Oil subsidy removal-Nigeria - AS the nation warms up for the hard effect of the controversial oil subsidy removal next year, an aviation expert, Alhaji Muneer Bankole has alerted prospective Hajj/Jerusalem pilgrims on certain increases in fare. Bankole whose airline (Med-View airline and cargo) is the official airline of pilgrims to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Nigeria, Senegal, Cote D'voire and some African countries lamented that Nigerian pilgrims would certainly pay more in 2012 and beyond unless government reverses its decision on oil subsidy removal.

Hosting Muslims from the Lagos state Governor's Press Corp (LAGOCO) at a courtesy visit in his Olowu office in Ikeja, Lagos state, appreciated governments' existing subsidy on hajj and Jerusalem fare which he declared could have been too far away from the reach of an average Nigerian.

According to him, the present worth of hajj operation is about $4,000 "When you convert it to local currency, you will appreciate it better especially when you see that each hajj pilgrim pay about N500, 000, not minding the Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA) to be enjoyed at holy land.

"The oil subsidy is another issue coming on board; though Nigerians have been facing a lot of subsidy before now but government needs to tell the people how much it is subsidizing this is because according to the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, it is like the government has been subsidizing double of the present oil price.

"He should give us the true picture of what to expect rather than leaving us out in the blank," he disclosed, lamenting, "We understand that it was some cartel that is carrying the products out; they run the show; they take it out and bring it in at will at the expense of our comfort, somebody has to tell us at what level they were involved."

On the likely amount to be paid by prospective pilgrims in 2012, Bankole declared that though except for unforeseen cause, all files on the just concluded 2011 hajj operations had been closed for forever, but, "To determine the fare for next year will be too early," he said.

He disclosed that governments at all levels had made bold efforts to cleanse the nation spiritually, hence the huge sponsorship of religious heads to holly lands for serious prayers, advising, "Let me tell you that governments have been so kind subsidizing each year pilgrimage by telling the agencies of government like: Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN,) National Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to reduce those charges by certain amount of percentage."

He noted that, "It is the government that will determine what rate or charges pilgrims will pay, I cannot say that a particular amount will be charged, but government would do the nation a well-deserved responsibility and duty by convincing the populace on what it would do with the excesses that was hitherto used to cushion the oil price.

Bankole however stated that his Med-View airline and cargo had concluded all plans and measures to improve on hajj lifting and performance in subsequent years.

Mansur Oladunjoye

Daily Champion/29/12/2011