Author: Swift Wave Reporter

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Thursday said he would open Nigeria’s economy to foreign investments to generate income and employment if given the mandate to rule in 2019.
Abubakar, who is one of the presidential aspirants on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, disclosed this while addressing the Kogi State leadership of the party and delegates at the party’s secretariat in Lokoja.
The former Vice President said he would open up the economy to attract foreign investors and turn the nation’s economy around to generate incomes and employment.
He said: “I will diversify the economy, open it up to provide safety for local and foreign investors.”
The presidential aspirant urged the National Assembly to act fast and ensure the use of card reader in the 2019 General Elections to ensure free and fair election.
He expressed confidence that the National Assembly would do the right thing by including it in the electoral law.
On insinuations of frosty relationship between him and his former boss, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Abubakar said there was no serious rift between them.
He said people magnified little things to suite their interest.…

The Nigerian workers on Thursday thrown their weight behind the 14-day ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress to the Federal Government over delay regarding new minimum wage.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Labour leaders had on Wednesday cautioned the Federal Government against foot-dragging on the new minimum wage and allow the tripartite committee to conclude its job to avoid action.
The labour leaders, who are members of the Minimum Wage Committee at a joint news conference addressed in Lagos, gave the Federal Government 14 days to ensure that the committee conclude its work or be ready to face action.
The President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, had said that the committee was not pleased with the comments allegedly made by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige.
Ngige had last week said that the committee should adjourn indefinitely to give room for further consultations with the government.
He said: “We view his supposed pronouncement with great concern, suspicion and outrage.
“This new antic certainly is not acceptable to Nigerian workers, who had expected a New National Minimum Wage since 2016.’’
However, some of the workers, who spoke with NAN on Thursday in Abuja expressed disappointment over the way and manner government was handling the issue.
Salisu Umar, a civil servant, berated the Federal Government for obvious lack of concern to the plight of workers.
He said it would be outright lack of feelings for Nigerian workers not to heed the call for increased wage in the face of harsh economy.
Umar called on the NLC not to rest on its oars in the pursuit of a new minimum wage, adding that whatever action the union resolved to take to press home their demand would receive the support of workers.
Another worker, Dorcas Abulu, called on the NLC to put the Federal Government on its toe until the national new minimum wage was approved.
She noted that prices of goods and services had skyrocketed, adding that workers could hardly afford the basic needs of life …

Sowore, a presidential aspirant of African Action Congress (AAC), says he will ensure civil servants in the country receive N100,000 as minimum wage from 2019 if he is elected Nigeria’s president.

Speaking at a town hall meeting organised by the party in Badagry, Sowore said Nigerians were indirectly going into slavery by traveling to different countries in search of jobs.

He noted that over 43 million black Africans were sold into slavery in the coastal city about 400 years ago, a development he said was still happening indirectly because of lack of job.

“I am in politics to stop this by providing 500,000 jobs yearly.

“The minimum wage for civil servant will be N100,000 from 2019,” he said.

Sowore regretted the poor state of roads in the country and describing the Lagos-Badagry expressway as the worst in Nigeria.

The presidential aspirants said the historic town had been cut off from the rest of the country due to deplorable state of the expressway.

“I have traveled all over Nigeria, but I have not seen any international expressway like Lagos-Badagry.

“We spent almost five hours coming here instead of one and half hours.

“Badagry town has been cut-off from Nigeria due to deplorable state of the road.

“This is very shameful,” the presidential aspirant said.

He promised to construct two expressways from Badagry to Lagos, and another one linking Badagry and Ogun State if elected into power in the 2019 general elections.

Sowore urged the residents of Badagry to vote wisely for candidates of their choice.

“I heard now that politicians are buying Permanent Voters Card (PVC) for N10,000. Please don’t sell your PVC; the PVC is your future.

“Can you do any business with N10,000? They will buy your card; your future is your PVC; keep it,” he said.…

A Ryanair pilot fainted while a plane was being diverted and had to be rushed to hospital upon landing.

The plane was flying from London Stansted to Palermo in Italy on Thursday evening but had to land 67 miles away in Trapani due to thunderstorms in the area.

The co-pilot then passed out near the airport and the captain was forced to land the plane himself.

A source told The Sun Online the first officer was “not able to function” and was taken to hospital after being examined by medical staff.

Ryanair confirmed the staff member “briefly fainted” as the plane was landing and was released from hospital after being assessed by doctors.

They added that the reason the flight was diverted was due to thunderstorms over Palermo not any issues with the crew.

Ryanair said in a statement: “The first officer on this flight briefly fainted while the aircraft was being landed by the captain at Trapani.

“He was examined by local medical staff and taken to hospital, where he was examined and released shortly thereafter without suffering any ill effects whatsoever.”

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Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, has taken delivery of another Boeing B777-300 aircraft in preparation for its commencement of international operations.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 320 capacity aircraft, christened “Ojochide”, touched down at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 1.45 p.m. on Saturday.
The aircraft, which was flown in from Dublin by Capt. Victor Efionu and Senior Flight Officer Emmanuel Iwhiwhu, was received by Air Peace Chief Operating Officer, Oluwatoyin Olajide and other top aviation personnel.

Olajide told newsmen that Air Peace had taken delivery of its first B777-200 aircraft in February, stressing that two more aircraft were being expected before year end to boost its international operations.
She noted that the Federal Government had granted approval to Air Peace to begin flights to six international destinations which are London, Dubai, Sharjah, Guangzhou-China, Mumbai and Johannesburg.
She said: “We are very happy with taken delivery of another of our B777 aircraft in preparation for our international operations and we are looking at commencing operations on one of the routes before the last quarter of the year.

“We believe that this will enable us to create more employment opportunities for Nigerians because that is the reason why we exist. We want to help curb the unemployment situation in the country.”
According to her, the move will also impact the Nigerian economy positively because it will give Nigerians the opportunity to travel in comfort and safety at affordable fares across the world.
She thanked the present administration for the support given to Nigerian airlines through removal of Value Added Tax and waivers on aircraft spares.
NAN reports that the B777-300 aircraft has 12 First Class, 48 Business Class and 260 Economy Class and it is usually used for long-haul flights.…

The Lagos State Government says work is in progress to integrate the rail, road and water transport systems to address the persistent gridlocks in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Transport, Ladi Lawanson, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Sunday.

Lawanson said: “In order to get everything right, the state government implementing a master plan to integrate the major transportation systems to ensure free flow of traffic and curb incessant gridlocks.
“The transportation master plan involves the three major modes of transportation: the rail, road and water.
“For the road transport, work is going on to ensure the transportation sector is transformed to the modern system which is practised globally.

“The road system has the Bus Rapid Transit which we have been using for a while and the state served as the operator.
“We were running it like that until we found out that the method was not suitable because government, to be frank, has no business to be in a business.
“Rather, the government has decided to opt out and now be a regulator.”
Lawanson also said the state government was committed to ensuring the safety of the people using the waterways as their means of transportation within the state.
According to him, to tackle emergencies on the waterways more efficiently, the Lagos State government is to procure life-saving, quick response boats.

He said: “The state government is working on bringing ideals and best practices on water transportation as the sub-sector requires millions dollars of investment, if we are to do it right.
“We are going to procure life-saving boats, top speed boats and quick response boats such that, anytime there is an emergency, we will rescue promptly without recording any casualty.
“The government also distributes free life jackets to jetties periodically to save lives on waterways.
“There is at least a guard in every jetty in the state to properly kit passengers with life jackets before any journey because safety of life and property is very important.”

The commissioner said the government …