Naira Marley, ExecuJet trade blames over suspended airline – singer describes CEO’s statement as ‘silly’
A war of words has broken out between popular musician, Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley and the Chairman and CEO of Executive Jets Services Ltd (ExecuJet), Dr Sam Iwuajoku, over the suspension of the operation of the private jet for flying the singer and his crew to Abuja last weekend where he performed at a concert.
On Monday, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced that ExecuJet has been suspended indefinitely for violating the approval it was given to convey a Judge to Abuja from Lagos.
Reacting to the suspension in a statement on Monday evening, Iwuajoku, had claimed that he gave approval for the flight because he mistook Naira Marley and his crew for the Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola and his crew.
He said he didn’t know it was “a bunch of useless people”.
The artiste has, however, refuted Iwuajoku’s claim and described his statement as not only arrogant but also silly.
Some social media users have also faulted the statement and are suggesting that the suspension of the airline’s CEO may be prompted it to put the blame on the singer despite being paid for the service with full knowledge of the passengers travelling.
In the statement, Iwuajoku explained that: “The flight was to carry a Judge to Abuja on Sunday June 14, 2020 as requested and permit was granted based on the application, but unfortunately when I called the Judge on Saturday morning to inform him that we have the permit, he then said that he has reached Abuja already with a different flight that someone gave him a lift.”
He further explained that when the plan to fly the Judge to Abuja failed, the Arline got another booking on Saturday and from the name provided by the client he had thought it was the Minister of Works who was travelling.
“On Saturday morning June 13, 2020, my staff called that they have a charter flight to Abuja and that the passengers are already in the lounge. As a rule, passenger manifest is always sent to me before any departure,” Iwuajoku said.
He added that after going through the manifest sent to him by his staff he found Fashola Babatunde and “thought it was the Honorable Minister of Works going to Abuja with his men, so we decided to do the flight since is (sic) a serving minister…I didn’t know it was a bunch of useless people.”
He also attached a copy of the manifest which showed that the flight conveyed Fashola Adeshina (Naira Marley), his brother Fashola Babatunde and eight other members of his crew – Wisdom Intoto (a private jet charter agent), Abayomi Akin, Idowu Emmanuel, Seyi Awonuga, Adeyeye Tobi, Chinonso Opara (BBNaija’s Kim Oprah), Afiare Israel and Michael Opeyemi.
Naira Marley has taken to Twitter to share a series of tweets to refute what appears to be lies from the CEO and also chastised him for describing him and his crew as ‘useless people’.
Contrary to claim by the CEO that he gave approval before the passengers boarded the flight, Naira Marley said he and his crew had boarded before the flight crew took their names. “They asked for our names on the jet though and looooooooool your pilot is a Marlian and everybody there is a Marlian too… My name is Azeez Adeshina Fashola and my lil brother’s name is Moshood Babatunde Fashola,” he said.
Condemning the statement by the airline CEO which has also attracted backlashes for ExecuJet on the internet, the singer said “The cost of living working-class/middle-class is too high. The fact that the Almighty has blessed you, shouldn’t make u look down on anyone!” the singer tweeted. “Mr executive jet calling us useless is not only defamation but oppressive. The statement by the CEO is arrogant and silly.”
The controversial letter by ExecuJet CEO:
