By Ismail Auwal
Kano Emirate Council has given Air Peace airline a 72-hour ultimatum to offer an apology for disrespecting the Emir Aminu Ado-Bayero.
The Chief Protocol Officer of the Emir, Isah Bayero, gave the ultimatum while speaking to journalists in Kano on Saturday.
Bayero insisted that the airline must accept responsibility for delaying the Emir’s flight from Banjul which culminated with missing his connecting flight to Kano from Lagos.
“I am giving an ultimatum of 72 hours for Air Peace to tender an apology to the emir, first in a national daily and secondly to come down in person to the emir. We would not hesitate to go extra miles to correct the ‘misnormal’.”
He also dismissed as a false the airline’s claim of offering the emir an alternative trip to Abuja.
“I personally requested the offer from Air Peace to allow the emir to join their flight to Abuja; from there we would be transiting to Kano but they said that also was fully booked,” Mr Bayero said.
“It was pure falsehood for Air Peace to make that statement that they provided an alternative flight to Abuja for the emir. For that claim, I was the one that asked for Abuja flight and they said it was fully booked.”
“The Abuja flight was fully booked and if their aircraft to Abuja is full already how do we get to Abuja? Now, let’s assume they had taken us to Abuja, how are we sure Kano flight was available from Abuja?”
“Since we left Banjul an hour behind schedule, the airline should know they have 10 passengers transiting to Kano and should know the right thing is to reschedule the flight because the delay we had was never our fault.”
“I called ‘severally’, they refused to pick but later picked and told us it was not possible. Courtesy demands the management should make necessary arrangement for the VIP because I had called the airline while in Banjul to make provision for vehicle that would transit the emir from international wing to domestic.”
“That they disrespected the emir was the reason why they refused to delay the flight. It is totally wrong and unacceptable because, if they truly respect the emir, they should understand the aircraft was not complete without 10 passengers, including the VIP.”
“We booked our tickets on that aircraft and anybody that is familiar with international flight understands what is on-transit passengers and that passenger has priority more than any other passenger on board.
“For delaying us from Banjul, which caused our arriving late to Lagos, Air Peace has the moral duty to accommodate or take care of us. Unfortunately, there was no option or offer to ease our situation, only for us to be left stranded.”
“The action of Air Peace is sentimental and unprofessional and we can go any length to defend and protect any act of insensitivity against our prestigious traditional institution.”
“That insult is not heaped on the emir alone but on the good people of Kano and folding our hands on this could trigger something worse and more ridiculous.”
