The Team Lead at one of the most vibrant travels and tours agencies in Nigeria, UfitFly, Evangelist Ajibola Ogunkeyede was our guest on our weekly magazine radio show, Parrot Xtra/Ayekooto anchored by Olayinka Agboola on Splash 105.5FM, Ibadan, recently. During the interaction, he spoke passionately about the ongoing war in Israel and what Nigerians should know when relocating abroad among many salient issues… Excerpts:
Can you briefly tell us the success story of your organization since inception?
To God’s glory, UfitFly has been a leading factor in the tourism sector and no organisation can match what we do. When the opportunity came for people to travel to Dubai, Kenya, and others, our organization was the first point of contact for people, and it turned out to be a success. We have been helping Nigerians to travel abroad and locally conveniently without breaking their purses. We also want to thank God for the establishment of Aljana Umrah and Hajj Travels, this has to do with the request of the Muslim faithful who want to collaborate with us. Although we have been in the business of airlifting people to Hajj, we decided to bring in people that are more competent to manage its affairs. These are people who are conversant with the terrain in Saudi Arabia, Egypt among others. I am only a supervising director of the company.
How did you get your big break in the industry?
Consistency has given me an edge in the industry. I cannot affix it to a particular day or month. Even if there have been discouragements and losses, God has been with us and kept us going. I believe sincerity among others has been pivotal to our success in the industry and such has made us stand tall among others.
What is your advice to Nigerians seeking greener pastures abroad?
To Japa (seeking greener pastures) is good if you have the right visa and you must have a definite travel-plan because there are many people abroad who are stranded.
The most important fact to note while relocating abroad is that such a person must be a professional or be self-reliant. Self-improvement is another important thing our people should take note of- people should endeavor to take up courses that can lead to their self-improvement because failure to do such can be detrimental.
Also, travelling with a ‘visiting visa’ only to stay back is an illegal migration. People should find out the type of visa required for them to work abroad so that they won’t get there and be stranded.
Looking at the crisis between Hamas and Israel, I hope it won’t be a drawback to your company’s business plans and how do you intend to balance the situation?
I want to appreciate those who have genuinely reached out to me on this matter and to educate people that the crisis currently going on there has been an internal conflict over years. People should be careful not to turn it into a religious issue; the crisis is just about territory just like the case of Nigeria and Cameroon on the Bakassi peninsula. They just need to sign a treaty to resolve the ongoing crisis. It is unfortunate that many lives are being lost in the ongoing crisis. Our main concern now is that peace should reign in Israel, Gaza and Palestine.
The Lagos State government and the Pilgrims Commission have announced the suspension of all flights to Israel…
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission has suspended the airlifting of pilgrims to Israel because of the ongoing crisis. However, I want to use this opportunity to assure our clients that there are two legs of holy pilgrimage to Israel – the Jordan and Israel paths. The Jordan path is still going on smoothly. Presently in Israel, activities are still ongoing except with few restrictions that limit the number of people that can gather in a place at a moment.
I am in touch with our partners in Israel to get first-hand information about the ongoing there and I want to re-assure our people that there is no cause for alarm.
Even before this time, we have been operating two routes of holy pilgrimage to Israel – the Jordan and Israel path.
In Jordan, we have special places of interest such as Mount Nebo, the place where God showed Moses the Promised Land before his final departure, the city of Gadarenes, where Jesus healed the mad man, the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized and the place where John the forerunner was beheaded.
Even if we cannot access Israel now, Jordan is another point of entry and I am very optimistic that peace will soon return to Israel.
Can you briefly tell us more about what you do at U?
A good name is better than silver and gold. Our mission and vision is quite different from others and that is the reason we cannot disappoint our esteemed clients. We have been in this industry for over 18 years. I have seen how people are desperate to travel outside the country by any means but our standards cannot allow us to bend our rules.
The focus and mission of our organization is anchored on flight and hotel reservation, tour and pilgrimage and educational consultations among others and we have not shifted our standard since we commenced operations many years ago.
I am always elated when people travel out to further their studies because it is one of the best ways to relocate abroad because of employment opportunities after the completion of one’s study.
What is your view on the Naira/Dollar exchange rates?
The instability of the naira is affecting our operations. It is getting to a point where our clients cannot trust the vendors anymore; we want the government to seriously look out into this area and proffer a realistic solution to the instability of our naira.
