- Safiu Kehinde
Ebonyi lawmaker, Sen. Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, has decried the hike in price of flight ticket by local airlines in Nigeria.
Speaking on the motion for the downward review of flight tickets costs during the Senate’s plenary session on Wednesday, Nwaebonyi backed the motion as he accused the private airline operators of outrageous hiking the price of ticket.
The lawmaker described the motion as people oriented as he recounted how he directed his personal assistant to book an Abuja-Enugu flight for him, only to be held aback by the price of the ticket.
“I’m in support of this very important and indeed people-oriented motion moved by the Senate Committee Chairman on Aviation on the urgent need to review downwards, the cost of air ticket in our aviation industry Mr. President.
“Just this morning, I called my personal assistant to get a ticket for me for 13th of December from Abuja to Enugu. And shockingly Mr. President, the cost for one-way ticket from Abuja to Enugu is N500,000 for Air Peace and N460,000 for Ibom Air.
“Mr. President, this is unheard of. This is over 400 percent increment at a go. We’ve never had it this way Mr. President.” He said.
The lawmaker maintained that the hike in price of private airline’s flight ticket has birthed the need for the revival of the Nigerian Airline.
He called out the Ministry of Aviation in demand for the return of the airline which he claimed will save Nigerians from the alleged extortion by private airlines.
“And that takes us to the question to the Ministry of Aviation, when are we going to have back our Nigerian Air?
“If countries like Ghana can have Ghana Air; Ivory Coast have theirs; other countries have theirs, when will Nigeria have our own public transport system- Nigerian Airline.
“We are overdue to have this Mr. President. So, I hereby support this motion, and I want to call on the Minister of Aviation to rise to the occasion and save Nigerians from this unwanted and unfounded extortion by these airline operators.” He added.
While the motion received supports from other lawmakers, Sen. Orji Kalu however expressed his reservation over the motion.
The Abia lawmaker, who initially admitted being in support of the motion, held that it will be at the detriment of airline owners as a result of increase in maintenance cost.
“I first of all supported the motion, but I also disagree with the motion. I think this motion presented looks nice on the surface, but it does not work for the airline owners.
“It is not going to work because this is a law of demand and supply. Spare parts are costly, everything is very high, and you cannot put the lives of our citizens at risk.” Kalu said before being cut short by other lawmakers who protested against his argument.