The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to slash airport charges by 50 per cent and offer tax breaks to aviation companies to make flights cheaper during the festive season.

The call was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. Obinna Aguocha (LP-Abia) at plenary on Thursday.

Aguocha had earlier moved the motion, stating that airline ticket prices have skyrocketed, affecting not just travellers but also air ambulance costs and, by extension, people’s lives.

He noted that the steep rise in airline ticket prices is currently affecting millions of Nigerian families.

The lawmaker said the Christmas season is traditionally a time for reunion, reflection and joy, saying this tradition is threatened by the weight of economic challenges that have made travel increasingly prohibitive.

“The soaring costs of domestic air travel have created a barrier preventing many from returning to their ancestral homes where shared laughter and family connections are meant to thrive and improve our self-worth.

“The myriad challenges faced by airline operators, ranging from high JetA fuel prices to excessive currency fluctuations, I implore this House to consider the broader implications of their pricing strategies.

“The insatiable pursuit of profit should not come at the expense of the cultural bonds that define us as Nigerians.

 “By temporarily reducing fares during this critical period would demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility and national solidarity.

 “Such an act would reaffirm to all citizens that the journey home is a fundamental right, accessible to every Nigerian, regardless of financial status,” he said.

The lawmaker emphasised that Nigerians are at a critical juncture, requiring urgent intervention.

He appealed to the government to show similar resolve in supporting the aviation sector as it did with road transporters last year.

According to him, the aviation sector plays a critical role in both family reunification and national connectivity.

The House called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to prioritise the allocation of foreign exchange at concessionary rates for airline operators.

Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, ruled that the House Committee on Aviation should meet with airline operators and the Aviation Minister, reporting back within a week for further action.

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Works to re-mobilise Setraco Nigeria Ltd. for immediate completion of Iluke-Aiyetoro–Kiri-Abugi–Eggan Road in Kogi.

The call was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. Salman Idris (APC-Kogi) at plenary on Thursday.

Moving the motion earlier, Idris said that the strategic socio-economic importance of the road to the country’s economy could not be over-emphasised.

According to Idris, the role is a major link among large-scale farming and agrarian communities.

He recalled that the Federal Executive Council had, on Wednesday, approved the sum of N25.3 billion for the construction of the road.

The lawmaker said that the contract was awarded to Setraco Nigeria Ltd., with the project consistently captured in successive Appropriations Act totalling N2.45 billion.

He said that the construction firm was mobilised to the site and had only completed approximately six kilometres of asphalt work and some earth work at Giro Hill, out of a total of 79.63 kilometres, due to inadequate annual budgetary releases.

“The abandonment of the project has caused severe ecological challenges to adjoining communities, crippling their means of livelihood, while cutting them off from accessing neighbouring towns.

“We are concerned that the deplorable state of the road continues to inflict hardship on commuters, including the loss of productive time and economic opportunities, while also limiting access to essential services such as healthcare;

“We are also concerned that the communities along the corridor have become frequent targets of terrorist attacks, with several lives lost and others injured or kidnapped.

“The current state of the road poses serious safety hazards, as the open excavations and uneven surfaces have become accident-prone areas, leading to avoidable loss of lives.

“The abandonment of this critical infrastructure has stifled grassroots development, hindered the movement of goods and services, discouraged investment and diminished the overall quality of lives of residents in the area,” he said.

The house, therefore, urged the Inspector-General of Police to ensure regular patrols along the corridor to curb the activities of criminals.

In his ruling, the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, mandated the Committee on Appropriation to ensure adequate funding for the project in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

He also mandated the Committee on Works to ensure compliance by the Federal Ministry of Works and oversee the timely completion of the project.

 By Wale Sadeeq

Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun is known for dancing hysterically at virtually every public occasion, to the admiration of his supporters, who saw his action as a move to downplay the rigours of governance and introduce some flair.

Nonetheless, from recent developments, it appears that the dancing step Adeleke is renowned for is losing its rhythm.

This is not because the ‘Dancing Governor’ wants that unique feature, long associated with him to come to diminish, but because of the apparent political survival for which he is seriously battling.

To his critics, however, governance is not a business for the comedians, nor something to be trivialised.

Sen. Iyiola Omisore, a former APC National Secretary, is one of the fierce critics of Adeleke’s dancing theatrics, insists that the state requires a more serious, experienced and visionary leader.

“The image of a ‘dancing governor’ does not reflect the gravity of the challenges facing Osun.

“Osun does not deserve a dancing governor.

“Public office requires depth, discipline and focus. No leader who truly appreciates the weight of governance trivialises it.

“Governance is not salesmanship or entertainment; it requires substance, not choreography,” Omisore, a former deputy governor of the state, said.

According to him, tolerance, competence and leadership capacity, not entertainment, define good governance.

He added that the constant display of dancing within the corridors of power signaled a lack of seriousness toward statecraft.

Indeed, the critics saw the governor as somebody who might eventually dance away the destiny of the people of Osun with his “Nollywood approach” to governance.

However, while explaining his passion for dancing, the governor said that it brings him ‘immense joy’, even though delivering dividends of democracy to the people of Osun gives him even greater satisfaction.

“Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy,” he said.

Observers, however, note that Adeleke has recently lost the dancing steps and he is no longer in his element.

They argue that the governor might have reached a cul-de-sac in his political journey, with his second term bid now being seriously threatened.

Only recently, he announced his defection from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on whose platform he won the governorship election in 2022, citing persistent leadership turmoil at the party’s national level.

The governor was said to have made an attempt to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) sometime in May, even though he denied ever making such a move.

Adeleke, at a stakeholders’ meeting, was quoted to have said that the rumour about his imminent defection into the APC was fake news emanating from those intimidated by his extra-ordinary performance in state leadership.

However, the Director of Media and Information of APC in Osun, Kola Olabisi, in a statement, insisted that Adeleke was indeed planning to leave PDP for APC.

Indeed, the visit by the governor, his elder brother, Deji Adeleke and renowned Afrobeat artiste, Davido to President Bola Tinubu in his Lagos residence in June was said to have been part of the arrangements to seal the defection.

His subsequent visit to a prominent APC national leader and former governor of the state, Chief Bisi Akande, in his Ibadan residence, was also widely believed to be another major move in the defection plan.

Stakeholders also pointed to what they called the ‘desolate state’ of PDP as the reason for the governor’s plan to dump his party for APC.

Meanwhile, reports have it that the attempt hit the rock because of the conditions given to him by the APC leadership at the national level.

Part of the conditions, according to the reports, was that he would have to queue up and that he would not be given an automatic ticket for the governorship election under APC.

With the failed attempt to join APC, Adeleke now faces an uphill task in his second term bid in 2026.

Meanwhile, the Accord, a much-stable but relatively less-popular political party, has offered its platform for the governor following his resignation from his former party, PDP.

The party’s Chairman in Lagos, Dele Oladeji, was quoted as saying that the party would be happy to receive should he formally decide to declare for the platform to pursue his second term ambition in 2026.

“We are waiting for his declaration; that is what we can say for now; we are waiting for when he will declare for Accord.

“In Accord, we are ready for him; whenever he decides to step in, we are set to receive him; accord is a haven devoid of political turbulence.

“It is a very stable and sanitised political platform; we have no factions and no godfathers; any candidate who joins us between now and 2027 is sure of a peaceful and dependable structure.

“If he decides to step in, we will be ready to work with him and ensure his success,” Oladeji told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos shortly after Adeleke announced his exit from PDP.

But Adeleke, on Tuesday, officially joined Accord Party, a development largely seen as a bold move in the pursuit of his political destiny.

The governor, while announcing his membership of Accord at the Banquet Hall of the Government House and in the presence of national and state leaders of the party, also revealed his intention to seek re-election on the platform of the “Thumb-Up” party.

Surprisingly, Adeleke disclosed that he had joined the party more than a month ago, even though he was silent on why he did not make the move public.

“I joined the Accord Party more than a month ago, precisely on Nov. 6, as a platform to seek re-election in 2026.

“This was after weeks of consultation and deliberations with stakeholders and opinion leaders.

“Stakeholders and residents of Osun State are aware of why we are taking this important decision.

“We intend to pursue a second term in office on the platform of the Accord Party to complete the ongoing delivery of good governance and democratic dividends, which have been applauded at home and abroad,” he said.

Adeleke said that he opted for the party because its mission of welfarism aligned with his administration’s focus on citizens’ and workers’ welfare.

Good as the move may appear to be, watchers of political events in Osun are wondering how strong, popular and widely acceptable is Accord in Osun.

They also expressed concern about how effective the platform can be for the actualisation of the governor’s second term ambition, basing their worries on the party’s antecedents.

For instance, since the establishment of the party by former Gov. Rashidi Ladoja who is now the Olubadan of Ibadanland, it is not on record that it has won governorship election in any state in the country, though this does not mean that Adeleke may not spring a surprise.

Notwithstanding the confidence exuded by the governor during his formal defection to Accord, analysts are of the opinion that winning the governorship election in 2026 by Adeleke may not be a tea party, given the presence of bigger political parties like APC and ADC.

To them, the governor may need to hang his dancing shoes for now, halt his theatrics and hit the ground running if he must ride on the back of Accord to the Government House for a second term.(NAN)

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