- Police ban fireworks, deploy officers
Air fares on domestic routes for Yuletide travels have increased astronomically forcing travellers to weigh options of patronizing other modes of transportation as bookings for intended trips between Lagos and Southeastern routes for Monday December 18, 2023 hit N171,500 on a one – way booking by one of the carriers.
Passengers are not only trapped in the difficulty of raising more funds to purchase their tickets ,they are also struggling to get seats aboard the aircraft as most seats have been taken by early booking.
Investigations by The Nation reveal that despite the harsh economic conditions more people still opt to patronise the air mode of travel because of insecurity, kidnapping and banditry on the highway.
On the portal of one of the local carriers, seats for afternoon flights for Monday have all been taken.
Besides the Lagos / Owerri route, proposed travel for the same Monday on the Lagos / Enugu rotation is going for between N171,500 and N266,800 for a one way trip.
On the same airline portal, most of the seats have been taken.
Fares for flights between Lagos / Anambra Airport for a one way trip are hovering between N143 , 000 and N266,800 for limited seats.
Booking travel for Monday December 18,2023, is going for N173,500 and N283, 000.
Flights between Lagos and Port Harcourt are going for between N143,000 and N238,000 for a one way booking.
While passengers lament the escalating price of air tickets, industry experts attributed the spike to high cost of operations triggered by increasing price of aviation fuel , monopoly on routes , fewer aircrafts in the fleet of local carriers and the effects of demand and supply for air travel services.
Industry experts cite exploitation by operators who feed fat on the traffic on South East and South South routes, which command the highest fares.
Some passengers on the routes have called on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ,NCAA, to call the exploitative carriers to order.
Bookings on routes between Lagos and Abuja for one way trip for Monday December 18, 2023 range between N85,800 and N100,300.
Booking for the same day of travel between Lagos and Kano is going for between N100,300, N105,000 and N238200 respectively.
Aside from the astronomical increase in air fares, citizens across the country also expressed concerns over the rising cost of living which they said will hugely affect the celebration of Christmas and New Year.
Many respondents who spoke to The Nation said they do not have plans to travel out of their states to mark the season as a result of insecurity, high cost of transportation and the general economic hardship in the country.
In Enugu, the residents blamed what they described as a bleak Christmas on the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government as well as the hike in the prices of goods and services.
While lamenting that life had become tougher for them as a result of the economic hardship in the country, the residents said their concentration now was just to devise life-changing ways to cut costs and to meet their family obligations such as increased rents and children’s school fees.
A resident who identified himself as Chidi Ugwu, said he had planned that he and his family would travel home to Imo State, but had to suspend the journey due to economic hardship.
According to Ugwu, a businessman, he had to concentrate on saving for his house rent, which had been increased by his landlord as well as his children’s school fees which equally were increased.
“There’s no point traveling home for Christmas when you will come back to meet a heavy burden of school fees and house rent.
“Already, what we are spending on foodstuffs alone is sapping energy and pockets.
“As I am talking to you now, I don’t even know how to provide even a fowl for a family of six including myself and my wife,” he said.
Similar view was expressed by some residents of Kaduna who spoke with our correspondent. They said they would have loved to travel to their home states for the celebration of the festivities, but jettisoned the idea because of economic and security challenges.
Mr Mike Ayegba a Kaduna based federal civil servant and native of Benue state said, “honestly, I would have loved to travel home with my family. In fact, I can tell you that, I have not missed the celebrations of Christmas at home for many years now, but this time, ‘e get as e be oh’.
“Before, when I fill my vehicle with N11,000 worth of fuel, it will take me to Benue and I will even be left with like a quarter tank to take me round town for a few days. Now, to fill that tank, I need like N35,000. Meaning that, I have to buy N70,000 worth of fuel to take me and my family home and back. This is aside foodstuffs that we need to take along and money that I will need to give my mother and family members at home. Then, how much is my salary?
“So, if you put all of these together, you will just advise yourself that it is not profitable to travel home for Christmas at this material time, especially when you remember that, as you come back in January, you are coming to pay the children’s school fees.”
To Mrs Mary Augustine, there are many Christmases to celebrate ahead. “So, if we cannot make it home this time, we will go when the economy improves.”
She said, “initially when my husband came back home sometimes last week and told me that we are not traveling to the East for Christmas, I thought he was joking and when I realized he meant it, I was angry with him, but when he explained the expenses involved to me, I also reasoned with him, that it is better to send money to our parents at home and manage ourselves here in Kaduna.”
On his part, Mr Sunday Martins said he will travel to his Kogi village by all means, even if it means joining a night bus which according to him is cheaper.
His words: “My wife and the children are in the village, I am the only one hustling here, so I have to go home and meet them to celebrate the Christmas and New Year. Even if it is a night bus, I will join and go home to NBTE with my people.”
Less than two weeks to Christmas, the streets in Imo State are dry, as residents are complaining of cost of living.
A beer parlour operator at Mere Street, In Owerri Municipal Council, Mrs Celine Okoro lamented that even prices of drinks have skyrocketed. She said a bottle of medium stout is now sold at N900.
“Nobody knows what is happening in the country, I don’t know what this country is turning into and where we are heading to with this rising cost of living. It is becoming very difficult for the poor man and their families to survive,” she added.
When The Nation visited the departure terminals of some popular interstate transporters, it was discovered that travellers, who used to pay between N11,500 and N12,500 for a one way trip during the off-season, are now paying between N26,000 and N33,500 representing over 100 percent increase.
An official of one of the popular transport companies who pleaded anonymity, said that the cost was as a result of the hike in petroleum products.
Some other respondents said they may not even be travelling home due to insecurity,
A 200 level student, of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri who gave his name as Chukwuemeka, said he prefers to stay behind than travel home due to insecurity.
“We come from the volatile areas of Imo state, it is better to celebrate Christmas alive staying behind than going home where movement is restricted.”
Residents of Abuja who want to spend their holidays away from the hustling and the bustling in the capital city will have to pay through their noses to get to their destination due to the astronomical hike in transport fares.
Our correspondent visited major parks to assess the situation.
The Chairman at Utako motor park, Mamud Ibrahim said the increase in transport fares is due to the hike in the price of fuel.
Ibrahim also outlined challenges transporters face on the road especially during festive seasons due to insecurity.
He said: “We are facing so many challenges, bad roads, road safety, insecurity and others. Transport fares have been hiked by as high as 100 percent. Destinations that usually cost 2 000 naira have now been hiked to 3500 naira excluding luggage and in some parks it is higher.
At the park, passengers complained about the increase in fares.
Police ban use of knockouts, fireworks, deploy officers
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command says it has deployed human and material resources at every nook and cranny of Abuja ahead of the Christmas celebrations.
The Police said the deployment which is characterized by visibility policing at various places of worship and event centres, and raids on identified black spots, uncompleted buildings/shanties, stop and search, Vehicular/foot patrol and inter-agency cooperation, is aimed at ensuring that the residents of the FCT enjoy a hitch free festivity before, during and after the Christmas celebration.
The Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Haruna Garba, in anticipation of the festivity, felicitated Christian faithful in the FCT and equally enjoined the residents not to use knockouts, fireworks/firecrackers which may cause panic or apprehension in the general public, while reiterating his commitment to ensure the safety of all.
According to a statement issued by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the CP equally urged the residents of FCT to be vigilant and suspicious of their environment and to take advantage of the Police emergency lines for distress calls and complaints:
08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883. PCB. 090222223527.
