OPEN LETTER TO ARIK AIRLINE: "Arik Air Please Provide The Baggage of YALI's Leadership Training Participant"... HELP!!!

This is a true event that must be addressed. For the baggage of a young man, making an international journey, representing Nigeria in a far away place, to be lost by a major airline like Arik Airline, smacks of ineptitude. It is unthinkable and could have been unsettling for Ogbemudia Eddy Uwoghiren, who was a participant at the regional President Obama’s YALI Leadership Training.

The airline should be made to provide that baggage. Read his story below and please let those primarily concerned act...

I was selected for the President Obama’s YALI Leadership Training scheduled to hold November 6th- December 9th 2016 at the Regional Leadership Centre in Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Accra, Ghana.
The organizers booked an Arik flight and my itinerary read,
Benin City Airport (BNI) – Muritala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos (LOS) 11:30am-12:30pm, Sunday November 6th
Muritala Muhammad International Airport (LOS)- Kotoka International Airport Accra ( ACC) 5:15pm ( Nigerian Time ) – 5:15pm (Ghana Time), Sunday November 6th 2016.
On Sunday November 6th, I went to Benin Airport with a brown coloured /Cream Coloured luggage and a hand luggage containing my laptop and travelling documents..
At the point of Check in BNI, the officials couldn’t print a luggage tag for me which weighed about 14 kg. They however took a sticky paper and wrote BNI-LOS, 18 Delta and attached it to the arm of the luggage and my boarding pass was given to me. After passing through the airport screening, I proceeded to the departure hall to wait for my flight.
At 11:15am, our flight to Lagos was announced and I went to board. Passengers on the Lagos bound flight W3 621 were asked to identify their luggage before entering the plane. I noticed my luggage was not among the ones they assembled. We searched the airport and the luggage of Passengers waiting to board Air Peace but it was not among them.
Meanwhile, while we were waiting for the Lagos Flight, An Arik flight to Abuja boarded and took off.
I was told to go to Lagos and complain when I arrive. They told me the luggage was mistakenly misrouted through the Abuja bound flight. Initially, I resisted going to Lagos and demanded that my luggage be provided before I leave Benin Airport.
While all these were going on, the flight was ready to take off. In fact the door was locked against me because I was delaying the flight which was supposed to leave by 11:30am. The flight ended up leaving at 11:52am.
On landing in Lagos, I laid a complaint at the baggage service. They called Abuja airport who confirmed that they are in possession of the luggage. ABJ was thereafter instructed to send the luggage through the 3:00pm flight to Lagos. The officials also assured me that when the luggage arrives the domestic wing, they will facilitate its movement to the international wing so I can get it before joining the connecting flight to Accra by 5:15pm.
I proceeded to the International wing of Lagos Airport and also complained. At the point of check in, the officials, also assured me that I will get my luggage before leaving Lagos. By 4pm, I called to inquire the status of the luggage and was informed that the Abuja flight was delayed. .
At 4:45pm , I called again and was told the flight was yet to leave Abuja.
The officials at Lagos, told me to proceed to board the Accra fight that they will send the luggage to Accra when it arrives in Lagos.
I proceeded to board the Flight W3 305 and left Nigeria around 5:26pm.
Upon arrival at Kotoka International Airport Accra, I complained at the baggage claim centre and the officials took the necessary details. I was told to check at the airport by 8:30pm when the last flight from Lagos arrives.
At 8:45 pm, I went to the airport and the luggage didn’t arrive. The official at the baggage service sent a mail to Lagos that night to put the luggage in the first flight for Monday November 7th.
The next day, I was at the airport as early as 7am, awaiting the arrival of the luggage, But it still didn’t come. I proceeded to Arik office in Kotoka Airport Ghana and while laying my complaint, the staff didn’t take me serious. Their attitude was nauseating, They were busy playing music , gisting and the person who was supposed to attend to me was busy chatting on whatsapp while I was talking to him. At that point, I was forced to shout on him and asked ‘ Sir , could it be because I am not in my country, that’s making you attend to me like this, or is this how Arik staff attend to customers? My shouting attracted Security officials who then calmed me down. One Mr David (Arik Air staff) thereafter took out time to listen to me. He called Abuja and Lagos Airport immediately to inquire the status of the lugagge. Abuja confirmed that they received the luggage but sent it to Lagos. The official at Lagos , One Mr Wasiu said he will contact the domestic wing of Lagos airport to inquire the status of the luggae.
That was how it ended that day. Mr Wasiu didn’t call back and he didn’t pick calls to his phone..
On Tuesday, November 8th, I also went to the airport to check the status of the luggage. The officials in Ghana called Lagos and they could not account for the luggage. At that point, it dawned on me that my luggage was nowhere to be found and might not be coming to Accra.
It’s been over 4 weeks now and as at the last time I checked at the airport, My luggage has still not arrived.
The non-arrival of my luggage for the training rendered me disorganized for over 4 weeks the training lasted.
For an airline that brags as West Africa and Nigeria’s largest airline, what does it take to transport a luggage from Lagos to Accra, a journey that is barely one hour? I am thoroughly convinced that Arik Air is inefficient with no respect for the wellbeing of their customers. I demand that my luggage be produced now because I won’t keep quiet until I get it.
Arik air, WHERE IS MY LUGGAGE???
Ogbemudia Eddy Uwoghiren..
+233260923244
+2348181140032
Eddykurrent2011@yahoo.com
Twitter/ Instagram : @EddyKurrent
Facebook : Ogbemudia Eddy Uwoghiren.
#ArikWhereIsEddyLuggage