Rivers
Economy Class Ticket Hits N.1m In PH Airport
For the first time in the history of the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, the economy class flight ticket has astronomically risen from between N50,000 and N70,000 it was last week, to N100,000 from Port Harcourt to either Lagos or Abuja.
The Tide observed on Thursday and Friday the sudden hike in the lower class flight ticket, which attracted reactions from airport users.
Some of the airport business stakeholders, who reacted to the development, accused some airline operators of taking advantage of the suspension of the Dana airline to hike ticket prices.
They had noted that the Dana airline is one of the few airlines that has been regular in operations, and keeping the Port Harcourt airport busy, as many Port Harcourt passengers patronise them.
In his reaction to the issue, a travel agent, Mr Kingdom Ofuru, said the other airline operators at the Port Harcourt Airport have taken advantage of the Dana suspension to hike price.
Ofuru, in a sharp argument with one of the Arik Airline staff, claimed that this is the first time in his about 20 years of operations at the Port Harcourt airport, that economy class ticket has hit N100,000.
“Over 20 years I have been working here, this is the first time I am noticing this. These other airlines, especially the Arik Airline, and Airpeace have taken advantage of Dana suspension to extort passengers.
“They wouldn’t have done this, if the Dana flights are operating. How can they jack up the economy class for both Lagos and Abuja to N100,000. What then will happen to the business class ticket, which means it will rise to N200,000, “ he said.
Also reacting to the development, a regular passenger at the airport, Mr Kingsley Wonodi, said the increase of the economy ticket at this time of Dana suspension is a clear indication that the Dana airline has been stabilizing flight ticket in Port Harcourt Airport.
“Had it been Dana airline was not suspended, these other airlines would not have hiked the economy class ticket. I also know that Dana Airline would not hike price, if the NCAA suspension hammer had fell on another airlines, because the Dana Airline had maintained a regular lower flight ticket than others”, he said.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority had on Wednesday, midnight, suspended Dana Airline for fear of its financial standing.
By: Corlins Walter
Rivers
Rivers CJ To Sanction Lawyers Who Refuse To Comply With ADR Compliance
The Rivers state Chief Judge, Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI has given an indication to sanction any lawyer who fail to comply with directive of a judge in the state to transferred a case to Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse for Alternatives Dispute Resolution.
Justice AMADI stated this during a brief ceremony held at the chief judge auditorium in port Harcourt Friday held to hand over certificates of operation to two private ADR chambers on Precarious Dispute Resolution Services and Harmony Arbitration and mediation center .
He urged the two private ADR centres to be diligent in the discharge of their duties and warned against compromising the standard of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR but should observed the regulations set out in collaboration regulation by the state Multi Door Court House.
Earlier in a address, the Director of the State Multi Door Courthouse, VICTOR NWEKE esq, highlighted some of the achievements of the Multi Door Courthouse especially in decongestion of court rooms.
NWEKE while disclosing how the department certified the two private ADR centres called for serious punitive measures be taken against any lawyer who fail to comply with a case referred to Multi Door Court House by a judge or magistrates in the state.
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the two certified private ADR centres, ALICE NIMI commended the State Judiciary and Multi Door Courthouse for the approval and assured that all the rules and regulations spelt out will be followed.
In a related development; the Rivers State Judiciary has assured its readiness to collaborate with Nigerian Securityding Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in using Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve some of the issues in their office.
The state Chief Judge , Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI made the promise when he received in audience the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE OLOWO and his team who paid him a courtesy visit in his office , Friday where issuees ADR utilization took centre stage.
He used the opportunity to brief his visitors on the hurdles judges faces daily in the court room and the need for the decongestion of the court room , stressing that one judge handle more than three hundred cases but that if lawyers and litigants adopt ADR practice court rooms can be releive of the daily congestions.
The state Chief Judge however urged NSCDC to ensure a wider sensitization of the members of the public on the practice of ADR for a better awareness and knowledge.
Earlier in his speech, the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE-OLOWO said the visit was to seek collaboration on the use of ADR in resolving some issues which he insisted would help decongest the courtrooms.
Our correspondent reports officials of the Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse led by the Director, VICTOR NWEKE led the team of NSCDC on a technical session where information on how to the fully in cooperated into the Multi Door Courthouse and operation of ADR will be emphasized.
Akujobi Amadi