Airlines in our
country on Tuesday commenced flight operations by airlifting passengers
from various airports to their respective destinations. This came after
about 24 hours of complete flight cancellations by airlines, following
the “hazardous weather conditions” experienced in the country.

Though there were
flight delays especially to northern states, as a result of the weather
situation, the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, witnessed series
of aircraft take-offs and landings.

“Passengers can now
fly based on instructions from the control tower, and this is because
the weather, though fair, has not cleared completely,” said an officer
with Aero Contractors, who asked to remain anonymous. The source
disclosed that the bad weather affected carriers in the country
negatively, stressing that during yesterday’s severe hazy weather, some
passengers demanded the refund of their fares “without considering the
airline.”

“Airlines lost
millions to that incident yesterday, but some passengers refused to
understand that it was not the fault of airlines,” the source said.

Meanwhile, the
sales of tickets by ticketing officers at the Murtala Mohammed Airport
2 (MMA2) and the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) went on as usual, and
passengers embarked on their flights with various aircrafts departing
the airports.

Onn Monday, we
reported that hundreds of passengers were stranded at different
airports in our country, following the fog that impaired visibility
across our nation’s airspace.

Earlier, the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), while reacting to the
situation, directed airlines and their flight crews to enlighten
travellers about the situation, adding that the cancellation of flights
was for the good of the passengers, as safety is the highest priority.

Harold Demuren,
director general of the aviation authority, implored pilots to carry
out intensive pre-flight briefings for weather conditions before
embarking on any flight.

According to Mr. Demuren, Nigeria experiences regular harmattan that reduces the visibility of pilots during flight operations.

“Pilots should
carefully review the procedures for their operations whenever a
forecast shows that reduced visibility or adverse weather conditions
might exist for any portion of the flight,” he said.

“Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) will close airports to
arrivals and departures when the runway visual range is measured at
less than 800 metres, and pilots must be prepared to postpone flights
or divert to alternate airports in the circumstances.”

Airlines in our
country on Tuesday commenced flight operations by airlifting passengers
from various airports to their respective destinations. This came after
about 24 hours of complete flight cancellations by airlines, following
the “hazardous weather conditions” experienced in the country.

Though there were
flight delays especially to northern states, as a result of the weather
situation, the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, witnessed series
of aircraft take-offs and landings.

“Passengers can now
fly based on instructions from the control tower, and this is because
the weather, though fair, has not cleared completely,” said an officer
with Aero Contractors, who asked to remain anonymous. The source
disclosed that the bad weather affected carriers in the country
negatively, stressing that during yesterday’s severe hazy weather, some
passengers demanded the refund of their fares “without considering the
airline.”

“Airlines lost
millions to that incident yesterday, but some passengers refused to
understand that it was not the fault of airlines,” the source said.

Meanwhile, the
sales of tickets by ticketing officers at the Murtala Mohammed Airport
2 (MMA2) and the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) went on as usual, and
passengers embarked on their flights with various aircrafts departing
the airports.

Onn Monday, we
reported that hundreds of passengers were stranded at different
airports in our country, following the fog that impaired visibility
across our nation’s airspace.

Earlier, the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), while reacting to the
situation, directed airlines and their flight crews to enlighten
travellers about the situation, adding that the cancellation of flights
was for the good of the passengers, as safety is the highest priority.

Harold Demuren,
director general of the aviation authority, implored pilots to carry
out intensive pre-flight briefings for weather conditions before
embarking on any flight.

According to Mr. Demuren, Nigeria experiences regular harmattan that reduces the visibility of pilots during flight operations.

“Pilots should
carefully review the procedures for their operations whenever a
forecast shows that reduced visibility or adverse weather conditions
might exist for any portion of the flight,” he said.

“Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) will close airports to
arrivals and departures when the runway visual range is measured at
less than 800 metres, and pilots must be prepared to postpone flights
or divert to alternate airports in the circumstances.”

The joint suit instituted by the Lagos
State government and the Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the
Earth Nigeria (ERA/FOEN) against five tobacco companies before a Lagos
High Court sitting in Igbosere, could not continue on Monday because of
the redeployment process going on in the Lagos judiciary.

At the resumed hearing of the suit, the
presiding judge, Raliat Adebiyi, noted that she would not be able to
continue with the hearing of the applications brought by the counsel,
since she has been transferred to the Ikeja division of the Lagos High
court, and is trying to collate the files before her. The hearing of
the applications was, therefore, adjourned to April 19, 2010, in Ikeja,
where she will continue to preside over the suit amongst other suits.

Justice Adebiyi has been deployed from
the commercial division of the Lagos High court sitting in Igbosere to
the Land section of the court sitting in Ikeja.

The claimants had instituted the action
against the tobacco companies – British American Tobacco (Nigeria)
Limited, International Tobacco Limited, British American Tobacco Plc
and British American Tobacco Investment Limited – on the ground that
tobacco smoking has severe health implications, including but not
limited to cancer, cardiovascular and pulmonary complications, noting
that the defendants have recently admitted these facts.

Allegations

They had alleged that, in spite of the
obvious knowledge of the adverse effect of their product, the
defendants have fraudulently targeted the young and the under-aged in
their advertisement and marketing.

That, through the use of market surveys
and sophisticated advertising, the defendants have utilised such means
as music, cinema and fashion, to attract young and under-aged persons
to smoking.

They submitted further that the
mandatory health warnings inscribed on their packs are ineffective, as
the defendants promote a retail strategy of sale by the stick, whereas
the individual sticks that most consumers purchase have no such
warnings.

The claimants’ causes of action are
based on negligence, public nuisance, restitution, strict liability,
and conspiracy to commit actionable wrongs, among others.

It was contended that the overall
effect of the defendants’ course of conduct is that the state
government is called upon to expend its resources in treating tobacco
related ailments caused by the use of defendants’ products, maintaining
that the state government spends at least N316, 000 per month on each
of these ailments.

Claims

Consequently, the claimants want an
order of mandatory injunction compelling the defendants, their
successors-in-title, privies and/or agents to cease the marketing,
promotion, distribution and sale of tobacco-related products to minors
or under-aged persons.

An order of mandatory injunction
restraining the defendants from representing or portraying to minors or
persons under the age of 18, any alluring and/or misleading image
regarding tobacco related products, whether by direct depictions,
pictorials, advertorials, images, words, messages, sponsorships,
branding and/or through overt or covert and/or subliminal means.

Furthermore, the claimants asked for an
order of mandatory injunction restraining the defendants from
marketing, distributing, selling, or putting into the stream of
commerce, either by themselves or through their distributors, agents,
resellers, trade partners, marketers, and or any other person, any
tobacco related products of whatever make or brand within a one
thousand (1000) metre radius of any schools, hospitals, cinemas,
playhouses or locations, children’s shopping areas, childcare
facilities or such other public places in Lagos State, which are
predominantly a location for minors and young persons under 18 years to
“hang out”, play, assemble, congregate for any purpose whatsoever,
including but not limited to educational, recreational, social,
religious, sports or any other purposes.

In addition, they urged the court to
grant an order of mandatory injunction compelling the tobacco companies
to fund a tobacco control programme to be administered and controlled
by an independent third party, who is to be appointed by the Lagos
State government, targeted at minors and young persons under 18 years.

They also want a declaration of the
court that the tobacco related products are addictive, and a
declaration of the court that the tobacco related products as
manufactured, marketed, promoted, distributed and sold by the
defendants, are hazardous and injurious to public health.

The claimants also sought special, general, punitive and
anticipatory damages in the sum of $21,617,605, 885.17 from the
defendants.

Following
the attack on operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission in Owerri, Imo State, last week, the federal government has
decided to beef up security in the state.

The governor of the state, Ikedi
Ohakim, who was at the presidential villa to see the acting president,
Goodluck Jonathan, said he was there to brief him on the situation in
his state.

Not a political mission

Mr. Ohakim dismissed insinuations that
he was at the villa to submit names of possible ministers from his
state. He, however said, “I am a governor of a state and I have the
right to submit my ministerial list but that is not what I am here for.
I have come to confer with the acting president on the issue of
security in the state and, luckily, the acting president has made some
approval. The government has agreed to tackle the issue of security,
gangsterism and kidnapping.”

Ohakim added that he trusts the acting president to make the right decision on whom to choose to run the government.

“The acting president is pragmatic and
is forward looking; he knows what to do. He knows the country has been
trekking and we need to run; we need to fast forward. My mind tells me
that, come what may, he will look for key professionals, those who can
run with the ball, and give them responsibilities of driving the
activities of this country because we can’t wait forever. I know who he
is and he has what it takes. In the next few days you will be happy
with what is coming out from the exercise,” he said.

Background to the visit

Gunmen suspected to be assassins had on
Friday, March 19, attacked operatives of the EFCC along the
Mbano/Okigwe Road on their way from the Federal High Court, where they
had attended a hearing of the trial of Herbert Chikwe, husband of
former minister of aviation and Nigeria’s ambassador to the
Netherlands, Kema Chikwe, leaving one dead.