Bayoor Ewuoso’s experience
aboard Arik Air flight W3 103
Y Lagos to Johannesburg on
October 31, 2014, exposes
the reality and danger of
flying with airlines which
compromise on basic safety
requirements.
About an hour before arriving
Johannesburg, Mr. Ewuoso
said he requested a cup of
coffee, which an Arik flight
attendant mistakenly spilled
on his thighs. His pain turned
to disbelief and shock when
the attendant told him there
was no first aid kit on board
the plane and that he should
go to the toilet and pour cold
water on the spot.
“I was shocked, I felt very bad
when he told me there was
no first aid kit on board. I
just thought to myself, if this
was something else,
probably, I would even die
under Arik’s watch,” Mr.
Ewuoso said.
In the toilet, Mr. Ewuoso
noticed he had serious burns
on both thighs. He splashed
cold water on himself and
returned to his seat. Not even
the slight relief felt from
applying Vaseline jelly given
to him by a female passenger
seated behind him was able
to reduce the pain he felt on
the flight to South Africa, Mr.
Ewuoso said.
On arrival at Johannesburg,
Mr. Ewuoso said Arik Air
abandoned him to his plight
without making any
arrangement for him to get
proper medical attention. By
the time he checked into his
hotel, he discovered the burn
had become a wound. He
consulted a pharmacist who
gave him a syrup and some
pain killers.
Burnt Bayoor Ewuoso
Mr. Ewuoso, a multiple award
winning photojournalist, was
in South Africa to attend an
Investigative Journalism
conference at the University
of Witwatersrand. The few
times he ventured out in
public during his seven-day
stay in Johannesburg saw
him being ridiculed because
of the way he walked. Mr.
Ewuoso was in constant pain
and discomfort.
Aderonke Ogunleye, a
PREMIUM TIMES reporter,
present at the journalism
conference said people felt
pity for Mr. Ewuoso. “He
didn’t even look like he paid
attention at the conference.
Seeing Bayoor like that was
terrible,” Ms. Ogunleye said.
Mr. Ewuoso sent an email to
Arik Air on November 8
complaining of his
predicament. The airline did
not reply until after two
weeks when an Arik official
called him on his mobile
telephone to enquire what
Mr. Ewuoso wanted the
airline to do about the issue.
By this time the Wole Soyinka
Centre for Investigative
Journalism (WSCIJ) had
taken the responsibility of
handling the matter, Mr.
Ewuoso replied the official.
Arik which boasts of
“efficiency, customer-
commitment, adherence to
aviation polices and
standards and an avant-garde
in providing quality aviation
services” flies to South Africa,
the United Kingdom, the
United States of America, the
United Arab Emirates, Benin
Republic, Ghana, Senegal,
Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone,
Cameroun and Angola.
Mr. Ewuoso’s ordeal
presupposes that the over 10
million Arik air passengers
flying within Nigeria and the
airline’s 12 international
destinations are flying at
grave personal risk.
Arik denies responsibility
Ola Adebanji, Arik’s
spokesperson, in response to
PREMIUM TIMES enquiry,
said Mr. Ewuoso was the one
who spilled the hot coffee on
himself and not the flight
attendant. He said that all of
the airline’s planes are
equipped with first aid boxes
but that Mr. Ewuoso did not
request for first aid treatment.
“The crew member offered
the passenger Vaseline
ointment which was declined.
The passenger was also
asked to go to the toilet to
check the extent of the burns
which he did and said he was
okay,” Mr. Adebanji said.
“The crew checked on the
passenger several times to
know how he was doing and
at no time did the passenger
raise an alarm about burns,”
Mr. Adebanji added.
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES,
WSCIJ Center Coordinator
Motunrayo Alaka said
bringing Ewuoso’s plight to
public knowledge was not to
vilify Arik but to ensure
airlines and aviation
authorities live up to their
responsibility in ensuring
safety for air travellers.
“For the grade of burns
caused by their staff, or even
if it was caused by the
passenger himself, we are
concerned because Bayoor
said he had complained on
board but that they did not
even have a first aid kit,” Ms.
Alaka said.
Yakubu Datti, Aviation
spokesman, told PREMIUM
TIMES that the standard
aviation operational practice
is for every aircraft to have a
first aid kit with crew
members upon employment
expected to be trained to
handle emergencies.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation
Authority is the government
regulatory body which
oversees the aviation
industry, including the
activities of airlines and their
personnel.
NCAA rules spell out that
crew members must have
knowledge of emergency and
first aid equipment and drills.
The Authority further
mandates airlines submit a
report to it within three days
of any accident that occurs
on a flight.
Fan Nduboke, NCAA
spokesperson, told PREMIUM
TIMES that there is no record
of Mr. Ewuoso’s incident
aboard Arik Air flight W3 103
Y Lagos to Johannesburg. He
said an official complaint first
needs to be lodged to enable
the NCAA launch an
investigation before any
airline operator can be
sanctioned for any wrongful
act.
Okechukwu Ukandu, an
aviation safety consultant
who spoke to PREMIUM
TIMES, said Mr. Ewuoso’s
story underscores the need
for Nigerian aviation
authorities to ensure airlines
and their personnel strictly
abide by aviation rules to
avoid similar or worse
occurrences in the future.
“This kind of act is a safety
breach, it’s a breach of
aviation safety protocols and
the cabin crew are supposed
to be able to administer first
aid treatment; it is part of
their training. I mean, that’s
very wrong, he’s expected to
sue them,” Mr. Ukandu said.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/172554-arik-abandons-burnt-passenger-crew-poured-hot-tea.html

Nigerian corporate bodies, always feeling no responsibilities since 1960

One of the reason am stuck with Emirate airlines regardless of the high cost. See as person use him money buy problem for himself

Pictures of a seriously burnt passenger otherwise Op is...

I have never thought of the idea of flying Arik on international route, even if it's free

Jarus:
I have never thought of the idea of flying Arik on international route, even if it's free

I share your opinion.

I say na the passanger's fault!
He made a big mistake flying Arik, and an even bigger mistake by asking for tea or coffee. What was he thinking? He thought he was inside Delta or KLM

Arik is my regular airline to new york. I enjoy flying direct to my destination.

but wait o, ordinary tea water or because he's a jonalist. ok peopl dey follow their ryt sha.