Business activities were, Saturday, paralyzed at the Akanu-Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, although temporarily, as hundreds of Igbo youths, under the aegis of Igbo Progressive Union (IPU), embarked on a peaceful protest against the calls for the sack of Oduah over the controversial armoured cars.

Two separate incidents in Kaduna, at the weekend, saw the roasting of six persons in an oil tanker explosion and a policeman dead in a gun attack.

This report is the culmination of weeks of investigation into the scam that is disguised as tests for unsuspecting job seekers in the banking sub-sector of the Nigerian economy. The findings are shocking as much as they are bound to affect your sensibilities of decency and morality. Because of the sensitive nature of this matter, more so the broad scope of our on-going investigations, particularly the need not to jeopardize this work, we have deliberately decided not to reveal the identities of the job-seekers and the bank in question – mind you, some other banks are involved in this scam. However, as we gather more facts and by the time the investigation runs its full course, we may then be able to disclose the identities of all the parties concerned.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials have tipped the Golden Eaglets for victory in Tuesday’s round of 16 match against Iran at the Kalifa Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain City.

Consequently, this is the reason most airlines find it difficult to meet their financial obligations to suppliers, service providers and staff. Even the payment of salaries and aircraft maintenance, when due, becomes a Herculean task. Airlines in Nigeria pay some of the most outrageous charges in the world.

These come in form of ground rent, landing and take off, day and overnight parking charges as well as navigational fees; and these are exclusive of other multiple taxes imposed by government. Overnight parking charges range from between N25,000 and N30, 000 per aircraft. Airlines in Nigeria also pay government taxes as high as 18 per cent of sales, including Value Added Tax, VAT, Passenger Service Charge, PSC and NCAA’s TSC. These taxes and charges, to say the least, are stringent for the airlines to operate safely and profitably. And an airline that cannot operate safely and profitably is an accident waiting to happen.