“We Don’t Need To Balkanize This Country” – Onyema, Air Peace Chairman

By Uche Mbah

Inside the Boeing 777 Aircraft going to Abuja from Lagos, an unexpected Preacher took the microphone. Nigerians are used to announcements by Aircraft crew members – the Purser or the Captain or the Captain’s second in Command. They tell them about their flight – weather, time of arrival etc.

Those who take commercial buses are also used to seeing Preachers, Bible in hand, trying very hard to preach repentance to distracted, stressed and wary passengers. Or hawkers of all kinds of fake medications which they brazenly claim cure all manner of illnesses from running stomach to HIV/AIDS to Diabetes.

But this was different.

The speaker was none of those. It turned out to be the proprietor of the Airline, its Chairman, Allen Onyema.

Onyema’s Airline, Air Peace, is the biggest privately-owned Airline in Africa. It has the largest fleet. So, what is the preaching all about? Is he looking for more  patronage by, and from passengers? Was he going to announce a slash in air fare?

Again, no.

Onyema said he had a message of peace. He told the, at once, bewildered and surprised passengers that he was bringing them a message of unity. He told them how sweet it is to be a Nigerian. And, how proud they should be.

Onyema is from the South-east Zone of Nigeria, a Zone whose   hundreds of thousands of Youths are restless and angry with the entity called Nigeria, and are asking for a referendum, and desperately want out of Nigeria for the Republic of Biafra;  a Zone whose people are shouting marginalization and see persecution in almost everything, and insist a better life lies in an independent Biafra.

But Onyema thinks different. He sees the good side of remaining in Nigeria. He sees the benefits of a big country, the pride in not being an offspring of a mushroom country. And he felt there was no better place to put his message across than on board an aircraft where the elite and the diminishing middle class could listen to him. He preaches hope where many see despair. And, oneness where they see disunity.

He told them:

“I want you to have hope in your nation. Nigeria is for all of us, the bigger Nigeria is, the best thing that can happen to all of us.

“We don’t need to balkanize this country. You don’t know what you’ve got having this nation called Nigeria. Our diversity should be our strength, and not our albatross.

“The diversity we have is the best thing that have ever happened to this Nation.Let us make it work. Let us not engage in playing games. Let us not engage in demonizaion of ethnicities. Let us work as Nigerians.

“The Americans, America is the melting pot of all ethnicities in the world. You have igbo America, Yoruba America, Hausa America, Fulani America, and Anglo America from England, Russia America from Russia, and all over the world.Yet when they get this passport they profess America.

“However, our country with all our diversity. the first thing we profess is ethnicity.  I am Igbo, I am Hausa, I am Yoruba. Can we stop this? This country can be better than it is.

“It is not the fault Government, it is not your fault. It is the collective efforts of all of us that can make it work, not just Government alone. I want you to have hope in your nation. Do not lose hope. Do not feel that the worst have come to happen.

“We have passed through this stage before. Let our diversity be our strength and this country will remain great. God bless you. I hope God  will bless you all. Thank you.”

it is not known how far he can go.If it is a one-off thing. And  if his passengers listened to him, or felt he was a distraction. But a couple of passengers were heard saying: “If this man wants something from the Government, he should go directly to them. He cannot take our money and still not allow us to enjoy our quiet moment here. Or, is he paying for our time?

But another said: “He is a patriotic Nigerian, no doubt, and he wants to protect his business. I hope it does not backfire.