The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has commended Air Peace owner, Mr Allen Onyema, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and MTN Nigeria for the support rendered the students and other Nigerians just evacuated from war-torn Sudan.
ACF national chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, in a statement he personally signed Sunday said Allen Onyema had on several occasions, even before the Sudanese debacle, bailed Nigerians out of difficult situations in foreign countries by sending his airline, Air Peace to rescue them back home.
“This is to express our joy and relief at the efforts of the Nigerian government namely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the Diaspora organisation in bringing back our youth and others caught up in the sad events in Sudan. We appreciate their efforts and commend them for their commitment to national service. We are however particularly grateful and appreciative of the support given by some very patriotic Nigerians.
“In particular, we want to thank Allen Onyema and Aliko Dangote for the personal support they gave to the stranded Nigerians. Aliko’s N100,000 to each of them, and MTN’s recharge credit of 25,000 Naira each are extremely remarkable gestures of good-heartedness and patriotism. Only God Almighty will reward them for these efforts.
“However, one person who stands out in this demonstration of patriotism is Mr Onyema of Air Peace. We notice that, some years ago, when some Nigerians were expelled from South Africa, he sent several flights to South Africa to bring them back at his own cost.
“He has equally bailed our national football team out a number of times to enable them participate in tournaments and this time from Sudan, he deployed a whole Boeing 777 Aircraft including the fueling, over flight duties, landing fees, international flight charges and other costs in order to rescue Nigerians caught up in Sudan.
“We want to thank him for this remarkable and consistent show of patriotism, we are deeply touched, and we pray that the Almighty God will reward him adequately. These patriots continue to show that in spite of our challenges and difficulties as a nation, we have men and women who still love their country and will go to any length to render service in times of need,” Chief Ogbeh said.
