.As Ethiopian airline denies Nigerians boarding
.Only those vaccinated against COVID-19 will serve from next year –NYSC
Nigeria and United Arab Emirates, UAE face-off over allocation of flight frequencies to each country’s Flag Carriers, Air Peace airline and Emirates airline has taken a dramatic turn.
UAE Monday directed foreign airlines not to bring Nigerians to UAE.
Daily Champion gathered that Nigerian passengers were denied boarding on Ethiopian airline at the Muritala Mohammed International airport, Lagos.
A source further confirmed that Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Air, and other international airlines going to Dubai from their bases have also been directed not to board any passenger with Nigerian passport whose final destination is Dubai, UAE.
It would be recalled that on Friday, Nigeria Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika canceled the 21 frequencies earlier given to Emirates airline and restricted it to one flight to Abuja every week.
This was Nigeria’s response to UAE denying Air Peace the three weekly frequency to Sharjah, UAE the airline requested for.
While announcing the withdrawal of earlier granted approval on Friday night, the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA , Captain Musa Nuhu had in a letter with the reference number: NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/329, dated December 9, 2021 with the head: ‘Withdrawal of Ministerial Approval of Emirates Airlines Winter Schedule,’ and addressed to the Country Manager, Emirates Airlines withdrew the initial approval granted the airline.
The letter read: “I write to inform you of the withdrawal of the approval granted to Emirates Airlines winter schedule. This approval was conveyed via a letter with reference number FMA/ATMO/501/C.104/XV/356 dated 1st December 2021. The withdrawal becomes effective on Sunday 12th December 2021 at 23002.”
“Please kindly note, henceforth Emirates Airlines is granted approval to operate only one weekly passenger frequency to Abuja on Thursdays.”
Emirates also on Friday reacted by unilaterally deciding to suspend flights to Nigeria.
The airline had said ,“With the recently imposed directive limiting Emirates to operate one flight per week to Nigeria via Abuja, Emirates will be suspending its flights between Nigeria and Dubai from 13 December 2021, until the UAE and Nigerian authorities work on a solution to the ongoing issue.”
In March, Nigeria suspended Emirates from flying into or out of its territory after the carrier-imposed additional COVID-19 test requirements on passengers from Nigeria . The suspension was lifted after the issues were amicably resolved two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has said that from from January 2022, only fully vaccinated Prospective Corps Members, PCMs, will be allowed to register and partake in the scheme.
“From the next orientation in the year 2022, all incoming PCMs will show evidence of vaccination before they will be allowed into the camp for registration.
“We want to ensure that we adhere strictly to the non-pharmaceutical safety protocols of COVID-19,’’ the Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, said on Monday in Abuja.
He was addressing the 2021 Batch “C’’ Stream II set of corps members in a virtual meeting.
Mr Emeka Mgbemena, NYSC’s spokesman said in a statement that the director-general gave the directive in the face of reported cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Nigeria.
Ibrahim said that the scheme would not let down its guard of ensuring strict adherence to the COVID-19 safety protocols.
“I commend the federal government, the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, the National Centre for Disease Control, and other stakeholders for the success of the 2021 Batch “C’’ Stream II orientation course,’’ Ibrahim was quoted as saying.
The director-general urged the Batch “C’’ Stream II set of corps members whose orientation course ends on December 14, to continue to build on the skills learned during the orientation course.
He said that would make them to become business owners, instead of job seekers.
He assured that the scheme had partnered with the CBN, Access Bank, Bank of Industry, the NYSC Foundation, and Heritage Bank to support corps members with good business proposals with soft loans.
“Efforts are on-going for the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund which will make more funds available for every willing corps member to start their businesses as they exit service.
“NYSC is a platform for those that are very serious. Please take the skills acquisition seriously and ensure you register for the post-camp training.
“I can assure you that our partners are ready to support us to ensure that the start-up capitals are made available to corps members,’’ Ibrahim said.
The director-general advised corps members to choose personal projects that could be completed within the service year while also urging them not to borrow money to execute the projects.
He said that funds for personal projects should be sourced from their locality.
“Make sure you call on the traditional rulers, leaders, and youths so that they can support your project. Do not borrow money because you want to win national honours award,’’ the director-general admonished.
