Setting The Record Straight On Air Peace And Anambra Airport Land

PAUL NWOSU 

Immediately I read the article titled “Air Peace and Other Matters” by my good friend, Valentine Obienyem, I concluded that he did not have his facts right. And where facts are lacking, it becomes journalistic sacrilege to go public with conjecture and malice, especially when the assertions cast unkind aspersions on people who served Anambra State with integrity. Or is there more to this issue than meets the eye?

Ordinarily, my reaction would have come sooner, given that I served in the administration so unfairly maligned in Obienyem’s piece. But I chose to be guided by verifiable facts. Hence I reached out to the key actors in the matter, individuals who have long moved on with their private lives, and their responses, supported by documentary evidence, corroborated what I already knew; that Obienyem’s story is riddled with falsehoods.

If the intent of his article, in the noble spirit of the Fourth Estate, was to expose wrongdoing by a previous administration, then he failed.

For those who may not have read the piece, Obienyem alleged that Allen Onyema’s Air Peace paid ₦100 million to the immediate past government of Anambra State for land intended for the construction of a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility, “and was yet treated unfairly.”

He then posed a rhetorical question dripping with innuendo: “What does this reveal about the character of the Governor who held office in August 2021, when the payment was made?”

Though he carefully avoided naming names, it was obvious he was referring to the immediate past Governor, His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano. He went further to insinuate that perhaps the Governor was “denied a personal stake in the venture and, in resentment, withdrew his hand of approval.”

That insinuation is not only unkind, it is Not True! Nothing but a figment of his imagination.

These are the facts:
1. In 2021, Air Peace applied to the Anambra State Government for land to establish an aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hangar at the newly commissioned Anambra International Airport.

2. Governor Willie Obiano, who placed great importance on attracting investors, directed the then Commissioner for Lands, Hon. Bonaventure Enemali, to treat Air Peace’s application with utmost priority.

3. A premium parcel of land measuring 64,572.72sqm was allocated to Air Peace, strategically located near the Cargo Apron and Control Tower. (Approved site plan is hereby attached.)

4. In line with the State’s official “scale of fees,” the cost of the land was computed at ₦100 million, which Air Peace duly paid. (Receipt attached.)

5. The Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) was promptly processed and signed by Governor Obiano on September 14, 2021. (Copy of CofO attached.)

6. The document was collected by Captain Godfrey Ogbogu on behalf of Air Peace. (Signed acknowledgement copy attached.)

7. The Commissioner for Lands and government Surveyor, because of the importance of the project, went and showed Captain Ogbogu the land. Up until the end of that administration, the land remained open and available for Air Peace to commence development.

8. It’s important to note that the land in question belongs to the Anambra State Government, which had acquired it and paid full compensation to the affected communities.

9. Consequently, there was no community interference, dispute or interruption regarding Air Peace’s allocation of the land or stoppage of work as alleged in the media.

10. To further clear the air, HRH Igwe Ben Emeka of Umueri publicly issued a statement debunking the false claim that his community obstructed Air Peace’s project. (Copy of the published statement attached.)

So, if the previous administration did not revoke Air Peace’s CofO, and the host community did not block the project, where then did Obienyem get his story?

Our findings at AlphaTimes revealed from credible sources close to Air Peace is that the airline had, around the same time, also secured approval for a similar project at Lagos Airport. And because land at Lagos Airport is in high demand and could be forfeited if development did not commence promptly, the airline decided to start work there first.

The Anambra project was never abandoned but was only put on hold, since the land had already been paid for and secured in Onyema’s home state.

It is therefore disheartening that some people have chosen to distort the truth for political convenience or personal animus. Responsible journalism demands that we verify before we vilify. The truth is simple: the Anambra State Government under Governor Obiano fulfilled every obligation to Air Peace in good faith.

To suggest otherwise is not just misleading, it is unethical, unfair, and unbecoming of the journalism we know and cherish.