This post is part of the Verastic In Nigeria series
I don’t want to curse the day, but I had a not-great day on Tuesday. Prior to Tuesday, I couldn’t get a flight out of Lagos to Jos. According to the website, the only available Jos flight was for Thursday, which was two days later than I planned. So I decided to buy a ticket to Abuja and then drive from Abuja to Jos.
The most convenient flight for me on that Tuesday was one by Dana Air (flight 9J-335), which was scheduled to leave Lagos at 12:40. We got to the airport sometime past 11 AM. We checked our luggage in, and then we were told that the flight had been rescheduled to some time past 5PM. And it was said so casually, as if 5:00 PM wasn’t a whole six hours later.
A staff at the counter whispered to me that I should speak to her boss to let me go on the earlier flight which was leaving at 2:00 PM. She pointed the boss out to me and said that I should mention to him that I had a baby. I mean, Lagos isn’t the place where you leave the Mainland and go back to the Island in hopes of strolling back in when it’s time. So I went to meet the boss.
“Good afternoon, sir,” I greeted him. I explained my situation to him as calmly and as respectfully as possible. He was very dismissive, and was literally walking away from me. He asked me, “The plane is full, so where do you want me to put you?” I went back to the check-in counter, and my three pieces of luggage were still sitting on the scale after being weighed. He started raising his voice, “Carry this thing away from here! I told you the plane is full. Standing here will not make me give you a seat.”
I was pissed and felt disrespected, but still, I thought I’ll control myself and try one more time. So once again, I followed him when he came out from behind the counter. That was when he yelled at me again and said that I was embarrassing him.
Me, Vera Ezimora, embarrassing him? Because I was asking to get the service that I paid for? I was not asking for a free flight or a discounted flight. And it was not that I had changed my mind about which flight I wanted. Instead, it was Dana Air that changed their plans and did not think it was necessary to let me know. So I left and went back to the counter. I needed to know this man’s name because I had decided that I needed to tell you about him.
The girl at the counter was reluctant to tell me his name. Eventually, she said his name was Mr. Tokunbo, but she refused to tell me his last name. While I was still talking to her, Mr. Tokunbo reared his ugly head. She introduced me to me and said, “This is my senior manager, so you can talk to him.” Right there, in front of him, I told her that her senior manager had said I was embarrassing him. She looked shocked and did not know what or how to respond. Mr. Tokunbo tried to defend himself by saying, “Ehn, but how did it get to that point?”
At this time, calm-speaking Vera was gone, and in her place was Mgbafor who did not care how loudly she was speaking, what she was saying, or who was listening. I said a lot of things to him, including calling him a piece of shit and an asshole. Yes, I said it. It was not my proudest moment, but I remain unapologetic. And please, don’t leave me a comment about how he’s older than me. Dana Air did not charge me less money for being younger.
At the end, I demanded a refund. I used the money to buy tickets that were N10,000 more expensive from Med-View. I did not get home till about 1:00 in the morning. Thank you, Dana Air.
So how did I eventually get Mr. Tokunbo’s full name? I did it the old-fashioned way. I asked Dana Air. I sent the tweet below, and they responded. Case closed. The man you see above is Tokunbo Oladejo.
What’s the name of this senior manager at @danaair (Lagos)? I need to commend him for his excellent work yesterday pic.twitter.com/bcFi2Qq5TN
— Vera Ezimora (@verastic) September 7, 2016
Hello @verastic Mr Tokunbo Oladejo
— Dana Airlines Ltd. (@DanaAir) September 7, 2016
I don’t really know what – if anything – will come of this post. For all I know, Dana Air might even promote him. But I do know that Nigerians tend to accept whatever is offered to us, and we think that what we accept is normal, but it isn’t. We are capable of doing better, and as a Nigerian, I reserve my right to demand better. I was not asking for a handout; I was asking for what I paid for. If I was dealing with someone who had half a brain, he would have been begging me to get on the next flight. But in this case, it was me begging to be on the next flight, even though it was later than the flight I paid for.
P.S. The entire time he was saying there were no seats on the 2:00 PM flight, he was still letting certain people on. Were those people going to be sitting on the wing of the plane?
Dana air used to be my favourite airline until my friend and business partner Bar Collins Onyeka Anyene perished with his whole family on a Dana abuja lagos flight few years ago, though l still consider the whole sad episode an accident but l still have not been able to psychologically “forgive” Dana……and may not have mustered requisite mental balance to fly Dana since that accident. It is a personal feeling……l have had to wait hours at local airports to board other flights rather than board “available ” Dana…..this is the way it is …and it is not about to change…..
The behaviour of Mr Tokunbo of Dana is a Norman behaviour from most nigerians who find themselves in positions that are mentally and physically bigger than them especially in our service industries .Such behaviour happens mostly where customer choices are limited, airline travel in Nigeria is still considered elitist with fewer airlines catering for a growing middle class nigerians who desire air travel. …….the strange and anoying thing is that if you had eventally boarded that flight,you may have noticed that the plane is empty or half full,nigerian airlines “reserve ” seats for people or companies that usually don’t show up…….it is good that you wrote about this man’s bad behaviour. …..so,let’s wait and see how Dana responds!it’s only in Nigeria that customers are not king and a service provider actually believes he/she is doing customers a favour by offering its services. ……your post has given me one more reason to keep avoiding Dana for now……shame !
Sorry Vera, this is what we see in naija. Thumbs up for calling him out. These same people delay flights for the rich and famous in return for cash.
This is soooo true, most service providers in Nigeria behave as if they are doing us a favour and not vice versa. Shame on Mr Tokunbo.
Sorry about that Vera.
I hope that experience didn’t cloud the rest of your visit.
On the happier side…..how have you been finding Nigeria?
Thanks for calling out this man and his totally irresponsible behaviour.Truth is this kind of attitude continues because we keep accepting whatever crap is thrust at us…its time we start to stand up and refuse all these nonsense from companies and people whom we have paid to receive services for…lets call them out when they misbehave so that they know theres something at stake …they get the the guts to misbehave cos they know theres nothing to lose!This has got to change.
Haha Vera, I love you! I saw the tweet asking for his full name to commend him for his excellent work, but I was not expecting this post AT ALL.
You know, if you tell a lot of Nigerians this story, they’ll tell you that’s normal behavior. But, this horrible behavior has become so commonplace in Nigeria, that it is now normal. I really hope someone sensible and high up in Dana sees this and takes action.
Wow!!!!!! Sorry vera
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Wow!!! Sorry vera
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Let me take this further south. I can bet he spoke to you rudely because he felt you were younger and a woman. That’s how callous they get in Nigeria. Security guards will also speak to you in like manner or anyone who feels their “position” is so grand a thing even when you are better off. I don’t even care that you cussed him out. He deserved it for being an idiot. Cos truly had I been in your shoes, I don’t know how much control i’d have. Can’t even judge you. Nonsense!
Damn shame. No respect unless you use your most foreign (read, American or british) accent, drop cash or go local on them.
Im just glad for safe arrival.
That is how most people behave rudely in Nigeria.
Dana Air needs to read this article.
I should do a post about what Arik did to me. Shame really
I know exactly how you must have felt Vera. It is a shame!
Sorry about your experience Vera. This is the reason why people find it hard to move back to Nigeria; the blatant disrespect for people. From teacher’s abusing students (I went to a Nigerian university and believe me, my lecturer once physically assaulted me during a clinical exam), to traders in the market dragging you and calling you “ashewo”if you dare to complain, to people like Mr Tokunbo playing the fool. And the thing is, people are beginning to see it as normal. Sorry again.
Welldone Vera. Is about time we speak up and report any disspeakable service in Nigeria. Imagine his rudeness. I have not flown Dana since that crash. I lost 5 of my close friends. I cant forget. It was so painful.
Thank you Vera for calling out this bad. Haba on top your money. It’s really sad the way service providers treat us in this nation, no respect whatsoever.
This is great. Customer service in Nigeria is appalling and it’s about time people started calling out culprits for their misbehaviors.
WHOA! This is so annoying. Dana was my favorite airline because of their customer service – it was much better than the others. But this is so off-putting!
After Dana Airlines killed 100 plus passengers in 2012 through sheer negligence and nothing eventually came out of it. After a small period of being grounded, they resumed business as usual, I knew that anything and anyone can get away with anything in this country when the price is right.
Chei. That’s a terrible reality. I’m so sorry for the lives lost.
OMG don’t even talk about the airlines..everlasting delays. I almost lost my mind, but I guess the average Nigerian who flies is use to it and they are unfazed like seriously how do u run a business like that. Air Peace gave me the experice I will never forget almost missed my flight back to the US.
I flew twice in Nigeria, and they were both terrible. The second one (the Dana Air one) was worse.
That anyone still considers Dana is beyond me. I started ReviewNaija because of the Dana crash in 2012. It didn’t make sense to me that the public didn’t know Dana was reckless. I know companies can change but I’m very dissapointed this company is back, operating in full force (with disrespectful managers) and NIGERIANS ARE STILL PATRONIZING IT. What a shame!