How Naira Marley tricked, fooled airline for flight operation to Abuja

• Executive Jet’s chairman apologises to Minister, labels musician ‘useless’

Chairman/Chief Executicve Officer of Executive Jet Services Limited, Mr. Sam Iwuajoku, the airline suspended by the Federal Government for ferrying Nigerian musician, Azeez Fashola also known as Naira Marley has apologized to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika for being misled that the flight was operated to airlift Minister of Works, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and not the popular musician.

Iwuajoku in a letter addressed to Sirika dated June 15, 2020, titled, “Flight for 13/06/2020 done by Executive Jet Services to Abuja”, stated, “We hereby apologized for the above flight, with your permit ref: FMA/ATMD/0175/V/V/1268 dated June 11, 2020”.

Explaining the mix up, he said the flight was to carry a Judge to Abuja on Sunday June 12, 2020 as requested and permit was granted based on the application but unfortunately when he called the judge on Saturday morning to inform him that they had the permit, the Judge said that he had reached Abuja already with a different flight that someone gave him a lift to Abuja.

His words, “So, on Saturday morning June  13, 2020, my staff called me 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.”

“When I went through the manifest and I saw FASHOLA BABATUNDE, I thought it was the Honourable Minister of Works going to Abuja with his men; so, we decided to do the flight since he is a serving Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria . I didn’t know that it was a bunch of useless people. We are very sorry for this mistake and we promise that this would not happen again.”

Iwuajoku gave the manifest of the flight to include Adewunmi Segun, Chinonso Opara, Fashola Babatunde, Fashola Adeshina, Adeyeye Tobi, Michael Opeyemi.

Others are Idowu Emmanuel, Seyi Awonuga, Wisdom Intoto and Abayomi Akin.

The Federal Government had on Monday suspended Executive Jets Services for flying popular musician Azeez Fashola popularly known as Naira Marley contrary to the approval it was granted.

The musician was flown from Lagos to Abuja by the airline despite COVID-19 restrictions after approval of aviation authorities.

ExecuJet is a leading global business aviation organisation offering a diverse range of services including aircraft management for private and commercial airplanes.

But the Federal Government explained the flight was meant to fly in Hon. Justice Adefope Okojie from Lagos to Abuja and back to Lagos and not the musician.
The musician featured and entertained fun-seekers at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja over the weekend.

Speaking at the daily briefing by members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Sirika announced suspension of the operation of Executive Jets Service indefinitely for the infraction.

The minister also said the captain who operated the flight would be sanctioned for misleading the control tower.

Sirika said: “Well, we approved a flight but certainly not for any musician. The flight, from the application, was to convey Justice Adefope Okojie from Lagos to Abuja and back to Lagos for an official assignment.

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“In this challenging time, in our wisdom, we considered the judiciary to be part of the essential service to be delivered. Having to move the Hon. Justice from Lagos to Abuja was in order. The approval was given for the 14th of June, 2020, however, we do give them a leeway of 24 hours sometimes due to operational reasons.

“They can operate the flight slightly earlier or slightly forward within 24 hours. In this case, the operator chose to fly on June 13th at about 6:00 pm. So, that itself is not a violation to operate earlier because we gave him the leeway

He added: “The operator is Executive Jets Services and the approval was very clear and I will read part of it. This is the letter from the ministry of Aviation to the Chairman of the Executive Jets Services and it was signed by the Director of Air Transport Management on my behalf.”

On the suspension of the company, Sirika said: “The operation is a clear violation of our approval to which we take very seriously and it seems this is becoming a norm. Perhaps, this is the second time. So, Executive Air Services operations are hereby suspended indefinitely. We will also fine them maximally according to the law.

“The captain of the flight will also be sanctioned for giving wrong information to the control tower and also appropriately in accordance with our law.

“It seems also that people are not tired of trying our resolve. Well, we are also not tired of rising up to the challenge and living up to our own responsibility for keeping every one of us safe.

“Governance is a serious matter. We don’t take things lightly in civil aviation because it means the lives of people. We are highly regulated, we are international and we are one aviation.

“Going forward, we will put up mechanisms in place or escalate the mechanisms we have in place to detract people from doing so and it means that we will be stricter in our approvals and whoever dares us will meet the consequences.

Wole Shadare