By Dr Victor Nwogbo
News emerged that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, was named in connection with some legal issues in the US. The charges were mainly a rehearsal of a hitherto unproven string of charges about funds used to buy aircraft between 2017 and 2018. Some of the charges also refer to areas like loan management, militant rehabilitation, which had received global acclaim as stunning success over a decade ago.
While these charges had been cleared earlier, the US authorities curiously raised fresh ones in 2024, which were markedly misreported in a section of the Nigerian media in what was simply uninformed media trial.
In fact, since November 2023 when Air Peace announced its permit to operate flights from Nigeria to Europe, the company has faced a barrage of challenges, leading to questions on the link between the many successes and heroics of Air Peace and the mounting business challenges. With its Lagos-London flight, Air Peace immediately brought competition to bear on that international route, causing a plunge in flight costs from four million naira to 1.2 million naira.
The media need to exercise restraint and professionalism in analysing the facts of the case, instead of engaging in uninformed media trial as seen recently.
Many Successes and Heroics
The airline has been receiving massive applause for its noble gesture. Some of the most not notable ones include rescuing Nigerians trapped in war-torn zones such as Ukraine and Sudan and also airlifting the citizens back home free of charge during xenophobic attack in South Africa and many philanthropic activities.
Onyema’s Peace Advocacy
Worldwide, it is known that Onyema’s price advocacy was hugely instrumental in dismantling violent militancy in the Niger Delta region using the famed Nonviolence Training Programme. The success of the programme attracted global acclaim when the US government, the EU, BBC, and other local and international bodies visited the Obubra Cross River State Camp, venue of the training.
Industry expansion
With its goal of providing seamless domestic, regional and international connectivity to Nigerians and other Africans, Air Peace has remained focused on route expansion. The airline has over the years increased its routes, now serving over 20 domestic destinations within Nigeria, 10 regional locations across Africa and seven international routes.
Starting in 2014 with merely seven aircraft, the airline which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this October, now has a fleet size of over 30 aircraft and over 26 more brand new aircraft on firm order, becoming the largest carrier in West Africa.
By its activities, the company has created thousands of direct and indirect jobs both in Nigeria and beyond.
“Our expansion has not only broadened our operational footprint but also created thousands of direct jobs and indirect employment opportunities within and outside Nigeria,” said the Air Peace boss recently.
Given the airine’s heroic exploits in the Nigerian aviation industry in the past decade of operation, it is imperative that efforts should be made to avoid unnecessarily disparaging the airline.
There is also a need for Nigerians and relevant authorities to continue to offer massive support to Air Peace and other domestic airlines making Nigeria proud in the aviation sector both at regional and international level.
Dr Nwogbo is a Lecturer at UNN, and convener for Concerned Academics for Equitable Society (CAfES).
He can be reached at victordegreat@gmail.com