Nigerian senators have demanded an immediate suspension of the recent hike in domestic airfares as one-way ticket price rose to between N460,000 and N700,000 depending on the destination.
The call was made during Tuesday’s plenary session at the Red Chamber as senators moved a motion to summon the country’s mviation minister, Festus Keyamo, SAN, to explain the reason for the airfare hike.
While supporting the motion, the senator representing Kebbi Central, Adamu Aliero said the air ticket from Abuja to his state has increased to about N700,000, lamenting that the prices in Nigeria are unaffordable.
“The airfare is too exorbitant. Going to Kebbi myself, I have to spend close to about N700k. This is unaffordable.
“There has not been a corresponding increase in aviation fuel and airport charges. So we need to summon all the stakeholders and question them on the reason for the hike,” he said.
Also lending his voice to the motion, the senator representing Ebonyi North, Onyekaci Nwaebonyi, said he was shocked that the ticket for a one-way trip from Abuja to Enugu goes for between N460,000 and N500,000.
“I called my personal assistant to get the ticket for me for December 13th from Abuja to Enugu. Shockingly, the cost for a one-way ticket from Abuja to Enugu is N500,000 with Air Peace and N460,000 for Ibom Air. This is unheard of,” he stated.
Similarly, Oyo senator Abdulfatari Buhari lamented that it has become too expensive to travel in Nigeria due to high costs.
“Nigerians are finding it very difficult to travel from one place to another, Mr. President. Will you believe that from Abuja to Lagos ranges from 400,000 to 650,000 and then from here Enugu is about 500,000 and even from Abuja to Ilorin is 550,000? When we noticed all these, the committee decided to investigate further and we found out poor people cannot afford to travel looking at the festive period.
“Mr. President (Senate President Godswill Akpabio), it is important that we wade in to help Nigerians because of this festive period that is coming for people who want to move from one place to another, particularly since our road is becoming difficult to travel on. We decided to interact with airline owners; they have also had one or two teams.”
Earlier DAILY POST reported that the Senate summoned Keyamo over the rising air ticket prices.
The airfare hike comes at a time when many Nigerians are travelling for the festive season.
Nigerian senators demand reversal of airfare hike as tickets hit N700,000
