Quick Takes
FG Yet to Decide on Maritime University
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has said that the federal government is yet to make a final pronouncement on the status of Maritime University (NMU), Okerenkoko, Delta State.
NUC Director of Information and Public Relations, Mallam Ibrahim Yakasai, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the fate of the institution would be made public at the appropriate time.
“Maritime University and all those universities that were created in the dying days of the last administration are awaiting final decision. Government has not made any definitive statement about their status; government is taking a second look at them. Government will make a definitive statement about them at the right time. It is not only Maritime University; the universities of education are also awaiting government’s decision,’’ he explained.
NMU was established in 2014 to build capacity in the Nigerian maritime industry currently dominated by foreigners. The tertiary institution is also expected to provide employment for the youths in the oil and gas rich Niger Delta region.
However, there were protests in Delta State recently over alleged plan to scrap the university.
NAMA Commences 24 Hours Area Radar Control
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), last week began the provision of 24 hours en-route radar service to airspace users at both the Kano and Lagos Area Control Centres (ACCs).
The area radar service which hitherto was only available between Mondays and Fridays from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm has now been extended to 24hrs daily and seven days a week. Speaking on this development, the Managing Director, Ibrahim Abdulsalam of NAMA said: “This feat became feasible following an aggressive manpower training by the agency to boost capacity of safety critical Air Traffic Control and Engineering personnel required to provide the service,’’ stressing that “with this development we have further enhanced safety and efficiency in air traffic management because the use of radar increases capacity to maximise utilisation of available airspace with precision, accuracy and less workload to the Air Traffic Controllers and flight crew while also enabling aircraft to fly at optimum trajectories.”
Abdulsalam who noted that the non-stop provision of area radar service was in line with the on-going digitalisation of the Nigerian airspace by the agency, expressed confidence that flight times would be further reduced due to direct routing, translating to reduced fuel consumption by the airlines. He added that roundthe-clock radar surveillance would give a boost to the nation’s preparedness in search and rescue operations. NAMA had on the 30th of May 2013 successfully commenced the provision of area radar control service within the Nigerian airspace, enabling the agency to seamlessly manage en-route flights digitally with efficiency and exactitude.
GM Recalls 473,000 SUVs, Pickups
General Motors (GM) has said it will recalling 473,000 pickups and SUVs in North America because brake pedals could fail due to a faulty nut.
The Detroit automaker is calling back 426,573 2015-16 Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD, and Chevrolet Tahoe police vehicles in the United States and 46,837 in Canada.
GM said the brake pedal pivot nut may become loose, causing the brake pedal to be loose or inoperative. There are no reports of injuries or crashes.
Dealers will inspect the bolt to determine if the vehicle has already received a fix added during production. If not, dealers will add adhesive to the nut and reinstall the nut.
Meanwhile, BMW has reported a 7.5 per cent rise in monthly car sales to 152,879 vehicles in January, as growth in Europe and China more than offset a slide in the United States, where winter storms deterred car buyers.
“Despite many markets showing continuing volatility, we remain optimistic that this positive trend will continue through 2016,” sales chief Ian Robertson said in a statement on Tuesday.