The airline that conveyed Nigerian rapper and singer, Naira Marley to Abuja for a public concert last week has been suspended indefinitely.
The information was given yesterday by the Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika during yesterday’s presidential task force on covid19 briefing.
The airline, Executive Jet Services, is said to have given government authorities the wrong information about its scheduled flight prior to conveying the singer and his crew.
According to news reports, a judge had booked the private jet from Lagos to Abuja but when he did not show up, the airline sought to use its permit to fly someone else.
When a “Fashola” name was brought forward, officials thought it was the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola so it was released to convey him.
Unknown to the management, the passenger was Azeez Fashola, popularly called Naira Marley. The singer had a scheduled drive through concert. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a full-blown public concert with no consideration for the basic COVID19 rules or advisory. The park where the concert held was packed to capacity with fans especially the youth.
The premises has since been sealed off while its management is also sanctioned. The private jet pilot suspended in addition to suspending the license of the airline.
The management of Executive Jet Services has, as at this morning, tendered a public apology to Nigerians and the government for mistaking the Federal Minister for a “bunch of useless people.”
Apology signed by Sam Iwu the Chief Executive Officer of Executive Jet Services:
“We hereby apologise for the above flight, with your permit re: PMA/ATMD/0175/V/V/1268 dated 11th June, 2020.
“Please the flight was to carry a Judge on Sunday 14th, 2020 as requested and permit was granted based on the application, but unfortunately when I called the judge on Saturday morning to inform him that we have the permit, he then said he has reached Abuja already with a different flight that someone gave him a lift to Abuja.
“So on Saturday morning 13th June, 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 it was a bunch of useless people.
“We are sorry for this mistake and we promise that this will not happen again.”
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