Airline Agents Lament Non-release Of Money For Ticket Sales

Former vice chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) Otunba Segun Adewale has expressed concern over the non-release of ticket sales monies to airline operators by the federal government.

Adewale in a statement signed by him described the situation as an attempt to kill legitimate businesses and commerce that abounds in the travels and tour sector.

Adewale the CEO Aeroland Travels Limited in the statement signed by him expressed his worry, saying over $450m revenues from ticket sales, which accumulated since last year 2021 till July 2022 is blocked by the Nigerian government through the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN from being repatriated to airline operators through the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Adewale said, “The repatriation of revenues from all tickets sold to travellers by airline operators to their home offices is the responsibility of CBN but unfortunately they have refused to release equivalence in dollars for service already rendered.

“This money has been withheld since last year, of which we have lost so many airlines and equally leading to loss of jobs and businesses in the travel agencies, airlines, those working at the airports and the entire aviation sector are not spared.

“I am speaking as a former vice chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), if our people can’t utter a word because they are being tipped by the government, I will speak out.

“The development is inimical to our economic wellbeing as a nation, from the spiritual angle of thought, it is wrong to muzzle the ox that treads the corn but that is what the Federal government is doing by the deliberate seizure of forex since last year.