The Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC), in collaboration with other civil society groups, has threatened to picket airports all over the country over the 130% fare hike by airline operators.
The president of the group, Amb. Blessing Akinlosotu, disclosed this in Abuja at a press conference on the arbitrary airfare increase.
His words: “The Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC) in collaboration with civil society groups in Nigeria at her national emergency meeting of nationwide stakeholders and other youth coalition groups held in Abuja rose in unanimous anger to condemn the arbitrary, wicked, insensitive, and unjustifiable hike in airfares across the country to over 130%, by the airline operators.
“The Congress considers this offensive and harsh policy, an affront, mostly targeted at the Nigerian Youths who have been at the receiving end of the present economic situation in the country. We are all aware that the youths of this great nation are about 80% that purchase the cheapest economy class tickets of all flights, therefore, this insensitivity of the flights’ operators to make the cheapest economy tickets at a base Fee of N50,000 is very inconsiderate of the realities of the present economic hardship across the federation, and places additional weight on the already over-burdened youth. The astronomical increase in airfares makes life more unbearable, brutish, and short-lived for the Nigerian youths most of whom are either unemployed or underemployed.
“We, therefore, condemn, in totality, the actions of the airline operators as extreme selfishness, and in pursuit of over-ambitious profit margins.”
The congress, he unequivocally said, “hereby calls on all airline operators in Nigeria to rescind this decision and immediately revert to more humane airfares, or take the responsibility of all the dangers faced by the Nigerian youths on Nigerian roads as a result of their actions.
“We condemned the unilateral decision without due consultation and dialogue with us, as the major customers who have now become victims of their actions.
In the event of failure of the airline operators to heed their demand, Akinlosotu said “the Nigerian youths and the entire civil society groups would be forced to picket all airports in Nigeria to peacefully demonstrate our anger.”