By Adesina Soyooye
The Management of Air Peace Airline has revealed that a Prince of Kano, Isa Bayero, said he would incite the people of Kano against the Airline.
The Airline was reacting to the allegation made by Prince Bayero that it disrespected the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero and thus insulted him and the Kano people.
Isa Bayero had written a letter of complaint to the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to the effect that the Ailine refused to delay its 6.15am flight to Kano in order to accommodate the Emir who was late for the flight.
In the complaint letter, Isa said that the fault was that of Air Peace, as its flight from Banjul to Lagos which they boarded was delayed for over an hour, which was why they arrived for their Lagos-Kano connecting flight late. He accused the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Airline, Allen Onyema, of refusing to help when he, Isa, called him.
What irked him most, he said, was that the Airline made them pay for “no-show” when they had also paid for hotel where they stayed to wait for the 7.00pm flight. He, therefore demanded for punitive measures against the Airline. What he hid, however, is that the Airline offered the Emir and his entourage an alternative to fly them to Abuja on a 7.00am flight, and from Abuja, fly them to Kano same morning without any extra cost. Prince Bayero rejected the offer and threatened the existence of Air Peace in Kano, unless an aircraft which engines were already on was stopped to wait for over an hour, with the passengers, for the arrival of the Emir and his entourage.
Air Peace, in its reaction signed by its Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Toyin Olajide, wondered why Isa was economical with the truth, and what he wanted to gain by his attitude and action.
The C.O.O. said what they did was to protect the image of the Emir since it would have been damaging to his reputation and that of the Airline if an aircraft which was already set to take off; was delayed for an hour, only for the Emir and his entourage to walk-in. Quoting the time Isa called, he said even though he woke Onyema up from sleep, Onyema still tried to help, but that it was too late.
The alternative they offered for free was rejected by Isa who threatened to incite the people of Kano against the Airline.
Mrs Olajide’s statement reads: ” Our attention has been drawn to a letter of complaint written by Prince Isa Bayero to the DG of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) against Air Peace and which is published in the public domain.
“In the said letter, Mr Isa alleged that Air Peace disrespected the Emir of Kano and the people of Kano for not delaying our 6.15am flight to Kano for the Emir.
“Rather than disrespect the revered Emir of Kano, Air Peace did everything to PROTECT THE NAME AND IMAGE OF THE EMIR FROM RIDICULE by not succumbing to what Isa Bayero wanted us to do.
“If we had agreed to stop and delay an aircraft, already set for take-off, for another one hour only for the Emir to walk in, there would have been a very serious uproar in the media nationwide against both the Airline and the Emir. This, we pleaded with Isa Bayero to understand, but he refused to accept.
“How could Isa Bayero want the Management of Air Peace to stop and delay a fully boarded plane with doors already shut and aircraft already moving while our respected Emir and eight others on his entourage, including Isa Bayero, were still at the International Wing of the Murtalla Muhammed Airport, Lagos, after arriving from Banjul.
“The statement is shocking to us. We want to state the true facts herein: From the telephone log evidence on the phone of our Chairman/CEO, Allen Onyema, Mr Isa Bayero called our Chairman at about 5.22am, at a time he was still sleeping.
“From the same log, it could be seen that Isa called him again at 5.59am. This call woke him up, and on seeing that it was Isa Bayero calling, he took the call.
“Isa told the Chairman that he and the Emir of Kano, had just landed the Murtala Mohammed International Airport from Banjul and would be proceeding to kano same morning. He told the Chairman to delay the first flight of the day, the 6.15am Lagos-Kano flight for him and the Emir with another eight persons.
“It was not true that our Chairman refused flatly. He; rather, told Mr Isa Bayero to give him a few minutes to call the airport to find out the status of the flight. I was the one he called. To show his desire to help, he called me immediately and intimated me with the request.
“I am the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Air Peace. I quickly called the Local Airport from where we carry on our day to day domestic flight operation and was told that the aircraft had since finished boarding and was almost taxiing out.
“I quickly called Mr Isa Bayero with this information and I expressed our desire to put him, their entourage, and the Emir of Kano on our 7.00am Lagos-Abuja, and that on landling in Abuja, we would then put them on our flight going to Kano at no cost to them. Mr Isa Bayero refused this offer; he insisted that the already taxiing aircraft should be stopped and be delayed until the Emir and the other eight passengers arrive from the International airport.
“At this point, as stated earlier, Isa Bayero and the Emir had just landed at the International Wing of the airport. This means that they would still go through Immigration, get their baggage, and of course, clear with Customs before entering the morning Lagos traffic to get to the local wing of the airport. This would mean that the passengers in the plane ready to depart, would have to wait in the plane for nothing less than an hour.
“I called Isa Bayero to explain the status and also to proffer a solution which would be a win-win for both the waiting passengers and the Emir. We decided instead to fly the Emir and his entourage on the 7.00am flight to Abuja and then from Abuja to Kano at no extra cost.
“So, the decision was then to fly them from Abuja to Kano still in the morning, considering that the next flight from Lagos to Kano was for 7.00pm. How this became a disrespectful action by Air Peace baffles us.
“We took this decision so as to defend the image of our highly revered Emir of Kano, and not as an insult as insinuated by Isa Bayero because if passengers were delayed for an hour after boarding and ready to fly, and then to see the Emir and his entourage walk in, considering the pulse of the general public lately due to the complaints of delays, it would not have done justice to the image of the Emir.
“After explaining this to Isa Bayero; he threatened that he would incite the people of Kano against the Airline if we did not stop the flight. When I reported this statement to the Chairman, he did not believe me and insinuated that I may not have heard him right because Isa Bayero was well acquainted with him, and could not have said such.
“It is, therefore, to my utmost shock that we saw in the media this deliberate falsehood. It is unfortunately that Isa Bayero will go to this extend to portray the Chairman and Air Peace in this manner.
“The Chairman of Air Peace has the highest regard for the traditional institution as it could be recalled that the Emir of Kano had previously issued a certificate of commendation to the Chairman for his philanthropic work to the people of Kano, and as such holds the office of the Emir and all traditional institutions in high esteem.
“We are, therefore, appalled that this statement would be made to incite such negativity towards the Airline. We make bold to say that the Emir of Kano that we know would have been offended to know that a flight already going was stopped and delayed for over one hour for him.
“The Emir would never have supported that publication. He may not have even known our offers and our reasons given to Prince Isa Bayero. We reiterate our respect to our revered Emir of Kano.”
The NCAA has neither acknowledged receipt of the complaint, nor reacted to the incident.
