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’Missing’ KCAA board records deepen row over CEO recruitment

Questions over missing records at the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) have deepened a dispute over recruitment of the State agency’s next director-general, with the High Court pointing out that the matters raised require a full hearing.

The court noted that the petitioners had complained that KCAA had not produced Board minutes, a resolution, meeting agenda or attendance records to substantiate claims that the decision to begin recruitment of the director-general was made when the Board had enough members present to make binding legal decisions.

KCAA, however, maintains that its Board approved recruitment on April 17, 2026, when it was properly constituted.

Responding to a petition challenging the recruitment of a new director-general, KCAA told the court that the process was later placed on hold after the terms of independent directors expired, pending reconstitution of the Board.

However, the court said no resolution had been presented to demonstrate that recruitment had actually been halted. It has consequently stopped KCAA from advertising, processing or concluding the recruitment until the Board is fully constituted or the petition is determined.

‘A conservatory order is issued staying the implementation of the resolution of the first respondent’s (KCAA) Board of Directors to advertise, commence, process, or conclude the recruitment process for the position of Director General of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, pending the full hearing and determination of the Petition or until the Board is fully constituted, whichever comes first,’ said the court.

Noting that KCAA acknowledged that it could not exercise statutory functions until the Board is fully constituted in accordance with section 17 of the Civil Aviation Act, the court also issued an order restraining the Board from transacting statutory business requiring mandatory quorum unless and until the Board is lawfully constituted.

The dispute followed the departure of Emile Nguza Arao, whose tenure as director-general ended on April 22. KCAA subsequently appointed Nicholas Bodo as acting director-general while it sought a substantive successor. KCAA announced Bodo’s appointment on April 23 and said he would provide continuity as the authority recruited a permanent holder.

The petitioners, Humphrey Bulimu and Charles Mutyetu, want the recruitment declared unlawful and the Board restrained from concluding it until lawfully constituted. They seek orders requiring vacancies to be filled through an open, transparent and competitive process.

They challenge the composition of the KCAA Board, the tenure of board member Anne Too and the manner in which the director-general recruitment was initiated.

The petitioners argue that the Board requires six members for quorum under the Civil Aviation Act and that several independent members’ terms expired on April 20. They also contend that Ms Too’s tenure ended on the same date because she replaced a former member for the remainder of that member’s term.

KCAA disputes that position. Its lawyers told the court that Ms Too was appointed on October 24, 2025, for a three-year term. They further challenged the qualifications, saying a four-week leadership course required under KCAA’s 2025 Career Guidelines was treated as an added advantage and computer proficiency was omitted.

KCAA defended the email address as an official recruitment portal and said the leadership course was not a mandatory statutory requirement under Section 19(4) of the Civil Aviation Act.

The court rejected the jurisdiction objection at this stage, holding that the dispute concerned public law questions over Board composition, statutory compliance and governance. The judge found the petitioners had the capacity to file the case under Article 258 of the Constitution.

On recruitment, the court found that the allegations raised substantive issues requiring examination at the full hearing.

‘I find that the petitioners have demonstrated that they have a prima facie case requiring full judicial examination,’ the court said. The judge noted that no Board resolution had been presented to show that the recruitment process had been halted.

‘It is therefore this court’s finding that the public interest heavily favours the proposition that a director-general should be appointed strictly in accordance with the law and constitutional values,’ the court said.

The court found that allowing recruitment to continue could undermine the petition because an appointment could be completed before the court determined its legality.

‘Reversing an executive appointment after an individual has gone through a rigorous process of being shortlisted, interviewed and assumed office creates administrative chaos, legal uncertainty and complex unwinding liabilities to the citizen taxpayer,’ the court said.

The court said an acting director-general was already in place, meaning that the order would not disrupt KCAA’s operations.

It therefore restrained the Board from conducting statutory business requiring a mandatory quorum until it is lawfully constituted. It also declined to determine Anne Too’s fate before hearing the petition.

KCAA regulates aviation safety and security, provides air navigation services and oversees civil aviation standards. The petition is set for pre-trial directions on October 6, 2026.

2027 verdict will be decided by Nigerians, not endorsements – Atiku’s aide

Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said Nigerians, and not clerical endorsements, will decide the outcome of the 2027 general election.

Ibe stated this in a Facebook post on Thursday, reacting to the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term by the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

The CBCN made the declaration on Wednesday at the grand finale of the 2026 Synod of CBCN and the International Communion of Charismatic Archbishops, Bishops and Apostles in Abuja.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, attended the event held at the National Christian Centre (NCC), Abuja.

According to the CBCN, the endorsement was based on the President’s performance in office so far.

Responding, Ibe said that while every group has a democratic right to make political endorsements, citizens also have a right to question the basis for such positions.

‘Fine. That is their democratic right. But Nigerians have a right to ask: who are the CBCN, and what is the basis of this endorsement?’ he wrote.

He questioned whether the endorsement was tied to the administration’s economic policies, citing concerns around rising food prices, purchasing power, insecurity, unemployment and general hardship.

‘We have seen this movie before. In 2023, the APC’s ‘fake bishops’ controversy raised questions about the use of clerical symbols for political optics,’ Ibe said, referring to the widely reported incident during the last election cycle.

He added that clerical titles alone do not amount to a performance assessment.

‘Robes do not confer credibility. Titles do not guarantee moral authority. And endorsements do not substitute for performance,’ he said.

Ibe argued that the 2027 election will ultimately be determined by voters based on their lived experience.

‘In 2027, Nigerians-not bishops-will deliver the verdict. And that verdict will be based on food prices, jobs, security, wages, purchasing power and lived experience-not robes and rhetoric,’ he stated.

Cyprus Stock Exchange

The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share Index closed at today`s stock exchange meeting as follows:

MEETING DATE: 10/09/2026

INDICES BASE VALUES: FTSEMed=5000, OTHERS = 1000

EURO (pound )

TRADED VALUE 83.666,89

INDEX

VALUE

%DIFF.

VALUE

FTSE/CySE 20

186,750

-0,230

82.392,630

MAIN MARKET INDEX

249,380

-0,050

57.628,750

INVESTMENT COMPANIES MARKET INDEX

2.744,910

-0,350

20.733,040

CSE GENERAL INDEX

317,830

-0,220

82.541,430

HOTELS INDEX

2.065,200

0,000

998,800

ALTERNATIVE MARKET INDEX

2.138,820

-0,680

25.911,480

* The second column presents the percentage variation of the indices as compared to the last meeting.

CNA/ME/EPH/2026S, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

Spox: Sara Duterte to attend Friday arraignment for grave threats case

Vice President Sara Duterte will personally attend her arraignment on Friday morning over three counts of grave threats, her spokesperson said.

In a message on Thursday, Duterte’s spokesperson, lawyer Paolo Panelo Jr., confirmed with the Inquirer that Duterte will be arraigned at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 at 8:30 am on Friday, Sept. 10.

Panelo said, ‘as required by law,’ the vice president will be physically present in her arraignment.

In the arraignment, Duterte will be formally informed of the charges against her and asked to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.

Duterte had earlier posted P360,000 bail for the three counts of grave threats, but expressed distrust in the court, police, and even the security personnel assigned to protect her.

The vice president’s criminal case stem from remarks she made during an online press conference on Nov. 23, 2024.

There, she said she had spoken to someone about killing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then-Speaker Martin Romualdez if she herself were killed.

Duterte has denied the allegations. The same remarks also form part of the impeachment case against her pending before the Senate

B.League: Gunma sweeps Manila games after OT win over Levanga

The Gunma Crane Thunders ruled the Japan B.League Manila Games after defeating Levanga Hokkaido, 101-91, in overtime Thursday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Gunma followed up its 98-81 win over Hokkaido on Wednesday night to sweep the Manila leg of its preseason.

The Crane Thunders trailed by five late in regulation, 85-80, before a 7-2 run tied the game at 87-all with 2:12 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Levanga’s John Harrar converted two free throws, but Takuto Nakamura answered with a bucket to tie the game at 89-all with 50.5 seconds left, sending it to overtime.

The extra period was all Gunma as the Crane Thunders raced to a 7-2 run for a 96-91 lead.

Yuma Fujii, who finished with 18 points, then knocked down a dagger 3-pointer to keep Levanga at bay, 99-91, with 42 seconds left.

Nakamura top scored for Gunma with 25 points while Stanley Johnson helped the cause with 17. Kerry Blackshear Jr. scored 12 while Filipino import AJ Edu flirted with a double-double after tallying nine points and nine rebounds.

Keisei Tominaga’s 34-point explosion went for naught in the loss. Dwight Ramos added 17 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal, while Harrar posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Azerbaijan Sports Academy holds roundtable with Cambridge expert

A roundtable on “Assessment” has been held at the Azerbaijan Sports Academy (ASA) under the leadership of Cambridge University expert James Biddle.

Representatives of the Education Quality Assurance Agency (TKTA),the State Agency for Vocational Education, ADA University, Baku State University, Azerbaijan Medical University, Sumgait State University, Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University and Baku Slavic University attended the roundtable.

James Biddle shared his knowledge and experience with the participants.

The discussion also focused on the key principles of assessment and international approaches in the field.

The meeting continued in a question-and-answer format, with participants exchanging views and experiences.

The Azerbaijan Sports Academy (ASA) is one of the country’s oldest specialised higher education institutions.

Founded on November 8, 1930, as the Transcaucasian State Institute of Physical Education, it was established to train physical education teachers, coaches and specialists working in sport and related fields.

The institution continued its activities as the Azerbaijan State Institute of Physical Education from 1936 and later became known as the Azerbaijan State Academy of Physical Education and Sport. In 2023, it was restructured and renamed the Azerbaijan Sports Academy.

Over more than nine decades, the academy has played an important role in training specialists for Azerbaijan’s physical education and sports sector.

Its programmes cover areas including physical education, coaching, sports management, adaptive physical education, rehabilitation and other sports-related fields.

The academy also develops international cooperation and offers programmes in partnership with foreign universities.

FCMB partners Alitheia Capital for 2026 W.O.M.A.N. conference

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has partnered with Alitheia Capital for the 2026 W.O.M.A.N. Conference, which will take place in Lagos on September 10 and 11.

Convened by Alitheia Capital, the conference will bring together about 300 women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises operating in manufacturing, agribusiness, nutrition and related sectors. It will connect the entrepreneurs with financial institutions, investors, policymakers, development organisations and business leaders.

FCMB is supporting the conference as its exclusive banking partner through SheVentures, the Bank’s proposition for women-owned businesses.

The two-day event will feature expert discussions, practical learning sessions, and opportunities for participants to explore financing, investment, and market access. It will also address governance, financial management, climate resilience, green manufacturing, and energy transition.

Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head of Gender and Impact Sectors at FCMB, will speak at the conference alongside Oluremi Agboola, Head of SME Asset Products at FCMB. They will provide practical guidance on preparing businesses for finance and selecting funding options suited to different stages of growth.

Jacob-Ogogo said: ‘Women are building businesses that create jobs, strengthen communities and contribute to Nigeria’s productive economy. Through this partnership, we want to help more women develop the structures, knowledge and connections they need to move from running viable enterprises to building businesses that can scale.’

Agboola said the conference would help narrow the gap between entrepreneurs seeking finance and financial institutions looking for viable businesses to support.

‘Access to finance begins with readiness. Businesses with reliable records, sound financial management, and clear growth plans are better positioned to secure funding. We will help participants understand these requirements and explore financing options that match their needs,’ Agboola said.

Beyond the conference, the 2026 W.O.M.A.N. programme will include cohort sessions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, structured investment-readiness and access-to-finance pathways, and digital capacity building through Alitheia Capital’s Nzinga learning platform.

The programme is designed to develop a pipeline of women-led enterprises ready for debt, equity and blended-finance solutions. It supports Nigeria’s priorities for industrialisation, MSME growth, job creation, energy transition and women’s economic participation.

Managing Partner of Alitheia Capital, Tokunboh Ishmael, said the programme was designed to tackle the structural barriers preventing women entrepreneurs from converting existing business potential into sustainable growth.

‘The gathering brings an ecosystem closer together to deliver systemic strategies that overcome challenges women face in labour markets and economic empowerment,’ Ishmael said.

She added that the participating businesses already had revenues, customers and growth ambitions, stressing that access remained the major constraint.

‘The constraint is not ambition – it is access. W.O.M.A.N. 2026 is built to close that gap directly,’ she said.

The programme is being delivered in collaboration with the Bank of Industry (BOI), the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), alongside other private-sector and development partners.

Uber exit: Expert seeks interim ground transport model for air passengers

Automobile marketing communications expert and Professor of Marketology at Delta State University, Abraka, Oscar Odibo, has suggested interim ground transport model for air passengers following Uber’s exit from the country.

Odibo, who decried the exit of the company also warned that such development could create a vacuum that other e-hailing operators may exploit by increasing fares.

He explained that the withdrawal of the e-hailing company after more than a decade of operations should raise concerns for the government and users of their services, suggesting optional models for air passengers.

According to him, reduced competition in the market could give remaining operators greater pricing power, ultimately leaving passengers and other commuters to bear the cost.

‘Nigeria should be ready for exploitation from the e-hailing service operators because a huge competition has left,’ he said.

The don also noted that charges imposed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) within the airport environment were already higher than what Uber charged, suggesting that the company’s exit could further increase the cost of ground transportation for air travellers.

He, called on the Federal Government to investigate the circumstances surrounding Uber’s decision to withdraw from Nigeria and sanction any individual or agency found to have contributed to the development.

‘Uber has operated in Nigeria for over a decade. For a company to leave after such a long period calls for caution. The government needs to find out what happened and why the company decided to exit,’ he said.

Odibo warned that the development could also have implications for future investment in Nigeria’s e-hailing and mobility ecosystem.

‘All those investors in the e-hailing business will be considering whether to halt their investments. They will look at the reaction of the government. That is why I want the government to probe the situation,’ he said.

He added that Uber’s departure could cause other operators to reassess their business strategies, while private e-hailing companies could seek to capitalise on the gap created by its exit.

‘With the exit, investors will slow down. Other e-hailing service providers will realign themselves. Private e-hailing operators will begin to think twice, while many of them may want to cash in on the vacuum that Uber’s exit has created,’ he said.

On the implications for air travellers and regular commuters who rely on ride-hailing platforms, Odibo advised them to consider alternative transportation options, including conventional taxis.

He said the development could provide an opportunity for yellow taxi operators to become more active and competitive, particularly around airports and other major transport hubs.

Odibo also called for accountability, saying officials or agencies whose actions contributed to the exit should be identified and sanctioned.

He warned that if the government failed to properly investigate the matter and take corrective measures, other foreign companies could draw similar conclusions about Nigeria’s business environment.

He described Uber as a company that had become an important part of Nigeria’s transportation and automotive ecosystem, saying its exit should therefore be treated as more than a mere corporate decision.

Uber officially described the move as the result of a review of its evolving business priorities and investment focus across Africa, rather than giving a single specific reason.

However, Uber’s exit came only weeks after FAAN restricted commercial e-hailing pick-ups at its airports.

Fed Govt, partners target 500,000 farmers with extension training

The Federal Government and its development partners have commenced a training programme for 100 agricultural extension master trainers as part of efforts to accelerate the adoption of improved technologies and reach at least 500,000 farmers across the country.

The week-long training in Dutse, Jigawa State, is designed to strengthen the capacity of extension personnel to deliver innovations from research institutions to farmers.

It is being organised by the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, CGIAR’s Scaling for Impact Programme, Jigawa Agricultural Transformation Agency (JATA), National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) and other research organisations.

The participants are drawn from Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states and include experts from public and private agricultural institutions.

The workshop, with the theme, ‘Empowering Extension to Scale Agricultural Innovations,’ is focused on addressing critical gaps in Nigeria’s agricultural extension system.

Among the challenges identified are inadequate numbers of extension agents, poor funding, limited technical capacity, logistics constraints and inadequate access to digital advisory platforms.

The organisers said the 100 master trainers would, after the training, cascade the knowledge to frontline extension workers and farmer organisations, creating a wider network expected to reach not less than 500,000 farmers.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, JATA Director-General, Dr Saifullahi Umar, said strengthening extension services was essential to closing the gap between agricultural research and farmers.

Umar, who represented the Jigawa State Government, said Nigeria had developed several agricultural technologies capable of transforming food production, but many farmers were yet to benefit because information on the innovations often failed to reach them at the right time.

He identified improved maize hybrids, stress-tolerant rice and wheat varieties, climate information, mechanisation, integrated pest management, irrigation and improved post-harvest technologies as some of the innovations capable of boosting farm productivity.

According to him, effective extension services remain critical to ensuring that farmers understand and adopt such technologies.

Umar said Jigawa had taken steps to strengthen its extension system by recruiting and training 1,700 extension personnel and providing motorcycles to improve their mobility and contact with farmers.

He added that the state was establishing Agricultural Development and Farm Service Centres where farmers would have access to extension advice, agricultural inputs, mechanisation services, market information and financial referrals.

The JATA boss also disclosed that the state had established a farm mechanisation company equipped with 400 tractors, harvesters and other agricultural machinery.

He said 6,000 solar-powered irrigation systems were also being deployed to increase farmers’ access to irrigation and expand dry-season agricultural production.

He stressed that combining extension services with mechanisation, irrigation, improved seeds and market access would be critical to transforming agriculture and improving farmers’ livelihoods.

The training programme covers climate-smart agriculture, soil health, improved seed systems, pest and disease management, digital agriculture, market linkages and farmer-centred extension approaches.

Participants are also being trained in the use of mobile agricultural advisory platforms, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing and data tools to improve the delivery of extension services.

Head of the TAAT Clearinghouse, Dr Solomon Gizaw, said a strong extension system was necessary to ensure that agricultural innovations moved beyond research institutions and translated into increased productivity and better livelihoods for farmers.

He said the programme would strengthen the ability of extension professionals to support farmers in adopting technologies suited to their production environments.

The initiative is linked to the African Development Bank’s $1.5 billion African Emergency Food Production Facility and Nigeria’s NAGS-AP programme.

House on work from home mode by noon Sept. 10 due to ‘habagat’

The House of Representatives will shift to a work-from-home mode by noon of Thursday, September 10, due to the heavy rains and possible floods caused by the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat.’

In an advisory released Thursday morning, House Secretary General Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil said that the House adopts the work-from-home scheme in accordance with Memorandum Circular No. 135 from the Office of the President.

Exempted from the work-from-home setup are officials and employees whose physical presence is required for essential and critical operation of their departments and the entire chamber.

‘[…] the House of Representatives shall implement a Work from-Home (WFH) arrangement, effective 12:00PM today, 10 September 2026, for all officials and employees, except those whose physical presence is necessary for essential and critical operations, as determined by their respective Heads of Department,’ Garafil said.

‘All personnel are advised to exercise utmost caution and prioritize their safety and well-being,’ she added.

Earlier, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) issued a yellow rainfall warning over parts of Bataan and Zambales due to heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila, other parts of Bataan, as well as Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Batangas, Zambales and Nueva Ecija may experience light to moderate rains with occasional heavy rains may affect within the next three hours, according to Pagasa.

Pagasa also said in an earlier forecast that heavy rains may affect areas in Central and Southern Luzon, as well as Visayas on Thursday, still due to the southwest monsoon