The Nigerian Army has announced the promotion of 108 senior officers, including 35 Brigadier Generals elevated to the rank of Major General and 73 Colonels promoted to Brigadier General.

The Army Council approved the promotions on Thursday, as announced in a statement by Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, on Friday.

Among those promoted to Major General are Brigadier Generals A. Garba, Acting Provost Marshal, and U.M. Alkali, Deputy Chief of Administration at the Directorate of Veteran Affairs. Others include A.G.L. Haruna, Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, and I.A. Ajose, Acting GOC 8 Division.

Similarly, officers elevated from Colonel to Brigadier General include Col. S.M. Iliya, Commander 43 Engineers Brigade, Col. O. Igwe, Commander 78 Supply and Transport, and Col. N.S. Onuchukwu, Chief Medical Director at 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, among others.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, congratulated the newly promoted officers and urged them to justify their elevation through exemplary leadership, innovative strategies, and unwavering loyalty to their oath of allegiance and the Nigerian Constitution.

He emphasized the importance of tackling contemporary security challenges and maintaining the trust placed in them by their elevation.

The Ooni of Ife, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, on Monday, 16 December 2024, paid a familiarisation visit to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Abuja.

In a statement signed on 16 December 2024 by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Customs Tarvershima Ansha, the monarch was warmly received by the Customs Area Controller, (CAC) Comptroller Olu Adebisi, whom he commended for his outstanding contributions to the Service. The Ooni stated that the purpose of his visit was to assess the progress of one of their own and expressed satisfaction with Adebisi’s achievements.

Speaking during the visit, Comptroller Adebisi expressed gratitude for the Ooni’s recognition, describing the visit as a significant morale booster. He encouraged other traditional rulers to emulate the Ooni by supporting and motivating their subjects in national service. “On behalf of the Officers and Men of Nigeria Customs Service, FCT Area Command, I want to thank you for this visit” Adebisi stated

The statement noted that before departing, the Ooni offered royal blessings to the officers, urging them to remain diligent in their duties for the greater good of the nation.

According to statement, the visit highlights the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to fostering collaboration, in line with one of the policy thrusts of Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.

Govt officials, contractors to fly only Nigerian airlines – Keyamo

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, says the Fly Nigeria Act will transform into law under his watch.

The minister lamented that the document, which is expected to make it mandatory for government-financed air transportation of government personnel, contractors, grantees, and properties to be carried by Nigeria Air Flag Carriers, has yet to materialise more than 15 years after it was first proposed.

Speaking at a one-day “Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Legal Framework for the Fly Nigeria Bill and Related Enabling Legislation’, in Abuja, Keyamo said he would rally all the major stakeholders to push for the Bill to be signed into law.

Vice President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, and the spokesperson of the Association, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, described the move as a new dawn for the country’s aviation and domestic airline.

Speaking at the event, Keyamo said, “This has been on the cards for some time, for many years, more than 15 years, because I think my predecessor, Chief Omotoba, served more than 15 years ago. So you can imagine that this bill was taken to council more than 15 years ago, and yet it did not see the light of day. Under my tenure, it will happen.

We just want to get things done. And so, when I came to the office, I saw a couple of these things hanging on my desk, like the Cape Town Convention, to the cry of the Aviation Working Group, and all the proposals that have been made to former governments to develop especially indigenous industry, a local industry. And what we did was to say, look, let us revive all of these dead things on my table that would help or that will help to develop our local industry.

“And one of them, of course, is the Fly Nigeria Act. Luckily Olisa Agbakoba was also talking to me about it. He had brought a proposal.

It’s a global conspiracy, but you have to be smart to see it. Look at the entire African continent. Just look at it. All the foreign airlines in the world feed on the African markets without competition from African airlines, without fair competition from African airlines. And they will ensure that this aviation market in Africa remains taunted. Especially in a big country like Nigeria, they will ensure that it remains taunted so that they will continue to feed on your markets.”

The minister further lamented that nationals of the world have been feeding fat in Nigeria without a commensurate gain to Africans.

“Air France is coming here full, going back full. So, we’ll set up a technical session. We have a pre-draft resolution here. The National Assembly members are waiting for the bill to get there. The senators are just waiting. It’s for us to set up a technical committee. We agreed in principle that this is good for us, good for aviation, you know, local operators especially.”