By Charles Kumolu& Olamide Ogunjimi

Elder statesman, Sen Bode Olajumoke, has recounted his experience aboard British Airways, BA, 075 Flight that was diverted to Ghana after failing to land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, last Tuesday, saying the passengers were made to go through a harrowing experience.

Olajumoke, who said the airline cared little about them while in Ghana, lamented that they had no choice but to make alternative arrangements for their return to Nigeria after waiting in vain for BA to fly them back to Lagos.

He explained that the passengers were left to their fate in Ghana, saying their luggage was dropped at Kotoka Airport Terminal 2 without any security personnel in sight.

Ill-treatment

In an exclusive chat with Vanguard Monday in Lagos, Sen Olajumoke said apart from the ill-treatment, he was particularly concerned about passengers, who couldn’t have afforded an alternative flight back to Nigeria.
Continuing, he condemned Nigeria’s response to the incident, saying it was shameful that MMIA lacked modern lighting equipment.

READ ALSO: British Airways, others dump Nigerian passengers in Ghana Airport

Olajumoke, who was on his way back from Russia, described the incident as a horrible experience, adding that his health was adversely affected. He was on the flight with his wife, Princess Remi Olajumoke.

Consequently, he urged BA to apologise to all passengers aboard for the manner it handled the incident.
His words: “We were almost landing when I heard the pilot telling the cabin crew to prepare for landing. As I was talking to my wife, there was an announcement. When I heard landing, I quickly went for my briefcase but I didn’t see people standing up. I asked why it was so and was told we landed in Accra, Ghana.

Fourth day

“There was an announcement that we should leave our luggage behind. They said there was free duty. After spending three nights, on the fourth day, they said we would be leaving at 1 pm. I was going to town to buy a charger because my phone batteries were down when they said I should come back, insisting that we were going at 1 pm. By the time we got back, there were massages in our email stating that British Airways would not be able to go back to Lagos.

They said we should find the means of getting to our destination. In the message, it was stated that if we wanted to go back to London, there were limited seats. I had to call my agent to book me on Air Peace because Air Peace was coming and leaving while we were there. We even heard that Virgin was also coming and leaving.

 Shoddy and undeserving

“The treatment was shoddy and undeserving. If I could organise my ticket on another airline, how many passengers could have afforded that? Many could have been stranded. People were so frustrated and disenchanted. Some even said they were going to write a petition. Everybody was shocked.

“I am more concerned about those people who could not have been able to afford transportation by road. It is not a proper way to treat people. There is a board meeting I would be attending, I am supposed to use British Airways but I have cancelled it. When I am in Europe I would fly British Airways because they do not treat passengers like that in Europe. It has affected my health. I have aches all over my body. I am disillusioned and have not recovered. Why would they be able to land in Ghana and not Nigeria because it is almost the same weather ‘’

A spokesperson for the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu, had said the flight was not diverted to Ghana over lack of basic navigation and landing equipment at MMIA, but due to poor weather condition in Lagos after the aircrafts had arrived the country.

The BA075 while regretting the incident promised to convey the passengers safely to Nigeria last Wednesday but failed to do so.

Vanguard Nigeria News