By Boma Nwuke
When on 1st April,2013 Airpeace began the airline business in Nigeria, not many Nigerians believe it would be a massive success story ten years on.
Its founder,Allen Ifechukwu Onyema had ventured into the daring, resource gulping business,investing hugely at a time airline operations were facing serious economic and operational challenges with low returns.
At the time it debuted, Airpeace had just a few aircrafts to fly within the country. Within a few years,it spreads its fleet of aircrafts flying major continental and international routes.
Today, the air company boasts of about 40 aircrafts.
The essence of this discourse is not to expend praise on the Airline business but to to draw attention to the humanitarian gestures and attitude of the Founder and Chief Executive of Airpeace,Mr Onyema.
I listened to him on Channels TV program on Sunday evening where he offered to help with evacuation of stranded Nigerians in the conflict stricken, Sudan free of charge.
He said Airpeace would carry out the evacuation provided that they are taken to a secure neighbouring country where they could be airlifted.
Troubled by the degenerative situation in Sudan, Onyema,on Monday, 24th April, reiterated his offer to help fellow Nigerians in a statement which reads:
” Again, Airpeace is willing to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Sudan free of charge if the government can take them to a safe and secure airport in any of the neighbouring countries bordering Sudan.
Everything must not be left for government and government alone “
He continued” It will be a privilege and honor of tremendous pride that we will be out there to give every Nigerian stranded in Sudan a sense of pride and oneness in their country “.
” We are very ready to do it immediately. No time wasting. Any action that would promote national pride, national cohesion, peace and unity,we are for it”
What a national!.
In a country where the flames of ethnicity and disunity becloud our faculty of reasoning and go up as the clock ticks ,In a country where suspicion of once mutual friends sprouts, burying previously cherished hugs and love. In a country where exchange of pleasantries becomes exchange of banters and feud, in a country where scapegoatism holds sway with little or zero reminiscence of values we hold dear,it pays to acknowledge .the rare spirit of brotherhood demonstrated by Onyema.
In my observation, this is the third time, Onyema would offer to render assistance to airlift Nigerians facing serious challenges outside the country.
In 2020, in the heat of the COVID -19 pandemic, Airpeace airlifted more than 200 stranded Nigerians from the United Kingdom to Lagos.
Last year, the Airline, was one of the airlines that airlifted Nigerians, mostly students fleeing Russia- Ukraine war at Poland airport.
Analysis of the content of his latest statement of his desire to help stranded Nigerians evokes a sense of pride and hope in lovers of ” One Nigeria, that, there are good Samaritans still in our midst.
Onyema Indeed,is a good Samaritan, humanitarian personified,a man of ideas, above all,a Messiah , whose time will come.
Coming at a time when the running costs of aircrafts is so high, aviation fuel is very expensive and the stranded Nigerians on board will be fed free of charge. the goodwill demonstrated by Onyema is worthy of emulation.
In all this, Airpeace will be flying the Nigerian flag, evidence of Nigeria’s growing presence in the aviation industry.
There is no gain saying the naked truth that the likes of Onyema are the true heroes of present Nigeria. There is no need to amplify the obvious that he, Onyema has won the hearts of many,who see the truth, believe in it and say it, damning whatever innuendos or consequences that very often follow indisputable remarks.
I have neither interfaced with the Airpeace CEO on one on one basis,nor have I had the need to seek his attention, but one thing I would like to draw attention to is, his ability to tread where others staggered, slipped and failed. Indeed, he is a reliable tycoon in flight operations, he is the real octopus, whose grip on his vested line of business send shivers through the spine of fellow competitors, Octopus, whose tentacles spreads to searching and winning more territorial waters , familiar and distinct, bringing them under his purview for better judgements and outcomes.
Onyema appears to be one who believes in one of the stanzas of our former national anthem ” Though Tongue and Tribe may differ,in Brotherhood We stand “: Someone who believes in the protection of the struggles of our heroes past.
Somewhere, far removed from our line of vision, the aircrafts needed for the rescue operations would be waiting for their pilots and air attendants ready to swing into action. Soon, it will be time for the big birds to take to the skies only to return with Nigerians who are trapped in neighbouring Sudan.
Thank you Onyema.
You are something to do with God as your name Ifechukwu suggests.
