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Sit-at-home cripples businesses in Abakaliki

Published

4 years ago

on

May 18, 2022

By

Feyijimi Emmanuel

Economic activities were brought to a halt in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State, as residents observed the sit-at-home ordered by the Indigenous People of Biafra, on Wednesday.

The leadership of the IPOB, had last week, issued a sit-at-home order for Wednesday and Thursday because according to it, its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, would be appearing in court on the two days.

Our correspondent, who monitored activities in Abakaliki, on Wednesday morning observed that banks, schools, markets, shops and even government offices were shut.

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Rising Tensions Between Regulators and Airlines The financial strain has coincided with renewed friction between the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), following disputes over the remittance of statutory charges and the delivery of regulatory services. Operators say the situation reflects deeper systemic liquidity stress across the sector, where airlines are increasingly unable to meet overlapping obligations imposed by aviation agencies while maintaining operational stability. A Layered and Fragmented Tax System At the centre of industry complaints is what operators describe as a “multi-layered and excessive” taxation structure involving the NCAA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). 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