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The Edo State Government has demolished the property of a suspected kidnapper, Oboh Odianosen, in the Edo Central Senatorial District after he confessed to collecting an N800,000 share from a N5 million ransom. The state’s Task Force against Kidnapping carried out the demolition on Wednesday following Odianosen’s arrest and admission of involvement in the crime.
Hot SourceAbia State, Netherlands Sign MoU on Waste to Wealth Initiative
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The Abia State government is making good its intention of converting the enormous wastes generated in its cities into useful and profitable products.
To this end, the state government has entered into partnership with the Kingdom of the Netherlands and sealed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a firm, Kaltani Company to implement the waste to wealth initiative.
Governor Alex Otti had received a delegation from the Netherlands led by the Deputy Consul-General of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria, Mr. Peter Keulers. They came on a three-day “scoping mission” in Abia which ended on Thursday.
Part of the delegation along with the Kaltani Company led by its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Obi Charles Nnanna, whose firm would in due course commence the project of turning Abia wastes into wealth.
A statement from the state government on the visit said that Governor Otti informed the delegation of Abia’s readiness and openness for business, adding that the state “is not seeking for aid but exploring areas of collaboration for mutual benefits.”
He recalled that at the inception of his administration in May 2023, Abia was placed among the dirtiest states in Nigeria but the story has changed after he declared an emergency on waste management and environmental cleanliness.
Otti stated that his decision has yielded the desired result as Abia is presently rated as one of the cleanest states in Nigeria with the state now thinking of what to do with wastes evacuated and dumped at designated sites on a daily basis.
“We are now moving to the next stage which is the stage of, what do we do with those heaps of rubbish and that is why Kaltani Company came in to say, there are two ways to deal with it,” he said.
The Abia governor stated that the thinking of his government is that “the better thing to do will be to convert the waste into products that people will buy,” adding that the ones “in very serious demand here are waste to wealth or waste to energy.”
“The demand for energy is inelastic and you know how it is for people who are entrepreneurs, people who have capacity to produce anything, so these people require support from government.
“For us, we believe that if we are able to provide enough power for our people, we would have solved half of the problems,” Otti said.
Leader of the Dutch delegation, Mr. Keulers had earlier in his remarks, explained that his team came on a scoping mission to meet with the Abia government, private sector and academic/research organisations to discuss possible areas of collaboration.
He said that the Kingdom of the Netherlands would deploy its technology and knowledge to meet both commercial and policy objectives in the areas of waste management, circular aspects of agriculture, among others.
According to the Deputy Consul-General, his country was very much interested in a circular economy as it would result in a more sustainable and resilient economy with less pollution and waste, as well as a more efficient use of scarce resources.
He told Governor Otti that the circular economy has the potential of creating all kinds of economic opportunities and employment in future, adding that his country was focused on promoting bilateral relations.
This, he noted, informed the delegation’s visit to the proposed site for the Kaltani waste management facility in Abia.
The MD/CEO of the Kaltani Company, which is a key development partner in the waste to wealth project, Engr. Nnanna expressed the readiness of the firm to execute the project of waste collection and recycling.
He described Otti as “a man of vision that wants to create a lasting impact in the lives of Abians and we are happy to be part of that story.”
“We intend to galvanise waste, we intend to create jobs, we intend to address multiple United Nations SDGs,” Nnanna assured the governor and other government officials at the meeting.
Areas of interest visited by the Dutch delegation included the Recycling Park and Landfills at Osisioma, existing burrow pits and dumpsites in Aba and Umuahia, transfer loading station in Umuahia.
They also visited Ulonna Rubber Plantation at Ndi Oji Abam, Aba Textile Mill and Textile Market, Recycling facilities in Aba and Umuahia, as well as Leather and Apparels Clusters in Aba.
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia The Abia State government is making good its intention of converting the enormous wastes generated in its cities into useful and profitable products. To this end, the
Hot SourceAppointment of Board of Directors Will Help Reposition NCAA, Says DG
Chinedu Eze
The Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo, has said that if the Board of Directors is appointed for the agency it would help to reposition it in the collaborative efforts with the management.
Najomo identified the importance of the Board of Directors in the agency and said the presence of Board of Directors plays a critical role in the corporate governance of an organisation and in NCAA, it would provide strategic direction, overseeing management and making key decisions, while being guided by the Civil Aviation Act.
The NCAA boss said that boards may be appointed at any time for aviation parastatals, including NCAA, as seen with the recent inauguration of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Speaking at a Corporate Governance and Board Management Seminar organised by NCAA’s Directorate of Legal Services (DLS) in Lagos recently, Najomo underscored the necessity for a clear corporate governance framework to enhance regulatory oversight and improve Nigeria’s civil aviation industry.
Najomo said a board is important to run the agency or the authority properly adding that he is inclined to self-audit to self-criticise his performance as the head of the authority.
“I even said that I am going to self-audit myself so that I make sure we are doing the right thing.”
Addressing senior-level officers, consultants, and other aviation stakeholders, Najomo noted that the responsibilities of the NCAA Board extend beyond mere supervision and include ensuring compliance with statutory regulations.
According to him, the seminar comes at a crucial time, especially with the recent inauguration of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and remarked that the NCAA Board, once constituted, would need to operate efficiently within the framework provided by the Civil Aviation Act.
While providing an overview of the NCAA Board’s composition, he explained that the Head of the Directorate of Legal Services of the regulatory body will statutorily serve as the Board Secretary.
Najomo also stressed that the legal foundation of the NCAA traces back to Decree No. 49 of 1999, which was enacted before the advent of democracy, and has since evolved into the Civil Aviation Act 2022.
“The Civil Aviation Act 2022 serves as the primary legislation governing civil aviation in Nigeria, aligning with ICAO’s State Safety Oversight requirements. It defines the functions, powers, and responsibilities of the Authority, including the establishment of its governing Board,” he stated.
The Director General explained that Section 5(2) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022 provides for four statutory members of the NCAA Board: The Chairman, a representative from the Ministry responsible for Aviation, a representative from the Ministry responsible for Defence, and the Director-General of the NCAA.
All other members serve in an ex officio capacity. He called on the seminar’s consultants to analyse the Act’s provisions and ensure a seamless synergy between the Board and NCAA Management.
“I expect today’s discussions to highlight areas of mutual cooperation while mitigating potential conflicts through realistic solutions,” he urged.
Reflecting on NCAA’s recent silver jubilee celebration, Najomo emphasised that the milestone provides an opportunity to reposition the Authority for a safer, more secure, economically viable, and customer-centric aviation sector, saying that the incoming Board members would be met with high expectations from both the industry and society.
He further charged the Directorate of Legal Services, which serves as the Authority’s Company and Corporate Secretariat, to develop a robust corporate governance framework that will support Board members in discharging their statutory duties effectively.
Expressing confidence in the seminar’s outcome, Najomo commended the calibre of resource persons and the carefully curated discussion topics.
He urged participants to engage in meaningful deliberations that would strengthen the NCAA’s governance structure.
The NCAA Director of Legal and Company Secretary, Mary Tufano-Eche, said the forum provided the agency and their stakeholders the opportunity to re-evaluate the latest trend in corporate governance and responsibilities.
She said, “The regulatory bodies in the sector must be ready to enforce regulations. We are refreshing ourselves to remind ourselves of our responsibilities knowing very well that corporate governance is about rules, laws, procedures and policies.”
Chinedu Eze The Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo, has said that if the Board of Directors is appointed for the agency it would
