renovation of airports across the country is nothing but a fluke. The quality of materials being used is nothing to write home about.
“Imagine passengers struggling for space with construction workers in our airports. No safety procedures or protection for the travelling public.
“I am using this opportunity to call on the honourable minister to visit all the airports in which renovations are currently on-going to see the rubbish the contractors are doing.
“Again, I have no doubt in my mind that the minister is being misled. In fact, this is the time for the government to start building new airports. If you land at the Kaduna Airport, you will think you are in a war zone, with air force planes scattered everywhere and the VIP lounge there taken over by the air force and no civilian uses there.”
He admonishes that those managing Nigerian airports must reduce their charges and at best stop collecting charges now, pending when the airports are in good condition. Currently, they provide nothing to the Nigerian travelling public.
Travellers must ensure that government agencies in the aviation sector are forced to do what they are established to do. At a time, even recently in this country, marketers were selling ordinary kerosene as aviation fuel and nothing happened to those accused.
He maintains: “It was not me making the allegation, but one of the oil marketers that petitioned and named those committing this terrible crime. Whether the petitioner was telling the truth or not, the government and its agencies swept the matter under the carpet.
“One of the reasons why aircraft make air return sometimes is as a result of adulterated aviation fuel, incident that is commonly caused by bird strikes that have been a major source of losses to operators here in Nigeria.
“Scaring the birds away is the duty of a government agency, for which airline operators are charged. And yet when it happens, the airline will have to pay duty to send it abroad for repairs; or ordering a spare part for that purpose.”
Finally, the travelling public must demand for their rights. “If your flight is delayed, the airline must feed you; if the flight is cancelled out-rightly, they must provide you with hotel accommodation and one return ticket free, especially if the reasons for the cancellation are not natural disaster and/or weather-related,” he stated.
“Failure to do the aforementioned, there are consumer protection desks at all our airports that passengers can take their cases to. As a precaution, always read the terms and conditions of every airline ticket you buy. If it says no refund after purchase, do not use such airline in future.
“NCAA must be forced by passengers to monitor airline operators. Imagine you being served a piece of cake with a serviette paper in an airline that you pay thousands of naira to fly.
These, among others, are the submissions of Mohammed Tukur, a former manager at Chanchangi Airlines and now Assistant Secretary General of Airline Operators of Nigeria[AON], in a recent interview with African Travel Times and www.africatravelnews.com.
Asked what really is the bone of contention between the Aviation Ministry, on the one hand, and British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, on the other, Tukur says, “Let us get it very clearly: the whole thing started when Arik Air complained to the Federal Ministry of Aviation over the much talked about slot on its Abuja-London route.
The issue systematically drifted from slot to airfare. “How we got there, I don't know, because I can tell you categorically that it is a lost battle.
As a Nigerian, I will advise Arik Air management to concentrate on their business by building relationships and partnerships which, at the moment, they do not have, because I'm convinced the airline has the capacity and as such they can compete with the likes of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic here in Nigeria, but not abroad.”
He maintains that to survive the tough competition, the management of Arik Air has to build inter airline relationship, through which they can move their passengers to other airlines, whenever they have issues, because on head-to-head, they are no match for the big, strong and reliable international carriers, which is why many Nigerian officials find British Airways
and sometime Virgin Atlantic schedules very attractive. As such, the business class of these two airlines becomes hot cake and demands for seat sky rockets.
“If an airline says that its business class is $12,000.00, there are other airlines and options. Why the noise over British Airways for God sake?” He queried.
“Airline business is expensive. If all Nigerian banks come together to buy a brand new average plane, we won't have any money in bank vaults from which we can make withdrawal via our accounts the following morning. What the government and its agencies have been doing in the last few months is nothing but a display of arrogance and ignorance.”
He said, the issue over airfares is not about the ordinary Nigerian that flies British Airways, because complaints are about business class. The economy fare remains competitive and many Nigerian travellers are not complaining. However, should the government and its agencies find something different from what we have been told, then that is airfare fixing.
They should come out and prosecute them because that is illegal anywhere in the world.
Asked whether it's true that foreign airlines do not pay taxes, Tukur said it is not true that they do not pay taxes. “I can say to you and confirm clearly that there is no British company or any other international company operating in Nigeria that would not pay taxes, if there are no Nigerians involved,” he stated.
“Government should ask its agencies. I know that foreign airline taxes, especially the $35.00, which the airlines collect from travellers, are paid to government as withholding tax goes to the Federal Inland Revenue Service; the leadership of that agency should be able to tell Nigerians who has or hasn't been paying. These are all blackmail by some individuals and backed by people in government.”
He observed that as far as airfare is concerned, “I do not think that any international airline has breached any law or regulation, provided they have not come out openly to say they have increased airfares. Same goes for the local airlines, except with the prior approval of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority [NCAA].
However with the loopholes in the existing laws and regulations, that allow airlines to adjust their fares without permission or approval from NCAA, I repeat again, the government and its agencies are fighting a lost battle.”
He maintains that “over the years, what we normally do as operators that know the laws and the regulations, is to bypass the term 'fare increment' and use 'fare adjustment' to achieve fare increment; and government and its agencies are aware of this and still refuse to abrogate the NCAA Act, which remains flawed in this area.
“I can confirm to you that all fare adjustments are fares increment, and until that law is abrogated or the clause is removed, no foreign airline or local operator will be found liable for prosecution or would be accused of breaching any law.”
He talks about what the minister should be rather fighting. He says, “To clear the doubts, the ministry and the National Assembly should expedite action in ensuring that the NCAA Act that has this anachronistic clause in this modern age and era is changed.
“To repeat what I said earlier, it is the stupid game of cat and mouse. You know the law and I know how to beat the law.
Whenever there is fuel or aviation fuel price increment or adjustment by oil marketers, we too circumvent the law by saying we adjust our fares; hence we are not allowed to use the word increment of fares without NCAA approval.
“African Travel Times is the only paper that I am divulging this information to because you seem to have done your homework properly and you deserve the truth, so that Nigerians can be liberated from the unfaithfulness of government and its agencies who are deceiving Nigerians. “If the NCAA Act is amended to say whether adjustment or increment, every operator must write to the relevant government agency for approval, giving all supporting reasons for that, the issue of airfare dichotomy will not arise in the first place.
“At the moment, we the operators, either local or international, have upperhand or we will continue to exploit the loophole in the law to our favour justifiably or not.
“The standard everywhere in the world is that, before any airline start flying into your country, you must have submitted your manual, in case of Nigeria, for approval and must state clearly your types of aircraft, your routes, fares, among others.
All the public hearing on the British Airways fares disparity so far are not addressing what we should be looking at.”
He maintains that some of the operators are just trying to pull down the managing director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria [FAAN], Dr. Harold Demuren, as someone who does not understand what he is doing.
Why is it that the operators of Nigerian airlines have no regards for passengers; they shift flights and cancel them with impunity?
He says, “This is a regrettable situation, and I must confess that that was not the standard we all signed up to uphold when applying for Air Operator's Certificate [AOC].
“During my time at Chanchangi, I recall one incident in which there were no crew to fly almost 160 passengers after several delays by us. I went to the passengers, talked to them and offered those that would want to stay till the following day information regarding when we would be able to fly them to their destination, Abuja. We put all of them at Lagos Sheraton Hotel and Towers, with meals. We then gave them free return tickets for their next journey.
“That is the rule; and I complied with it. Regrettably, today, no local operator does that anymore, even when the laws are there, but nobody is implementing them.
Sincerely speaking, I put the blame on the doorstep of NCAA because it's their responsibility to ensure compliance by operators. “Again, I sympathise with NCAA, because when you are close to someone or an organisation, you tend to understand the problems of the sectorand NCAA is aware of the various charges by aviation parastatals, bank loans and other challenges we are faced with in Nigeria.
“NCAA's failure to do its job by monitoring and ensuring compliance with minimum standard emboldens operators to delay and cancel flights with impunity at the expense of the Nigerian travelling public.
“Time past, when one operator cancels its flight, we ensured that we put them on any available flight that is on ground. However today, all that collaboration has gone. The question is, why?
He illuminates also on why there is a dearth of inter airline relationship locally? According to him, “One of the main reasons is that more than 13 airlines went under and that reduced capacity. Before now, we had Sosoliso, Dasab, ADC, Bellview, Al-barka, Spaceworld, EAS, among others.
“Before the recapitalisation, we did have flights going to different routes every 30 minutes or thereabout. Today, it is no longer so.
“Recapitalisation in the aviation sector was very cruel a policy. What we were asked to do was to act like the bank, take raw cash to the Internal Revenue Service and they stamp and give you a piece of paper, saying you have recapitalised.
Meanwhile, that money is taken away completely from your operation, and at the end, you run to the bank; and you know what bank interest rates are like in the country.
“I know people who paid cash that time and they never returned to operation again, after recapitalising.
Meanwhile, those who understand the business went about it the wise way by putting their assets on the line and just go to the authority to make some cash deposit against those assets.
“The owner of EAS Airlines and current governor of Kogi State was a victim; and that was how he lost the airline completely because he was so scared and not even NICON Air survived.”
He insists that by aviation rules in Nigeria, “if any operator failed to fly for four consecutive weeks, your Airline Operators Certificate [AOC] is gone.
“For instance, if your only plane is doing its last landing today for one reason or the other, effective today, you must have a replacement flying in your name or have logged in to fly a route before the last minutes of the 4-weeks or else, that AOC is gone no matter how many billions of naira it cost you.
“Talking of capacity, the scenario I painted cuts down our local capacity drastically. Today, if you approach any airline with possibility of taking your passengers for you, there is the possibility of that airline even over-booked.
“That is why during every celebration or holiday, we witness large number of people struggling to travel. With the coming of FirstNation Airlines, the situation is improving.
“Again, because of some of the airlines' preference for regional operations, local routes suffer shortages.
“In Nigeria today, Arik Air is the largest with good planes and capacity, but there is nothing stopping them from positioning one aircraft in Ghana to service that route effectively. However, most Nigerian airlines prefer to have local and regional routes with same planes, which is why we have delays and cancellations all the time, because you cannot eat your cake and have it.
“Presently, there is no Ghanaian investor that can run an airline that can fly out of Ghana. Same goes for Mali or The Gambia, though Banjul is not yet Category 1. Because of that, you now have international airlines like Emirates and Lufthansa doing regional flights. For instance, Emirates does Accra-Lagos-Accra and Lufthansa Airlines does Abuja-Lagos-Accra and back through same routes.
“This is unacceptable and the regional government must find solution to this imbalance by establishing a regional airline to create jobs and convenience for our people.
“The market is there and we must stop these foreign airlines from doing international and regional services.
“Here in Nigeria, we must stop Air France and Lufthansa from flying directly to Port Harcourt via Lagos where they put Nigerian passengers on transit in Nigeria.
If they are so serious in flying Port Harcourt, let their flight originate from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris directly to Port Harcourt because people from that part of Nigeria deserve direct flights and comfort; but to put them on transit in Nigeria is unacceptable.
“If they so desire to do so, they should apply for multiple landing in Nigeria which we can also generates money from because of the open sky agreements. If the international airlines are allowed to do local flights, what do they expect local operators to do?
“There are local airlines that can offer their passengers smooth local connections.
Arik Air has the capacity and I am convinced that they can position a plane at every time their flights arrive Lagos or Abuja.”
He observed that during Isa Yuguda tenure as aviation minister, no foreign airline enjoyed such unnecessary privilege.
Given that Arik Air has the capacity, he speaks of what they can do to assume that responsibility? “To achieve that collaboration or inter airline agreement with any of the international airlines, Arik Air must be a member of the International Air Transport Associations [IATA],” he said.
“Currently, its membership has been withdrawn, because without that it cannot seal any deal and it must also belong to IATA Operational Safety Audit [IOSA]. Arik Air needs every business it can muster and as such, must befriend foreign airlines, but not making them enemies.
“To fully become a big player, it must enter into inter-airline relationships. If it has inter- airline relationship with British Airways or Virgin Atlantic, for instance, what happened to it recently in New York would not have happened. Arik Air would have just transferred those passengers to other partner airlines instead of paying hotel bills for days as well as compensation to some.
“Any businessman that is always patronising Aso Rock is doing so to take what does not belong to such person; or to better put it, such a person is a criminal.”
According to Tukur, the way forward for the aviation sector is not farfetched.
He said, “The only sector that is left is the aviation sector. The banking sector is finished because the banks are not lending.
With the way the aviation sector is being handled presently, it appears that there is a deliberate attempt to destroy the sector.
“The government must seat down and properly articulate and make necessary changes, if Nigeria is to become the aviation hub of the sub-region; because we need to encourage more international airlines to come, instead of fighting a battle we cannot win.
Come to think of it, do we really have good facilities? No good airport. Nothing!
“The much touted on-going renovation of airports across the country is nothing but a fluke. The quality of materials being used is nothing to write home about.
“Imagine passengers struggling for space with construction workers in our airports. No safety procedures or protection for the travelling public.
“I am using this opportunity to call on the honourable minister to visit all the airports in which renovations are currently on-going to see the rubbish the contractors are doing.
“Again, I have no doubt in my mind that the minister is being misled. In fact, this is the time for the government to start building new airports. If you land at the Kaduna Airport, you will think you are in a war zone, with air force planes scattered everywhere and the VIP lounge there taken over by the air force and no civilian uses there.”
He admonishes that those managing Nigerian airports must reduce their charges and at best stop collecting charges now, pending when the airports are in good condition. Currently, they provide nothing to the Nigerian travelling public.
Travellers must ensure that government agencies in the aviation sector are forced to do what they are established to do. At a time, even recently in this country, marketers were selling ordinary kerosene as aviation fuel and nothing happened to those accused.
He maintains: “It was not me making the allegation, but one of the oil marketers that petitioned and named those committing this terrible crime. Whether the petitioner was telling the truth or not, the government and its agencies swept the matter under the carpet.
“One of the reasons why aircraft make air return sometimes is as a result of adulterated aviation fuel, incident that is commonly caused by bird strikes that have been a major source of losses to operators here in Nigeria.
“Scaring the birds away is the duty of a government agency, for which airline operators are charged. And yet when it happens, the airline will have to pay duty to send it abroad for repairs; or ordering a spare part for that purpose.”
Finally, the travelling public must demand for their rights. “If your flight is delayed, the airline must feed you; if the flight is cancelled out-rightly, they must provide you with hotel accommodation and one return ticket free, especially if the reasons for the cancellation are not natural disaster and/or weather-related,” he stated.
“Failure to do the aforementioned, there are consumer protection desks at all our airports that passengers can take their cases to. As a precaution, always read the terms and conditions of every airline ticket you buy. If it says no refund after purchase, do not use such airline in future.
“NCAA must be forced by passengers to monitor airline operators. Imagine you being served a piece of cake with a serviette paper in an airline that you pay thousands of naira to fly.
Research Indicates Need of New International Tourism
Organisation
The majority of private sector stakeholders of the tourism industry does not have any idea how the UN World Tourism Organisation [UNWTO] develops tourism barometers and what the role is of UNWTO to promote tourism in their countries. “There is lack of interaction with UNWTO with the private sector, and there is a dire need for another international tourism organization that can connect private stakeholders including tour operators; DMOs; and professional associations of stakeholders like guides, experts, teachers, and consultants of the tourism industry.”
These are indicators received through the first of three stages of a research initiative to understand the level of contact of UNWTO with the private tourism sector in Silk Road countries. The research was initiated by The Region Initiative [TRI], and data was collected through questionnaires, background interviews, and direct contact with stakeholders of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, and Armenia. The highest level of privacy and secrecy was followed with commitment to the participants that their input and identity shall not shared with any individual, organisation, or country whatsoever, and only the results shall be shared with industry leaders, experts, and the rivate sector. The first stage of data collected was based on the following questions:
1. How does UNWTO develop tourism barometers?
2. What has UNWTO done so far for medium and small stakeholders of the industry?
3. Do you have any office of UNWTO in your country like other UN agencies have offices [for example, UNICEF, UNESCO, IUCN, etc.]?
4. What is the role of UNWTO to promote tourism in your country?
5. How many times have you visited the UNWTO website?
It was observed that only senior experts know how UNWTO barometers are developed and used, while the rest of the private sector considers these barometers as having no input from tour operators, DMOs, and other stakeholders.
These results will be shared with students of universities, tour operators, and other stakeholders of the tourism industry, and their observations will base the questions for phase II of this research that will be concluded by September 2012.
The Region Initiative is a member of the International Council of Tourism Partners [ICTP], a new and fast-growing grassroots travel and tourism coalition of global destinations committed to quality service and green growth.
These are indicators received through the first of three stages of a research initiative to understand the level of contact of UNWTO with the private tourism sector in Silk Road countries. The research was initiated by The Region Initiative [TRI], and data was collected through questionnaires, background interviews, and direct contact with stakeholders of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, and Armenia. The highest level of privacy and secrecy was followed with commitment to the participants that their input and identity shall not shared with any individual, organisation, or country whatsoever, and only the results shall be shared with industry leaders, experts, and the rivate sector. The first stage of data collected was based on the following questions:
1. How does UNWTO develop tourism barometers?
2. What has UNWTO done so far for medium and small stakeholders of the industry?
3. Do you have any office of UNWTO in your country like other UN agencies have offices [for example, UNICEF, UNESCO, IUCN, etc.]?
4. What is the role of UNWTO to promote tourism in your country?
5. How many times have you visited the UNWTO website?
It was observed that only senior experts know how UNWTO barometers are developed and used, while the rest of the private sector considers these barometers as having no input from tour operators, DMOs, and other stakeholders.
These results will be shared with students of universities, tour operators, and other stakeholders of the tourism industry, and their observations will base the questions for phase II of this research that will be concluded by September 2012.
The Region Initiative is a member of the International Council of Tourism Partners [ICTP], a new and fast-growing grassroots travel and tourism coalition of global destinations committed to quality service and green growth.
Travel
Nahcoaviance : Giving Life to Ground Handling in Nigeria
Nahcoaviance Plc, a ground handling company, is poised to revolutionise the industry in Nigeria,
with consistent acquisition of modern and ultra modern equipment. The latest is
an ultra-modern warehouse worth over N1.9 billion. PEARL NGWAMA reports.
with consistent acquisition of modern and ultra modern equipment. The latest is
an ultra-modern warehouse worth over N1.9 billion. PEARL NGWAMA reports.
It was another moment of history as nahcoaviance plc commissioned its ultramodern warehouse at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, recently. The warehouse which gulped over N1.9 billion according to many in the industry is the dawn of a new era of transformative aviation cargo services which will not only position the company as a regional cargo hub at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, but will also yield a lot of economic returns to the country.Mr. Kayode Oluwasegun-Ojo, managing director of the company in his speech said with the commissioning of the project, better, modern and faster ground handling services would be rendered to clients, adding that the era of unauthorised persons gaining access to the company's facilities was over.
He said the Cargo Warehouse Modernisation Project was conceived about five years ago as a proactive approach to maintain the company's global competitive edge, sustainable revenue growth and profitability of the cargo handling business.
The conceptualisation and design of the warehouse modernisation project according to him was planned to upgrade the physical infrastructure of the warehouse and incorporate some components of cargo handling automation, in order to optimise the cargo handling and warehousing processes.
He added that the warehouse is not just our response to the yearnings of our stakeholders, but to the clarion call of the Federal Government for rapid economic development, and specifically for airport infrastructural renewal. Oluwasegun-Ojo said the old warehouse which had been in existence for more than 30 years could no longer sustain the desired revenue growth of the organisation, as the labyrinth of physical bottlenecks posed serious operational constraints to the efficiency, safety and security of the cargo operations.
Noting also, he said that the revenue loss to the company, and the Federal Government was unimaginable; coupled with security breaches due to unbridled touting and illegal entry of undesirable elements.
"Today, this project has placed nahcoaviance Plc at the vantage position of sustaining its leadership position for the coming years," he boasted.
Features
Continuing Oluwasegun-Ojo said the new warehouse has an increased capacity of approximately 21,000 square metres, an increase of over 50 per cent in storage space when compared with the old structure.
This he also said is in order to harness the opportunities to be presented by the changes in the competitive business landscape now and in the future, and that the semi-automation aspect of this warehouse incorporates mechanical conveying system and frictionless raised platform (castor mat area), in addition to the construction of the access road and working floor areas to enhance the speed and efficiency of the cargo handling processes.
Benefits
The nahcoaviance managing director explained that the installation of new euro-pallet racks and oversize storage racks have enhanced the warehousing capacities of the sheds.
He added that revenue collection has been maximised with storage of more consignments, especially from Collection on Arrival (COA) and special goods like special purpose consignments, vehicles and so forth, which were hitherto stored in the open by the airside.
Also beneficial according to him, is the empty air pallet and container racks which have enabled the storage of the airlines pallets and containers on racks, as is the standard industry practice, with the benefit of reducing damages to these very expensive equipment.
Also, the installation of modern cold-room equipment has increased the revenue generation capacities of the import and export warehouses.
Crowd control and security of the warehouse have already been addressed by the installation of computerised access control system and intelligent closed circuit television (CCTV). This according to the managing director will reduce to the barest minimum the incidence of pilferages and missing cargoes while eliminating associated consignee claims.
He assured that "safety compliance, a regulatory requirement, is guaranteed by the installation of automatic fire detection system in the warehouses which will not only ensure fire protection but also reduce our insurance premium." "The huge facility gives our company the needed platform to develop a regional cargo hub at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport," he said.
Also Senator Ike Nwachukwu, chairman of the company, at the commissioning of the warehouse said it was built to the IATA standards with professionalism and integrity achieved.
Nwachukwu disclosed that the company at the beginning of his tenure as the Board chairman set a four-point agenda such as Increased Efficiency and Service Quality, Significant Growth and Diversification, Improved profitability, and Market Leadership and innovation, which today are becoming reality.
He assured that its Export Processing Zone (Nahco EPZ), for which it has committed enormous resources, when fully operational, will be a one-stop business shop that will facilitate economic activities in Nigeria, and be a pride to Nigerians and the international community
Princess Stella Odua, the minister of Aviation, while delivering her speech at the commissioning of the warehouse said it demonstrates the futuristic projections of the company in meeting the increasing cargo handling demands of the economy.
Other Achievements of Nahcoaviance
Nahcoaviance did not only focus on the completion of an ultra-modern warehouse, but also paid attention to other aspects of the business in order to bring a satisfying travel experience to Nigerians and the international community.
Oluwasegun-Ojo disclosed that in the last one year, the company has invested about N2 billion in the procurement of about 400 state-of-the-art Ground Support Equipment.
This is in addition to the N68 million Export cargo screening system commissioned recently by the Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren; the first of its kind in West Africa, which consists of cargo screening machine and anti-bomb equipment.
The installation of the screening system has addressed some of the security issues the company is currently grappling with and restored a level of confidence in its customers and stakeholders.
Clientele base
Nahcoaviance handles virtually all the foreign airlines that operate into the country and about three domestic airlines which include Aero and Air Nigeria foreign operations.
In total it has 30 airlines in its clientele.
Air Crash: Airline Operators Advise Govt against Politicking
Stories by PEARL NGWAMA
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has advised President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and the Senate to desist from setting up their proposed separate investigations into the recent Dana Air plane crash that claimed 153 passengers.
The Association said the statutorily recognised agency, the Accident Investigation Bureau(AIB) set up by an Act of the National Assembly in 2006 should be allowed to carry out its duty under the law without Executive or legislature's interference.
AON gave this advice weekend at a world press conference in Lagos, addressed jointly by Dr. Steve Mahonwu and Captain Mohammed Joji, the chairman and the secretary general of the association. According to the duo, the standard procedure laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) of which Nigeria is a member, is that an independent accident investigation body be set up through an Act to independently investigate the cause(s) of aircraft accident, with a view to prevent future occurrence with similarities to what has been discovered as cause of the accident and not for purposes of indictment nor for punitive measures.
According to Joji, to deviate from this laid down procedure would amount to the breach of Standard procedure as laid down by ICAO, and this is an unpardonable breach of the country's law that established the AIB, which is manned by professionals trained in accident investigation techniques, and not by politicians who would want to play to the gallery politics in terms of technical/professional matter such in the present circumstance.
He cautioned that, care should be taken in the sentiments being expressed on the Dana plane crash, to avoid apportioning blame which could create doubts in the minds of the international community, on milestone already achieved on safety, adding that if not, Nigeria could lose the FAA Cat 1 Safety Status achieved under the present leadership of the regulatory agency-Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
On the resolution by the Senate advising the President to suspend Chief Executives of the agencies to allow for unfettered investigation into the plane crash, the AON Secretary General said that, the call was illogical and that it was like saying the President of the country should be suspended, because there was systemic failure in one of the Federal Ministry or that because of the Boko Haram activities, which had claimed several lives.
As regards the 22-year age limit placed on aircraft operating in the country by government and the reports that the Dana plane that crashed fall into this category, Joji noted that there was no correlation between safety and the age of an aircraft, and that the decisions by some operators to retire geriatric aircraft were basically economic, because ageing aircraft required more frequent maintenance than new. "A 24-year B737-300 selling at between $6 and $8m is older than a 20-year old B737-200 selling at $2m. Age under this circumstance is irrelevant,'' he said.
He pointed out that imposing a 22-year ban on aircraft here was not in consistence with ICAO standard and recommended practices, adding that it was: ''One of those draconian policy decisions taken without recourse to actual industry practice.''
Meanwhile Dana Air management has disclosed that it loses at least N51m daily since the suspension of its Air Operators' Certificate (AOC) by NCAA and also denied that the aircraft was not airworthy as at the time it took off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja on the ill fated ay.
Capt. Oscar Watson, the director of Operations, Dana Air, explained that the airline airlifts between 1, 800 and 2, 000 passengers daily to all its routes in the country.
However, he said that the financial loss could not be compared to the loss of lives as a result of the accident.
Watson said that it would be wrong for anyone in the industry to rush to conclusion on the probable cause of the accident, saying that until the AIB concluded its investigation, it would be wrong for anyone to speculate.
He assured that the airline would pay the required $30, 000 within 30 days of any crash as stipulated by the ICAO, while the remaining $70, 000 would be paid at a later date.
His words, "I want to say it here again that we have up to 30 days to pay all the victims of the ill-fated crash as stipulated by ICAO, but it is wrong for anybody to start speculating on the probable crash of the aircraft. The AIB is there and for us to rush into conclusion now, is wrong.
"The speculation behind the crash is much and this leads to false information to the public. We do our maintenance regularly. If we are saying that the maintenances are inconsistent, we are simply saying the government or even the regulatory agencies are not doing their jobs well, which I know is not the situation, "he argued.
Aero Adds Wakanow as Sales Channel
Aero Airline has announced its addition of the 'Wakanow' travel portal, an additional distribution means, thus increasing the airline's sales channels.
This platform according to Aero will enable its customers to buy tickets directly on its website www.wakanow.com. The introduction of this platform is in addition to other sales/booking and payment options provided by Aero for the customers' convenience.
It explained that the travel portal allows the user to explore all travel options available, which has significantly simplified the purchasing process for Aero's passengers.
With a credit and/or debit card and Internet access, a passenger can now quickly and easily purchase an Aero ticket anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week by providing only the necessary information over a secured connection.
An online ticket sales channel is a major component of the selling strategies of the airline. "It is value added service for customers," it said.
Pleased with the development, Captain Akin George, managing director of Aero, said: "The idea was to make travel a lot easier for Nigerians, especially in this CashLite policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). As Nigeria continues to enhance its Internet services and payment infrastructure, this type of sales channel will witness a growing demand and will soon become the leading source for ticket purchase."
This platform according to Aero will enable its customers to buy tickets directly on its website www.wakanow.com. The introduction of this platform is in addition to other sales/booking and payment options provided by Aero for the customers' convenience.
It explained that the travel portal allows the user to explore all travel options available, which has significantly simplified the purchasing process for Aero's passengers.
With a credit and/or debit card and Internet access, a passenger can now quickly and easily purchase an Aero ticket anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week by providing only the necessary information over a secured connection.
An online ticket sales channel is a major component of the selling strategies of the airline. "It is value added service for customers," it said.
Pleased with the development, Captain Akin George, managing director of Aero, said: "The idea was to make travel a lot easier for Nigerians, especially in this CashLite policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). As Nigeria continues to enhance its Internet services and payment infrastructure, this type of sales channel will witness a growing demand and will soon become the leading source for ticket purchase."
Auto
2012 Dodge Caliber SXT Makes Inroad into Nigeria
Stories by Pearl Ngwama
Weststar Associates Limited, authorised general distributors of Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge in Nigeria has introduced yet another new drive pleasure into the market, giving its customers the opportunity to make a choice.
The vehicle is a fun, well-rounded package, combining the versatility of a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with the value and fuel-efficiency of a compact car.
2012 Dodge Caliber SXT is a bold, five-door hatchback with signature Dodge crosshair grille, with oversized wrap-around quad halogen headlamps for clear view at night, and integrated rear roof spoiler and available chrome accents.
Combining its SUV versatility, the car always looks like it is ready to take on the day and never disappoints. With its front-wheel drive, Dodge Caliber SXT is powered by a 158-hp 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with a CVT2 automatic transmission (Continuously Variable Transmission). It is also equipped with air conditioning, cruise control and a CD player with MP3 capability to provide the rider with music to accompany during travels. The SXT trims add 17-inch aluminium wheels and fog lights for visibility. The dodge Caliber SXT also comes with a leather interior.
The Dodge Caliber proves it can handle whatever life dishes out with versatility features like a rear liftgate and an available fold-flat front-passenger seat, so drivers can easily accommodate changing cargo and passenger requirements at a moment's notice.
According to Mr. Mirko Plath, managing director/CEO of Weststar Associates Limited, "The 2012 Dodge Caliber SXT offers what the technological features entry-level customers look for at an affordable price. Whether you are looking for attention-grabbing style, an energetic ride, flexibility, a little added luxury or all of the above, our customers will find it in the Dodge Caliber SXT,"
Safety Features
Safety features for the Dodge Caliber SXT include anti-lock brakes, active anti-whiplash front head restraints, front airbags, an inflatable driver knee blocker and side curtain airbags for front and rear occupants; an electronic stability control system, including traction control and brake assist, all of which come as standard equipment. Furthermore, the 2012 Dodge Caliber SXT comes with standard Electronic Stability Control which steps in when it detects that you are veering off your intended path.
The Dodge Caliber SXT is available at Weststar Associates Limited and its authorised dealer M-B Automobile Services Limited.
Weststar Associates Limited, authorised general distributors of Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge in Nigeria has introduced yet another new drive pleasure into the market, giving its customers the opportunity to make a choice.
The vehicle is a fun, well-rounded package, combining the versatility of a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with the value and fuel-efficiency of a compact car.
2012 Dodge Caliber SXT is a bold, five-door hatchback with signature Dodge crosshair grille, with oversized wrap-around quad halogen headlamps for clear view at night, and integrated rear roof spoiler and available chrome accents.
Combining its SUV versatility, the car always looks like it is ready to take on the day and never disappoints. With its front-wheel drive, Dodge Caliber SXT is powered by a 158-hp 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with a CVT2 automatic transmission (Continuously Variable Transmission). It is also equipped with air conditioning, cruise control and a CD player with MP3 capability to provide the rider with music to accompany during travels. The SXT trims add 17-inch aluminium wheels and fog lights for visibility. The dodge Caliber SXT also comes with a leather interior.
The Dodge Caliber proves it can handle whatever life dishes out with versatility features like a rear liftgate and an available fold-flat front-passenger seat, so drivers can easily accommodate changing cargo and passenger requirements at a moment's notice.
According to Mr. Mirko Plath, managing director/CEO of Weststar Associates Limited, "The 2012 Dodge Caliber SXT offers what the technological features entry-level customers look for at an affordable price. Whether you are looking for attention-grabbing style, an energetic ride, flexibility, a little added luxury or all of the above, our customers will find it in the Dodge Caliber SXT,"
Safety Features
Safety features for the Dodge Caliber SXT include anti-lock brakes, active anti-whiplash front head restraints, front airbags, an inflatable driver knee blocker and side curtain airbags for front and rear occupants; an electronic stability control system, including traction control and brake assist, all of which come as standard equipment. Furthermore, the 2012 Dodge Caliber SXT comes with standard Electronic Stability Control which steps in when it detects that you are veering off your intended path.
The Dodge Caliber SXT is available at Weststar Associates Limited and its authorised dealer M-B Automobile Services Limited.
CSR: ABC Awards Scholarship to Undergraduates
The ABC Transport Plc has offered scholarship to 12 Nigeria undergraduates who emerged after series of tests involving 1,424 students from various Nigerian universities. This is a way of taking its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to a higher level.
This was made known recently by Mr. Frank Nneji, ceo of ABC Transport while delivering his speech at the inaugural award ceremony of the ABC National University Scholarship, held in Lagos.
According to him, the company was in the business of providing services, but recently felt the challenge of the sharp decline in educational standard in Nigeria, hence the decision to delve into university scholarships.
He recalled that, there were mass failures in the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) examinations in 2011, unlike in the past when Nigeria was a force to be reckoned with educationally, noting that there are stories of Nigerian students who perform exceptionally in foreign universities.
"So much has gone wrong with our educational system. And we all know that the socio-political and economic development of any nation is, in many ways determined by the quality and level of educational attainment of the population," he said.
Quoting Robin Cook, Nneji said, "Education is more than a luxury; it is a responsibility that society owes itself." He therefore, said that for a country to remain strong and cohesive, we need to appreciate the problems faced by many parents in terms of providing quality education to their children. "Thus, ABC Transport Plc resolved to assist some students to fulfil their academic dreams, because we have noted that poor funding is one of the many reasons why students perform woefully in examinations. Our decision to set up a scholarship scheme in 2011 was informed by our belief to give back to society," he explained.
He added that ABC Transport previously had engaged activities that promote education which include endowments to undergraduates in universities, assistance to students in technical colleges and secondary institutions, and establishment of literary and academic awards.
Nneji also recalled that the company had in the past built and donated model classroom blocks, and training equipment, but that beyond all these, the excitement is in the scholarship scheme, which is aimed at identifying outstanding students in Nigerian universities and supporting them to complete their undergraduate studies.
With this financial provision according to him, the students would have enough time to commit to their studies without much care about finance. "The ABC Scholarship hopes to provide our scholars with enough study time and peace of mind, so they can pursue their aspirations and dreams without the constant worry and distraction of having to find the resources," he said.
The ABC boss therefore, charged the awardees to always be a role model for their course mates and also strive to live by the principles of Equity, Professionalism, Integrity, Quality and Innovation - the core values that have helped ABC Transport Plc grow tremendously.
The 12 recipients of the award were selected based on criteria from different universities in the country, as the application form was made open to any undergraduate from Nigeria irrespective of your state or tribe.
Ohakah Ikennam, one of the recipients of the scholarship, studying Financial Management from Federal University of Technology, Owerri, appreciated the transport company for such a laudable gesture on behalf all the recipients and pledged to show more commitment to their studies.
The award according to ABC is N100,000 per session, so various amounts were received by the awardees depending on their level in the university.
The company also used the occasion to introduce into its fleet the Smart Coach - a bridge between the small and luxury buses, which according to Nneji, is for smartness on the road, with assured safety which ABC Transport Plc stands for.
This was made known recently by Mr. Frank Nneji, ceo of ABC Transport while delivering his speech at the inaugural award ceremony of the ABC National University Scholarship, held in Lagos.
According to him, the company was in the business of providing services, but recently felt the challenge of the sharp decline in educational standard in Nigeria, hence the decision to delve into university scholarships.
He recalled that, there were mass failures in the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) examinations in 2011, unlike in the past when Nigeria was a force to be reckoned with educationally, noting that there are stories of Nigerian students who perform exceptionally in foreign universities.
"So much has gone wrong with our educational system. And we all know that the socio-political and economic development of any nation is, in many ways determined by the quality and level of educational attainment of the population," he said.
Quoting Robin Cook, Nneji said, "Education is more than a luxury; it is a responsibility that society owes itself." He therefore, said that for a country to remain strong and cohesive, we need to appreciate the problems faced by many parents in terms of providing quality education to their children. "Thus, ABC Transport Plc resolved to assist some students to fulfil their academic dreams, because we have noted that poor funding is one of the many reasons why students perform woefully in examinations. Our decision to set up a scholarship scheme in 2011 was informed by our belief to give back to society," he explained.
He added that ABC Transport previously had engaged activities that promote education which include endowments to undergraduates in universities, assistance to students in technical colleges and secondary institutions, and establishment of literary and academic awards.
Nneji also recalled that the company had in the past built and donated model classroom blocks, and training equipment, but that beyond all these, the excitement is in the scholarship scheme, which is aimed at identifying outstanding students in Nigerian universities and supporting them to complete their undergraduate studies.
With this financial provision according to him, the students would have enough time to commit to their studies without much care about finance. "The ABC Scholarship hopes to provide our scholars with enough study time and peace of mind, so they can pursue their aspirations and dreams without the constant worry and distraction of having to find the resources," he said.
The ABC boss therefore, charged the awardees to always be a role model for their course mates and also strive to live by the principles of Equity, Professionalism, Integrity, Quality and Innovation - the core values that have helped ABC Transport Plc grow tremendously.
The 12 recipients of the award were selected based on criteria from different universities in the country, as the application form was made open to any undergraduate from Nigeria irrespective of your state or tribe.
Ohakah Ikennam, one of the recipients of the scholarship, studying Financial Management from Federal University of Technology, Owerri, appreciated the transport company for such a laudable gesture on behalf all the recipients and pledged to show more commitment to their studies.
The award according to ABC is N100,000 per session, so various amounts were received by the awardees depending on their level in the university.
The company also used the occasion to introduce into its fleet the Smart Coach - a bridge between the small and luxury buses, which according to Nneji, is for smartness on the road, with assured safety which ABC Transport Plc stands for.