The Nation Newspaper

Tag: passengers

  • Passengers stranded as widows block highway

    •Nasarawa gives 1m cash to each widow

    Wives of police officers who were ambushed and killed by a cult group in Nasarawa State continued their protest yesterday.

    Most motorists and passengers were stranded for hours in Akwanga, where the protest took place. The women blocked the Akwanga-Lafia highway near the premises of the 38 Squadron of the Police Mobile Force with boulders, drums and signboards.

    The women started their protest last Friday.

    Transporters, including trucks, taxis, buses and transport companies like Nyanya Motors, New Nyanya Motors and Benue Link Express could not operate and their passengers returned home.

    Many commuters collected their fares.

    Prominent among those stranded was a former Vice-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Daniel Saror.

    An angry protester was heard saying: “Since on Thursday, they will pack the women that lost their husbands to Lafia. They did not even give them a sachet of ‘pure’ water to drink there. They will keep them till evening and bring them back.”

    A stranded commuter, Mr Godwin Alumuku, said he had spent two days on the road because of the blockade.

    Alumuku said: “Yesterday when I got here (Akwanga), I could not pass. I had to sleep in a hotel on credit.

    “When there was a bomb blast in Boston, USA, President Barack Obama came there. If President Jonathan cannot come, why can’t he delegate a high official in his cabinet to come and address these women.

    “Despite my inability to reach my destination on schedule, I think one should sympathise with these widows. They have lost their husbands and by extension their breadwinners. I think the government should do something quickly before the situation degenerates.”

    The women wore black T-Shirts on top of their husbands’police uniforms. They sang: “Wayo, wayo, wayo, wayoyo. Them go kill our husbands, wayoyo, them go say na work o, wayoyo! Dem go kill our husband them go say na work o ye ye ye.”

    The women were all carrying cudgels with which they chased any motorists who dared to come near them. Motorcyclists were not spared. The women also did not allow bikes to be rolled past the blockade.

    A woman who spoke in confidence said they were angry because neither the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar nor the Governor Almakura has deemed it necessary to address and sympathise with them.

    She said they were angry that the IGP came to the area and left without asking to see the bereaved women.

    She added that they would only leave the road, if the authorities assured them of prompt payment of their husbands’ entitlement.

    She said they were not interested in the N1 million each promised by the governor.

    Some of them, however, collected the cheque yesterday. The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Hajiya Zainab Abdulmumini, while presenting the cheques to the widows at the state police Headquarters, urged them to take solace in God.

    A widow, Mary Leis, who spoke at the presentation, urged the government to take care of widows whose husbands were yet to attain pensionable age.

    The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone 1V, Michael Zuokumor, said the slain officers’ next of kin would be taken care of.

    He said: “I am assuring you all that God will take over your welfare and the ultimate price your husbands have paid for the country will never go unrewarded.”

    Priests, imams, traditional rulers, senior police officers were seen begging the women to clear the roads but they refused.

    Even when four buses took some of the women to Lafia to receive the cheques from the SSG, others refused to leave or allow any vehicle to cross the barricade.

    Some of the women sat on the rocks lined across the road while others stood around with cudgels to chase away intruders.

    Akwanga is a nodal town connecting many states in the Northcentral, such as Plateau, Kaduna, Benue, Abuja, among others.

    The women cleared the road at 4pm when after the return of their colleagues from Lafia.

    A woman, who spoke in confidence, said: “We cleared the road because our colleagues that lost their husbands who went to Lafia said they have been given N1million each to bury their husbands.

    “They promised to address all our demands by Friday this week. But if they fail, we will return to the road and continue our protest.”

    A police officer believed to be a member of the proscribed ‘Ombatse’ militia and one other person were said to have been arrested in Lafia yesterday.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Michael Ada, denied knowledge of the arrest, but the Deputy Governor, Danjuma Joseph confirmed it.

     

     

  • Passengers decry ‘illegal’ luggage checks

    There was drama at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos at the weekend as some passengers that arrived from New York on Arik Air flight expressed dissatisfaction over how their luggage were forced open.

    The passengers alleged that most of their valuables were missing from the luggage, raising concerns over possibility of alleged pilferage.

    The unfolding drama drew the attention of security agencies, including operatives of State Security Services(SSS), to carry out investigations, which caused the affected bags to be weighed to ascertain the veracity of allegation by the passengers on the Arik Air flight.

    After investigations, it was discovered on closer examination that New York Airport Security officials left acknowledgment notes on the opened bags after they carried out the routine checks.

    The investigations by security agencies also revealed that the bags were opened at the point of departure of the flight, and not at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos as insinuated by the passengers.

    The discovery by the security operatives’ however’ doused the tension created by the allegation of luggage pilferage by the passengers .

    A source at the airport said about the incident: ”Some passengers aboard Arik Air that arrived at the weekend from New York were unhappy over how their luggage were opened and most of their valuables missing.”

     

     

    This generated tension in the arrival hall. To douse the tension security operatives especially state security services insisted that the affected bags be weighed to ascertain the veracity of the allegations by the passengers.

    When this was done, it was discovered that the weight of the bags remained the same and closer examination revealed acknowledged note from New York Security , that they open the bags as routine security checks .

    This doused the tension . Let it be known that this happened at the point of departure .”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Gunmen hold five passengers hostage

    Five passengers travelling to Lagos from Warri in Delta State have been abducted by gunmen near Ogbemudia Farms on the Benin-Lagos road.

    The victims were among passengers, who boarded a Greener Line space wagon Sienna bus.

    A source said the kidnappers blocked the road with a truck, which made the driver to slow down on sighting the barricade.

    The source said the kidnappers emerged from the bush and took five of the passengers away but allowed the driver and one passenger to go.

    A father of one of the victims, who is a retired army colonel, said his son lives in Lagos and was returning after the naming ceremony of his baby in Warri.

    He said the kidnappers were demanding N3 million to set his son free.

    The retired colonel said he pleaded with the kidnappers to release his son as it would be difficult for him to raise the money.

    Police spokesman Awhara Ejiroro said he was yet to be briefed on the incident.

    Three people were also kidnapped yesterday in Anambra State.

    Eyewitnesses said some gunmen invaded Abagana and snatched a popular cyber café owner and later kidnapped two unidentified persons.

    But the police said they confirmed one kidnap case but did not have details.

    According to police spokesman Emeka Chukwuemeka details of the kidnap would be communicated later.

    The kidnappers were said to have parked at a place in Abagana and held some men at a drinking spot hostage, until they got their target.

  • Passengers decry South African Airways flight delays

    Passengers decry South African Airways flight delays

    SOME passengers are worried over the delay in flights of South African Airways (SAA) from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Two passengers, Frank Adeluyi and Williams Oladeji, said the delays were having negative impact on their business, warning that further delays might force them to seek redress.

    Adeluyi said the problem is becoming worrisome.

    Oladeji said poor service delivery was no longer acceptable in the global aviation community.

    He called on the airline and the affected service providers to raise the bar of service to avoid any unnecessary infraction on passengers.

    These worries are coming on the heels of recent delays in the take-off time of the carrier, which now ranges from 40 to 50 minutes.

    According to investigations, the delay in flights is not connected with the ongoing renovation of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, which led to the switching into new processes and procedures for check-in. This,observers say, might have made SAA to change its ground handler at the airport.

    Passengers, it was learnt, are disturbed over the trend, which they said, was taking a huge toll on their travels.

    In the last one week, attempts to reduce the delays in flight have not abated raising concerns whether the change in service provider for ground and passenger handling may be responsible for the problem.

    Investigations reveal that the switch from the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCOAVIANCE), PLC to the Skyways Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), may have caused some integration challenges that are affecting the operations of SAA.

    SAHCOL, it was learnt, since it took over ground handling of SAA at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, is poised to render quality services, though some passengers allege that the delays in flights of the carrier might have arisen because of alleged poor services by the firm.

    Some passengers also alleged that equipment incapacity and service delivery might linger until the ground handling firms in Nigeria prepare for the take- over of airlines with adequate operations.

    However, a source close to SAA said the airline should not be blamed for the hitch.

    He added that because the ground handing equipment at the airport broke down, officials of the firm have been loading baggage into the aircraft manually.

    An official of the ground handling firm, who refused to be named, said it was working hard to rectify the problem.

     

  • Hurricane Sandy alters Nigerian passengers’ travel plans

    Hurricane Sandy alters Nigerian passengers’ travel plans

    The post-tropical storm crippling some states in the United States has forced many travelling from Nigeria to re-adjust their plans as airlines cancel thousands of flights, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU

    Tempers flared Monday night at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. Passengers and airline officials were at opposing sides__no thanks to Hurricane Sandy, the post-tropical superstorm pummeling some states in the United States.

    Many a passenger were turned back from the airports because airlines suddenly cancelled flights in a bid to ensure the safety of their aircraft and passengers.

    Passengers travelling through Frankfurt to Washington DC first had an inkling of the flights cancellation when they could not complete their online check-in.

    By Monday morning, American, Delta, United and US Airways had each cancelled more than 1,000 flights arriving or departing Northeast airports from Sunday through Wednesday. United Airlines cancelled 3,700 flights. Delta Airline cancelled 2,100 and American Airline cancelled 1,571, US Airways cancelled 1,600.

    As a result of the global cancellation of flights, passengers travelling to the United States from Nigeria have been forced to remain at home.

    Hurricane Sandy has led to the closure of New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports and Newark in New Jersey “until further notice”.

    Since Monday, Lufthansa Airline and British Airways have been turning back passengers from Nigeria’s international airports, such as the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

    United Airline, however, still flies passengers to its Houston-Texas base.

    A passenger due to travel with the airline yesterday said: “ I have just called them and they say they are not cancelling the flight.”

    A journalist from Ghana, Sylvio Combey Combetey, said his flight to New York was aborted because of the hurricane.

    He said: “ I am actually in Atlanta and will be in Washington tomorrow. I could not go to New York because of the Hurricane.”

    Lufthansa officials at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport yesterday said the airline cancelled the flights because of its concern for the safety of its passengers.

    With flights canceled to and from New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore, Lufthansa and British Airways have offered to rebook flights for their passengers due to travel to the U.S. East Coast.

    A statement on Lufthansa ‘s website said: “Due to the hurricane ‘Sandy’ and the resulting airport closures several flights to and from Eastcoast USA had to be cancelled for Monday 29, October 2012 and Tuesday 30, October 2012. Please check for the status of your flight prior to your departure.

    “If you have booked a Lufthansa flight flight to/from New York, Boston, Philadelphia or Washington before October 29th, 2012 for travel until November 2nd, 2012 you may rebook free of charge under certain circumstances.”

    A statement on BA’s website said: “We understand that customers may be disappointed, however their safety is our highest priority.”

    Virgin Atlantic also canceled all flights to New York, Boston and Washington. London’s Heathrow Airport is advising U.S.-bound passengers to check their flight status before traveling to the airport.

    Qatar Airways and the United Arab Emirates-based airlines Etihad and Emirates also canceled flights to the U.S. northeast. In a statement , Emirates said the safety of their passengers “will not be compromised.”

    United Airlines spokesman Rahsaan Johnson said: “Our operations team has been working since Friday on scenarios that would accommodate customers flying to and from the East Coast this weekend, while also moving our airplanes out of Sandy’s way to avoid having them stuck in airports in Sandy’s path.

    “While cancellations are never convenient, we hope customers understand that we are focused first and foremost on operating safely. We are also striving to minimize the impact on travelers booked on flights outside the East Coast.”

    Assessing the financial impact of the storm on airlines and other transportation companies will take time. What is clear is that, according to airlines and flight-tracking website FlightAware.com, carriers had cancelled more than 12,200 flights as of midday Monday. The Global Business Travel Association last year estimated that hurricane, interrupts roughly 580,000 business trips, costing airlines, rental car companies, hotels and others nearly $700 million.

    Vice president of research for the association Joe Bates said the estimate did not take Hurricane Sandy into account. He said the storm is expected to last twice as long as the other storms used for its estimate.

    A passenger billed to fly from Lagos to Washington on Monday night said: “The hurricane has ruined a lot of things. So many people can never regain what has been lost again.”

  • FAAN targets 8.5 million passengers by 2016

    AS part of the new business plan by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), passenger movement at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, is projected to increase from 6.7 million passengers in 2011 to about 8.5 million in 2016, which is a fall out of many factors including ongoing airport remodelling projects as well as the expected increase in the number of domestic airlines.

    According to the regional manager of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, IKeja, Lagos, Mr. Edward Adedamola Olarerin, the airport authority will embark on a continuous programme of infrastructure upgrade, as well innovation and customer focused service delivery, which are expected to drive the development and growth of the sector.

    Olarerin explained that with the anticipated increase in the number of domestic airlines, which will operate into the Murtala Muhammed Airport, the 8.5 million passengers mark will be realisable as government remains focused on improving operational infrastructure at the airport.

    He explained that the airport authority is anticipating increase in its revenue stream from aeronautical sources including retail outlets and other sources, which is a fall out of the ongoing improvement in infrastructure and services.

    He said government remains committed to ensuring that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos is expected to be not only an investor/tourist destination, but also a key player in the nation’s economic development.

     

  • Air passengers struggle for seats as Arik remains grounded

    Air passengers struggle for seats as Arik remains grounded

    Hundreds of air travellers stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Friday “hustled” for tickets in a bid to travel out of the city for the weekend.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the few airlines that were operating on the domestic routes, claimed that they were fully booked as some passengers struggled to get tickets.

    The situation followed the suspension of flights by Arik Air on Thursday after its operations were grounded by unions operating in the aviation sector.

    The unions said they undertook the action to get Arik and other debtor airlines to pay their debts.

    Following the development, only three airlines — IRS, Aero and Overland — have continued to operate.

    One of the stranded passengers, Dr Harrison Maduike, attributed the situation to the latest development in the aviation sector following the DANA plane crash of June 3 that has yet to resume flight operations and Arik Airline that was shutdown on Thursday.

    NAN reports that many of the passengers that were stranded in Abuja were those travelling to Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt, while passengers travelling to other destinations such as Enugu and Ibadan went by Overland.

    Another passenger, Mr Mike Ozurumba, said he was ready to buy any airline ticket at any amount to Port Harcourt in order to meet up with an emergency meeting.

    “The situation would have not been worst if the other airlines were to be working but whatever decision the government has taken concerning any of the airlines is regarded as the best even though it is affecting us; I believe it is for a while.

    “I wanted to travelled urgently this morning with an Aero airline by 11:20 a.m. but I was amazed when an airline staff told me the seats were fully booked from now till Monday.

    “IRS also said the only available seats are for Monday and that they are not even going to Port Harcourt but Lagos and I have an emergency meeting in my constituency today (Friday).

    “Some of the passengers who had even booked before me and came late were advised to reschedule their flights against next week,’’ Ozurumba said. (NAN)