Nigeria’s biggest carrier, Air Peace, says it did not disrespect the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero.
The airline in a statement by the Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Toyin Olajide, in which it reacted to a written complaint to Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority {NCAA) by a cousin to the Emir, Prince Isa Bayero, alleging 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, said rather than disrespect the reverred 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 from the Airline.
The statement further stated that 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 walked in, there would have been a very serious uproar in the media nationwide against both the Airline and the Emir, adding that this they 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?
“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 statement read.
It added that the Chairman of Air Peace had 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.”
The Airline said Isa Bayero’s statement was 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 reverred Emir of Kano,” the statement added.
See full statement here:
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