Irregularities: Immigration Quizzes Iberia Airline Officials
By Ndubuisi Francis
Some officials of Spanish flag carrier, Iberia, who have been in the country since the airline made a comeback in June this year have been quizzed by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) for not possessing work and resident permits.
THISDAY investigations revealed that the two officials simply identified as Hugo (Operations Coordinator) and Ramos (Country Manager) have been operating in the country since the airline returned to the Nigerian airspace after 11 years of absence, without the valid documents.
Faced with this reality, the Murtala Muhammed Airport Command of the NIS was said to have invited them and advised that they should obtain the vital documents without further delay.
The Iberia officials who are said to have been seconded from Madrid to Nigeria to oversee the operations of the airline in the country came into the country only with Business Visa.
The Spanish airline officials have also being alleged to be involved in sharp practices with some Nigerians to outsmart travel agencies by refusing to confirm bookings made through such agencies.
Confirmation of bookings from travel agencies are said to be denied, particularly the Lagos-Madrid leg so as to force passengers to buy tickets direct from the office with a view to maximising sales commission
Nigerian employees working with the airline are alleged to be constantly under threat of sack for purportedly circumventing the interest of the airline.
They are alleged to have been collaborating with travel agents to book passengers who, in the calculation of the Iberia officials and the General Sales Agent (GSA)should purchase direct from the airline.
However, in his reaction, Mr. Ayorinde Adedoyin whose company, Peacegate, is the GSA to Iberia said the allegations were unfounded.
On the issue of the non possession of work and resident permits by the Iberia officials, he said they came into the country with business visas which permit them to work in the country until they secure the vital permits.
He confirmed that the officials were invited by the NIS operatives and asked to secure the permits and not arrested, a position corroborated by the image maker of the Airport Command of the NIS, Mr. Adeogun.
Adedoyin who disclosed that the officials were not permanent staff in Nigeria but supervising operations said they were however processing the permits.
"They were actually given busines visas when they were coming to Nigeria which actually permits them to work until they finalise their wpork permit in Nigeria.
"What they (Immigration) did was not to arrest them but they were invited to ask them some few questions. They had visa. if you have visa, to some certain extent, can work but they are not working because the type of arrangement we have with them is like supervising now because they don't sell ticket.
"We sell ticket and the airport operations is done by opur staff and not by them. You just don't arrest them. They werte called for questioning when the Immigration got information that they were procesing theoir papers. we only hae abouit three of them", he said.
On the allegation that bookings from agents are not honoured, he said: "What most of them do is to sell ticket to passengers knowing
Lagos-madrid is not confirmed...What most passngers do is to offer bribe when they know that btherte are no seats and the thing boomerangs".
He added that if the bookings are okayed by these agencies are
not honoured, such agencies become upset, admitting that the B757 aircraft used has very limited seats.
In a telephone interview with THISDAY, the image maker of the NIS Airport Command, Mr. Adeogun admitted that the Iberia officials were actually advised to secure their work and resident permits without futher delay, noting that they werte not arrested.
He stated that in line with the global trend, the airline's officials have no choice than to comply, adding that the Sevice had been patient so far in order not to be seen as working against the Federal Government's policy of attracting foreign investment.
Adeogun stated that the Immigration Service, having been patient to this moment with the airline's officials has no option than to insist that the norm should be followed.
Meanwhile, the Acting General Manager of Peacegate, Mr. Taiwo Adenekan and two other staff of Peacegate both of them ladies) are reported to have resigned earlier in the week. It is not yet clear what led to the resignations.
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