Air Peace will soon commence flights into Ibadan. This is as the airline bagged the Corporate Award of Excellence at the 2019 edition of the University of Ibadan, UI, Alumni Association Luncheon and Awards.
The event held recently at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.
Delivering a lecture titled “Nigeria and the Rise and Rise of Ethnic Nationalism’, Allen Onyema, chairman, Air Peace, explained that the country’s bane as a nation is the citizens’ inability to live beyond the prisms of ethnicity.
He noted that Nigeria’s multi-ethnicity was supposed to be a strength, but noted that it had rather become an albatross. The UI alumnus, who bemoaned how Nigerians whip up ethnic sentiments in salient national discourses, remarked that ‘we must make a resolve to start harnessing the powers that lie in our ethnic composition and leverage them for the development of the country’.
While receiving the award, Onyema thanked the Alumni Association for honouring him and his airline, Air Peace.
“My joy knows no bounds today. I appreciate this academia because it contributed to making me who I am today. I love my country and will continue to live a life of selflessness,” Onyema said.
He urged his fellow alumni to toe the same path by giving back to the University and the larger society. Onyema revealed that, as part of giving back to the University and the city of Ibadan which shaped him, Air Peace would commence flights into Ibadan from Kano, Owerri and Abuja.
“Very soon, we shall start flying Abuja-Ibadan-Abuja daily, Kano-Ibadan-Kano and Owerri-Ibadan-Owerri 3 times a week. This is part of our no-city-left-behind initiative and our plan to interconnect various cities of Nigeria, giving our esteemed customers more seamless connections. It will be recalled that just last month, the airline announced the commencement of Kano-Owerri-Kano flights,” he explained.
The University’s Alumni Association specially celebrated the Air Peace boss in this year’s homecoming. Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of UI, Professor Idowu Abel, described him as a detribalised Nigerian who has shown strong commitment to the advancement of the nation through his various humanitarian initiatives and socio-economic interventions, like the creation of massive jobs, peace missions and philanthropy.
In the same vein, Elsie Adewoye, the President of the Alumni Association, expressed gratitude to Onyema for accepting to be part of the homecoming and serving as the Guest Lecturer.
Adewoye, who acknowledged the unequalled strides of Onyema in his chosen turf, added that the institution was proud of him and implored him to keep impacting lives.
She noted that the CEO was being honoured because of his historic evacuation of 503 Nigerians from South Africa during the xenophobic onslaught.
