How we protected the Emir of Kano from ridicule – By Toyin Olajide, COO of Air Peace

Our attention has been drawn to a written complaint by one Isa Bayero to DG of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA) against Air Peace and which is published in the public domain.

In the complaint, Mr. Isa Bayero alleged that Air Peace disrespected the Emir of Kano and the people of Kano by not delaying the Airline’s 6.15am flight to Kano for the Emir!

Rather than disrespect the revered Emir of Kano, Air Peace did all that it could to PROTECT THE NAME AND IMAGE OF THE EMIR FROM RIDICULE by not succumbing to what Isa Bayero demanded of the Airline.

If the Airline had agreed to halt and delay an aircraft already set to go – for another one hour – only for the door to be opened and the Emir and his entourage 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 halt and delay a fully boarded aircraft with doors shut and aircraft already moving, while our respected Emir and eight others in his entourage, including Isa Bayero, were still at the Lagos International Airport after just arriving from Banjul, the Gambia?

The Airline is taken aback by Isa Bayero’s statement. We want to state the true facts thus: From the telephone log evidence on the phone of our Chairman/CEO, Allen Onyema, Mr. Isa Bayero called our Chairman at about 5.52am, at a time he was still sleeping. From the same log, it could be seen that Isa Bayero called him again at 5.59am. This call woke him up and on seeing that it it was Isa Bayero calling, he took the call. Isa told our Chairman that he and the Emir of Kano had just arrived the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos from Banjul, The Gambia and would be proceeding to Kano same morning. He told the Chairman to delay the Airlines’s first flight of the day, the 6:15am Lagos-Kano flight for the Emir and his entourage.

It is false and incorrect that our Chairman refused flatly. He rather requested 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 demonstrate 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 flight operations and was told that the aircraft had since finished boarding, had it’s chocks off and was taxiing out.

In line with our re-routing obligation under the Aviation Law and in deference to the exalted office of the Emir, I quickly called Mr. Isa Bayero with this information and expressed our desire to put the Emir and his entourage on our 7.00am Lagos – Abuja flight. On arriving Abuja, the Airline would then put the Emir and his entourage on our direct flight to Kano at no cost. Mr. Isa Bayero refused this offer; he insisted that the already taxiing aircraft should be stopped and delayed until the Emir and the other eight persons with him arrived from the International Airport.

At this point, as stated earlier, Isa Bayero and the Emir of Kano had just arrived at the International Airport. This means they would still need to go through Immigration, get their baggages and of course clear with customs before entering the morning Lagos traffic to get to the local airport. This would mean that the passengers already in the aircraft ready to depart would have to wait in the aircraft for nothing less than an hour – with consequent exposure of the Airline to potential claims for delay by some of these passengers.

I called Isa Bayero to explain this 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 7am flight to Abuja and then from Abuja to Kano at no extra cost. The decision was to fly them from Abuja to Kano still in the morning, considering the next flight from Lagos to Kano was for 7pm later in the evening. How this became a disrespectful action by Air Peace baffles the Airline.

We took this decision so as to defend the image of our highly revered Emir of Kano and not to insult him as insinuated by Isa Bayero. This is because if the passengers had been delayed for an additional hour after boarding and ready to fly, and then saw the Emir and his entourage walk in – considering the pulse of the general public lately due to complaints regarding delays – it would not have done justice to the image and character of the Emir.

After explaining this to Isa Bayero, he not only behaved in a disrespectful manner but also threatened 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 might not have heard him rightly, 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 so unfortunate that Isa Bayero will go to this extent 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 highest 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 we know would have been offended to know that a flight already taxiing was halted and delayed for over 40 minutes for him.

The Emir would never have supported this publication. He may not have even known our offers and our reasons given to Prince Isa Bayero.

We reiterate our respects to our revered Emir of Kano.