Headline

Why Tinubu Should Dissolve Nigeria Air — Air Peace CEO, Onyema

Published

3 years ago

June 17, 2023

… Threatens To Expose Some Things

In what looked like a defence for his actions, the embattled former Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, who has been accused of orchestrating fraud in the unveiling of the country’s national carrier, ruffled some feathers during an interview with Arise TV, last week.

During that interview, Sen. Sirika made some comments which are now being termed false including that the reason Air Peace stopped plying the Dubai route was because it lacked capacity. Sen. Sirika’s allegation immediately attracted a statement from the management of Air Peace, debunking it as false. Also, in a bid to clarify issues more, in a right-of-reply kind of interview with Arise TV on Wednesday, the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, maintained that claims made about his airline operation by Sen. Sirika, were nothing but false, noting that the ex-ministers statements were targeted at destroying the good image of Air Peace.

He went on to describe the former minister’s statements as “very unfortunate”, adding, “It’s very shameful for an ex-minister, somebody who, 20 years ago, was in the House of Representatives, he was a senator, and for the last eight years, he was a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, being paid from my taxpaying, he supervised my ministry, you expected him to be our chief marketer but that hasn’t happened.”

Onyema who stated that he wouldn’t expose a lot of things on national television for the love of the nation, however, decided he must point out certain things.

His words: “The ex-minister of Aviation came out to say indirectly or directly that the Airline he supervised is incompetent, leased two aircraft, paying five hundred thousand dollars monthly for 18 months, incurring 19 million dollars and he was peddling falsehood barefacedly, he never blinked, he was speaking as a matter of fact like that happened.

“Imagine the damage this minister had done to the image and reputation of Air Peace.

“Meanwhile he was peddling pure falsehood. How do we now believe every other thing he said on that day?”

To set the record straight, Onyema explained that “Air Peace doesn’t have two 777s; Air Peace has three and those three were out rightly purchased. Two of those planes are in fact, X Emirates.

“One is X Singapore Airlines with everything you can think of in those planes outrightly purchased by Air Peace.

“Therefore, we never paid rental to anybody, we never incurred…, in the first place, you can’t even use 250,000 to rent a 777; how much do you pay for a single aircraft not to talk of a 777.

“So this is a minister trying to fool the entire nation in his desperate bid to fool everybody to win the nation.

“He was peddling falsehood on Air Peace so, how do we as a nation believe every other thing he was saying out there?

“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority that regulates us is there, you can contact them.

“He was in charge, he signed the import permit. You cannot import any aircraft into the country without the minister of aviation’s approving.

“So he knew quite well that those planes were not leased; they were not rented, they were fully paid for.

“But he told the entire world that we leased those planes just to make us look bad and at the same time, praise Ethiopia, his partners.”

Genesis of the controversies

Onyema further explained that the history of the whole struggle, contrary to what the minister had been saying, was about having a national career. According to him, a national career is a moribund idea worldwide and as such, they knew it was going to “fall and fail like a pack of cards”.

“According to him, most nations have moved away from national carriers due to huge debt portfolios and issues of mismanagement.

“Why should Nigeria in 2023 be going backwards instead of forward? All they needed to do is to strengthen the ease of doing business so that people of means, private concerns of means will come and invest in aviation industry.

“We are not fighting for ourselves. They thought we were afraid of competition. When they wanted to do the national carrier, we made comments but most people stood against it.

“The whole thing was shrouded in secrecy. Our members told Air Peace to apply but when we went to the website we were blocked,” he explained.

The Air Peace CEO further disclosed that he and his team that sued the federal government challenging the launch of Air Nigeria did not withdraw the suit, and the court did not strike it out either, noting that the former minister brought in Ethiopian Airline to make a mockery of the judicial process.

“We went to court, those four suits were meant to demean the local operators in favour of this charade they’ve put up with Ethiopia. Even at some point, ex-president Muhammadu Buhari shot down this National Air project at a time.

“One man just hoodwinked the country into believing that this is needed.

“All they needed to do was to set up a strong light carrier and if you provide enabling environment, more people will invest.

”He told the world that Air Peace was no longer going to Dubai because of low capacity.”

Still miffed with Sen. Sirika’s claims, Onyema said, “Whoever advised senator Hadi Sirika to come on national television, to defend the indefensible has not done him any good.

“The whole world knows we started operations into Dubai July 5, 2019. We never stopped until Covid, when everybody stopped.

“When Covid stopped, we started. UAE decided for whatever reason, to stop the issuance of visas to Nigeria; we stopped going to Dubai, Emirates stopped coming to Nigeria.

“Neither Air Peace nor Emirates is plying this route now. So why should a minister of government barefacedly, come on television to speak falsehood because you want to paint the indigenous operators black and blue.”

Responding to the statement that his airline lacks capacity even after the tremendous role he played in bringing Nigerians in foreign countries home during covid-19 and recently Sudan, Onyema questioned how the ex-minister could have said such.

He recounted that when “The entire world shut down during the lockdown in 2020 because of covid-19, Air Peace went to China on three occasions, bringing back Nigerians; that is a 14, 15 hours non-stop flight, deploying our 777s to bring Nigerians back to their homeland proudly.

“Three times, yet Air Peace doesn’t have capacity? Air Peace also went to India 12 times bringing Nigerians back home.”

He disclosed further that “most Nigerians in India, didn’t have money to pay Ethiopia (air line) to bring them back, I deployed my jets to bring them back.

“Those we brought back later put it in the newspaper to thank us because we brought them back free of charge.”

Onyema also recounted helping to evacuate Nigerians from other countries such as Indonesia, London, South Africa and South Sudan.

“He said after flying into the UK to bring home Nigerians during covid-19, his permit was not renewed for a second trip,” adding that, “I paid for Nigerians, hired a European carrier to bring Nigerians home.

“The Federal Government praised Air Peace for doing that as well as deploying their 777s on two occasions to rescue Nigerians during xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

“Nigeria was respected worldwide for what Air Peace did on their behalf.”

Also recalling his contributions towards helping to fight insecurity in the country, he said, “I have always contributed to the well-being of this country and all I get from some government officials is this kind of thing; they fight you from different angles.”

Why President Tinubu should dissolve Nigeria Air

While calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to dissolve Nigeria Air, Onyema faulted the shareholding arrangement of the airline noting that the leadership of the entire management of the airline is twisted in favour of Ethiopia.

”When you look at this Nigeria Air thing, look at the shareholding, I have it here, the shareholding agreement, without SAHCO, Nigeria would have been in trouble.

“The leadership of the entire management, the DFO, the CEO, all the management positions the headship- Ethiopia, deputies- Nigeria.

“Then, look at the shareholding in Ethiopia 49%.

“There’s a company called Fairfax, who is this Fairfax? It’s another Ethiopian (company), owned by an Ethiopian; they are transaction advisers and they’re going to get 3%.

“They’re going to get 1.45% of the shareholding capital, which is put at 250 million. Ethiopia will bring 122 million but not as cash but as rentals,” he stated.

The Air Peace boss further condemned the shareholding arrangement that favours Ethiopia which he said, is not contributing a penny to the airline adding that “It is only the Nigerian companies that are going to bring money, SAHCO and MRS.

“I have it here, the document is written here. Ethiopia is not bringing a penny into Nigeria. Ethiopia will pay rentals for their own plane, it is written here in black and white, pay for rentals for their own plane for five years. So even if they pay the N122 thousand, Air Peace alone is worth over $2 billion.

“As I speak to you, Boeing is in my office now for the delivery of our 737 Max, which is costing over a billion dollars. Ethiopia is bringing nothing and they’re going to earn 49% of your country’s wealth.”

“I call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately dissolve this charade called Nigeria Air and start his own thing.”

He disclosed that before this charade, what Ethiopian Airline did with the National carrier, the Ethiopian Airline also wanted to do with him, revealing that they approached him for a deal that would earn him royalties and make him swim in millions of Dollars for life with the Ethiopian Airline supplying the planes but he said after considering that other airlines will die, jobs will be lost, etc, that he turned down the deal just for national interest.

VANGUARD

Headline

FG Summons S. African Envoy Over Rising Xenophobic Attacks On Nigerians

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

The Federal Government has summoned the Acting High Commissioner of South Africa in Abuja over renewed concerns about xenophobic attacks and protests targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians, living in that country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the envoy is expected at its headquarters on Monday, May 4, 2026, for a high-level engagement aimed at addressing the growing tension and safeguarding bilateral relations between both countries.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said Nigeria would formally express its “profound concern” over recent developments in South Africa, particularly reports of harassment, violence, and destruction of property belonging to foreign nationals.

According to the ministry, the meeting will focus on ongoing demonstrations by various groups in South Africa and documented cases of attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in parts of the country.

“The objective of this engagement is to formally convey the Nigerian Government’s profound concern regarding recent events that have the potential to impact the established cordial relations between Nigeria and South Africa,” the statement read.

It added that discussions would also address ongoing demonstrations by various groups within South Africa and documented instances of mistreatment of Nigerian citizens and attacks on their businesses.

The ministry acknowledged growing anger among Nigerians over reports of xenophobic violence but urged restraint, stressing that diplomatic engagement remained the preferred channel for resolution.

It assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was actively engaging South African authorities to ensure the protection of its citizens abroad.

“The Ministry is aware of the growing discontent among Nigerians concerning the treatment of their nationals in South Africa. Nevertheless, it implores the Nigerian public to remain calm and reiterates the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of Nigerian citizens residing in South Africa,” the statement added.

The latest diplomatic move comes amid renewed reports of xenophobic tensions in parts of South Africa, where foreign-owned businesses have occasionally been targeted during protests linked to unemployment and economic hardship.

South Africa has a history of xenophobic violence dating back to 2008, with subsequent flare-ups in 2015 and 2019, when mobs attacked migrants, looted shops, and displaced thousands of foreign nationals across several provinces.

In past incidents, Nigerians and other African nationals were among those affected, prompting strong diplomatic reactions from Abuja and calls for stronger protection of foreign communities.

While South African authorities have repeatedly condemned such attacks and deployed security forces to restore order during outbreaks of violence, concerns have persisted over recurring hostility in some communities.

Headline

Mississippi Man ‘Kills Mother, Flushes Her Remains Down Toilet’

Published

3 days ago

May 2, 2026

Editor

A 29-year-old Mississippi man, Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., has been charged with multiple offences, including first-degree murder, over the death of his mother, Lana Brown Bradley, after deputies responded to her Natchez home on April 4 following a missing person report from relatives.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to Bradley’s residence after her oldest son was unable to reach her the previous day.

Jackson was initially identified as a family member before investigators confirmed he was her son.

Sheriff Travis Patten described the case as deeply disturbing.“This is by far the most heinous crime that I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life. We weren’t out there that day; this was one of those things when we walked up.

“This was one of those cases that you will never, ever forget in your life. This is the type of case that follows you home,” Patten told WJTV.

According to the sheriff, deputies noticed signs of a recent cleanup when they arrived at the home.

“As soon as they walked in the house, they could just see where somebody had been cleaning up, and they could smell chemicals all throughout the house.

“Floor was extremely slippery. And the older son said that this is just unusual for the youngest son to be cleaning up the house like that,” Patten explained.

Jackson, the youngest son, was found in a bathroom, where deputies allegedly made a discovery that became central to the investigation.

“I can say what was in the toilet, and it was her flesh. He chopped her up in pieces and dismembered her in a way that whoever came looking for her would have to do their due diligence to find her, and that’s just what we did,” the sheriff said.

Authorities said Jackson allegedly placed parts of his mother’s body in a suitcase and attempted to dispose of other remains.

Jackson faces charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem and tampering with evidence.

Headline

Iran Says War With US May Resume As Trump Rejects Proposal

Published

3 days ago

May 2, 2026

Editor

Iran’s military has warned that the war with the United States and Israel could resume, declaring that it is fully prepared for any renewed confrontation as tensions between the sides continue to deepen.

In a statement reported by Iranian state-affiliated media, senior military officials said a return to hostilities is “likely”, citing what they described as Washington’s lack of commitment to previous agreements and negotiations.

The warning comes after US President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Iran’s latest peace proposal, saying the terms presented by Tehran included demands he “can’t agree to”.

According to officials in Tehran, Iran believes it showed flexibility during earlier negotiations, including talks held in Islamabad and during the ceasefire period. However, authorities argue that the United States has instead taken a tougher stance, widening the gap between both sides.

Iranian officials insist that key issues such as sanctions relief and the status of the Strait of Hormuz must be resolved before any broader agreement, including discussions around its nuclear programme, can progress. They also reject what they describe as US demands amounting to “surrender”.

The growing diplomatic deadlock has raised fears that another round of fighting may be imminent, with Iranian authorities indicating that preparations are already underway.

Meanwhile, the prolonged conflict continues to have far-reaching consequences within Iran. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reports that the country has entered its 64th day of near-total internet disruption, effectively isolating it from global online networks.

The shutdown, which began after renewed anti-government protests earlier in the year and intensified following the outbreak of the war, has significantly disrupted businesses and livelihoods across the country.

Beyond Iran, the conflict is also reshaping global dynamics. Rising oil prices linked to the war have placed pressure on international markets, while geopolitical tensions have strained alliances, including between the United States and European partners.

As both sides remain far apart on key issues, analysts warn that without a breakthrough in negotiations, the fragile pause in fighting could collapse, paving the way for renewed military escalation in the region.