The over 200 passengers on board a Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos to London on Monday, the 2^nd of November, 209 are not likely to forget in a hurry their unsought experience in Cotonou, Republic of Benin where the plane had gone to refuel.

The plane which took off around 11.45am from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, after about 45 minutes delay, had to make a quick stopover in Cotonou to buy fuel due to the non-availability of the product in Lagos.

Passengers had been told of the airline’s dilemma shortly before take-off and the stopover in Cotonou was expected to last about 45 minutes. But this was not to be as it ended up lasting over four hours due to several factors, including the insistence of the handlers at the Republic of Benin airport that the fuel they sold into the aircraft be paid for in local currency instead of through bank transfer or credit card.

Trouble actually started when, on landing in Cotonou, passengers were told that the refuelling could take over two hours as the airport was not equipped to handle large aircrafts. The refuelling dragged on at snail speed until the Captain announced that there was enough fuel in the aircraft for the journey to London.

If the passengers thought that was the end of their ordeal, they were in for a shocker as the Captain announced shortly after that there was another problem. The airport handlers, he said, were insisting that the fuel they sold into the aircraft be paid for in cash. Then started a slow process of negotiation that saw the crew getting in touch with their head office in London, which promptly transferred some money into the airport handlers’ account. Or so the passengers were told.

Unfortunately, this was not acceptable to the airport officials as they demanded to know how to convert the payment in dollars to their local currency. The negotiation went back and forth for hours until payment was finally made in cash and the aircraft took off at about 5.00pm when it should have been preparing to land in London.

When one considers that all the passengers, including children, the aged and some sick folks, were holed up in the aircraft for those long, arduous hours, it becomes pertinent to ask some questions. How come there was no aviation fuel at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport on Monday, the 2^nd of November, 2009? Why did Virgin Atlantic choose to go to Cotonou to refuel when there was no prior arrangement with the airport handlers? Why would the handlers of an international airport in Cotonou choose to do business only on cash basis?

Noteworthy is the fact that some of the passengers on board the Virgin Atlantic aircraft did not eat before leaving home that morning. And food could not be served on the plane during the period it was grounded as the supply on board was for the journey. Naturally, any attempt to serve the passengers food during the ordeal would have left the crew with nothing to serve when plane finally took off. Worse, it was impossible for anyone to get off the plane to look for something to eat. So, for over four hours, passengers prayed and hoped that the harrowing experience at the airport in Cotonou would end without any casualty.

And to think that I had a choice from the very first day I started planning the trip. My travel agents had offered me seats on three different African airlines with stopovers in Tripoli, Cairo and Casablanca, but I wanted a direct flight. My experience with stopovers has not been too good, so I would do anything to get a direct flight if it is available. The more than 40 percent difference in air fare did not matter to me when I was buying a ticket because I did not want any stopover. How would I have known that there would not just be a stopover in Cotonou, I was going to be practically held hostage? And who knows how many other airlines and passengers were caught in a similar imbroglio around the period in view.

A quick research afterwards revealed that the scarcity of aviation fuel and indeed other petroleum products in Lagos even before the said day was a fallout of our country’s attempt at deregulating the oil sector. The question then becomes: What efforts did the government make to ensure that the effect of its policy did not leave its people (as well as others) exposed to unnecessary danger? This is against the backdrop that vehicular traffics and long queues were already being noticed at fuel stations all over Lagos prior to Monday, November 2.

As questions begged for and are still begging for answers, one of the passengers who were mostly Nigerians could not but liken the experience to being held hostage by the government of the Republic of Benin. Even if that was so, it is unlikely the government of our country could have been trusted to come to our rescue, knowing fully well that the problem actually started at home. It is therefore not out of place to conclude that until our government learns to treat its people right, other countries and people will continue to take them for a ride.

Robot  # 1 | 09.11.2009 08:17

...Read the full article.

whyworry  # 2 | 09.11.2009 08:46

Sorry about your sordid experience, it is your Nigerian government that held you hostage in a foreign land.

Ikpemalueziokwu  # 3 | 09.11.2009 10:46

I agree with the Distinguished Whyworry and to add that Nigeria should declare a National Day of Wailing, Mourning, Crying for the nation. Also all closet haters of other tribes, ethnc groups and clans should come out and confess their sins. All those who swore that over their dead body would the other ethnic group see success in our commonwealth, should come out openly and confess their sins and curses because it akin to cutting one's nose to spite the face. All those who planted seeds in the desert and vowed that until it grows, the other group will never see good should go to the same desert, trace these seeds, uproot them, atone for their sins and ask for 4giveness after repentance. You see, we shall as a nation continue to suffer these kinds of reverses until we come back to the basics. Or how will one explain that an oil and resource rich nation had to go to poor Benin Republic to buy Jet fuel for its aircraft only for the poor neigbour to rub it in by insisting that they be paid in their national currency. Ask any Nigerian official if he prefers to be paid in Naira or Pound Sterling or a priest or Iman he prefers to be tithed in N or $:D I Ikpeama will collect civilized currency anyday, anytime:clap: