In a bid to avoid being caught up
in violence that may erupt after the February 2015 general elections,
politicians, many chief executive officers/ chairmen of companies, top
businessmen and wealthy Nigerians have started moving their families out
of Nigeria.
Over 800 persons, including 10 members
of the National Youth Service Corps were reportedly killed in the North
during the violence that trailed the 2011 general elections.
Investigations by Saturday PUNCH
showed that some apprehensive politicians and top members of the
business community started relocating members of their families abroad
late last year.
Many, it was learnt, are still moving their families out of the country.
According to findings, medical
check-ups, short vacation, among others, are being cited by wealthy
Nigerians as reasons for their trips.
Aviation experts told one of our
correspondents that passenger traffic in Nigeria is usually low between
January and March but that is not the case this year.
The CEO of a travel agency, who
identified himself as Damian and did not want further details about
himself or his company in print, said many of his clients had made
bookings to travel abroad for fear of being caught up in violence.
Damian said, “It is true that there is
an increase in the number of transactions we receive; many people are
making bookings to leave the country.
“People are afraid; they fear that there
may be violence after the election. Those making travel plans are
mostly businessmen. I am also running away. I will leave before the
election and return after the person who emerges as the president of the
country has been sworn in.”
Similarly, a popular travel agency on
Lagos Island told one of our correspondents that many managing
directors/chairmen of some companies in Nigeria had booked their flight
tickets in anticipation of leaving the country before the general
elections.
One of the senior workers with the
company, who simply identified himself as Thaddeus, said aside
politicians who thronged the firm to buy tickets, many companies’ MDs
and businessmen had bought tickets from the firm between November 27,
2014 and January 14, 2015.
Thaddeus named the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirate as the most preferred destinations of the MDs.
He said, “Some politicians made
arrangement to travel out of the country after the election, while many
of the MDs chose to leave the country with their families a week before
the poll.
“Before the political parties’ primaries
held late year, we procured tickets for the families of some
politicians and we believe that they must have left the country by now.
The politicians started procuring their tickets from the first week of
this month.”
The development, according to some travel agents who spoke with our correspondents, boosted their businesses.
In the South-East, some prominent Igbo politicians and businessmen have also decided to go for “vacation abroad.”
An aide of one of the members of the
executive committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo – the apex Igbo socio-political
organisation – said his boss was among those planning to leave the
country.
The aide who pleaded anonymity said, “I
am aware that some politicians have already concluded arrangements to
travel abroad after the election; some of them relocated their families
out of the country many months ago.”
A travel agent, Mr. Nwaoka Iwe, who told
one of our correspondents that he represents an Abuja-based travel
agency in Enugu, also spoke of arrangements being made by politicians
and businessmen to travel out of the country.
Iwe said, “The period after elections is
when most of our big clients travel out of the country just like 2011,
but we expect more businesses this year because of the fear by
politicians that there may be trouble next month.”
Also in Kwara State, many politicians have booked their flights in advance.
An aide of one of the governorship aspirants confirmed to Saturday PUNCH on
the condition of anonymity, that his boss would not wait for one day in
Nigeria if there should be violence after the election.
Aides of five prominent politicians in
Kwara State, who pleaded not to be named, also said their principals
have asked to book their flights.
Commenting on the development, the Chief
Executive Officer, Gadeshire Travels & Tours, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo,
confirmed that there had been an increase in ticket bookings in recent
times.
Adebayo said, “Some wealthy Nigerians
moved their families during Christmas holidays and we are not expecting
them back home until after the elections.
“Their decision not to come back may be
as a result of their anticipation of crisis or post-election violence,
based on the experience of the last election.”
In the same vein, a worker with the
travel agency in Surulere, who identified himself as Yunus, said the
rush for tickets had led to slight increase in price.
Source......Punch
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