Why Must Nwa-Afo-Igbo Want To Ruin Air Peace?

JUVENTUS CHUKWUNWEIKE OKOLI

I have often doubted the sincerity of the friendship amongst hustlers; the real acceptance of the human person of his fellow, and genuine liking amongst friends. In most relationships, a lot are usually hidden: envy, jealousy, hatred, unhealthy competition, grudges, character assassination, etc. Suffice this to the social media attacks on Barr. Allen Onyema’s Air Peace in view.

Air Peace is the leading company in the country’s aviation industry today. It is a household name, not only here in the country but globally. Air Peace has made bold steps to enroute its flights to various destinations across the globe. It has, in the course of this, been able to offer lots of job opportunities to the world’s population irrespective of country, class or creed. Certainly, this company has been able to link Nigeria to the world, as it has come to serve in some aspects as another window or gateway through which foreigners see and understand Nigeria and indeed Africa.
By a stroke of chance and by the divine act of the Creator, Allen Onyema hails from Mbosi in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. He is therefore a bonafide Igbo man by birth and acts.

It is therefore, very highly suspicious that an Igbo man or a gathering of few Ndi Igbo would want to destroy Air Peace by circulating written, as well as, recorded audio cum video messages, accusing Air Peace of selling its flight tickets higher in flights designated to Igboland. It becomes even more worrisome as the explanation given by the CEO/MD of the company, Barr. Allen Onyema himself, would not calm the nerves of these persons. 

Unfortunately, the audio and video messages were all made by core Igbo persons as their spoken Igbo proved. 
Why must Nwa-Afo-Igbo want to run Air Peace down? How does Onye Igbo think that the Igbo can do better in Nigeria today by destroying and pulling his fellows down? Do we really pause now to see what it will take us to get another Airline should we successfully demarket this Allen’s laudable venture?

Allen Onyema who singlehandedly evacuated endangered Nigerians of all tribes from South Africa during the period of the infamous xenophobic attacks on Nigerians. Ide Global is a worthy philanthropist, a great giver who has transformed the lives of many citizens of the world, including Ndi Igbo. This worthy son of Igboland and Ihiala Local Government Area in particular, has through his various business conglomerates employed many who survive the daunting challenges of life today through their job offers from Allen. This huge number of employees have also to cater for their individual families from their God’s given Allen jobs! What happens to these people and all the people who depend on them, should Allen go down! Tufiakwa; Chukwu ekwekwana! Who paid the dirty messengers of doom to dare Air Peace and indeed all people of goodwill? Could this be politically masterminded, or a paid smear media campaign by some groups in competition with Air Peace in the aviation industry?

It is a common belief in marketing that one has to know the facts of any business venture before one can effectively discuss its operations. A closer look at the said messages on social media made it clear that none of the posters has a good idea on how the sales of flight tickets run. And an explanation by Allen Onyema would not convince or stop them from further attacks. I might not be an authority on aviation matters, but the experiences I have garnered in the course of travels marry in totality with Barr. Onyema’s submission. Throughout my sojourn in Europe, most of us are used to purchasing our December flight tickets to Nigeria months long before the time. At that time, the ticket to and fro Nigeria, would be just anything between 400 to 550 euro; those who go some months, weeks and days to that December will have to pay times 2 or 3, even more of what we paid around January, February, March, April for ticket reservations. Indeed, we applied the same method in most of our trips within Europe, America and Asia continents then. We only fall prey to higher ticket purchases on strict emergencies!

This said, Ndi Igbo should remember that, “na anara otu onye Oru Azu, Oru niile ka anara ya”! We ought to know this and rather than wrongly destroying anything Igbo, we shall fight to sustain and keep the businesses and efforts of Ndi Igbo who have selflessly built themselves to compete with “who is who” and the “powers that be” in Nigeria. Instead of ignorantly raising false alarms against our own, whoever wishes to know can approach the company’s representatives to be better informed. Let us continue to remember any false attack on Barr. Allen Onyema (IDE Global) and his Air Peace is considered wicked, and an act of sabotage to Ndi Igbo!

Juventus Chukwunweike Okoli, an advocate for good governance, democratic justice and Independence, writes from Orsumoghu.