Allen Onyema
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has bemoaned the high cost of doing aviation business in Nigeria, stressing that over 70 percent of airlines that started business in Nigeria have died.
He pinned the reason on high and multiple charges on the airlines by the government and its agencies which places the cost of doing aviation business in Nigeria as one of the highest in the world.
Aside charges and taxes, Onyema said whereas interest rates in some countries is at 4 percent which eases borrowing, the same rate in Nigeria stands at between 29 and 33 percent, making borrowing by airlines risky and costly.
He warned that if charges and taxes are not reviewed downward in Nigeria, airlines will go down. He describes Nigeria as having the highest mortality rate for aviation business in the world.
Speaking during an exclusive interview on ARISE News on Monday, Onyema called on Nigerians to boycott South Africa and stop investing in the country in response to xenophobic attacks against Nigerians.
Onyema said he is in support of calls by some Nigerians to retaliate the unkind gesture of South Africa but through non-violent action.
On the xenophobic attacks, Onyema said: “I totally agree that there should be a stop to foolishness.”
“Every time they do this, and they get the support of their government, I don’t understand how all of a sudden South Africa lacks police force, lacks the military, lacks every security agency that could have stopped these people.
“How do you explain where people would march into somebody’s house, bring you out, question you, can I see your papers? You’re a foreigner, you have to go back home,” he said.
Onyema argued that many Nigerians in South Africa contribute to the country’s economy through entrepreneurship and investment. Some left Nigeria with their money to invest in South Africa.
“What have they done? The shops they are running, what kind of employment did you provide for him to run a shop? He brought money from Nigeria and opened a shop in your country to help your country and help you.
“The best you could have done is to learn from these Nigerians and acquire some entrepreneurial skills.”
Onyema said the response to South Africa should be economic and non-violent rather than confrontational.
“The Nigerian government, in fact, I support Adams Oshiomhole, who says that we should retaliate. But the kind of retaliation I want is what we are doing.
“Let us do non-violent retaliation. I don’t want Nigerians to go to the streets and attack any South Africans. Nigerians are not like that. We love foreigners. Nigerians are not like that. That’s not the kind of retaliation I want.
“I don’t want Nigeria to close down MTN or other companies. Don’t Nigerians have shares in those companies? After all, those people are Nigerians too. I don’t want that.
“The kind of retaliation I want is for Nigerians to boycott South Africa.
“Do you know what it means? Boycott South Africa. Don’t invest in that country.
“If they want to invest in our country, let them bring their money and invest. And we determine how they take the money back. That is non-violent action.”
