Ghana International Airlines Has ONE Leased Airplane…
… And It Was Not Available On February 15, 2008!
Ladies and gentlemen, there is an excellent argument to be made that when Ghana International Airlines flew 149 charter passengers from Africa to Barbados on February 1, 2008 – both the airline and the charter company already knew the airline probably wouldn’t be returning to Barbados on February 15th.
It turns out that an aircraft exchange was to take place – and did take place – during the time when Ghana International Airlines was to pick up passengers in Barbados. (Read on for the details.)
And here we are over five weeks later and still no aircraft in sight.
Let’s review all the pieces of this puzzle, and then you can make up your mind as to whether or not you agree that it should have been no surprise when Ghana International Airlines didn’t show up to take those 149 passengers back to Africa.
There are five areas we can think of that should have warned authorities in advance that this specific African flight was going to be a disaster…
1/ Poor financial condition of Ghana International Airways (GIA)
2/ GIA’s scheduling & aircraft limitations and their poor service record.
3/ Incomplete paperwork filed by GIA prior to the flight.
4/ Lack of visa requirements for visitors from Nigeria and Ghana.
5/ Demographics and luggage load of the passengers.
I’ll cover points one and two now, and then get to the others later after our staff meeting this afternoon.
1/ Poor financial condition of Ghana International Airways (GIA)
2/ GIA’s scheduling & aircraft limitations and their poor service record.
Ghana International Airlines has been having a rough time of it lately. They are down to a single leased aircraft, and, as any pilot can tell you – no airline can operate with just one aircraft. There is no time for maintenance and when something breaks (a normal happening with any machine) it totally destroys the flight schedule. Sure, you can always lease a back-up aircraft for a week or so… if you can find one available exactly when and where you need it.
Until the replacement aircraft shows up though, passengers who are stranded in some far-off place like (for instance) Barbados, have to, well, remain stranded. Such is the business of running a one-airplane “International Airlines”.
But it is not like the folks at GIA don’t have experience running a dying airline. The company was largely reincarnated from the ashes of their failed predecessor: “Ghana Airways”. During the last gasps of Ghana Airways in late 2004 and early 2005, all but one of their aircraft were seized by creditors.
So how did Ghana Airways operate with only one aircraft back in 2005? Apparently not very well. As Dr. Richard Anane put it on GhanaWeb…
“With only one DC10 in service, delays and cancellation of flights took its toll on the entire Airline and it became common sight to find passengers demonstrating at the airport or vandalising Ghana Airways property.” (link here)
Ghana – Last Stop For Airliners Before The Seats Are Ripped Out To Haul Freight
According to all the research I’ve managed (assisted by Robert, thanks) Ghana International Airlines – GIA currently operates a single 14-year-old Boeing 757-256 (Boeing serial number 26245) registration TF-FIS – on lease from Icelandair since February 20, 2008.
The aircraft that brought the Africans to Barbados on February, 1, 2008 was an eight-year-old Boeing 757-256 registered TF-FIY (Boeing serial number 29312). This was leased from Icelandair in August of 2007 and formally handed back about February 18, 2008 in exchange for the much older TF-FIS that is the current aircraft.
We are told that Ghana International Airlines had no aircraft available for almost a week in February – when they were supposed to return to Barbados.
In the last few years the airline has gone through a few aircraft – to the point where they don’t even bother to paint them in the airline colours anymore. All those pretty photos in the promotional materials and on the Ghana International Airlines website are of two aircraft that are long gone.
Now, GIA simply tapes over the “IcelandAir” name on the tail and throws the word “Ghana” on the fuselage. It isn’t pretty, but it is all an airline on its last legs can manage. The top photo is how TF-FIY appeared in September, 2007 and the bottom photo is how the same aircraft appeared on February 1, 2008 when it was at Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown, Barbados. (Classy tape job on the tail, don’t you think?)
Up until November 1, 2007, GIA leased a seven-year-old Boeing 757-256 from Iceland Air (Registration TF-FIA). Prior to TF-FIA, Ghana International Airlines was flying a 20-year-old clapped out 757-225F (Boeing serial number 22210) with US registration N930RD. (That’s it in the GIA colours at the top of the article) The aircraft went back to Ryan International in April, 2006 and has since been converted to a freighter and sold to Varig Logistica out of Brazil. According to an industry source, at least one of GIA’s leased aircraft was temporarily seized in early 2007 for payment problems.
GIA also used to lease an Icelandair Boeing 767-366ER – Boeing serial number 24541 (TF-LLA), but this was given up around September, 2007 when, to put it kindly… “Passenger growth did not meet expectations.”
Ghana International Airlines: A Flight Experience You Will Remember!
If you want to fly on Ghana International Airlines, you might want to read some opinions from previous victims, ah… passengers. If you need some humour in your life, trying reading these passenger reports.
Which is all to say that Barbados was not dealing with a world-class operation when it permitted Ghana International Airlines to carry passengers into Bridgetown.
Next In This Article: The Economics Of Flying Empty Aircraft From Africa To Barbados – and – Alarm Bells At Grantley Adams: “As Strange A Planeload Of People As I’ve Ever Seen”
The Economics Of Flying Empty Aircraft From Africa To Barbados
According to our aviation expert, Robert, passenger load factors influence fuel use and costs on big jets, but not as much speed and altitude. (ie: a jet with a full passenger load flying high and at a slower speed can use less fuel than an empty jet flying faster and at a lower altitude.) The bottom line is this: costs are not significantly different whether flying full or empty, and the cabin crew has to come along anyway – so flying back with an empty airplane to retrieve these Africans is going to double the cost of the original flight.
If the original tickets were say, US$3000 each to get 130 people or so from Ghana to Africa, it will cost that much again to get them back.
And that, my friends, is why the plane never returned empty to pick up the Africans. The people who organised this mess had to have known that from the start.
At the end, it doesn’t matter who is responsible… Barbados is probably going to have to pay US$400,000 or so to fly these “guests” back to Africa. That’s your money and mine, friends.
Ok… time to join the others for a Banks (or maybe a dozen.)
I’ll try an finish this tomorrow.
Cliverton (with Robert)
Barbados Free Press 
My God, my God, my God. In today’s Nation paper, the spokeman was asked about the plane returning and if they would leave and the man had the gumption to answer flat a ‘NO’.
With today’s loose lifestyle, when they start to get horny and lie with our women folk and the said person[s] is pregnant before they leave, do they not have legit means to remain here?
WHY HAVE THEY NOT BEEN PICK UP YET?
Think not of the 149 but of the additional 14,900 relatives who will join them once they are settled.
Barbados… a paradise…well within their imagination.
I wonder if the Ministry of Tourism did their homework before issuing the permit just as the BFP author did,my guess would be NOT.I was born in Bim but have lived in the U.S. since I was young & don’t understand why people who are Barbadian citizens living there do not demand from Government to enforce its immigration laws like they do here in the U.S..
It shouldn’t be hard to track down anyone who are illegal since it is an ISLAND & I’m pretty sure either the Port or GAIA[Grantley adams] would have a record of these people & who are here legally & illegally.I also believe tourism should probably be restricted to countries that either have a high GDP per capita or implement England’s newest iteration of immigration rules where citizens of countries that are of questionable economic stability would post some sort of bond = to a return ticket so that Bajans wouldn’t have to fit the bill to avert this sort of problem in the future.
I believe the immigration process for any country should be a net gain for the receiving country & nothing less.
Ghana: Let us charter a plane for 40K and get these guys home ASAP. The sooner we do such the better.
The more I read this story the more clearer it becomes vis a vis the strength of our immigration policies.
How were these Ghanians processed at the airport with regards to :
^ Vacation address for the period of their stay in Barbados ?
^ The volume of financial resources to maintain them on the island ?
^ Why did some employers found it necessary to employ them in contravention of our immigration rules ?
^ In light of this one…..do we now understand how most Guyanese slip through the “door ” ?
Many of us have been following this story knowing exactly how it would play out. We expected that the plane had no intention of coming back and probably used the money gained from the ticket sales of the 149 “tourists” to extend their life.
I don’t want to hear that our Government is working on sending them back. I want them gone!! They have no right here, they came under false pretenses and must depart. I urge Minister Sealy and whoever else to do whatever it takes to send these individuals back from whence they came!! Enough is enough!!
Over the past few years I have been watching with quiet annoyance how people from our CARICOM neighbour Guyana have decide that Barbados is the place to be, whether legally or not. Their numbers are increasing steadily and though I have no problem with the ones that are here legally working and making things better for their families, I have a serious problem with the illegals exploiting our services.
Richard Hoad sums it up perfectly in his column in todays Nation where he states that what makes Barbados unique and special is it’s people, it’s culture. The diliution of who we are whether it be by Guyanese, Ghanaians or others is sure to have a negative and devastating effect on who we are in time to come……………. I can see it now, in years to come, speaking to my grandchildren as they chomp down on curry goat and doubles,
“remember when our national dish used to be cou cou and flying fish,” and they replying “cou who?”
Hants,
By the way……………love the new BTA “slogan” above, very witty.
follow the money and you will find who broke the rules and why. That is to say, who benefitted from turning the other way when the rules should have been enforced?
Just like your Chinese workers who work for substandard wages and conditions, someone benefits at the cost of Barbadian taxpayers who have to play by the rules.
Good points , Reality Check.
If they had landed at JFK without adequate finances to sustain their stay and without an address where they intended to stay, all of those Ghananians would be in Immigration prison awaiting deportation, no two ways about it.
They would not have been able to mingle with the population until whatever and whenever.
What is interesting is that one very charismatic spokesman for the group said on local TV that they borrowed money for their trip.
Again I say people, alot of Nigerians and Ghananians are con men and women, be careful. Never mind those blacker than black advocates in Barbados trying to keep the slave issue in your minds, go live in NY OR London or Atlanta and you will discover the real deal. The so-called “love Africa more than Love Barbados” hustlers dominating both radio and tv airwaves with their feel good ideologies remind me of the Jesse Jacksons and Al Sharptons of the world just waiting to put on that thousand dollar three piece suit. Personally, I get nervous when foreigners say I love Barbados and want to live here because the outside world is not that receptive to bajans especially black ones. I say to foreigners, come visit, spend your money, enjoy our hospitality and get to hell out until next time.
If you have money to invest here and provide decent work and pay for our citizens that is fine with me. This is a small island reshaping its social and physical infrastructure in this century, we cant take in every tom dick and harry right now. We also have to make room for returning nationals like men coming in from the cold. God bless Bim! Wake up people!
I see David is recommending to his fellow Caricom leaders that some special honour be accorded Owen for his untiring work in promoting CSME.
Think he suggested a chair at the University.
Yes, yes good move. Is that to keep him quite and get him out of the way?. Politics of inclusion practice on a higher level. ha ha ha .
Can’t remember the last I have been so enthralled [?] with politics.
This is such a farce it should be funny. But it isn’t.
News of this “break through” into the West African “Tourist Market” was touted as a great initiative in the development of our “tourist product.”
Anyone who accepted that was either an idiot or a charlatan, and this was said at the time on the first thread on this same topic.
It was clearly a scam from start to finish. No one in authority, chiefly the Immigration Dept. could have turned a blind eye to the likelihood that there would be no return charter to take them back to Africa.
CBC has shown five of the 149 working illegally and receiving Christian charity in their so-called “plight.”
The question has also been raised what has happened to the other 144 on board. Are they still among us, or have they been allowed to pass on to other islands?
Do the police and immigration fear there will be an outcry of support for our African brothers if they are summarily kicked out, by shipping them as deportees back to Ghana via Miami at our expense? Remember the case of the Afr0-American cardiologist who the authorities were scared to deport because of locals making noise?
The expense of the West Africans’ repatriation should more rightly be born by the civil servants who allowed this mess. Then they would be have been more careful in allowing them in in the first place.
The agents should have been required as routine practice to post a bond guaranteeing repatriation expenses before the charter flight was authorised. Clear incompetence. We look like real mugs.
Very Well Done BFP.
Excellent first step!
Boredickey:If they had landed at JFK without adequate finances to sustain their stay and without an address where they intended to stay, all of those Ghananians would be in Immigration prison awaiting deportation, no two ways about it.
They would not have been able to mingle with the population until whatever and whenever.
————————-
No doubt about it,in fact here in Boston they started doing random Biometric scans of incoming visitors & it appears they plan on fully implementing it at all major U.S. airports if the program is successful.Japan & the U.K. also appear to be doing something similar.
I think Barbados should probably do the same even though it might be expensive considering the imminent implementation of CSME & the dawn of Globalization taking place this century.We should really know who is coming into our small but well-developed rock.Especially with the advent of new techniques by scammers to get past our immigration officers.The reason I say this is because there was a lady from Guyana whom was about to be deported insisted in this Nation news article that I read that she would be back.However,according to Barbados’ immigration laws if a deportation order is warranted towards a person not only are they removed from the country but they also face possible permanent exclusion from Barbados’s territory if the order is still valid & it can only be pardoned by the Minister in charge of immigration or Prime minister of course.
This is a travesty. These people are frauds! Charlatans! i am not sugar-coating anything. We need to get them out. The African connection is a great thing but we have to stop taking this thing too far. I have lived in London and from my experience( and only my experience), Africans were the hardest to live with. they are indeed very corrupt and they have earned their tag as the best con-artists in the world. I am sure all are not like that. But we as a small nation cannot accommodate them.We are coping steadily with our Caribbean neighbours already. I am sure most of us will like the opportunity to go to Africa and return home and I would like them to do the same.
The barbadian coach who was living in England for the past thirty years, legally was denied a work permit there for trivial reasons. And although he was later granted that permit, it just shows us the policies that other countries have in place to avoid and invasion, so to speak.
I want them out!. they should leave. I wouldn’t mind paying $0.50 more in taxes to help them get OUT.
Meanwhile, the government of Ghana is busy buying Chinese fighter jets at over US $20 million apiece.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=140305
General News of Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Ghana Gets Chinese Fighter Jets
Chinese K 8 Jet
NEW. Watch live television from Ghana, the latest Ghanaian movies and OBE TV.
The Ghana Armed Forces has taken delivery of two fighter jets to augment its flight of fighter jets of the Ghana Air Force.
The Minister of Defence, Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah said the jets were particularly necessary in the wake of the discovery of oil.
He said the government was committed to equip the Armed Forces to adequately protect the country from external aggression.
The delivery is in line with the “government’s intention to enhance the operational capabilities of the Ghana Air force to optimum levels”, he added.
The aircrafts were built by the Chinese National Aero-Technology Corporation.
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Yu Wang Ze said the planes were a demonstration of the giant strides made in Aviation in that country.
He said many first class aviation products had been manufactured by the corporation destined for the international market.
The delivery of the fighter jets forms part of a trade-in for the Golf Stream 3 Presidential jet.
Under the agreement, Ghana will receive four fighter jets and a flight simulator.
The additional cost incurred by Ghana in the deal has not been disclosed but Zimbabwe two years ago acquired 12 less sophisticated jets at the cost of $20 million each.
Seasons Travel and Tours Ltd are still advertising Barbados charter flights on their website at US$1,999 return.
http://www.seasonstravelandtours.com
email: seasonstt@yahoo.com
and info@seasonstravelandtours.com
It makes you think what sort of regulations there are over chartered flights.
‘Seasons Travel and Tours aims to be recognised as a leader in the global air transport market’.
Its also interesting to read the visa requirements for travellers to Ghana when compared to the same requirements for Citizens of Ghana to Barbados.
but instead of going back to Africa we can bring Africa to us ! 🙂
More ignorant comments…It is pretty obvious that they will not get to stay… How we treat them reflects on us as a people…
lol at the Chinese fighters jet article… Did you read it? They said they will need it because, the have just found oil… At $106 a barrel for oil is it surprising that they want to protect the asset? Like I said, a lot of the “crazier” people need to relax and stop all this low class research…. They will be out of here in no time! What will you be doing with your time then? haha
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Prince, it is said that “too far EAST is West”. I say, too much liberalism is causes internal destruction. This has nothing to do with if they are Africans/black or white in my opinion, but this is our paradise which we all need to love more than we say we do and we need as a country/island to tightenup on everything to safeguard its future.
We need to set limits on the numbers of people coming here annually and enforce the same kinds of requirements practiced for example at JFK and other arrival ports. Unfortunately – and i say this with great regret – we had an immediate former Prime Minister who, on two occasions that I know of and both on international soil, denigrated Barbados immigration officers in favour of a specific group of ILLEGAL aliens. He has to this date not appologised and he needs too. These officers are our first line of defence. Indeed, this same PM had us in Barbados feeling as if we should not call ourselves Barbadian anymore, b ut Caribbean nationals….whatever that means. Now – just like any grass-root American – I AM PROUD TO CALL MYSELF A BARBADIAN AGAIN.
Yes, we seek more Caribbean unity and cooperation etc. but we as a people must love our island/country first and this includes all races living here legally not only blacks. All of us need to be patriotic an not take things for granted. Too much liberalism will choke and suffocate us.
PUT BARBADOS FIRST, REGARDLESS OF RACE.
p.s:
Thanks for your supporting comments Jay.
This is but the first of MANY West African scam coming our way, over the next few years.
These dudes never had any intention of returning.
They are here to STAY, duuhh..
Didn’t you hear the one on CBC-TV the other night saying that “eef wee waanted to help dem, wee should geeve dem a Wuk Purmit so dey cud wuk to get dee monney to get bak hom”?
Barbados gyne soon have a resident population of 400,000, doan say nein.
…………………
Just think of all those shiny new cars to be sold to devious,new Ghanian and Nigerian residents!
Our roads can hold at least another 100,000 cars, you know?!
You remember the situation with the building of the White Elephant at Kensington, where some unfortunate Indian workers were shown NO MERCY when they were on the tiles as a result of some snaffu by their employers?
They were unceremoniously packaged and shipped back to India.
Let’s see what will happen with these unfortunate Africans. Will they meet the same fate as the Indians? Or will ‘colour’ make the difference?
Google……. Ghana Scams, oh dear.
Oil…did you say oil?
‘Hey Dick, they are saying there is oil in Ghana.’
‘Well Georgie, I expect that their people need to be freed of erhh…freed of…erhh, tyranny, yes that’s it’
‘When do we go in Dick?’
‘When you finish that game of tiddlywinks with Georgie, want an ice cream little Georgie?’
‘Sure Dick, can I have that Strawberry ripple thingy’
‘Sure, little Georgie, go and play in the lawn, me and your Dad have some talking to do’.
BFP
Next trail. Immigration and Customs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
I am a Barbadian, born and bred. I travelled to the UK for work in 1960 on a British Passport but I kept my Barbadian Passport after we became independent as I wanted to remain as, and always be seen as, a Barbadian, for which I am proud. During my time in the UK (36 years) I occasionally came back home, and I always used my Barbados Passport at the airport.
Even in those days at the Customs I was asked where I would be staying, how long, and to declare my financial resources for my stay. (It would have been nice if they had said, “Welcome home, are you staying for good this time?” with no further questions. The Barbados Passport should have said it all). My large extended family, very well-established, were all still here, and I need not have gone back to England at all, even if I had been totally broke.
So what on earth has happened now at the Customs? It appears we could control our borders then (overly so in my case, one would think) so how could 149 Ghanians get in with nowhere to stay and no finances? Even worse, they were immediately let loose into our beautiful countryside. I came back to Barbados to retire permanently in 1996, and did not notice any problems personally, nor issues raised in the newspapers. So I guess all of this nonsense is a recent development. For goodness sake, let’s get things put back as they were, at least, even if we have to build a secure centre at the GAIA to hold the illegal entrants.
Nobody mention roles of local jokey tour company Reemac..?, and Ikel Tafari. Anything that involves Ikel ( Reemac too)doomed. Lest we forget Ikel was nearly ejected from a black conference he organized for looking too white..lol.
Sealy the incoming tourist minister must share blame . There is considerable history on these scams. Our young government must research closely before signing on to an Ikel Tafari project. Did I read where he is ducking responsiblity for the fiasco?
Like holding their passports and not immigraton?
Vision Alert says…
“declare my financial resources for my stay”
I have travelled between Canada and Barbados for the last 30 years and have never been asked by Customs to declare my financial resources under $10,000.
This is a simple issue.
Anyone who overstays their visit to Barbados without means to support themselves as tourists and without the permission of the Immigration department should be deported.
Barbados does have Immigration laws.
Barbados is densely populated and cannot support a larger population unless we start reclaiming land.
so wait a bit, I saw some peopel from Ghana on February 2nd 2008 at the Grantley Admas Internatioanl Airport, intransist to Trinidad. while I was in the departure lounge they were suppose to board a flight to take part in Trini Carnival. but did that set of over 50 persons I estimated ever came back to Barbados or are they still in Trinidad.
And how come the immigration aint step in yet? If that was a Caricom National they would had them tails hustling all over.
I even see them at the Agro-Fest with a stall… heavens to mercy.
looka what we Barbados coming to, who we trying to fool or who we owe? we owe the Devil or something?
Thank you Private Parts. That may account for 50 of the missing 149.
But where are the other 99?
This is absurd. The authorities did not do their job at the start, have not done their job since, and do not look like doing their job any time soon.
From Nation newspaper:
“The initial flight was made with a smaller plane and brought 149 passengers from Accra, Ghana, and Lagos, Nigeria, to Barbados while the finalised flight would have 230 passengers.
Also attending the Press conference were president of the Barbados Tourism Authority, Stuart Layne; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Andrew Cox, and chief executive officer of Remac, Reynold McClean. (CA)”
Any comment from any of the above persons? Media contacted any of them?
This is hilarious:
Director of the Pan African Commission, Dr Ikael Tafari, said the flight was a way to “reconnect the umbilical cord after thousands were ripped from the womb of Africa”.
“In light of globalisation, we need to look to new frontiers. I suggest the business of opening new heritage destinations in Africa is important . . . Tourism will be the greatest beneficiary,”
http://bararchive.bits.baseview.com/archive_detail.php?archiveFile=./pubfiles/bar/archive/2008/February/01/LocalNews/52694.xml&start=0&numPer=20&keyword=GHANA§ionSearch=&begindate=1%2F1%2F1994&enddate=12%2F31%2F2008&authorSearch=&IncludeStories=1&pubsection=&page=&IncludePages=1&IncludeImages=1&mode=allwords&archive_pubname=Daily+Nation%09%09%09
Does GIA owes GAIA any money for landing fees etc??
I say that incompetent Stuart Layne should go!
Does anyone know whether any of these “brothers” have criminal records back there in Africa???
Anyone willing to wager how soon before one or more of these ||brothers” become part of the Barbados crime statistic!
some of these people went onto St.Lucia as well i know don’t the exact #. the St.Lucian PM was complaining about 10,000 guyanese in St.lucia yesterday. And is worried about more coming.
Someone mentioned chartering a plane to send them back…that would be the smartest move by the government.
It could be costly in the long run with babies and the employment issues.
U.S. immigration would have detained those passengers because of all the terrorism issues that’s in effect now.
I take it that any country can come to Barbados on the pretense of vacationing and set-up base and never leave…the government is definitely sending out a weak message to other 3rd world countries that decides to make Barbados home.
It’s easy.
Thanks BFP you’ve confirmed my worst thoughts about you. I should not have been so naive to think my requests for a story would result in you publishing anything positive, as you have a distinctly anti-African outlook. Especially if you reflect negatively on Ikael Tafari/the PanAfrican Cmsn you will take the opportunity.
I’ll pray for you people.
my mistake
Jerome Hinds, felicia (sillygirl), Rock, boredickey (bore),Hants (Senile)
Where were all of you when there was a mass exodus of Guyanese to places like Barbados forty years ago with names like Depeiza, Defreitas, DaSuza, Vera, Lopes-Seale, Pardo, Pragnal, DaSilva, DeCaries, DeWhitewidmoney? Why we di’n sen’ dem back too?
Laughing
Should this not have been done by the likes of a paid journalist like the Great David Ellis, “master of the Drawl”?
My last comment like this got cought by the ‘bot. I hope that this one get through.
Some interesting reading. Either most of you are very ignorant or are just nasty people, which is not like most Barbados people living in my country – Britain. And yes there are quiet a few in the U.K. who said they were coming for less than six months and are still here illegally but we don’t go about labeling everyone from your country as a scam. Food for thought.
Banned Do you really think Barbados is big enough to have an “unregulated immigration policy.”
Barbados is a densely populated Island and unless we find “Oil” and can start building offshore like Dubai, Immigration must be controlled.
Nobody is forgetting that many Barbadians also emigrated to Guyana but Barbados is still only 166 sq.miles.
However, since I do not live in Barbados I will leave it to those who live there to say if they consider the Island “crowded”.
Stop whinny and send them.
That is your prerogative.
A large number of Caribbean’s came in the late 50’s, 60’s and made Ghana their home. I went to school with some of their kid and that time Ghana has free education. They were our friends and became family members when they married our sisters, bothers and cousins. They are now Ghanaians and we all have one goal. To make Ghana and the world, in general, a better place for the future generation.
I live a work in the USA and planning to go back to Ghana with the next couple year to partake in the development of Ghana.
My take on this issue is for you to do the right thing and stop whinny.
Ossron
Hants
Sorry for the insult. Didn’t realise that you are from over n’ away. 166 sq mile is good enough. Singapore is about 100 sq miles bigger and their population is well over 4 mil.. To survive B’dos like every other socio-economic entity must proceed to develop industries that are far more sophisticated than currently exists. Sophisticated industries need large domestic (easy to access) markets that will allow development before exports can take place. Compared to what we do now, making hub caps is a sophisticated industry.. Our population is far too small to be meaningful to anyone other than retail merchants and their “support operatives” (Finance and insurance providers, elite consultants, personal care providers and so on). All that can offer the rest of the world is real estate (which includes sun) and revamped “support operatives”.
why do some of you insist on calling nigerians and ghanians frauds? i think you are so ashamed of your heritage so you label the continental africans with these names . its not going to make you less black or more white or even make the white man like you more. i agree the ghanians have come but if they are to be sent back to ghana, meaningful ideas should be brought up in this forum as to how to do this.i dont condone illegality but when people are xenophobic and myopic it leaves a lot to be desired. i simply kneel down and pray for them as they dont know themselves . they still think they are the whitemans property and so must mouth off.
kandibe obi
March 9, 2008 at 4:24 am
why do some of you insist on calling nigerians and ghanians frauds?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The faxes and emails purport to come from Nigeria. Nigeria is world famous, it isn’t only Bajans who consider them as scammers.
I think I even saw a bit of an Oprah program on the Nigerian scams too!!
Oprah is considered black too and I never heard her referred to as xenophobic or myopic before.
…. don’t think I ever heard Ghana mentioned in the same ling as Nigeria where the emails and faxes are concerned …. but I guess some Bajans are pretty sensitive about the whole issue of an airline bearing the national stamp of Ghana doing what it did and leaving them holding the bag.
Quite apart from the security issues, it looks kind of bad that an airline of representing Ghana would do what it did.
I never heard of American Airlines, British Airways or Singapore Airways doing anything like this.
The result is predictable, Ghana and Ghanains have dropped in the estimation of some Bajans.
All the work of Ras Ikael Tafari promoting tourism with African countries has come to nought.
The sceptics were right all along.
I want to call BLACK POLITICS* an exercise in damage limitation…
Everywhere you look in Africa in the last 20 years, the historical evidence supports a climate of corruption, mismanagement, malfeasance and social miasma…
The rich have been become richer while the poor live and eek out an existence on less than a dollar a day.
Yet here is a continent blessed with unimaginable mineral wealth and precious human resources…
Our colonial predators (OK let’s call them masters), in insidious faith, raped, pillaged and sucked the life-blood not just from our psyche and our consciousness but with a systematic campaign of extraction of our personal and humanitarian wealth have made western so-called FIRST world countries unimaginably rich and the African continent masses, forever etched in ignorance and poverty, while we give back handouts and continue the take the cream from our gold, diamond, oil and mineral mines…
Now we have a new breed of GUARDIANS* and custodians over the remainder of our natural resources who have looked in the mirror of their colonial masters and sees a mirror image (in this case a mirage) of a continuity of greed, avarice and extortion by any means possible…
And so the rape continues…
And it would seem the people like it so!!!
But behold the 4th Horse of the Apocalypse!!!
We will see the coming decade fulfill a prophecy which many are unmindful of… If attitudes, tactics, and methods don’t change, the irreversible effects of a damnable historical legacy will leave a trail of death, disease and destruction in a place where once stood the parameters of the Garden of Eden…
Governments are feeble to ANSWER!!!
Public policy is in a shambles as bureaucrats can hardly agree on what is for lunch…
The answer will come when Antichrist appears on the world stage…
Then men will be forced to take sides. Those on the right and those on the left – sheep and goats!
Meantime, Heaven help us all!
Nee Odartey Ossron,
I live a work in the USA and planning to go back to Ghana with the next couple year to partake in the development of Ghana.
++++++++++
That’s what all you African frauds always say.
But you know something? None of you ever go back!
If you were interested in the “development of Ghana” you would not be in the USA today. You will be there in two years time, in five years time, in ten years time and in TWENTY years time too.
Those empty words of yours can only fool your first-time victims.
Bajans have really gone down in my estimation! Xenophobia, ignorance and the sort of lingo i’d expect from the white rightwing press in east germany. Blimey, ignorance such ignorance. You’re full of sh*t*
http://sil.ghanaweb.com/r.php?id=3591685&thread=3579891
Subject: SHAME SHAME SHAME!!!
Author: Ga all day (68.198.34.75)
Date: 03-09-2008 00:15
I can’t believe am reading this story… I happened to be in Ghana to watch the African Cup of Nation when i friend in Tema told me one of our classmate is leaving for Barbados. To make a long story short, the plan was when they get to Barbados, someone is suppose to arrange for them to go to America and if all else fails end up in Canada.
We discuss this in lengh and i told him it might be very difficult trying to get all the passenger to the U.S.
This people payed between 6000.00-8000.00 dollars for this trip.
He told me he was interested in going too. i told him to be careful becausem it might end up being a scam run by Ghanaians and Nigerian nationals.
my point is the organizers should all be jailed for stealing peoples HARD EARNED money and selling them false hope. Am just upset that someone that i know is a victim of the scam…. SHAME SHAME SHAAAAAAAME!!!!! SHAME ON YOU.
Add comment Sunday, 9 March 2008, 8:52 am
Let’s talk about the ones who were deported from Trinidad back to Barbados. Better yet let’s talk about the ones infected with yellow fever.
Inside Lady,
Could you please give more details?
What can you share about that?
Apart from the fact that these guys are now in Barbados Illegaly, and are being hired illegaly, has any thought been given that many of them may be AIDS carriers?They should at least be tested.Also,do we have any criminal records of them? Sooner or later them will have relations with our women(or men) and then this problem will be even more tragic and expensive than simply sending them back at our expense and prohibiting Ghana Airlines to ever land here again! We really dont need this kind of “Tourism”
If we can`t control who enters our ports, and then stays here(because a plane just left them here), we will become the biggest joke in Africa!
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161276724
‘Alien invasion’
Illegal migrants flock to T&T-the New York of the Caribbean
Richard Charan South Bureau
Tuesday, February 12th 2008
Immigration officials have their hands full as they battle a wave of illegal migrants, pulled to Trinidad by the promise of jobs.
The five Africans held last week, as they landed on a South Trinidad beach after a 3,000-mile journey from their homeland, are part of the invasion, officials said yesterday. They were said to be just a fraction of the problem.
Illegal aliens are fleeing dead-end lives in China, Vietnam, Syria, India and Guyana, and hiding in plain sight in Trinidad, which immigration officers described as the New York of the Caribbean.
Investigators believe there are thousands of such economic refugees, in addition to at least 300 sex workers from Latin America, who have made it to Trinidad-the majority by boats landing along the country’s south-western peninsular and south coast.
The five men held last Saturday, from Senegal and Ghana, are still in the custody of immigration officers, who believe six others came in by boat that night but escaped.
There are only three police investigators based at the Immigration Department-Michael Marshall, Hazel Lucien and Vijay Ramsamooj-assigned to track them down.
The week before Carnival, 13 starving African refugees were reportedly found aboard a barge drifting in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil. The men, described as showing signs of malnutrition and dehydration, were bound for Trinidad and Tobago but their ship went off course.
A few days earlier, Moruga police arrested a Ghanian man shortly after he landed on Trinidad’s south coast, having paid a fisherman to bring him from South America. He was charged with coming through an illegal port of entry and sentenced to a week in jail.
After he has served his time, he will remain in prison if he cannot pay his passage home. Three other Ghanians, who investigators said came with him, are being sought.
Police believe middle men are involved, because when arrested the Ghanian had the passports of his friends and certificates of good character to present to employers.
The men said they travelled by boat from Ghana to the Cape Verde Islands, to Brazil and Guyana before making the trip to Trinidad. It took them several months to get here, working in the countries they landed to pay their way on, said immigration officials who interviewed the men.
Many illegal Africans are working as security guards with well-known companies, and on construction sites, officers said.
We have made jokes about BWIA when it existed and LIAT now but there is no way I could envisage either one letting down any one of our countries as Ghana has been let down by this recent incident.
Oprah has gone out of her way to make an effort to help with the fruits of her success in Africa only to be embarrassed by the implementation.
Lord have mercy. Things have to be desperate in Africa.
Maybe this is extreme but to David Thompson I would say, consider shutting down the Pan African Commission.
It is a waste of time and money. Oprah has plenty, we don’t.
Look for ways to help in Africa through the UN and other international bodies …. and if the UN is not transparent enough, get our house in order first, then work on the UN, and then work on Africa with other countries.
What just happened here is a crazy, brazen misuse of air travel.
I hope I am wrong!!
“YELLOW FEVER” now that might be something to worry about…
James,
Please plan on dealing with the issues you have at hand.
I have a plan and if you think otherwise or not it will not resolve the issues.
“That’s what all you African frauds always say.”
You have place yourself on a very high moral ground and claimed that “Africans are Frauds”.
You have no audacity to call whole continent frauds.
Think hard about what you’ve just said about the African continent. You are dealing with about 146 people from Ghana and instead of trying to find a resolution; the whole continent has become your issue. Find the best way to deal with the problem and stop calling Africans names.
You have no concept of Africa whatsoever and that I believe lead to your out burst.
Approach the issue in a mature way and a constructive resolution may be achieved. Keep whining and you will whine till try kingdom come.
In any case, you are always welcome home in Africa.
The level of idiocy on this blog is beyond comprehension! This blog is making us Barbadians look bad! People on here are basing their view of Africa on stereotypes that are pushed by the western media! I hope no outsider reads this and judges the intelligence of the average Barbadian based on this because, the conclusion will be bad. Many people here should know that of all the continents Africa is experiencing the most economic growth. Different African countries have different issues thus, to generalize the whole continent shows low IQ thinking!!!
Ghana
Land area 92,098 sq miles
Population 2007 estimate 23,000,000
Barbados
Land area 166 sq. miles
Population 280,000
This post is for any persons wishing to come here and work and stay.
Be very wary, bajans are a funny lot.
You might come, you might work, but bajans can be very arbitrary.
After a good four years, you might get sent back anyway, unless you got a woman or child.
Bajans have a different outlook to Trinis and Jamaicans.
The outlook is …bajan.
So, do not just look at the lifestyle, at the ‘sweets’ and assume it will all be good.
You might just have picked the wrong place for permanent residence.
As for the Pan African Commission et al. The reality is that was a pseudo agency set up by the previous administration to appease a small minority in the community, while the administration kept its commitment to big business.
It was not genuine caring, it was politically correct.
So do not assume that because there was such a commission in place, that Bajans generally want serious ties with Africa.
Generally, bajans only want ties with England and more recently, North America.
Every man and woman has some relative living and working in North America.
Bajans are westernised and care little about Africa, the East or anything else, except North America, now.
Now, you have been told. Do not be surprised.
Prince
March 10, 2008 at 5:36 am
The level of idiocy on this blog is beyond comprehension! This blog is making us Barbadians look bad! People on here are basing their view of Africa on stereotypes that are pushed by the western media! I hope no outsider reads this and judges the intelligence of the average Barbadian based on this because, the conclusion will be bad. Many people here should know that of all the continents Africa is experiencing the most economic growth. Different African countries have different issues thus, to generalize the whole continent shows low IQ thinking!!!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Cuh dear Prince, the airline represents itself to be the national airline of Ghana with the name Ghana emblazoned on it.
To low IQ contributors like myself that is all the evidence that is necessary.
Even with BWIA and LIAT and the problems associated with them I find it incomprehensible that such an event could have occurred which would make us look that bad.
On the flight were Nigerians and Ghanains. Perhaps they are innocent and the fault lies with the organisers some of which appear to be Bajan.
The simple fact is that Nigerian scams are world famous. Even a low IQ contributor like myself gets faxes and emails that I am able to decipher as scams.
I don’t need the Western Press to provide any strereotypes for me to figure out what is what. I can do that myself.
…. then again, maybe the Western Press is sending these faxes and emails, …. never thought of that before, I am a bit slow, guess it goes with the low IQ.
Oprah’s effort is in South Africa.
… and if Africa is experiencing the most economic growth why are Africans from Senegal getting on a boat and dying at sea of starvation to escape the conditions. Just walk to where the economic growth is.
Then there is Rwanda, Somalia, Ethiopia etc.
The numbers Hants puts up are pretty simple to digest and for me indicate that Barbados is merely a pinprick in the ocean and however bad, or good things are in Africa, ……. or South Africa, or Senegal, or Nigeria or Ghana, there is not too much we can do to help with our limited resources.
If we really want to make a difference we need to be part of, perhaps even to champion an effort by several countries where combined resources make a difference. I am all for helping a brother in distress.
Whatever efforts the Pan African Commission, the Honorary Consul to Barbados, Dr. Erskine Simmons or the Embassy of Ghana in Cuba made to foster ties between Barbados and Ghana are in serious jeopardy of going up in smoke.
… and yes Rumplestilskin, perhaps we are a funny lot who don’t care much about Africa, just as Africa doesn’t care much about us, but this incident would turn anybody funny and get them cruel about what appears to be a brazen attempt to undermine their country’s security and sovreignty.
The few facts of the incident that are available are provocative. Wars have been fought on less, and by people who are far less funny than ourselves.!!
Africa is simply too rich to accept what happened here in silence and with no protest, Bajan or no Bajan.
KOLO AND CO.CHAMBERS
Legal Head, Okolo and Co.Chambers.
14 board way Victoria Island,
Lagos-Nigeria.
Direct Tel: +2348072801258
Direct Email:jokolo112@sify.com
I really want to express my humble admiration for the people who put together the Ghana International Airlines fraud. But firstly let me say that I am enclosing my standard “scam” letter out of habit, after which I will continue with my thoughts on the Ghana International Airlines vacation scam…
My name is Barr.James Okolo, I may have to trouble your sense of personal achievement and reward for an opportunity properly taken advantage of.
I wish to notify you again that you were listed as a beneficiary to the total sum of US$ 10, 600, 000.00 (Ten Million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only) in the intent of the deceased (name now withheld since this is my second letter to you).
I contacted you because you bear the same last name with my deceased client and therefore I can present you as the beneficiary to the inheritance, since there is no written will from my late client.
All the papers work required will be processed in your acceptance of this deal as we are prepared to offer you 40%, 50% for me, while 10% should be given to any Orphanage Home.
I can assure you that I will not ask for any payments or “facilitation legal fees” until you have well and truly swallowed the hook.
When you think you are about to be paid, a last minute delay will occur that can only be solved by your making a cash payment to a phony government agency. The minute I receive your “facilitation legal fees” (and from all the other suckers I am targeting at the same time) I will shut down the phone lines and begin planning my next letter.
NOW BACK TO MY COMMENTS ON GHANA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES
We Nigerians love Bajans because we are able to take advantage of your guilty feelings that you don’t do enough for your poor African cousins. Those payments that we made to Ikael Tafari have proven their worth many times.
I must confess, however, that we Nigerians now feel as rank amateurs beside the efforts of Ghana International Airlines. What a fabulous scam! I should have thought of it.
Imagine, not only do the stupid Barbadians allow an entire planeload of “vacationing” single African men in their mid-20’s into the country without any proof of financial means and no background inquiries – not even a requirement for a tourist visa – but you stupid Bajans will now pay them and look after them for the rest of their days!
As I say, I am a mere amateur beside Ghana International Airlines. I am in awe!
Yours sincerely,
Barrister James Okolo.
OKOLO AND CO. CHAMBERS
Direct Tel: +234 8072801258
talking about scams are the pakistanis , indians and bangladeshis left out? why is only the nigerians that you all call?
Dear Suckers From Barbados,
You need to brush up on PRETENDING to be a Nigerian.
Go and read the news, fool… the Africans are to be deported.
Nikka-luss.
GOODmornig to all,it is very unfortunate all the Ghana, Nigeria fiasco,but we cannot go about labling a whole Country(s) and it’s people as scams,as a Barbadian i’m not happy about this,when we point a finger four do stare us in our face. we do have scams by our own people,then we have some who comes here set up business,make nuff dough don’t pay taxes an then skip the country leaving the workers in disaray, what a shame. they are big here in bim who owe millions to utilites an do not pay,what are they? I am not in support of what was done,but we can’t verbally destroy people foolishly by our mouth,let us put away the imbecility from our mind an think more mature.Kandibe Obi i agree with what you say 3/9/08. I don’t know every thing African, but i do know this,we accept those who battered us Mentally,Physically,Emotionally etc–.we accept thoes who brought us through the gate of no return onto those ships for the deadly atlantic crossing,the breeding of our fore parents for profit,an you can read the rest,it’s History.
Con artists are not limited to any particular country.
New York City is where the term “con” originated, according to Wikepedia.
I would not want to give the impression that I am in any way biased towards Africa.
However, a con is a con.
___________________________________
“William Thompson was an American criminal whose deceptions caused the term “confidence man” to be coined.
Operating in New York City in the late 1840s, a gently-dressed Thompson would approach an upper-class mark and begin a brief conversation. After initially gaining the mark’s trust, Thompson would ask “Have you confidence in me to trust me with your watch until tomorrow?”. On taking the watch (or, occasionally, money), Thompson would depart, never to be seen again.[1]
Thompson was arrested and brought to trial in 1849, in a case that made newspaper headlines across the country. The New York Herald, recalling his explicit appeals to the victim’s “confidence,” dubbed him the “confidence man.” Per the Oxford English Dictionary, the first known use of the term was printed in The New Orleans Picayune.
The Thompson case was a major inspiration and source for Herman Melville’s 1857 novel The Confidence-Man.”
See how they run:
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article?id=161276724
How do you convince anyone reading this crap that GIA is indeed in financial crisis? Are they in financial crisis just because you read on a good for nothing website, Ghanaweb.com? Since you listed 5 points to convince your audience about this issue, why didn’t you make a better case on the financial condition of GIA? Well, it could be that your type of audience don’t need much to be led on by such ignorance.
To even assume that an airline can just tape up their logo on a plane and fly it around tells me you job is well cut out for you.
Finally, it is a disgrace for you to even tell your audience that Dr. Anane made a statement on Ghanaweb. Ghanaweb.com is the least regarded media source on the Internet. It is as valid and objective as your blog. Ghanaweb.com is owned and managed by the opposition party in Ghana so quoting from them makes your blog very very objective ‘indeed’.
I am assuming JFK and Heathrow and all the other airports are also not dealing with worldclass airlines by permitting Alitalia, KLM and all those airline companies that have gone bankrupt and come back under different mamagement.
Do some homework before you dish out such hatefull crap.
********
BFP says,
Well! So when will Ghana International Airlines be returning to pickup the passengers they brought to Barbados? And when will they be getting back their 767 or their newer 757 that they gave up? And we’re really looking forward to seeing them flying aircraft in their own colours again because this business of putting a piece of tape on a borrowed aircraft isn’t very credible. Glad to hear that we’re all wrong about them.
Send us a photo of their new Boeing painted in their own colours please. We can’t wait to see it!
Ghana International Airlines is not a government owned institution neither was the trip sponsored by the Ghanaian Government. If you really want answers, I’ll suggest that you do what all intelligent people do: Start by asking Bajans who helped to organize this trip.
I am pretty certain that you are the least interested in getting to the bottom of this story. I have known and worked with a lot of Bajans in the UK. All the ones I met never sounded as backward as you seem to be.
Get out of your couch and start asking Bajan’s who helped to dupe those Ghanaians stranded in your country. They’ll definitely tell you more than you will get with your fixation on Ghana International Airlines.
PS: The Federal Reserve Board in the USA is also owned and managed by the US government. Take that as a fact, since you seem to lack what it takes to reason beyond headlines.
The 149 number should have giving you guys a heads-up about the all too known fraud called 419. To think that the Ghana government will charge passengers of thatamount and dump them as tourist should have raised the flags in your sorry membrain. Consider is it a done deal. The scammers have gotten paid their money, your tourist ministers have received their cuts, the tour organizers have completed their side of the bargain. If anyone is peeved by this 419 scam, they should look for the tourist who may have already continued their journey through the sweet tropical carribean forest.
Tension,
What has this issue got to do with the Ghanaian government? Did it ever occur to you that the airline company is not owned and operated by the GOVERNMENMT of GHANA???????????????
How ignorant can you be in less than 24 hours?
Francis,
You don’t get it yourself. The rhetorical question asked about whether Ghana governemt will do this was meant to prick their gumption. You seem to be fallen for the same assumption they are making. Wise-up.
Unless my ears deceived me, I heard on the 6 am news this morning a bulletin that the stranded West Africans are being flown back to Ghana forthwith, either via London or Brazil.
This is to be at Government expense, but government “expects to reclaim such expenses under the bond” that the charterers/arrangers/agents initially put up.
If this is a true “bulletin” and not “bull”, why was it not made public as soon as the fiasco came to light? It would have saved a lot of our huffing and puffing about Government incompetence etc.
Or is it UNTRUE, and those responsible hope it will be brushed under the rug and forgotten?
******
BFP says,
Hi pandora,
We have an article on the way. Bottom line… the bond is a few pennies compared with the cost of flying these people back to Africa. Spin, spin, spin by the lapdog media for their new master.
Francis Asam
March 10, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Ghana International Airlines is not a government owned institution neither was the trip sponsored by the Ghanaian Government. If you really want answers, I’ll suggest that you do what all intelligent people do: Start by asking Bajans who helped to organize this trip.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I agree there are plenty fingers in the pot but the airline bears the name of a country and Ghana is written on the one shown in the picture.
Surely Ghana has a Government which has a voice and which can dissociate itself from this airline.
I can’t just use the word Barbados in the name of a business I start without getting permission to use it. There was a time when I could have but those days done long time.
Until I hear the Ghanain Government disassociating itself from this airline bearing its country’s name I will take what you say with a dose of salts.
You can’t expect us to believe that this plane was hijacked by person or persons unknown and used in the scheme.
It takes no intelligence to put two and two together in this case, … unless we hear different from the Ghanain Government, which we are not.
pandora
March 10, 2008 at 10:07 pm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Here is the frontpage story in today’s Nation.
Do the math!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BACK TO AFRICA
Published on: 3/10/08.
MORE THAN 50 GHANAIANS stranded in Barbados for almost a month should be back in their West African homeland this time next week.
An informed Government source revealed yesterday that a decision has been made to pay for a flight to get the stranded West Africans back home, possibly via Brazil or Britain.
“All airlines are required to pay a bond for each passenger that arrives in Barbados, so if Government has to foot the bill, then that money will have to be recovered,” the source indicated.
Sixty-six Ghanaians and 30 Nigerians came to Barbados on the direct inaugural flight last month, but the Ghana Airways charter flight was unable to return to Barbados.
Some of the visitors on that inaugural flight went on to Trinidad and St Lucia.
After the failure of the return flight, some of the West Africans started working on a construction site in Christ Church to earn money for their keep. Since then, a number of kind Samaritans have offered money and personal items to help the stranded group.
The Government source informed the DAILY NATION yesterday that it would reclaim monies via the bond Ghana International Airways, like other airlines, would have had to put up before touching down at Grantley Adams International Airport.
When contacted, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and International Business, Donville Inniss, said the matter was “under active consideration”, but could not make a more definitive statement at this time regarding the Africans’ future.
He added that the ministry was in contact with the Ghanaian Embassy in Havana, Cuba, and hoped to have “further discussions with them early this week with a view of resolving this matter quickly”.
Inniss also said the ministry had contacted the Ghanaian government and was awaiting a response from it, which it hoped to get early this week, before taking the next step.
It is understood several Government agencies and organisations are involved and have met more than once to review the matter. The source said Government was “very concerned” about the issue and was taking all steps necessary to resolve it by returning the people to their countries.
Efforts yesterday to reach Ghana’s Honorary Counsel in Barbados, Dr Erskine Simmons, for a comment were futile. (BA/DS)
Looks like within a couple of weeks, all the prospective illegal immigrants will be back home in Ghana where they belong. A few may try to make a break for it but, like I said, on an island 23 miles by 12 miles, it will not be hard to find them.
99 Ghanaians will not remain the focus of anger and fear in Barbados forever. Once they are gone, the threat of Yellow Fever and AIDS will be banished from the island. The threat from criminals who go lo0king for work permits and a job will be gone. The whole thing is almost farcical. What kind of clueless illegal gives a public interview and says if the plane comes, he does not want to go home?
In a month, all the furor would have died down and Ghanaweb will once again have a lone Young Bajan Lion who has been there for about seven years and excels as an ambassador for the Island of Barbados.
Yellow fever! anokwasem, ye hu amane! – as we Ghanaians will say.
MY NAME IS DOMINIC.I AM AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO CAME WITH GHANA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE TO THE CARIBEAN.AM NOW IN TRINIDAD.I WANT TO GO BACK TO GHANA SINCE I ONLY CAME HERE AS A TOURIST.I ALSO DONT WANT TO LOOSE MY JOB IN GHANA.I WANT TO KNOW IF I CAN JOIN MY FELLOW IN BABADOS ON THURSDAY AND IF POSSIBLE GO WITHTHEM TO GHANA ANY TIME THE FLIGHT WILL BE AVAILABLE.PLEASE THIS IS MY NUMBER U CAN CALL ME AND GIVE ME THE FEEDBACK.THANK YOU.[4885031].AM IN TRINIDAD NOW.
Touchdown!
Date February 01, 2008
Brief
THE PLAN FOR A direct fight between Barbados and Ghana, Africa,
literally got off
the ground, yesterday.
In fact, the pilot flight landed at Grantley Adams International Airport around 4:20 a.m. yesterday morning. However, not everything has been finalised as yet;
so no further flights are planned until later into
the year.
The local agent involved with making it possible are Remac Tours Limited. They have been trying for the past seven years to make the flight a reality, said George Knight,
their marketing
and sales director.
The Ghanaian side was being handled by Seasons Travel and Tours and the man responsible
for bringing the two companies together is
Dr Ntui Okey of the
Trans-African Centre
for Trade.
In his first Press conference as Minister
of Tourism convened at the Sherbourne Conference Centre, Two Mile Hill,
St Michael, Richard Sealy, pledged Government’s support and praised the involvement of the private sector in the initiative.
“People think Africa
as a far-off continent . . . but this bridges the gap.
It keeps with the thrust for heritage tourism and the uniqueness of our product,” he said.
Director of the Pan African Commission, Dr Ikael Tafari, said the flight was a way to “reconnect the umbilical cord after thousands were ripped from the womb of Africa”.
“In light of globalisation, we need to look to new frontiers. I suggest
the business of opening new heritage destinations in Africa is important . . . Tourism will be the greatest beneficiary,”
he said.
Currently, a flight from Ghana includes stops in either London, Frankfurt or Brazil and takes nine hours and about US$4 000 (BDS$8 000). With a direct flight, travel time would be cut to six hours and the cost to US$1 999
(BDS$4 000).
The initial flight was made with a smaller plane and brought 149 passengers from Accra, Ghana, and Lagos, Nigeria, to Barbados while the finalised flight would have 230 passengers.
Also attending the Press conference were president of the Barbados Tourism Authority, Stuart Layne; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Andrew Cox, and chief executive officer of Remac, Reynold McClean. (CA)
Warning to all Bajans reading this blog.
Beware of ANYTHING you hear these African frauds and scammers trying to fool you with.
Now that their immigration scam to the USA has been busted, they will try anything and everything to put out false information so they can lead people away from the truth.
Notice how this matter of the “stranded” Ghanaians was in the news for the past three weeks, yet it is only now that they are to be sent out of the island that they are getting desperate and starting to appear on this blog. Most likely some of them posting here are not in Barbados at all, but are some of the organisers of this very same immigration scam.
Don’t believe a word of anything these crooks tell you!
Don’t call them! Don’t email them! Don’t visit any website they try to lure you to!
They will lie and cheat from beginning to end.
DOMINIC ANDOH,
Another FRAUD.
If you only came to the Caribbean as a tourist, then how come you didn’t leave Trinidad and return to Barbados to meet the return flight on 15th February or again on 29th February?
Why are you still in Trinidad?
Do you think Bajans are fools?
All this fuss because someone decided include in the country of origin in their company name .
Ghana is as distant from GIA as British Airways (registered in Virgin Islands or some such tax haven) is from the Btitish Government.
Virgin’s majority shareholder is Singapore Int. Airlines, I believe, and only British Midland is a truly UK company.
Is BFP a government entity because of its title?
Contrary to some belief (BTW where is Royalrumble), I highly doubt it.
That there is more in the mortar than the pestle with regard to Bajan involvement in this debacle I have no doubt, but give us all a break with this supposed Ghanaian Government inspired scam.
nikka-luss, i am indeed nigerian . i think mentally challenged morons like you should not be contribute to this issue. grow up.
Straight talk,
Not that it matters to me WHICH particular African crooks were behind this scam, but you should know that Ghana International Airlines is partly owned by the government of Ghana.
http://www.mrt.gov.gh/pages/press_story.asp?pressid=4
Ghana International Airlines Announces Partnership with New Ghana Airline
The Republic of Ghana (“Government’) and the
consortium Ghana International Airlines (“GIA”) today announced that they have reached agreement regarding a partnership established to conduct the operations of a new airline which will replace the existing Ghana Airways.
For the past several years, Ghana Airways has struggled to maintain consistent commercial
operations due to mounting debts and a deterioration in operating performance. The
Government decided that an experienced strategic partner was necessary to manage the operation of an airline in Ghana.
Through an open bid process, Government solicited bids from the international community
during early 2004 to attract a strategic partner which would revitalize the operations of the
existing airline or create a new airline.
Numerous potential bidders conducted due diligence on Ghana Airways and several bids were
submitted. After extensive review and discussion among various Government representatives
and its advisors, GIA’s bid was determined to be the best and the Government selected GIA as
the preferred candidate with which to commence detailed negotiations.
During the negotiation phase, the situation at Ghana Airways continued to deteriorate and it was
decided that a new Ghanaian entity would be established and would be jointly funded by
Government and GIA.
The Government has appointed a task force to manage the orderly wind down of Ghana Airways
operations as the new airline is constituted. In addition, the Government has appointed Price
Waterhouse Coopers to advise the Government in the ring fencing of the debt of Ghana Airways.
The new company will be used as the platform to raise new equity, debt and equipment financing
of approximately US$55 million for the new airline. Mr. J. Ralph Atkin, the founder of SkyWest Airlines in the USA, will be appointed as CEO of this entity and will be responsible for
establishing and managing the day-to-day operations of the new airline.
The transition from the old airline to the new airline has just commenced and it is anticipated that this process will be completed later this year. Commercial operations of the new airline,
operating a modem fleet of aircraft, are anticipated to commence in the first quarter of 2005 including daily flights to Europe and the USA.
Both GIA and the Government consider the re-establishment of a viable, reliable airline in Ghana as a critical part of the ongoing economic transformation already taking place in Ghana. Resuming direct flights to and from the USA and improving service to and from Europe will establish Accra, Ghana as the ideal gateway to West Africa from Europe and North America
stimulating economic growth and tourism in Ghana and the surrounding region.
About Government
Ghana Airways, established in 1958,was the first national airline in the sub-region. It had a fleet of thirty aircraft and has access to Europe, North America, The Middle East, Africa and now South America. Over the years the airline suffered a down-turn in its fortunes. The Republic of Ghana currently owns 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Ghana Airways.
As previously indicated, Government will ‘ring-fence’ the debts of the airline. Towards this,
Government will engage and negotiate with creditors to seek a mutually satisfactory resolution of all genuine debts.
About GIA
GIA is an international consortium led by the World Transport Group, Inc. a St. George, Utah
based company (the president of which is J.Ralph Atkin, the founder of SkyWest Airlines,
Inc.), and Sentry Financial International, Inc., a Salt Lake City, Utah based financial services
company. World Transport Group has substantial experience in the airline industry and Sentry
has extensive expertise in providing financing in developing countries.
Contact Information:
GIA
Ralph Atkin, CEO
info@worldtransportgroup.com
Kirk Heaton
kheaton@sentryfinancial.com
Andrew Bebbington
abebbington@sentryfinancial.com
Republic of Ghana
Dr. Richard Anane
Honorable Minister
Ministry of Roads and Transport
richard.anane@mrt.gov.gh
+233-21 668 340
Dated: 7 SEPTEMBER , 2004
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana_International_Airlines
Ghana International Airlines
Fleet size: 1
Website: http://www.fly-ghana.com/
Ghana International Airlines (GIA) is the flag carrier airline of Ghana, based in Accra, Ghana. It operates scheduled passenger and cargo services. Its main base is Kotoka International Airport, Accra.[1]
History
The airline was set up in 2004 as a partnership between the Government of Ghana and a group of private international investors, replacing the defunct Ghana Airways that had ceased operations in 2004. An experienced team led by Ralph Atkin, founder of SkyWest in the United States was also installed. The management team also included the former CEO of Kenya Airways – Brian Presbury, as well as Albert Vitale, Sean Mendis and other experienced airline professionals. It was designated as the national airline in 2005.
Ghana International Airlines commenced operations on 29 October 2005 with daily flights between Accra and London Gatwick Airport using a Boeing 757 leased from Ryan International Airlines. Seasonal service to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg was inaugurated on 30 October 2006. The airline added a Boeing 767 to its fleet on 15 November 2006 and are now operating a Boeing 757 with winglets.
It is owned by the Ghanaian government (70%) and US consortium (GIA-USA) (30%) and has 160 employees (at March 2007).[1]
Ghana is as distant from GIA as British Airways (registered in Virgin Islands or some such tax haven) is from the British Government.
………………………………………………………………………………….
Straight talk, your talk is not straight based on the facts supplied by this commenter. At least we should not jump to conclusion before we analyse the true position why these so-called visitors came to Barbados. Visitors on a shoe-string budget…..we can surely do without them.
I must admit that many of the posters here serve as comic relief for me! That is why I keep coming back to read!
Goodmorning to all, when i read what gbetormenyo wrote & some others, Prince i agree with you,true true true.
My apologies to all for my ignorance of the Government of Ghana’s direct involvement with GIA.
If the airline is in fact a government controlled company, questions should therefore be asked at the diplomatic level.
What were the terms of GIA’s charter with Seasons Travel and Tours Ltd ?
Maybe it’s time for Mr Tafari to earn his keep, and bring the full weight of his Pan African Commission to bear and sort out this mess.
The objectives of the Commission are:
To ensure that the Government and institutions of Barbados establish concrete political, economic and cultural links with the Governments and institutions of Africa and the African Diaspora.
Some hope!
Was it in fact one flight or two?
If one, the immigration scam was obvious to all.
If two (i.e. the return trip) what arrangements are the Ghanaian government making to remedy their breach of contract and repatriate their stranded citizens?
Straight talk,
What part of it do you not understand?
The Ghanaian organizers sent the plane here and said that there would be a return flight on 15 Feb. It didn’t show up and they said 29 Feb, which is when I started getting suspicious because I thought that seemed a very long time to keep passengers waiting in a foreign country. 29 Feb came came and again it never showed up.
No need to ask anything of Ikael Tafari or the past minister of tourism or the present minister of tourism or the past or present government. What we have here is clearly another typical African immigration scam. They never intended to send the plane back to Barbados because the plan was always to get these people to the USA or Canada.
Are you aware that there are already scores of Africans living in Barbados who are well placed to collaborate with their criminal-minded partners in Africa and North America? These are people who devote a lot of time to devising elaborate international schemes to profit themselves by deceiving others instead of working for the development of their continent.
Remember the case a few weeks ago of that Nigerian woman at Arawak Cement who stole a massive amount of cement worth about $400,000 or something like that?
It is right and good for Barbados to have good relations with Africa, but we also have to beware of the many fraudsters, crooks and scammers from that part of the world.
Straight talk,
And one other thing. As for the Ghanaian government, don’t fool yourself into thinking that anybody there will give two hoots about their people in Barbados or what the Barbados government thinks.
Africans and African governments don’t think like we do.
But offer them some money and they will come running fast!
BFP, I saw this over at BU, posted by David. Hope he does not mind me puting it here for the readers.
Efforts Being Made To Bring Home Stranded Ghanaians
By Daily Graphic
Mon, 10 Mar 2008
General News
Text Only | |
Seasons Travel and Tours (STT), the tour operator responsible for the 153 stranded passengers in Barbados, is liaising with Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get them transit visas to return home via Europe.
The Manager of the company, Mr Eric Bannerman, said last Friday that the passengers included Nigerians, Jamaicans, Ghanaians and Canadians who were returning to their destinations and that the actual passengers who would return to Ghana were about 30.
He said the company was paying for their accommodation, in decent guest houses, while it awaited the arrangements with the Foreign Ministry.
Mr Bannerman was responding to questions on arrangements to bring back the passengers, especially when Ghana International Airlines Limited (GIA) had denied that the passengers were its passengers.
According to the airline, it did not have any contractual relationship with the passengers because the passengers bought their tickets from STT.
“GIA did not either directly or indirectly sell tickets to the passengers,” it said in reaction by its acting CEO, Ms Gifty Annan-Myers, to protest about the headline of the story which portrayed the GIA as being responsible for the passengers.
The GIA said STT contracted the airline to transport its passengers to and from Barbados upon the payment of an agreed consideration fare (charter price) at seven days before each flight. The GIA under the agreement was to undertake two return flights to Barbados.
The first flight, according to GIA, left Accra on January 31, 2008 with 151 passengers and returned with no passengers to Accra on February 1, 2008 and STT paid the fixed portion of the charter price for that while the reimbursable expenses were yet to be paid by STT.
It said the second flight from Accra to Bridgetown was scheduled for February 15, 2008. However, STT had so far not been able to pay GIA the charter price.
The GIA said the problem had arisen because the Barbados Ministry of Transport, Works and International Transport was demanding that STT repatriate the passengers who landed on February 1, 2008 before it would be allowed to bring in any more passengers.
It said STT insisted that it would run into huge financial loss if it did not put passengers on the aircraft that would fly from Accra to that country to bring the first group to Accra.
In view of the development, GIA said it offered to carry the passengers at an agreed fare on its schedule flight from London Gatwick to Accra if STT transported them from Bridgetown to London.
The GIA said that it was informed by STT that 19 of the 151 passengers were willing and ready to return to Accra and in pursuance of that GIA, upon a request from STT, wrote to the British High Commission in Bridgetown on February 22, 2008 confirming that seats had been reserved for all the 19 passengers on GIA flight from London to Accra on February 23, 2008.
But the visas were not issued because the British consulate needed additional documentation.
After two postponements of the return flight on February 15 and February 29, 2008, the passengers were reported to have run out of money and many of them have resorted to working illegally as labourers.
Barbados government officials said some of the passengers had officially requested for work permits to allow them to support themselves while in that country.
The Barbados Ministry of Transport, Works and International Transport has stated that it is doing everything to ensure that the stranded passengers return home successfully.
“The first indication received by the Ministry of Transport, Works and International Transport of any intention to operate a direct charter service from Ghana to Barbados was an e-mail application dated January 17, 2008 from the GIA, in association with Seasons Travel and Tours, to permit a charter tour operation into Barbados on January 20, 2008 and depart the next day,” a government statement said.
Having received the application, the ministry said it queried the actual period of the tour, since no return date had been given, but on January 28, 2008, a revised application was received from the GIA, stating in part that the revised dates were now January 31, 2008, with a subsequent service on February 15 to return passengers.
It said on January 29, 2008, the GIA advised the ministry that it should expect 160 passengers in Barbados on January 31, 2008, out of which 40 would be proceeding to other Caribbean countries via alternative arrangements.
The remaining 120 were to return to Ghana on the flight on February 15, 2008.
Based on the arrangement and exchanges, a permit for the charter was issued to the GIA and, according to immigration documents, 153 passengers were landed in Barbados from the GIA flight, including those going to other Caribbean countries.
The Barbados government said the local ground handling agency for Seasons Travel and Tours had been very proactive in efforts to repatriate the passengers, while it was taking urgent steps, through Ghana’s High Commission, towards the speedy repatriation of the stranded passengers.
Story by Stephen Sah
Something’s not quite right here!!!
Did the change of Government cause the trouble?
What assurances did the former Government give the tour company?
Sounds like if GIA did not get paid, the bond probably did not get paid either.
Looks like we might have to charter a plane now.
Good thing is that we already know that it is cheaper to charter a jet than to pay individual fares.
That is why David travelled by private jet over and away and was able to get back so quick to help out Sir Roy. There are definite benefits to chartering although as we have seen there is also a downside!!
So how many are actually returning to Ghana and where did the 149 come from when it was actually 153?
Looks like we might have to charter a forensic audit of the numbers.
So many questions, so few answers.
staight talk , i see you insist on calling africans crooks. this issue can be resolved not by name calling, but by being constructive .i think you should stop africa bashing. i am sure you people like you are not proud of ur hertage when you meet africans . its a pity the situation cannot be helped . i think you should stop seeing things from a jaundiced angle. leave africa and their so called scams out of this issue.
kandibe obi,
No. No. No.
We can’t leave Africans and their scams out of this issue because the people in our country are Africans and this trip was definitely an immigration scam.
Kandibe we are sorry if we offended you but a jack is a jack and a spade is a spade; it can be nothin more and this DEFINITELY IS A SCAM. so we wont apologise for calling it like we see it . We BAJANS are very intelligent persons so we know what it is when we see it.
These details of the arrangements that we are now hearing make interesting reading but they do not deal with the basic obvious paradox.
A charter flight comes here from Ghana with a load of passengers who claim, one supposes, to be tourists just here until the return flight.
The plane goes back EMPTY to Ghana, because, say what you like, there aren’t many people anxious to take the “Back to Africa” trip.
Big money lost on a empty flight without a planeload of passengers to pay for the fuel etc,
Unless that plane went back to Africa with a full load of passengers it would almost certainly not have the revenue to return. This means that
the only way that plane can come back to collect the “stranded Africans” is if it is AGAIN EMPTY. More big loss.
It cannot bring another load of Africans, or else the farce would repeat itself over and over, never ending.
Did it take a brain surgeon to figure this out? No way. It was plain and simple DELIBERATE
P.S. Perhaps it would have been better if our whole Pan African delegation had gone on the return flight to Ghana so that the charterer had revenue for the expenses. If they were then stranded in Accra it would have been an invaluable experience for them, and a beneficial exchange for Barbados to be rid of them 🙂
i dont disagree its a scam but stereotyping people wont help get these men back to where they came from. we africans are not all fraudsters . there are africans in the carribean, usa , canada , the uk and other european countries living transparently. we dont need these stereotypes .
kandibe obi
March 14, 2008 at 3:08 am
We Bajans have our problems too. Some of us are not too transparent either. Guess it comes with being human.
Nobody is perfect.
Ok…so 149 Ghanians landed in Barbados using tourism as a pretext to emigrate to the beautiful Island…..End result? – ethnic stereotyping – All GHANIANS are crooks!
How ignorant!……..149 Ghanians are fewer than the over 6,000 Americans in IRAQ under false pretences …but….our eyes (and our pathetic prejudice) remain skewered towards the Africans. Only they are crooks – WHAT ABSOLUTE NONESENSE! The conquest and devastation of native American Indian tribes by European and American settlers tell a different story of Western ‘honesty’.
Bob Wilson
No one is saying that ALL Africans, or ALL Ghanaians are crooks. I personally have met some very charming West Africans, and in fact, when I was a student in London (too many years ago to mention!) my best friend was a girl from Sierra Leone, and I was friendly with two Ghanaians (it was then still called the Gold Coast) and two Nigerians. They were extremely dignified, cultured young people, who, in fact, thought us West Indians “crude” and vulgar and too “Americanized”.
However, Mr. Wilson, we are dealing with the HERE and NOW. Not the ghastly days of Red Indian and cowboy shoot-outs in U.S.A. This is BARBADOS, 2008 – a tiny island – and we are very jittery because we are being swamped by illegal Guyanese, and we are seeing other Nationalities creeping in to our island illegally and hiding from Immigration authorities. We are not willing to lose our own identity so easily, so you can see the reason for our hysteria, even if it does go overboard at times. Over the years, we have considered ourselves lucky to be not so crime-prone as much of the rest of the Caribbean, and records will show that much of the crime in Barbados now is being committed by foreigners. Give us a break.
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Please i will like to plead to whoever want to post a comment on the issue of the Flight from Ghana to Barbados on the 1st of February 2008 to carefully conducted his or her homework or research very good and well before saying or posting comment,because not all what i have been reading on these were truth and while some are.
I am sorry, i will not mention my name but i happened to be one of the passenger that came in to Barbados with Ghana International Airlines. I am a Nigerian national living and working in Nigeria and i am really proud of that anywhere, any day anytime and Gos is really blessing me. I am from a good family background and my family is wealth to do and i dint have any problem financially, i am married with a kid and my wife and kid are really missing me by now and i am so sad as to that though, even my longer staying here is affecting my business back home in Nigeria.
It all happened when i have my 2008 annual vacation, I planned to spend it in Ghana because during this time was the 2008 Africa cup of nation which was hosted by Ghana with Nigeria participating in the competition. I intended to spend just 2 weeks in Ghana and then back to Nigeria but the plan got changed when i arrived in Ghana.
it was a very faithful Saturday afternoon that i was reading one of the Ghana daily news paper that i found an advertisement about a direct flight from Ghana to Barbados. I was so happy about this because i think there has never been a direct flight from Africa to Caribbean, so it was a really a very good development and i really gave cu dos to the organizer of such.
Personally, i have been thinking of a visit to the Caribbean especially Turks and Caicos and i think the new dawn was a privilege to me because there will be no need of any transit visa and i think most of the flight that fly from Africa to Caribbean are British airways, Air Canada, American Airline and Delta Airline but all these airlines countries hardly issued transit visa and thereby making it difficult for African to travel down to Caribbean especially the west Africa. On the following Monday, i called the number that was on the advertisement to found out more details about the flight and having got more details about the flight, i also decided to buy a ticket and and i went to the agent office to bought my ticket at the rate of $2000,00 USD. with return by two weeks.
finally, the day of the trip came and i was so much happy that i was one of the passengers that fist fly directly from Africa to Caribbean. It was a pleasant and beautiful journey for us all in the plane as i can see almost everybody on board were happy and delighted. We arrived in Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados around 3:30 am in the morning of faithful 1st day of February and we were welcomed by a group of people. Though i was surprise to see us been welcomed by a group at the airport upon our arrival as it is not usual but i thought it was just because of the trip been a very first direct flight from Africa to Caribbean.
Upon our arrival, there was an argument because everybody were been asked to pay for the downpayment of the two weeks stay and in my own point of view, i think it has never been done that way, but i do have my own personal hotel reservation and which i showed the immigration and that made me to check out from the immigration so early and i dint know how the issued was handled or resolved as i lodge in a different hotel.
I have really budgeted myself and my spending, and i was able to afford $50 usd per day for the hotel and which i stayed for two weeks and some days. The Hotel i lodged in was in Dover Christ church but am sorry not to mention the hotel name.
someday after having arrived herein Barbados, i thought it will be cool for me to quickly visit Turks and Caicos because it is my dream vacation Island even if i have to be there for 5 to 7 days just to make sure i make it back to Barbados to catch up with my return flight and i did checked the cost of the flight on-line and i think i can afford it and still have more money on me. So i applied for Jamaica Transit at the Jamaica honorary Consulate in ST Michael and it was issued for me.
During my final preparation to fly to Turks and Caicos, i heard the unbelievable story that the flight will not be coming over as she-dulled, these really made me so sad and i quickly contacted the agent back in Ghana to found out if the story was real and he confirmed to me that it was and i then asked what the new date will be and he said 29Th of February , i was so sad and disturbed about the changing in date and these made me to cancel my trip to Turks and Caicos just to avoid been stranded.
Due to the new development, i figure out that it will not help me if i continue to staying in an hotel and paying $50 usd per night,and i did checked out from the hotel after 2 weeks and some days of my arrival to rent a low cost apartment of $75 usd per week. But before my checking out from the hotel, i visited the Immigration department of Barbados for an extension but i was denied and my money for the application was refunded back to me. I was really surprised as this as to why i was been turned down for the extension. But i was told by one of the senior immigration officer that extension can not be issued to me because i came in to Barbados with a Chartered flight but i quickly asked her a question that would i be safe because i hate any sort of embarrassment or disgraced and she gave me her word on that.
Almost 3 weeks of my arrival in Barbados,i visited the Immigration department again because i sees that i can no longer waited for the 29th and i again did requested for a kind of letter from the immigration which will state that my stay in Barbados is still valid in as much i was not issued or granted an extension. I need these letter because i have concluded to buy a one way ticket back home(Nigeria) but i will need a transit visa because i will have to pass through the united kingdom but it will not speak good of me reading on my passport that i overstayed in Barbados and that might also caused the not issuance of the Transit Visa by the British Embassy but i was also refused that, so i accepted my fate and waited till the 29th and until now the flight has not shown up.
These whole thing really a mess, abusive and a stain on many of us and even Africa in general, especially the two countries involved but i can say categorically that none of Nigerian are stranded and either shown on the TV as been stranded, or needed financial help nor help on shelter.
Having says all the above, i have many things and point to share with the Barbados Government but i will not now.
In conclusion, i will once again appeal to all those who posted comment on these particular issue to critically make there findings before saying or posting what is not truth to the whole world.
I admit that there are bad people in Africa but we should not forget that there is no anyplace or country or Island on hearth that there were no Bad people, either little or more but the fact is that we can not all that bad
Thank you
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“i am married with a kid and my wife and kid are really missing me by now and i am so sad as to that…”
Yes, that must hurt. But one question: why didn’t you bring your wife and child along with you?
Or perhaps it’s normal for you Nigerian/Ghanaian men to travel four thousand miles for a two-week dream vacation – on their own…?
Hello samizdat,
am sure you have never travelled out of barbados before, if not you will not be posting comments lijke that.
You MAY want a break for yourself alone or better still for you family as well. In West Africa, we do cherrish our family very well. The situation is just an unfortunate one, if those africans new that the plane will not rerturn for them am sure many won’t have come with the plane bcos am so sure they are all aware of the regulations before ebntering Barbados.
Anyway, i just wish all our African Brothers and Sister luck, God will make a way for them this i surely Believe.
I am a Nigeria padi eeeeeeee
if those africans new that the plane will not rerturn for them am sure many won’t have come with the plane bcos am so sure they are all aware of the regulations before ebntering Barbados.
………………………………………………………………………………….
If someone is leaving the country, the first thing that comes to mind is the ‘returning factor’, that mean we will ensure that it is a returned ticket. Secondly, if your countrymen were traveling as so-called visitors, why would they be traveling on one-way tickets and asking for ‘work permits’?
Let’s face it, these Ghanians were simply looking for better opportunities. Admit and the pain would not be as harsh due to your constant deceit.
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cherry2enpowered
I am sorry for you, imagine how much trust you still put in the white man who dragged us across the atlantic in horrendious situations and then raped us to change our colours even and now you are afraid of you African brother in a country where there is law and order,
You make our women sound very loose and immoral.
I wondered if those visitors to got stranded were white Americans and criminals if any Bjan would say one word about them accept to ask government to treat them well. O dear my people disappoint all the time
did anyone told you that you needed a visa to come to Barbados when they dragged us here as slaves.
How come you welcome your oppressors over the years with open arms and hate your brother so . Shame on you cherry for your comments about our women hving sex willy nilly are we all prostitutes. Noone complains about the amount of sexour women are having with the white tourist. Why do so many Bajans run away to stay in US illegally over the years. Please let us all educate ourselves before opening our mouths to continue to make fools of ourselves.
Weather you are from Barbados, Jamaica, the carribean…. you are still an African, you can’t deny that because you are black. The fact that we find ourselves here doesn’t mean we are any different from our brothers in Africa. Its unfortunate this happened to innocent Ghanaians but respect them and know we have some bad nuts here also.
I have read with dismay, disgust and finally disbelief preceding posts on this site. It is indeed sad that a situation as this has cast a shadow on the intergrity of not only 2 nations but a whole continent Africa!
I am a Nigerian and i am proud of it. I am not dubious nor dishonest. I am happily married, work in Nigeria and an expectant mother, i live a comfortable enough life as it is without resorting to illegalities and can afford to take yearly holidays outside my beloved country with or without my spouse, if i may add. And beleive me, there are millions of people like me who can afford to as well. I actually stumbled on this site because i had plans of visiting Barbados but i guess that won’t be wise anymore with the hostility this issue has generated albeit unfairly to innocent citizens of Africa like myself & a million or billion others!
I can speak of my own intergrity but not of Nigeria or Ghana as a nation nor of the 149 passengers but i do believe some will have been victims of greed knowingly or unknowingly either on their parts or the part of the tour organisers. So i pray we exercise caution and wisdom in meting out sentences on a whole country or continent.
It is highly embarassing to me as an African to read how we have been stereo-typed, i ask that you please deal with the issue as objectively as possible and not lash out on innocent Africans, Nigerians or Ghanians as we have all agreed that each society has its bad eggs. I agree that proportions may vary and Nigeria indeed has a terrible reputation that people like myself and also a billion others the world over are living to correct(may God help us), try as we may, we are only a minority but a powerful one!
I agree wholly that all these passengers if found should be deported and tried in their respective countries, also all players in this show of shame should be called to question; both organisers on the Ghanian & Bajan parts.
Illegal immigrants all over the world are either detained before or deported outrightly so please apply Bajan immigration laws as appropriate.
Finally, i give respect to all everyone who has commented on this issue because i was brought up to know respect begets respect. Please leave out hostilities, name-calling etc and rather deal with the issue at hand with a view of finding an appropriate (though late) solution. Thank you.
2O WOMEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AT AIRPORT – Jamaicans touched on their private parts after landing in Barbados
More than 20 female passengers who arrived in Barbados on a flight from Jamaica on November 30 are now claiming that they were abused and ‘touched’ on their private parts by immigration officials.
They also say that after going through the abuse, they were sent back to Jamaica without any explanation.
http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/20081205/news/news1.html
===================
If these Females have a Valid complaint -They should have really filed it, by now .
They have instead chosen en-mass to vent & potentially try to
slander another islands security force (due to embarrassment of being
returned home ASAP!) while having the anonymity of disguising their names in a Jamaican newspaper while not having to prove
a thing after
accusing another island of behaving illegally towards them!( it’s just hearsay)
Claims of being “sexually assaulted” – which could
also be interpreted as ” they were preliminarily searched for contraband,
and found to be very suspicious – put on plane and sent back home.
As much as some Jamaicans claim to hate Barbados culture, finding the island too peaceful, law abiding and boring?
– Why would 20 Jamaican women suddenly decide to go on holiday to Barbados in this very stressed Caribbean economy, this financial climate?
It sounds like the security Authorities at the point of entry
– Were tipped off & perhaps may have intercepted a plan of distribution
of some sort illegal contraband, trade or vice.
Wiki reports
that over 50% of foreign females in UK jails were drug mules from Jamaica.
perhaps the organized violent drug gangs have total rule of Jamaica.
They UK have cracked down on their trade, tremendously in 2008.
They can’t expect the same Rock star – cult like
untouchable (not to be prosecuted) –
Treatment they often regularly receive in their native island
Jamaica when trying ply their illicit drug business or vice, there.
One Woman “is complaining ” that her Husband sent her on
“Month Long” vacation to Barbados?
which could have very well be interpreted as “being sent a trip to
Bim – financed by Jamaican Don or Pimp
seeking a foothold for business on this island – by sending his
maiden voyage crew – a gang of Jamaican Woman here to organize
& carry out illicit business in a new venue. ( PROSTITUTION OR DRUGS)
Haven’t We heard of another month long vacation scheme in Barbados
scam recently? in )*’ ( which left West Africans on holiday, who were actually
caught seeking to work illegally or abscond to other islands
to work, stranded – with Bim fitting most
or the bill house them & to return them safely back home?)
Instead these Jamaica Females were immediately
picked up on the radar, and
“Sent Packing” on the another flight out of Barbados
right back to whence they came from.
All Caribbean Islands need to stay vigilant in this economy for
the trickery Don & Gangs infiltration’s to come to their islands
from neighboring – often poorer islands, where crime & murders are the flavor of the day.
schemers and gangs –
the UK, have studied their modus operandi on radar, and is currently turning them back or imprisoning drug mules right & left ! – the USA
has gotten strict not allowing it into their borders & deporting the one who have slipped through!
During this recession, there will be a blatant surge of organized neighboring island’s gangs (drugs guns & prostitution) Trying to infiltrate other island’s economy with relaxed immigration laws & security in the leaner years to come.
Their Predicament could have been made much worse & costly if prosecuted & imprisoned.