By Dickson Omobola

Chairman of Nigeria’s largest carrier, Air Peace, Allen Onyema, on Wednesday, lamented what he described as an orchestrated campaign against the airline, urging Nigerians to jettison the pull-him-down syndrome.

His statement came amid a series of heated exchanges between Air Peace’s management and former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, over a check-in issue at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

Although Onyema did not speak directly to the senator representing Edo North, he demanded that the airline be appreciated by the country despite the external challenges it was enduring.

The airline’s Chairman also announced that Air Peace has secured slots at London’s Heathrow Airport, with flight operations from Abuja set to commence on October 26.

Addressing newsmen at Air Peace’s headquarters in Lagos, he said: “Air Peace has done a lot for our fatherland and we will continue to do it because we see it (airline business) as a calling, not to make money.

“Air Peace has spent several billions on rescuing this country, the government of Nigeria and Nigerians free of charge. We demand to be applauded. We demand to be appreciated by our country. Anything other than this should be questioned.

“Nigerians should begin to jettison this pull-him-down syndrome of their own. It should be jettisoned. Both government agencies and the citizenry should jettison this pull-him-down syndrome because it has become a culture where people who should protect their interests want to kill it. They want to do everything to bring down their own.

“We should begin to fight for our own. We should begin to love this country. Do not look at a business and say: ‘this is owned by an Igbo man. Therefore, let us bring it down. Because this business is owned by a Hausa man, let us bring it down.

“If you destroy any indigenous business that is providing massive job opportunities for the people, and people lose their jobs, you do not know where the next suicide bomber, the next armed robber, the next kidnapper will come from.

“Nigerians should begin to do things that will promote the well-being of indigenous investments. Anything other than that is an aberration. We must, as Nigerians, be deliberate in promoting oneness and the well-being of Nigerian businesses because they provide jobs for people.”

On securing slots at Heathrow, he said: “Our daily flights to London are going well. Come October 26, we will start our Abuja-London. I want to announce to you that the British authorities have granted Air Peace Heathrow. That is a testament of their belief in what Air Peace is doing. We thank the British authorities for doing that.

“We also thank the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, and President Bola Tinubu for all they are doing to showcase Nigeria. Internationally, Air Peace has represented this country well and proudly. As a result, they rewarded us with Heathrow. We will also do some Gatwick because they granted us seven days to Gatwick.”