By Tony Okoroji
Late afternoon, last Sunday, September 29, I left home in Lagos and arrived MUSON Centre with my friend, Patrick Harry Doyle and his beautiful wife, Funmi. We had gone to MUSON Centre to honor my good friend and colleague, the vivacious Kenny Saint Brown (KSB) whom I fondly refer to as Kenny Saint Beautiful, Kenny Saint Blessed, Kenny Saint Brilliant, Kenny Saint Billions etc. etc.
KSB was celebrating her 25 years on stage as a performer and had invited family, friends and fans to what turned out to be a master-blaster show. Paparazzi was on fire at the beautifully laid out Red Carpet in front of the Shell Hall. Did I say red carpet? The carpet was actually black but there was nothing dark in the majesty of the event.
Do you remember that Kenny Saint Brown used to be Kenny Saint Ogungbe? Almost all the brothers of KSB and the entire Ogungbe family were on the Red Carpet, from the broadcast and showbiz icon, Kenny Ogungbe of Kennis Music fame to the “professor”, I.D. Ogungbe and Taiye Ogungbe, KSB’s twin brother. Their big sister, Moji Dokpesi, widow of the late founder of Daar Communications, Raymond Dokpesi, was also in the building.
On the Red Carpet was Nollywood star turned politician, Desmond Elliot. Desmond had arrived with a sizable number of big wigs from the Lagos State House of Assembly. By the way, KSB is also in the political game and the Lagos State governor also sent a representative.
I have several decades experience producing iconic events in Nigeria and I can say that I was very impressed by the standard of delivery of the KSB show. The stage, lights, sound, graphics and show flow, were all top draw. The singer, Essence, who initially doubled as show hostess and performer had the audience eating off her palm. Gospel Music Minister, Ighosa Obaro was inspired and so was young Abimbola Rain.
When KSB came on stage with her Brass Band, it was like a bomb exploded. The show was taken to another level. The entire audience was on its feet, dancing, cheering and clapping. It must have taken significant rehearsals for that presentation. The KSB show was easily one of the best shows I have seen in Lagos in a very long time.
Regrettably, at the height of the show, I had to leave MUSON Centre for the airport. I was booked to depart Lagos to Abuja at 9.30 pm on Air Peace Flight P47130. I got to the airport a little after 8.00 pm. After the check-in, a long wait began.
At 9.30 pm, there was absolutely no information on the flight and no apology at all. At 10 pm, there was very loud grumbling and protest of the passengers who had then become restive. It was thereafter, that an Air Peace lady came out to announce that the flight had been delayed for “45 minutes” and proceeded to offer biscuits, water and soft drinks to the restive passengers, a number of who refused the offer.
At 10.30 pm, there was still no boarding announcement and no explanation as to what was going on. To cut a long story short, Flight P47130 finally left Lagos with very frustrated passengers well after 11 pm and arrived Abuja after midnight. I had to choose between sleeping on a chair at the airport and risking a long drive to the city in the middle of the night and in pouring rain with an unknown driver. I chose the latter, arriving my hotel after 1.00 am.
I had booked the 9.30 pm flight to Abuja because I had promised to be at the KSB event that Sunday evening and also be at the Supreme Court in Abuja, Monday morning for the scheduled investiture of my very good friend and brother, Innocent Adams Ovbagbedia as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
I was exceedingly lucky to get into the Supreme Court maim court for the investiture which eventually held in the afternoon with an unprecedented sea of heads at the Supreme Court foyer and all over the Supreme Court premises. Mr. Ovbagbedia’s wife, Efe, who is God Mother to one of my daughters, must have been the happiest person in the world on the day. She beamed with enchanting smile and we took photos and photos and photos with the new learned Silk.
After running some errands in Abuja, it was time to go back to Lagos on Air Peace Flight P47125 scheduled to leave Abuja at 12.30 pm on 3rd October. I arrived the airport two hours earlier only to be told that the flight had been rescheduled for 2.00 pm. There was no prior notification of any such rescheduling.
2 pm came and went and there was no boarding announcement of my flight. I exchanged banter with a few friends at the airport. They left me for their different destinations as I waited for Air Peace Flight P47125. A young lady sitting next to me in the Departure Lounge asked me what flight I was waiting for. When I said, “Air Peace to Lagos”, she sighed and shook her head and said: “I never fly Air Peace. They are very unreliable”. To underline her statement, her Ibom Air flight to Port Harcourt was announced and she waved to me and went to board. While I was waiting for Air Peace Flight P47125, Arik Air, Aero, Max Air, Ibom Air, United Nigeria, Green Africa all boarded their planes and left for Lagos. In fact, Aero announced two flights to Lagos while I waited. It became clear that my plan to have a few meetings at the office in Lagos had evaporated.
To rub salt on my injury, my new friend who flew Ibom Air to Port Harcourt called to inform me that she had since arrived Port Harcourt and settled in. I was still waiting for Flight P47125.
My flight scheduled for 12.30 pm finally left Abuja for Lagos at about 9.00 pm, eight and half hours after its original schedule. I had spent more than 10 hours at the airport in Abuja, the time it takes to fly to Washington DC from Lagos. The person sitting next to me complained bitterly that he had missed his flight from Lagos to Europe. Another said that the event he was going to Lagos to attend was already over while he was still in Abuja.
Unfortunately, my experience is not limited to the episodes I just mentioned. On May 30, I was booked on Air Peace Flight P47227 scheduled to leave Abuja for Lagos at 5 pm. The flight arrived Lagos about 1.00 am the following morning.
I am a great fan of Allen Onyema. I like his boldness and vision which is why I do not fly any other airline if Air Peace has a flight to that destination. I like the Air Peace new advert on television. I am sure that Allen is smart enough to know that reputation and goodwill are very important assets in any business, especially the airline business. Has Air Peace expanded too fast?
Nigerian airports have become the burial ground of many-many airlines who flexed their muscles, flew high and soon flew into oblivion. The list is very long: Okada Air, Chanchangi, ADC, Sosoliso, Kabo, Bellview, Oriental, Albarika, Virgin Nigeria, EAS, Concorde, Harka, IRS, Medview, Zenith, etc., etc.
I worry about Air Peace. If Allen Onyema’s dream will continue to fly, something will have to change. The sooner, the better.
