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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has led its support against sanctioning airlines that sell tickets in hard currency, saying such airlines are cogs in the wheels of Nigeria’s progress and economic development.
The Aviation Minister, Hon. Hadi Sirika had earlier warned that any airline found selling tickets in foreign currency shall be sanctioned.
The socio-political umbrella of Northern States, added that the stand taken by the Federal Government on the airlines in the country, selling tickets in foreign currency was a welcome development.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of ACF, Chief Audu Ogbeh on Friday.
“The socio-political umbrella of the Northern States, the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has welcomed the stand taken, by the Federal Government, on the airlines in the country, selling tickets in foreign currency.
“ACF appreciates the stern move on deterring any local or foreign airline that transacts it business, in Nigeria, with foreign currency. This is because it negates the value of the Naira, and will, undoubtedly, throws Nigeria and its economy in a precarious situation”.
ACF noted that no airline would venture to perpetrate such ugly thing in most countries, across the globe and warned that, “any airline transacting a business, in Nigeria, in foreign currency is an enemy of the nation”.
He, therefore, called on the aviation ministry to, as a matter of urgency, spread its tentacles in arresting such menace.
“No airline wishing any country good should involve itself in sabotaging its economy through dwarfing the value of its currency”
The former Agriculture minister noted that even in smaller African nations such callous economic investment was never allowed.
Chief Ogbeh called on the Central Bank of Nigeria ,(CBN), Finance Ministry and the President to take stern measures in ensuring that whoever arrives “our country must convert his/her corrency into Naira for whatever business transaction, failure amounts to economic sabotage”.
