Air Peace has narrated its side of the story after the Nigerian airline company was accused of disrespecting the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero.
The cousin to the Emir, Prince Isa Bayero had asked the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to take punitive actions against the airline over what he termed “disrespect” to the Emir and people of Kano.
Prince Bayero was said to have called the Air Peace Chairman, Mr. Allen Onyema to delay the airline’s morning flight to Kano because their flight from Banjul, the Gambia, was delayed which prevented them from arriving on time to the airport.
However, Chief Operating Officer, Air Peace Ltd, Toyin Olajide (Mrs) in a statement expressed shock over what she called the deliberate falsehood against the airline.
Olajide insisted that the Airline holds the Emir in the highest regard but could not have granted the Emir’s cousin’s request because of the respect for other passengers.
According to the Air Peace, contrary to the insinuation that the Emir was disrespected, the Airline even protected the image of the Emir.
Olajide said, “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 to take-off, for another one hour only for the doors to be opened and 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 in his entourage, including Isa Bayero, were still at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos after arriving from Banjul?”
The COO explained that from the telephone log evidence on the phone of the Chairman/CEO, Allen Onyema, Mr. Isa Bayero, called at about 5.52am, at a time he was still sleeping.
She said from the same log, it could be seen that he called him again at 5.59am which obviously woke him up.
The COO added, “On seeing that it was Isa Bayero calling, he took the call. Isa told our Chairman that he and the Emir of Kano had just landed the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos from Banjul, Gambia and would be proceeding to Kano same morning.
“He told the Chairman to delay our first flight of the day, the 6:15 am 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 operations and was told that the aircraft had since finished boarding and was almost taxiing out.”
