What should have been a piece of cake for the first Air Peace charter to Antigua ended up with the ‘wealthy Nigerians’ sitting for hours on their departing aircraft.
Meanwhile Immigration was ‘ordered to round-up’ those who had been detained for visa and other entry failures, including onward travel expectations.
It has again left an unfortunate taste, much like the bitter kola nut that some Nigerians chew to keep them ‘woke’ and energized!
Unfortunately the blame must be laid squarely on the airline, which although operating as a charter, is an approved airline of substance, with a large mixed fleet on routes throughout Africa and beyond.
After the well publicized, but not yet investigated, recent Nigeria – Antigua airline fiasco at year end, Air Peace should have followed all the rules, minus any interference in regulated air charter procedure, by anyone regardless of stature.
No one should have been allowed to check-in for the flight, or board the aircraft unless ALL of the prerequisites were ticked.
The culture of Nigeria, much like the situation in Antigua has its serious faults when it comes to bending the rules.
Both have a name and reputation for scams and corruption in the outer world; Antigua’s corruption platform is for the most part a criminal investment program, dependent on foreign direct corruption i.e. Guns to South Africa; Guns to Colombia; Stanford’s international money laundering scam in 100+ countries are the big ones.
Nigeria’s scam is a corruption of a local custom expressing gratitude with a gift, morphed into the culture of scams engendered by the colonizers and current multi-nationals operating in Nigeria.
Corruption or the scam has now become an integral part of doing business in Nigeria, and years ago it even had a name, ‘long legs’. No one has any sympathy for the victim of a Nigerian scam as one must be always aware when doing business out in the world.
The computerizing of aviation and the immediacy of communications prevent this type of mistake, where travelers are allowed to board without the full compliance of aviation requirements, and full authority of the receiving destination.
It therefore must be the responsibility of Air Peace to apologize the the Antiguan authorities for breaching international aviation rules, embarrassing the ‘wealthy’ correctly boarded travelers, by their long wait on the aircraft, and having Air Peace. check-in failures being blamed on someone else, maybe their local ambassador in Antigua.
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Yes their local ambassador who has serious stake in the corruption and who also has to keep his promises to his top dogs back in Nigeria as well.
The CIA has spy’s all over the world as well, and trust me they have a very keen eye on what’s going on in Nigeria for years and also have a very keen eye on this very promising link to the GOA who’s going be the ones that gets left out to dry, trust me.
There is enough evidence to show that many top officials in this Administration are compromised, and it’s only a matter of time before the squealing begins, because someone is going down for all this money exchanging hands and criminals paying off high ranking officials for safe passage without proper documents.
Let’s face it and call it as it is. Immigration crimes were committed here again, just like the first flights where many on those flights were undocumented as well, and where are they now?
There was supposed to be a massive investigation that should have taken place here, but we all know why it’s not being called for, because the finger will be pointed at the heads of some very powerful people, but let’s not forget, interpol and the likes do not give a shit how much money you have, if they have a case, they will pursue it.
Wise up Antiguans and oust this Government before they run Antigua into the ground again like the Allan Sanford case, which cause major international issues for Antigua.
We are way too small to take another blowback from such corruptions.
Crime is rising, cost of living is already sky high, we don’t even have a regional airline to ease the burden for a little vacation to get away from the stress for a minute, and now we have more mouths to feed by these undocumented people just sweeping in all willy nelly.
Time to say ‘NO MORE’ loud and clear.
Not once in this very worded news article has this anonymous writer mentioned the major PROTAGONIST in this Air Peace venture. Why?
He or she has rightly placed some blame on the airline, however, Air Peace needed to get the all clear from Prime Minister Browne (which they obviously did, because the PM was openly supportive of this CALAMITOUS venture).
I’m mystified as to why you’ve given Gaston Browne a free pass🤔
I think you should amend your headline to “NO OBSERVATION: …”
Yawn
😁
Is there a place for “Real Antiguans” in Antigua anymore, except for the putrid few? I’d hinge my Patriotic National Pride on my integrity and, hasten to admit my fault is not being a Neo-Antiguan: to just simply ask that a moratorium on all landed immigrants into Antigua be established-until there is a change in the status quo, of the artful mantra of creative enrichment proffered by the cabal of the governance per si, and, not lacking my reference as being an African: then as now. My preference prevails; not to condemn Africans for voluntary venture without chains, to yonder fields afar for fame and fortune, as only to imagine the grass is not any greener than the pastures at home-given to all and sunder to plunder, for the enrichment of foreign entities in schemes of Neo-Colonization that keep-on leaving us wanting at the mercy of foreign exploitation. The same effect, is the yoke that is strangling Antiguans and Barbudans with the sellout: zone them-in zone-us- out mindsets fostering en vogue: and not rationalizing that the fish do rotten from the head. Thus, the putrid few with greed and, glee make it seems worthy to be a-want-to- be like them: when corruption feeds vanity. Don’t blame it on Africans. It’s the system.
To the Writer Observer,
Let’s think about it for a moment
The blame lies squarely with Gaston Brown, Chet Green and who ever is the Ambassador that supposedly got paid.
It’s my guess that Air Peace was not the party who approached representatives of Antigua and Barbuda. We came up with the scheme initially to help LIAT
Then it modded into something else.
If you search the archives of the portal you’ll find Chet Greene gushing with pride from Lagos even before the Air Antigua disaster disappeared from the news.
It was suppose to be about 70% ownership of LIAT
Then it became the Dancers who were cultural ambassadors
That’s for another time.
Let get back to your subject matter
If a number of individuals arrived without the proper visa and were held in custody. Why did it take hours to round them up?
If they were in custody why weren’t they the group who boarded the airline first.
Is someone saying the wealthy first class passengers were boarded first?
before the illegals were rounded up from (custody?)
Where were they? in custody on Ridonda?
You can’t make this shit up! not you the (writer) the authorities.
As the late John Fuller advised as I complained about a product to a businessman, who rather than recognize that his product was less than satisfactory; he tried to make it my fault.. Fuller said “Provocateur, tell him kiss you rass”!!
The Antigua and Barbudans are the victims here in the classless blunder and farse.
When prominent businessmen snd women travel in a business junket,; they are identified by names, their companies are identified; their role as founder CEO or whatever is stated.
We just wealthy Nigerians. That in and of itself is a big alarming red flag.
When John Paul DeJura comes to Antigua; invest and get his CIP passport; we don’t just mention weathy American. He takes his picture with Gaston and it’s plastered over the media.
He is legitimate. Never mind he is a lead investor in the formally PLH project. He is a real investor.
We have no clue who these people are.
As an Antiguan and Barbudan ( A&B)
I say good riddance. I owe them no apology
Having encountered such humiliation any real wealthy businessman or woman would say “not again” to that place.
Kudos to the writer of this op-ed. I am grounded knowing that someone else out there sees the same nonsense thistle is going on with Air Peace.
For te record. Air Peace does not operate scheduled flights out of African
Contrary to your unsubstantiated claim, Air Peace flies outside the African continent. It has regular flights to Israel 🇮🇱, China 🇨🇳, India 🇮🇳, and UAE (suspended).
For the record. Air Peace does not any scheduled service of operations outside the confines of the African Continent. Period! Full Stop! Check their route network on their
website.
Stubborn, Arrogant, dictatorial and greed is a recipe to cause this beautiful nation to plunder into darkness.
So as a senior citizen whom have worked hard to build my country , then what should I do to protect? What actions do I take since I am not politically inclined? Should I wait on the election cycle to cast my vote against this government? Is that sufficient?
Those of us that are against these issues far outweighs the blind followers. Yet we sit by and wait for elections cycle. So what do we do now?
Yes I know that I will be victimized. However if we stand together as a United front – unit is power. The teachers strike was a typical example. Whereby the teachers stood up and did not relinquished until they had their undivided attention. The teachers had them on their knees- unity is strength.
As the contributor on the big issues said yesterday – “ Don’t piss on us and tell us it is rain”. It must stop now – no man should be made to think that he is too powerful to be accountable. No citizen of Antigua should be speaking down to us in such a manner, especially when he is dead wrong.
I wholeheartedly agreed @Franly Speaking. It is truly time for all Antiguans to unite and demonstrate to this corrupt government that we will no longer tolerate being subjected to humiliation, corruption, and embarrassment orchestrated by Olabanjo, Gaston and ALP.
Antiguans and Barbudans, rise up out of your sleep and let’s protest against corruption.
Enough is enough, let’s rescue our country.
These flights out of Nigeria are 100% POLITICAL not private sector driven and this must be the concern.
Let us examine the FACTS.
1 Air peace Airline did not make an inaugural flight to Antigua. An Air Peace machine was charted to make a flight to Antigua. KNOW THE DIFFER3NCE it is important.
2 Who negotiated for this chartered flight? Was it the ABLP administration?
3 Who decided which hotels the passengers would stay? Was it the ABLP administration?
4 Who instructed the Immigration Department on extraordinary processing for these passengers? Was it the ABLP administration?
5 Why was so many members of the ABLP administration present for the arrival of a chartered flight? Point to note there are private charters into VCB every day from around the world with no water cannons.
6 Who is directing this narrative to bamboozle the public into thinking AIR PEACE AIRLINE MADE AN INAUGURAL FLIGHT INTO VCB?
7 JUST LIKE THE RECENT SO CALLED SPACE FLIGHT, THE AIR PEACE INAUGURAL FLIGHT WAS A HOAX. THE ABLP ADMINISTRATION IS MANIPULATING THE MINDS OF SENSIBLE PEOPLE. EYES WIDE OPEN.
@Gossipy Provocateur.
@Brixtonian
What is there left to say or ask? Oh yes, just remembered. It’s my favourite question which nobody has addressed including Brixtonian who is quite often on the ball. Why are we being forced-fed these Nigerians all of a sudden? What’s up with them that this administration seems to be falling over and bending backwards to accommodate them? These people are renowned scammers worldwide and our amateur players are swimming in deep waters with them. On the other hand they might be dealing hand-in-glove with them, who knows? They have a plant here in our Ministry Of Agriculture who seems to be pulling some heavy strings in all this so we shouldn’t be surprised at what is being revealed before our very eyes. As you rightly say, the FBI et al are keeping a keen eye on this farce while our corrupt and incompetent rulers continue to indulge in their foolish ways. Again, I ask: why are we being force-fed these Nigerians? Enough is more than enough!
AN AUDIENCE WITH PRESIDENT TINUBU AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE POWERFUL NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE AND LEGITIMATE. NO?
Don’t say who had the audience with your president and powerful government, keep it under your hat. That clown will soon be exposed for enriching himself. Birds of a feather flock together.
Like the media Antigua and Barbuda folks have very short memory, and Gaston exploits you with the most ridiculous things for you’ll forget even before it happens
Antigua Airlines was suppose to invest in LIAT
And LIAT would serve to transport these passengers on to other islands.
Then came Africa Peace Airlines who was supposed to take a 70 percent ownership in LIAT
Then Africa Peace Airlines was bring cultural ambassadors
Then Africa Peace Airline was bringing Nigerian Businessmen
Then we learned many of the passengers were actually illegal aliens.
Along the way, many said Gaston is doing a good thing; so let us move on as LIAT waits for another chance to be used as cover for some yet unknown scam.
like the jolly harbor saga…
for real!
To my friends on here. We all know what this is playing out right in front our eyes. Many of us predicted this was going to happen and warned about it. Even those who were vehemently defending this Government for their many adventures with these Nigerians, even they have come to accept that something is seriously wrong here, and now even they have disappeared just like the 1000 Africans who simply just disappeared.
We know what this is, and we are now armed with enough conviction and evidence that this GOA is shady, dishonest and cannot be trusted with the affairs of it’s people going forward.
They always say ” follow the money” and it will lead you right to the source of all these corrupters.
I’m telling you’ll, Antigua cannot continue like this and survive.. I’ve seen the terrible things that’s coming in the not so far future for this Island if drastic measures are not taken to oust this corrupt Administration.
I’m not saying all will be fine when that happens,but it’s a start to a better Antigua.
And I’m not just talking politics, I see the spirit of the Nation, and this current administration is stifling the spirit of this island.
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