I made a call, and she said – Edgar, not a problem; you will see him this weekend
Him being Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the ADC – hope I’m correct
I had presented my new book, Maddtimes power list coffee-table book, to his boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; sent copies to IBB, Abdulsalam, and most likely President Tinubu thru his Chief of Staff, Osibajo had received his, so it only made sense to present Turaki his own copy
The Abuja trip would also allow me to inspect the Transcorp Hilton venue for our Masterclass in Crisis Management and Reputational Management, a session the VP, Alhaji Shettima, is expected to open.
Finally, I will dash to SEC for my interview with the hard-working DG for my new podcast on Nairametrics
So I got my usual Ibom Air ticket and appeared at the Airport at 5am sharp, alighting from my Mini Cooper convertible and looking like a washed-up Hollywood star
As usual as it is with Ibom Air, checking in was breezy and smooth, and before you know it, we were conveyed to the Plane
An Ibom Air passenger in the airport is well recognised – he is calm, relaxed and lacking in anxiety cos of the efficiency that comes with flying my state airline
I usually do not like flying tiny planes cos of all the ‘jangrover’ during turbulence, and it makes me feel like jumping out of my skin and embarrass myself
One time like that, I boarded one of those peaceful planes, and people were greeting me, “Is that not the Duke of Shomolu?” one beautiful lady asked.
And they started taking me up on one of my Arisetv appearances, and I was feeling like a star, and they were hailing me and telling me how brilliant I was
The next thing, the plane took off and entered turbulence, a very wicked one, and I was the only one shouting – Abasi, Jesus, Abasi – people were laughing at me, and when we landed, I ran to the toilet to piss and vomit
Thankfully, as I inspected this particular Ibom Air, I saw that it was a huge aircraft
Then I entered-kai it was luxurious. Full leather seats all the way, neat and brilliantly proportioned
This Ibom Air will continue to make us proud as Akwa Ibom people
As I took my seat, I made a point to inform the Yoruba man seated beside me that I was Akwa Ibom and, as such, I was his host
The Plane took off in a swoosh. You know how brand-new AC used to do? It would be swishing and swooshing; that is how this plane was doing
It was gliding and floating through the skies as it took off
You know how other planes will be doing, like a molue, as they are taking off with all the rusty sound and black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, and the Plane will be doing like it is not firing on all cylinders, and the pilot will be announcing that nobody should go and piss at this time…
Nothing like that today, oh. The plane was taking the skies like a hot knife through butter, leaving me feeling like I was flying on Aladdin’s magic carpet, and when it reached its 27,000 nadir, it stabilised and continued swooshing and swishing
The only problem was the cake they served. The thing be like say they used palm oil to bake it
It was red and looked one kind. I began to ask myself why they gave us this kind of cake inside this Rolls Royce
Then turbulence came. The plane just swallowed it, and we felt small bumps, nothing jaw-shattering, no need to shout Abasi, no need to grab the seat handle and be shouting Holy Father – the Plane just swooshed and swished
Then we descended into Abuja and for the first time in my flying career, I didn’t want to land.
It was that beautiful a flight; we could even hear the pilot’s announcement
You know, on other planes, the pilot will be talking as if he is trying to push out a very stubborn shit in the toilet, and all we would be hearing is – mumbling and huffing and puffing
This one was Bang & Olufsen sound, crystal clear and brilliant
As we deboarded, i wondered if this was the brand new plane my sister Annie Essienette the hard working and stupefying brilliant Communications Honcho of Ibom Air was telling me when she flew in from Canada to come see my play on Zik in London this last August.
Ibom Air is a positive aberration not only in our aviation but in corporate Nigeria
I remain proud of my heritage; apart from Afang and beautiful women, we have made this contribution to Nigeria.
Ibom Air would be flying the 94-year-old Statesman – Chief Emeka Anyaoku to Abuja, where he would be delivering the strategic paper at my Duke’s International Masterclass on Crisis Management and Reputation this October – another airline? Mbok, leave me o, I cannot shout
Thanks
Come and beat me
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: October 9, 2026
