It baffles one to ask if the CPC was an accomplice in this sordid customer service unbecoming of IRS? This complaint had been laid at the CPC’s office but nothing has been done by the Consumer Protection Council. Readers, please, do leave your comments on the article. You can also share your experience with us. Email us info@brandcrunch.com.ng or lekan.babatunde@brandcrunch.com.ng
By Akonte Ekine
I flew into Abuja with Dana Airline. On the plane, I in company of some friends shared a beautiful flight experience of smooth take-off and landing. It was my conclusion that the flight was a statement of my trip. It was very beautiful. When I was going into the city in an Abuja Airport taxi in company of Shina Badaru and Folabi Esan, we reflected on the state of the nation among other issues. We were shocked by the heavy traffic on the road due to a roadblock by personnel of the Nigeria Army. They were just struggling to smile at the road users in the name of checking vehicles.
Our conclusion was that it was sheer waste of time, as the soldiers were merely looking and not really doing anything. We also asked the question how would they know who is carrying bomb by just this funny look on their faces? Well, I had a very good meeting and I looked forward to the journey back to Lagos, but for the rain that evening and new developments from the meeting, so I settled for the next day. Very early in the morning of 8th September, I had brief meetings at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja and Transcorp Hilton where they both gave me an experience of good service.
After my meeting at Hilton, I wanted to buy the Dana Airline ticket for 2.13pm, but the lady at the counter advised that for the challenges around traffic and time I should go straight to the airport and purchase the ticket. So, to the airport I went. But, of course, by the time I got to the Dana Airline’s counter at 1.30PM, I was told the flight was full. I made a decision to pick the 4pm flight ticket of IRS Airline at N29, 700.00. I paid N30, 000.00 at the counter and did not collect my change due to the fact that the crowd at the counter was more interested in selling to desperate passengers rather than doing normal service. (They just kept my N300.00). Now I have a ticket for Lagos, so left the rowdy scene and waited for the flight.
I settled down to enjoy a book (Think inside the Box by Kirk Cheyfitz). For 3 hours I was enjoying the book’s perspective on the reason some entrepreneurs, according to the author, set up businesses not for profit, but for creativity and invention. The issue in the book set me thinking about some of the organizations that claimed that business is not set up for profit but creativity and innovation. They, however, didn’t survive five years and even one recorded losses for 8 years. ?One of messages in the book is about the fact that business model is purely based on old human value of exchange and the only change that is happening around the way the value of exchange is delivered over a period of time. Exchange is the key word!
In the middle of the lovely read, the announcement came at about 4:30pm calling for boarding without apology for the delay (not that I was expecting that though). I joined my fellow passengers to the aircraft of IRS Airline for the flight under the sun of Abuja. While in the queue with others, the airline ground crew all of a sudden decided to stop checking us in, as some people were talking about fuelling at about the same time the boarding was going on.
Unfortunately, the reason for the stoppage of boarding was not fuelling. The passenger in front of me shouted ‘you cannot stop me from boarding this flight’. So, there was an exchange of words among some people, leading to the blocking of the gangway. The passenger eventually got on board. I wondered what was happening. I decided that if shouting was what got the passenger in front of me on board, then, I better do same. But, unfortunately, as I started shouting, one of the men of IRS Airline held my hand, blocked me and pulled me away from the gangway so that they could move it away properly.
As some people were allowed to board. I heard the man confirming our boarding saying those allowed boarding were first class ticket holders and old persons. About this time, a gentleman (Fashina Rilwan Adebola), whose name I later got from Kunle Ogedenge at the airport runway, during exchange of pleasantries, just said ‘I have my ticket and you guys will be hearing from me’. Fashina walked away. I stood in front of the aircraft and could not understand what he meant until one of the men of IRS Airline came and forcefully collected my ticket.
At this point, I asked what was happening, but five men, I don’t know who they were, but one in particular was a constant figure in the whole episode, came around to move me away from the front of the aircraft. I said no, but the next thing that happened was that I was lifted up by these guys and thrown aside. The aircraft moved at a speed that made all the guys to go down with me. On realizing that they were also down, I wanted to get up, and then I saw the wing of the aircraft was close to my head and I stayed down. I stood at the tarmac for almost 15 minutes asking myself question about what I did to deserve such a treatment.
I sent messages on my BB, maybe, someone could come to my aid but the only person that approached the tarmac came to tell me that I don’t have right to take pictures at the airport. I responded by asking that is it right to be standing here like this? Well, I found my way back to IRS Airline’s counter with the hope of collecting my ticket since I paid for it. But the man who snatched the ticket from me said ‘it is no longer your ticket; it is void (whatever that means). I left the airport after making contact with Mr. Fashina Adebola, who also was making effort to secure another flight. I went to report the issue at the Abuja Airport Police Station but the DPO of the station was too busy to attend to me.
After 20 minutes of waiting to get his audience, the officer at the counter asked me to walk inside his office and greet him, may be, he would see the need to talk to me. But it didn’t work. So, I had to go back to her with a request that I should be allowed to make a statement based on what I said. The lady politely beckoned on a man standing by the entrance of the station at the time. I pleaded with her to give me audience. This gentleman I later found out through our exchange of greeting to be the CSO of the Abuja Airport Police Station. He allowed me to narrate my story in his office and wanted to make peace. He said we should go to the IRS Airline together to confirm my story.
I did not understand why. So, I requested that he should allow me to go. He gave me a phone number, 0803-632-9090, to call him instead of addressing my issue. At 7:50pm I had to call my friends and associates to spend the night at their place so that I can fly back to Lagos the next day. This experience wasted my money and time all because of IRS Airline’s inefficiency. Mr. Fashina Adebola can confirm my experience.
The next morning, 9th September, it took me another six hours to leave Abuja based on the fact that I had to carry out a banking transaction. Again there was a delayed flight, yet no apology or a call from IRS Airline on the issue to give me back my money.{jcomments on}
Facebook Comments