The Boycott British Airways Campaign
Join Respect Nigerians Coalition in the Boycott BA Campaign!
On 27 March 2008, British Airways offloaded 134 Nigerian passengers from its BA075 flight scheduled to fly from Heathrow to Lagos because they objected to the torturing and maltreatment of a deportee by members of the British immigration and security services.
BA made false statements to the police against one of the passengers, Mr Ayodeji Omotade. Over 20 police officers invaded the plane, dragged out Omotade, slammed him against the wall, made him to sit on the floor, threw him into a police van, arrested and locked him up for almost 8 hours. Mr Omotade was travelling for his brother’s wedding in Nigeria, but BA banned him from all their flights, did not even refund his ticket money and took over a week to return his luggage, damaged.
On Friday, 4th of July, 2008. Mr Omotade was charged by the police for the offence of threatening behaviour towards a member of the crew of the aircraft. Mr Omotade did no such thing. He is now on bail and due to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Monday, 14 July, 2008.
BA and the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Robert Dewar have gone to the Nigerian press to spew all sorts of lies against the aggrieved passengers and Mr Omotade, but Respect Nigerians Coalition has exposed these lies. The Crown Prosecution Service is prosecuting Omotade on a trumped-up charge to give BA’s lies a veneer of credibility and to scare Mr Omotade, Respect Nigerians Coalition and all decent people everywhere who support the Campaign against BA.
BA’s AGM is due to hold in London at Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London, SW1P 3EE. Respect Nigerians Coalition has written to all BA shareholders in the UK urging them to exercise their social conscience by going to the meeting and asking their company to do the right thing by Nigerians and humanity. Respect Nigerians Coalition has made 5 demands of BA. These demands are:
-tender a clear and well-worded apology to all passengers affected by their discriminatory and intimidatory conduct aboard flight BA075 on 27 March, 2008 in a Nigerian national newspaper;
-tender a clear and well-worded written apology and appropriate compensation to Mr Ayodeji Omotade for financial and emotional losses suffered as a result of the conduct of British Airways and its agents on the day;
-withdraw all adverse statements made to the police about Mr. Ayodeji Omotade over this incident;
-lift the ban imposed on Mr Ayodeji Omotade, even as he would still retain his right to decide whether or not to fly British Airways in the future, and
-issue an undertaking that British Airways shall improve its customer care culture and desist from such practices that give the impression that the airline is arrogant, uncaring and discriminatory.
Until BA responds positively to these demands, we shall continue to boycott the airline. We call on all decent people everywhere to join that boycott now. BA must be made to see the virtue of being good corporate citizens! Act now to stop Corporate Tyranny! Say “No!“ to Racism! Say “No” to Discrimination! Say “No” to Intimidation!
Join the boycott! Come to the court to show your support for Mr Omotade and Respect Nigerians Coalition! Come to the court to let the world know that British Airways cannot get away with Bad Attitude to paying customers!
An injustice to Mr Omotade is an injustice to all!
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