XENOPHOBIA IN SOUTH AFRICA: AIR PEACE GIVES UNLIMITED FREE FLIGHTS TO NIGERIANS FLEEING SOUTH AFRICA

Nigeria's largest aviation carrier, Air Peace, has started giving free flights to Nigerians in South Africa who have decided to return home in the wake of xenophobic attacks against them by South African nationals.

Chief Allen Onyema, CEO of Air Peace

The chairman of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema, had promised free flights to willing returnees as the crises worsened. In a statement by the spokesman for Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ferdinand Nwonye, he had said, “The ministry wishes to inform the general public that following the recent unfortunate xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, including Nigerians in South Africa, the proprietor of Air Peace Airlines, Chief Allen Onyema, has volunteered to send an aircraft from September 6, 2019, to evacuate Nigerians who wish to return to Nigeria free of charge. The general public is hereby advised to inform their relatives in South Africa to take advantage of this laudable gesture.”

In a statement last week, Mr. Onyema had said, “We are offering free trip to Nigerians in South Africa to return home after going through the traumatic experience of the attacks. Air Peace has said this is free and we are doing it in solidarity with the federal government. We have not designated or recruited any agent in South Africa to collect money on behalf of Air Peace. So nobody should pay money to anyone or group of persons posing as Air Peace agent or staff. Any Nigerian who has paid money for repatriation back to Nigeria with Air Peace should request for a refund and report to appropriate authorities."

The first batch of returnees aboard Air Peace flight MEN2759

So far, according to reports, the first batch of 188 returnees have landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos since the past since yesterday on flight MEN2759. Air Peace chairman has promised to continue providing free flights until "the last Nigerian that's willing to return" has been brought home.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity, Benjamin Uwajumogu, has hailed Air Peace Chief Executive Officer, Allen Onyema, for conveying Nigerian victims of xenophobic attacks in South Africa back to the country. The senator showered encomiums on the airline boss, saying he is a Nigerian businessman with conscience.

He further called on President Muhammadu Buhari to integrate the returnees into his administration's social investment program. And in addition, he called on South East governors to immediately put a committee in place to help ameliorate the trauma of returnees from the zone.

Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa sharing hugs with retunees' children at the airport

There were dramatic scenes at the airport as returnees were full of joy and excitement as they shared hugs, sang the national anthem, and showered praises on the Air Peace boss who came personally to receive them.

The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa was also at the airport to receive them and promised that the government will help the returnees find their feet in the land of their birth. She said the returnees would be handed sim cards and call credit that would last them a couple of weeks, just so they can stay in touch with family and friends. Those who want to enroll for the federal government's social investment programs can also do so, she added. "The bank of industry will also be here to offer some entrepreneurship programs and some support to start a small business and there would be some stipends for transportation to take you home and we will profile them and for those who want to get any training, they will decide what kind of training they want to do and the Bank of industry will be there to provide it,”

Typically, a flight from Nigeria to South Africa costs over $1,000. The Air Peace boss says he spent over N280 million (more than $777,000) in the evacuation efforts.

This effort is a very laudable one, and I call on the Federal Government to provide necessary support for Air Peace until every Nigerian in South Africa who is willing to return has been safely brought home. Perhaps, free aviation fuel should be provided for Air Peace in this effort.