Aviation
It’s a privilege to be of assistance to Nigerians—Allen Onyema
Chairman and founder of Nigeria’s biggest private airline, Air Peace, Allen Onyema, says he considered it a privilege to be of assistance to Nigeria and Nigerians all over the world.
He stated this on Wednesday while speaking on Arise TV’s The Morning Show when asked what his motivation was for volunteering to help move Nigerians stranded in war-torn Sudan.
It would be recalled that Air Peace had in 2019, deployed flights to evacuate Nigerians from South Africa amid raging xenophobic attacks in the country which threatened many Nigerians.
“We’re not harnessing the power in our unity. Instead, this blessing God has given us has become an albatross of a kind. And it pains me. So I thought I was like using my God’s given blessings to see how I could help my country.
Responding to questions, Onyema said, “I am compelled to help because Nigeria cannot afford to lose her citizens in that country. It would be my own commitment to making sure that the stranded Nigerians in the war-torn country are safe. Everything must not be left for the government alone, especially as the situation calls for urgency and immediate action.
“I will be deploying three planes to Egypt to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Sudan on Friday. I was told it will take two days to move them by road to the Egyptian border, so by Friday, I will be deploying the jets to bring them home.
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There’s not a bifurcation alone. I lay down my life in the Niger Delta for this country.
“So a lot of people are talking about my intervention during the vacation during the COVID time. Thailand, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, because Nigerians we are destroying our embassies over the fret. That was a great disservice to the image of this country and I sent in my jets to go and bring them back home during COVID. So it’s not a publicity stunt because I’ve been doing it right from secondary school.
“People are trying to bring ethnicity into this. Please nobody should tribalised my good intentions for this country. Let us all come together to help this country in whatever capacity we can,” he said.
On when he’s going to deploy his jets to Sudan, he said “Okay, I’ve been on the phone with the government officials. I spoke with the Foreign Affairs Minister two days ago. And I spoke with Nigeria’s ambassador to Egypt.
“And this morning I was on the phone to the DG of NEMA, I spoke with him and we’re planning to deploy on Friday. I wanted to do it today if possible, but I was told it will take two days before they get to Egypt from Sudan. They told me the parties had left whether it would take two days I wanted to deploy tonight. So I’ll be deployed on Friday, maybe on Thursday night,” he added.