Business
NUATE to Turkish Airlines: Your allegation against Nigerian staff false, misleading
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), has fired back at Turkish Airlines over the claim that it sacked seven of its Nigerian staff over ticket racketeering of tickets to the tune of $600,000.
NUATE said nothing could be farther from the truth on the matter as the claim by Turkish Airlines is misleading.
In a statement signed by Comrade Abah Ocheme, NUATE’s General Secretary , the union said the carrier is wrong by spreading false allegation that the recent picketing of its operations was carried out despite an aircraft interlocutory injunction against the exercise.
The union said :” The National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, feels obliged to respond to this awful attempt by the Airline to stand truth on its head. We wish to let the public and stakeholders know that the accusations are blatant and poorly formulated lies. And we wish to tell the truth as follows.
“In the first place, the claim that the Airline lost $600,000 is mere phantom. What happened is that sometime in April, 2023, Turkish Airlines’ headquarters issued a sales restriction circular that allowed sales of only two premium classes of tickets as a response to foreign airlines’ difficulty in repatriating their proceeds to home countries due to foreign exchange constraints in Nigeria.
” But, in a contradicting manner the Airline had an advertised fare on the website which was much lower than the permitted fares. Therefore, intending passengers who accessed such fare, but could not pay online were directed by the global call center to approach the Nigerian offices. As the workers could not attend to the customers due to the sales restriction, the passengers resorted to creating ugly scenes at the sales offices which became riotous at times.”
It further reads :” As an image saving measure, the then sales manager asked the sales staff to use the PNR obtained online by the customers to process the tickets if the Airline’s booking system could route the tickets. The sales staff simply complied. The then sales manager, a Turkish national, sold these tickets too to confirm that this was the local management’s approved approach to resolving the problem created by the website.
“The Airline’s accountants received all due monies from all tickets sold and all sales report were daily submitted to sales manager, signed by him and accounts department and scanned to HQ.
“If monies were not fully received, the account would not have balanced, and sales could not have been concluded. Therefore, no monies belonging to Turkish Airlines is missing. And no staff has taken any monies belonging to Turkish Airlines. Importantly, no staff had any pecuniary benefit from the so called internet sales.
“It is, therefore, disingenuous for the General Manager to hold the workers to the charge of failure to comply with the sales restrictions when it is clear that shortcomings on the part of the Airlines ICT (on the website) combined with Local Management’s decisions on managing an otherwise ugly situation were responsible for the sales in question.
” It is noteworthy that while the Nigerian staff have been dismissed, the Turkish Sales Manager has been promoted and redeployed, and the ICT of the airline has answered no charges. Talk about racism. What better example than this.
“The Airline also claimed in the publication that it held several meetings with NUATE and that the Union fully participated in the disciplinary committee that tried the workers. This is only half truth.
“In none of the meetings did the Union agree with the Management’s positions or its findings. Even at the so called disciplinary hearing, the union made it absolutely clear that the committee could only be used as a fact finding means as it was not formed in conformity with the negotiated Conditions of Service.
“This was because the so called Disciplinary Committee that sat over the matter was nothing but a kangaroo court. The General Manager who issued queries to the staff and decided that their responses were not accepted was the same person who set up the Committee, and was the same person who chaired the Committee. Under the circumstance, it was practically impossible to have fair hearing, nor justice as can be seen from the outcome. At any rate, Union conveyed its position to the Management in writing at the time.
” It is on record that the General Manager since his assumption of office in May, 2023 has strangely adopted subterfuge and strong-arm tactics to create a stuffy and toxic atmosphere in the Turkish Airlines workplace. He has employed threat, intimidation and blackmail to induce fear among the workers in order to force the workers to worship him as a demi-god.
“As examples, he exhumed so called ADMs (debit notes) against employees that are untenable, thereby slamming huge debits against most of the employees; he calls workers to his office privately to compel them to agree to his terms failing which he threatens sack, police/court actions and image tarnishing; he locked the workers out of their work systems and work stations thereby rendering them redundant as a means of breaking their will and wrecking psychological damage; he has withheld the earned 2023 bonuses of affected workers amounting to millions of Naira as economic warfare against the workers; he casts unsavory glances and uncomplimentary remarks against workers even along corridors in the workplace.
“These and other such coercive actions on the part of the General Manager has seriously and negatively impacted on the mental health of all staff of the Airline, causing a number of them to cave in to the demand of the General Manager to resign without any benefit whatsoever and forfeiting over ten years of service. A particular pregnant staff nearly lost her pregnancy after her encounter with the terror from the GM and was hospitalized for some time to stabilize.
“This level of wickedness to own staff is definitely abnormal.
It is funny to hear Turkish Airlines say that NUATE is disrupting the Airline’s operations despite a restraining order of court when the whole world knows that it is the Nigeria Labour Congress, not NUATE, which has called the picketing exercise.
” We wish to use this medium to inform the general public and relevant stakeholders that the real reason for the sack of the seven out of eleven employees under these trump up charges is the continued determination to exterminate the union from the Airline which it started in 2020 when it sacked all the members of the Airline’s Branch Executive Council of the Union, a matter that it has refused to rectify till date.
” Finally, NUATE wishes to state that the high-handedness, plain wickedness and undiluted arrogance of Mr. Lokman Balkan, the General Manager of Turkish Airlines in Lagos makes him totally unfit to hold such important position as to manage people. He has demonstrated total disdain for Nigerians and Nigerian laws – even aviation laws. There is no hiding the fact that Lokman is averse to ethical behaviour, and constitutes a present and definite danger to airline business in Nigeria. In order climes, Lokman would have been arrested and deported by now at the very least.
“On our part, however, NUATE has declared Lokman Balkan persona non grata. We shall instruct all aviation workers not to handle him at any Nigerian airport, except at his exit from Nigeria. And if compelled, NUATE shall internationalize his ostracizing from the global aviation family.
” At the appropriate time he will also answer to the defamation of the character of the hapless staff.
“In conclusion, NUATE wishes to, on the one hand, assure Mr. Lokman Balkan, GM of Turkish Airlines in Lagos that his mission to exterminate the Union from the Airline will meet with utter failure. If anything, it will be he, not the hard working Nigerian staff, who will leave the Airline.
” On the other hand, NUATE assures the public and aviation stakeholders that our justified position will be pursued in the manner that other aviation businesses will not be negatively impacted, but only to the extent that we are allowed to prosecute our struggle without unlawful hindrances.”
The Dangote Group has announced that its Dangote Petroleum Refinery will begin supplying petrol (PMS) directly to 11 states starting Monday, September 15, 2025. This information was shared in a press release on the Group’s official X account on Thursday.
The retail pump prices for petrol in the initial states will be set at N841 per litre for Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti. For Abuja, Delta, Rivers, Edo, and Kwara, the price will be N851 per litre.
Additionally, the gantry price for petrol is established at N820 per litre.
“Dangote Petroleum Refinery begins direct supply of PMS with free delivery effective Monday September 15, 2025
“New Gantry Price is set at N820,” the statement read in part.
To support petrol station operators, the refinery will provide free delivery of PMS to registered stations in the 12 states, with plans to gradually expand distribution nationwide. All station owners are invited to register to access these benefits. The move is expected to improve petrol distribution and supply consistency across the covered states.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Africa’s largest with a 650,000 barrels-per-day capacity, opened in 2024 to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported petrol and strengthen energy security.
In July 2025, it received 4,000 CNG trucks under a N720 billion investment programme, aimed at distributing 65 million litres of refined petroleum products daily, creating over 15,000 jobs, and saving Nigerians more than N1.7 trillion annually in energy costs. The initiative also seeks to improve efficiency in the downstream sector and revive dormant petrol stations.
The refinery’s planned expansion into nationwide petrol distribution was initially scheduled for August 15, 2025, but is now set to begin on Monday, September 15, 2025. Preparatory challenges in early September included a three-day notice from the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), starting Tuesday, September 9, to suspend lifting and dispensing of petrol over concerns about fair competition.
Simultaneously, the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) went on a two-day strike, which was later suspended following a DSS-convened meeting attended by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to resolve the dispute, mandating unionisation of willing employees from 9th to 22nd September 2025, prohibiting the creation of any other union, and ensuring no worker would be victimised due to the strike.
Signatories included Sayyu Dantata (Dangote Group), O.K. Ukoha (NMDPRA), Ojimba Jibrin (Dangote Group), Benson Upah (NLC), N.A. Toro (TUC), NUPENG President Akporeha Williams, General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, and Amos Falonipe representing the Federal Ministry of Labour.
Wema Bank has successfully surpassed the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) capital requirement for commercial banks with national authorization, a significant milestone achieved through the completion of a substantial N150 billion rights issue.
This important financial strategy positions the bank firmly ahead of the upcoming deadline of March 2026, as outlined in the CBN’s latest recapitalization framework.
In an official statement released on Thursday, Wema Bank proudly announced that its total qualifying capital has now reached an impressive N214.7 billion, comfortably exceeding the regulatory threshold of N200 billion.
The rights issue, which opened its doors on April 14, 2025, and closed on May 21, 2025, was a strategic response to the CBN’s directive aimed at fortifying the Nigerian banking sector.
By embracing this initiative, Wema Bank has not only positioned itself as a leader in compliance but also as a robust player in the quest for sustainable development within the financial landscape of Nigeria.
“This rights issue was undertaken in response to the CBN’s directive on the recapitalisation of banks in Nigeria. With the successful completion and regulatory approval, Wema Bank has now met the N200 billion minimum capital requirement applicable to commercial banks with national authorisation,” the bank’s statement stated.
In addition to the rights issue, Wema Bank has concluded a N50 billion special placement, which is currently awaiting regulatory approval. This additional capital injection further reinforces the bank’s commitment to maintaining a strong capital base and supporting its strategic expansion initiatives.
CEO Expresses Confidence
Commenting on the milestone, Wema Bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Moruf Oseni, expressed confidence in the bank’s trajectory and the trust it enjoys from stakeholders.
“As a growth-driven bank, the industry recapitalisation requirement came as a welcome mission, and we undertook it with full confidence. Our success in surpassing the N200 billion benchmark ahead of the 2026 deadline not only reinforces our strong financial standing as a bank, but also attests to the mutual trust and confidence that exists between Wema Bank and its shareholders,” Oseni said.
Earlier in May, Wema Bank had announced its intention to raise an additional N50 billion through a private placement as part of its broader strategy to meet and exceed the CBN’s capital requirements.
At its Annual General Meeting (AGM), held electronically on May 22, 2025, shareholders formally adopted a resolution to secure this additional capital, signaling strong support for the bank’s growth agenda.
Under the CBN’s recapitalization framework, commercial banks with international authorization are required to maintain a minimum capital base of N500 billion, while those with national authorization, such as Wema Bank, must meet a N200 billion threshold.
Wema Bank’s swift and strategic response to these requirements highlights its resilience and forward-thinking leadership in Nigeria’s evolving financial landscape.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has announced an impressive total of N10 billion in recoveries for consumers who were wronged, following a series of complaints directed at banks, fintech companies, and other entities.
This information was revealed in a statement issued on Thursday, which was signed by Ondaje Ijagwu, the Director of Corporate Affairs at the FCCPC.
The announcement comes in light of recent data that highlights the volume of consumer complaints received and subsequently resolved across major sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The data encompasses cases that were registered with the Commission between March and August 2025 and has been meticulously compiled from various complaint resolution platforms managed by the FCCPC.
“The top ten sectors by number of complaints received between March and August 2025 were led by banking (3,173 complaints), followed by Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FCMG) (1,543), fintech (1,442), and electricity (458).
“Other notable sectors included e-commerce (412), telecommunications (409), retail/wholesale/shopping (329), aviation (243), information technology (131), and road transport and logistics (114),” the Commission stated.
The Commission stressed that the data covers consumer grievances ranging from unfair charges, service failure, unauthorised deductions, deceptive marketing, poor disclosure of terms, product defects, and failure to provide redress within acceptable timelines.
“The total number of complaints resolved during the reporting period was 9091, while total recoveries for consumers exceeded N10 billion (Ten Billion Naira), reflecting both the scale of harm experienced and the significant financial burden borne by consumers in the absence of effective redress,” the FCCPC added.
Reacting to the findings, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Mr. Tunji Bello, said: “These numbers are not just statistics; they tell the story of consumer frustration, and the daily challenges Nigerians face in essential services. However, the FCCPC is determined to hold businesses accountable, ensure compliance with the FCCPA, and promote fair market practices that protect the welfare of all consumers.”
The publication of sector-specific complaint data is said to align with the Commission’s mandate under Sections 17(a), 17(j) of the FCCPA 2018, which empower it to enforce consumer protection laws and make information on its functions available to the public.
According to the report, Banking is the dominant source of consumer complaints, both in volume and financial exposure, highlighting recurring issues in loan deductions, account charges, and transaction disputes, and reflecting public reliance on the FCCPC to intervene in systemic financial service challenges.
“Banking and fintech dominate by financial impact, showing consumer vulnerability where services are both essential and high value, signalling an urgent need for stronger joint regulation with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“With 458 reported complaints, the electricity sector ranks 4th overall, behind banking, financial services, and FCMG, highlighting persistent billing disputes, service delivery failures, and the need for stronger coordination between the FCCPC, NERC, state electricity regulatory agencies and electricity distribution companies (DisCos).
“E-commerce disputes are relatively low-value but high-frequency, signalling broad consumer exposure at the retail level. While average monetary losses per complaint are low, the volume and recurrence of disputes (deliveries, refunds, counterfeit goods) reveal e-commerce as a growing consumer pain point,” the statement added.
The Commission stated it is intensifying monitoring, enforcement, and collaboration with sector regulators to address these concerns.
The Commission encouraged regulated entities to study its data trends and strengthen internal mechanisms for handling consumer complaints, ensuring that issues are addressed promptly and equitably.
Consumers were encouraged to continue reporting violations through the FCCPC complaint portal: complaints.fccpc.gov.ng, or FCCPC zonal and state offices.
First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank) has secured a significant victory at the Court of Appeal in its case against General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL) filed by their lawyers Babajide Koku SAN and Victor Ogude SAN, as reported by Nairametrics.
In its ruling on Thursday, 11 September 2025, the Court of Appeal set aside the earlier decision of the Federal High Court, Port. Harcourt, Obile J, which had dismissed FirstBank’s claims regarding the fraudulent diversion of proceeds from the sale of crude oil cargo pledged as collateral for loan facilities.
The dispute arose from crude oil aboard the FPSO Tamara Tokoni, which GHL had pledged to FirstBank as security for substantial loan facilities. Contrary to the terms of the pledge, GHL diverted the proceeds from the sale of the cargo, prompting the Bank to seek legal redress.
FirstBank filed an appeal challenging the trial court’s decision that had treated the matter as a simple debt recovery. The Court of Appeal, in its ruling, affirmed the maritime nature of the claim and emphasised the importance of preserving the Res, the crude oil cargo, as the central issue in dispute. The Court set aside the earlier order of the trial court vacating the order of arrest of the 2nd respondent.
The appellate court allowed FirstBank’s appeal and set aside the Federal High Court’s ruling. It authorised the sale of the crude oil cargo aboard FPSO Tamara Tokoni, with the proceeds to be deposited into an interest-yielding escrow account under the custody of the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, pending the hearing and determination of the case at the trial court and the court of arbitration. The Chief Registrar was also appointed to take possession of the cargo and ensure its protection against dissipation or unauthorised disposition by any party.
This ruling marks a significant milestone for FirstBank and reinforces the Bank’s commitment to upholding the integrity of financial transactions and protecting the interests of its stakeholders.
FirstBank remains steadfast in its dedication to sound corporate governance, legal compliance, and the protection of its assets. The judgment of the Court of Appeal sets a strong precedent for the enforcement of collateral agreements and accountability in high-value commercial transactions.
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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has enacted more stringent controls while sustaining a lower exchange rate at the official windows. Click link to continue reading.
The black market exchange rate for the dollar to naira continues to highlight Nigeria’s forex supply challenges, with many individuals and businesses relying on the parallel market for transactions.
CBN maintains tighter controls and a lower rate at official windows, limited access and allocation restrictions force most importers, businesses, and students abroad to turn to the parallel market, where prices reflect actual demand and supply pressures. Click link to continue reading.
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