AON pushes aviation taxes review, S’Africa economic boycott

The Vice President of the Airlines Operators of Nigeria and Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to establish a committee to review taxes and charges in the aviation sector, warning that excessive levies have contributed to the collapse of several Nigerian airlines.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Monday, Onyema described some of the charges imposed on airlines as burdensome and unsustainable, particularly the five per cent passenger service charge collected by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

Onyema said, “One of the truths we want to tell Mr President is regarding this five per cent passenger charge collected by the NCAA. When we speak, they will say passengers are the ones paying, but we refuse to accept that. If I charge N100,000, NCAA takes five per cent of that money. We did not set up the business with them.”

He urged the President to set up an independent aviation taxes and charges review committee comprising technocrats, aviation experts and industry operators. “We want the President to set up an aviation charges and taxes review committee. It is very important so that it doesn’t look like we are fooling the government.

“The President should select these people, who should comprise independent professionals, technocrats, persons with great aviation knowledge and some of us from the business. These taxes and charges have been responsible for the demise of many airlines in the country,” he said.

Beyond aviation, Onyema also called on Nigerians to adopt an economic boycott of South Africa in response to recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other foreign nationals.

While backing calls for consequences against South Africa, he rejected violence or reprisals against South African businesses operating in Nigeria. “I totally agree that there should be a stop to foolishness,” Onyema said, accusing South African authorities of failing to adequately protect foreigners during outbreaks of xenophobic violence.

“Every time they do this, and they get the support of their government, I don’t understand how all of a sudden South Africa lacks a police force, lacks the military, lacks every security agency that could have stopped these people.”

The Air Peace chairman condemned incidents in which foreigners were allegedly profiled and harassed. “How do you explain a situation where people would march into somebody’s house, bring you out, question you, ‘Can I see your papers? You’re a foreigner, you have to go back home?’”