Aviation
Insecurity: Cleric Decries Pressure On Air Transportation
The General Overseer of the Abundant Life Evangelical Mission, Apostle Eugene Ogu, says there is now much pressure on air transportation in Nigeria due to insecurity on the county’s highways.
He has, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a State of Emergency in security because of the level it had got to.
Ogu who made this known while speaking to aviation correspondents at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Tuesday, shortly before he left for Abuja, explained that the fear of indiscriminate kidnappings and killings on the highway has forced many people to resort to air travel.
According to him, the rush to use the airports has put much pressure on the airlines, resulting in long queue and delay in obtaining flight tickets.
“The country is in a very challenging situation that requires action, immediate action. The president should do all he can to understand the urgency with which Nigerians need this settled or addressed.
“The army, the police, air force and other security outfits should be empowered and be equipped, so that they go into action when they detect any thing that requires action, and not to say there is nothing to fight crime.
“People are hungry, the roads are not good. Government should declare a state of emergency on security, education, airports, and road “, he said.
The clergy, however, urged Nigerians to exercise patience with the Buhari administration, to settle down with the new ministers that were recently cleared by the Senate.
Our correspondent reports that last week, particularly towards the weekend, many air passengers at the Port Harcourt International Airport were stranded as they could not get flight tickets for a couple of days, because the available airlines were fully booked.
Corlins Walter