The Senator representing Bayelsa East senatorial district, Ben Murray-Bruce has predicted there will be a plane crash if the Senate does not take immediate action concerning urgent issues in the aviation industry.
The Senator said this at plenary, while speaking on the alleged deteriorating state of the aviation industry in Nigeria.
He moved a motion in favour of lesser taxes, regulations and reduced government interference in airline operations in the country.
He said: “The airport is nothing but a mall and can be self-financed by private sectors better. The Government does not need money to borrow to maintain or build airports.
“Airlines can be profitable if government will stop interfering in the way they are run.
“We are taxing the airlines to death, taxes should not be more than 5 or 10 percentage like in other countries but we charge about 40%.
“Tax Agencies in Nigeria are concerned about generating revenue which this is counterproductive to the airline.
“You cannot regulate the prices of tickets. This way you guarantee they don’t make profits, therefore their services will be reduced.
“No airline will delay you for eight hours unless they do not have finances to buy fuel, pay pilots and other services.”
He then urged the Senate to take the motion seriously, as hindrance to take action will lead to an accident which will lead to loss of so many lives.
“This motion is serious because an accident is about to happen, a plane will crash (and) people will die. I urge my colleagues to take this motion seriously.
“Find a way to work with the airlines not to kill them and find a way to make this motion productive and make it possible for them to be successful so we can live.”
