By Akinwale Kasali
Air Peace, one of the Nation’s Local and International Airline has been indicted by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, for allegedly blocking Ticket Abuse Probe.
In expressing its dismay over the Airline’s attitude, FCCPC described its attempts to derail the ongoing inquiry into allegations of exploitative ticket pricing and other potential violations of consumer rights.
In a statement posted on its X account, the FCCPC said, “Last Thursday, the Commission had to refute a report syndicated in a section of the media which grossly misrepresented the proceedings at a meeting between its officials and the Air Peace team earlier on December 3 at the Commission’s Abuja headquarters. The meeting was a follow-up to an avalanche of petitions received from passengers in recent times.”
The statement clarified that the meeting was held in private, consistent with Section 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018, which allows the Commission discretion to conduct inquiries in public or in camera.
The FCCPC added that “Although the Commission chose to conduct the December 3 session in camera as a gesture of good faith to preserve confidentiality, no sooner had the session ended than leaks appeared in the media attributing unfounded but prejudicial statements to the Commission’s officials, categorically declaring that ‘Air Peace was not under investigation’.
“These leaks also quoted the Air Peace Chairman, Mr. Allen Onyema, engaging in ostentation of self-adulation. Curiously, the same media leaks omitted a boastful statement by Mr. Onyema at the same December 3 engagement that he could decide to shut down the airline, ostensibly to show he was doing the nation a favour by flying.”
The FCCPC reiterated in a December 5 statement that its inquiry was still ongoing, urging the public to disregard unverified media reports.
The Commission also took issue with claims made during a December 6 press conference by Air Peace in Lagos. It described the airline’s remarks as “outlandish claims and innuendos obviously intended to whip up sentiments” while failing to address the core issues.
“By asserting that only the aviation regulatory agency could inquire into its affairs, Air Peace betrays a terribly poor understanding of both the legal and moral pillars of its operating environment. Passengers are consumers of its services. Their rights are inalienable and guaranteed under the FCCPA. It is the basis of FCCPC’s intervention,” the agency noted.
The FCCPC cited its legal mandate, under Section 17(e) of the FCCPA 2018, to conduct necessary inquiries into any matter under the Act’s purview, and Section 127(1)(a), which prohibits unfair, unreasonable, or unjust pricing practices.
The inquiry into Air Peace focuses on allegations of unjustified fare hikes for advance bookings on certain domestic routes and a lack of transparency in pricing structures, which may violate consumer rights and fair competition principles.
“Pursuant to Section 148(3)(c) of the FCCPA 2018, the FCCPC, upon receipt of a consumer complaint, can direct an inspector to institute an inquiry and investigate the matter as quickly as practicable to determine whether the undertaking has acted inconsistently with the provisions of the Act,” the statement concluded.
