A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Blessing Agbomhere, has called out Air Peace, Nigeria’s leading indigenous airline, over its alleged mistreatment of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, calling for immediate regulatory sanctions by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and a total overhaul of the agency.
Agbomhere, who serves as the South-South Zonal Organizing Secretary of the APC, in a strongly worded statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, described the incident as a reflection of the growing impunity in Nigeria’s aviation sector. He accused Air Peace of denying Senator Oshiomhole, a former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, the opportunity to board his 6:30 a.m. flight to Abuja on Wednesday despite arriving at Terminal 1 (Zulu Hall) of the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos 25 minutes before departure and having checked in online.
“I am compelled to address the distressing incident involving Senator Adams Oshiomhole and Air Peace Airline, seeing that the airline is becoming above the law and notorious for ‘eye service’ humanitarian services carried out by its Chairman, Allen Onyema, all in a bid to perpetually cover up its atrocious poor treatment of Nigerians,” Agbomhere said.
The APC chieftain did not mince words as he slammed Air Peace for what he called “unjust, dubious and chaotic operations,” which he said were symptomatic of a failing regulatory system. He alleged that the airline routinely cancels, delays, and manipulates roundtrip tickets purchased by unsuspecting Nigerians, with no consequences from the NCAA, the supposed regulatory watchdog.
“The world has gone beyond Nigeria’s poorly regulated airline industry, which gives local operators the leeway to delay, cancel and roundtrip tickets purchased by unsuspecting customers, thereby denying them the opportunity to travel on schedule, without any sort of sanction on erring airlines by NCAA, the regulator,” Agbomhere declared.
He accused Air Peace of telling “deliberate falsehoods” in its statement defending the incident, saying the airline’s claim that the senator arrived late was a “lie” that exposed the airline’s disregard for accountability and customer rights.
It is also disheartening to note that the airline was bold enough to release a statement with deliberate falsehood stating that the senator arrived the airport twenty minutes late—an obvious lie that should have been spotted by its Chairman, who has in recent times taken up the role of an activist and freedom fighter akin to Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan,” he said. “But he cannot spot the wicked and inhuman treatment perpetuated right under his nose by his airline.”
Agbomhere emphasized that Nigerians have long suffered in silence under the weight of poorly run airline services, and if it takes the humiliation of a high-ranking public official like Oshiomhole to bring lasting change, so be it.
“There are several reports by Nigerians against the airline but these complaints keep being swept under the carpet thereby emboldening the airline to continue acting as if there is no regulator in the sector in Nigeria.
“This has to stop, and if it takes the poor treatment of Senator Oshiomhole to stop the nefarious activities of Air Peace, then I’m sure that even the former Governor of Edo State is willing to make that sacrifice,” he noted.
He called on the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to intervene and ensure that the NCAA fulfills its oversight responsibilities. He issued a one-week ultimatum to the management of Air Peace to investigate the incident, sanction those responsible, and issue a formal apology to Senator Oshiomhole.
“While calling for a total overhaul of NCAA, I am also issuing a one-week ultimatum from the day of the release of this statement to the management of Air Peace to take action by carrying out an immediate investigation into the matter and sanctioning all its staff involved in the incident,” he said. “The airline should also tender an unreserved apology to Senator Oshiomhole for the distress and embarrassment caused him and ensure that it improves its customer care service for the interest of the flying masses.”
Agbomhere’s remarks have reignited the longstanding debate over the effectiveness of aviation regulation in Nigeria and the broader issue of customer protection in the aviation sector. As pressure mounts on the NCAA and Air Peace, industry watchers and the traveling public will be keenly observing what steps are taken in the days ahead.
