A Coalition of over 180 civil societies have urged the Federal Government to verify claims by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia against Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema.
This followed the corruption allegations against Onyema, which many have described as the handiwork of his haters and detractors, as well as that of pull-him-down syndrome being orchestrated from his home country of Nigeria. Describing the allegations as media attack on the person of Onyema and his fast growing airline, the groups insisted that he (Onyema) should be given fair hearing on all sides to clear his name.
The coalition urged that until then all reports on the issue should be withheld forthwith and considered as libelous, if the allegations are is proven otherwise.
Speaking under the auspices of the Civil Society Groups for Good Governance, its National President Ogakwu Dominic at a media briefing yesterday in Abuja, stressed that the allegations were a media attack on the Air Peace boss calculated to wither down his 10 years of consistent hard work and achievements.
The group submitted that “Onyema should be given the benefit of doubt, since he has publicly debunked and classified the allegations as false and promised to come up with more clarification to prove his innocence as a businessman whose sole aim is to contribute his quota to Nation building, for the overall wellbeing of society.”
They decried actions by media organisations and the United States (US) Government in castigating Onyema when the claims have not been substantiated by competent court of jurisdiction, saying Nigerians must learn to support their own in difficult times.
The coalition also demanded that all publications castigating Onyema be pulled down from websites of online news platforms that negatively reported the allegations. They urged Nigerians to stand in solidarity with the Air Peace boss, saying if the issue escalated further, other accusations could be cancerous on Nigeria and its foundation, especially in the aviation sector.
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