NewsRadio Presenter Under Fire For De-marketing An Airline While Promoting Another

Radio Presenter Under Fire For De-marketing An Airline While Promoting Another

SAN FRANCISCO, July 23, (THEWILL) – The presenter of a popular radio programme on Love FM Abuja, Ahmed Isah, self-styled ordinary president, has come under intense criticism over recent comments on his programme: Brekete Family, where he lampooned an airline and its staff, stating that he prefers travelling with another airline, which he claimed is more prompt in service delivery.

Apparently promoting a carrier, Isah stated on radio that the air transport company unlike its competitor, was not known for delaying passengers hence he must be at the airport for his travel earlier before take-off time, stressing that the other airline unapologetically delays flight for hours.

He said in Pidgin English, “I dey follow Air Peace 9 O’Clock. They no dey waste time. They no dey like the other one wey start with A, come get R, with I, come carry K (Arik) Those ones, they can cancel flight. They can suspend. They can- they can… and without apology ooo.”

Ordinary president continued, “You go see them dey waka-nyanga tolotolo for airport after they don disappoint you finish. Anytime I send person to buy me ticket, and the person returns and say Ar… I will shout… I go say na you go fly am. If them talk say their flight na 9’0clock, make you dey go airport around 1 to 2 o’clock in the afternoon.’’

This remark unsettled some staff of the airline who complained to some newsmen in Abuja that it was unbecoming for the on-air personality to be making such comment on radio when he should ordinarily detach bias and sentiments from the job. The workers asked not to named as they are not authorized to speak for the air transport company.

The concerned staff said, “it was because Ahmed Isah knew that what he was doing was wrong that was why he rather spelt our company’s name than pronounce it”. They explained that they had to speak up because it is them who would “bear the brunt if Brekete family succeeds in reducing the cash inflow to Arik by his clandestine and wicked campaign to make air travellers avoid our airline.” When asked how this can be, they said that “when people no longer fly Arik, the company may experience cash crunch and the next thing management will likely do is to relieve workers.”

Claiming that the management of the radio station is helpless over the excesses of Brekete family and its major anchor in view of the mammoth listenership it attracts particularly among those in the lower rung of the society, they alleged that Mr. Isah often attacks those who do not patronize him, regretting that what he does is outright blackmail.

One of the concerned staff said: “We have to engage the media in this development as Ahmed Isah’s comment is capable of rendering most of us jobless. Since what he said is untrue, we suspect that he is out to take our airline out of the market to the advantage of those who pay his bills. Imagine what will happen to some of us if Arik is not able to generate enough money because of this bad publicity. We will lose our jobs! If that happens, I wonder where we would run to as there are no jobs anywhere. Government and well-meaning individuals should caution that man.”

Also speaking, another staff said, “I wonder if Isah got any form of journalism training. Ethically, it’s even wrong to promote a company by openly de-marketing its competitor. How can he place two companies in the sector side by side, glorifying one and firing verbal missiles at one? What have we done to this man? Was he talking out of his personal experience or what people told him? Has he ever experienced same and drew the attention of the airline to such? I see his comment as cheap blackmail. Maybe because he speaks in pigeon, he feels he can get away with his attacks on the corporate world.”

Another female staff who claimed to have encountered Ahmed Isah once said, “I think that programme should be probed. Many growing companies have series of complaints against the method used by Isah and co, and the man behind the mic is very arrogant. He takes advantage of his charitable services to the poor and the needy in the society to blackmail businesses and organizations. I had thought journalism preaches objectivity, so where is that in his program? He didn’t even make efforts to get the reaction of my bosses. I really felt bad hearing him say that about us and Arik. He has succeeded in painting us all in bad light even when what he is saying is unfounded.”

Reacting to the development, the President, National Association of Aircrafts and Pilot Engineers, Comrade Isaac Balami said, “it was a bad publicity for Arik. Arik can begin to look at it as if it was sponsored against it. It is highly unethical and unprofessional for a radio presenter to be promoting a particular airline and at the same time castigating another airline. You can’t compare a new airline with the one that has been in business long before it.

“Just like every radio station has issues; will he (the presenter) be happy if someone comes publicly to say that other stations are better than the one airing his programme? Isah or whatever he calls himself must be guided properly and watch his utterances so as not to throw professionalism to the wind.”

Balami however confirmed that a lot of transformation is going on in the aviation industry as his union is holding talks with the minister on how to tackle existing challenges in the aviation sector.

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