Senator Adams Oshiomhole (left), Bar Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District has called on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, the Federal Ministry of Aviation, and the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, to firm up enforcement of the regulations protecting the rights of passengers travelling by air within the nation’s airspace from extortion mostly, by the airline operators.
The senator made the clarion call at the Abuja airport while refuting the tag pasted on him by Air Peace airlines, that accused him of disrupting its safe and economic operations.
Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, warned that continued injustice and exploitation of air passengers could lead to deeper public anger and unrest if government agencies remain in slumber.
He specifically accused Air Peace airline of running a ticket racketeering at the airport as he was denied boarding having already checked in online and arrived the airport about 40 minutes ahead of the Expected Time of Departure, ETD.
Oshiomhole said right in his presence, passengers arrived at the airport after him, and those who were able to part with Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only (N250,000.00k), obtained a ticket on the spot and were allowed to board.
He said that those in his situation who had paid the normal air fare online in advance, and had checked in online, were in a subtle trickish manner, denied boarding for those who merely sauntered into the airport, parted with about a hundred and fifty thousand naira extra, (N150,000.00k), and pronto boarded the flight.
Hence, he asked rhetorically, “How can you profit from your own inefficiency? This is ruthless, primitive capitalism. Nigerians are unprotected. The government must act.”
He warned that continued injustice and exploitation could lead to deeper public anger and unrest.
Hence, the former two terms Governor of Edo State, and the former Chairman of the ruling party, All Progressive Congress, APC, advised thus, “when people give up hope, bullets will not stop them. The least a government can do is to protect its citizens from exploitation
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