Passengers predict bright future for Air Peace on international routes

West and Central Africa’s leading airline, Air Peace on Monday ended the first round of its operations to give air travellers a foretaste of its soon-to-start long-haul flights to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai, with members of the flying public saying the carrier was on the right track to provide an exceptional international travel experience.

The airline deployed one of the four Boeing 777 aircraft it acquired for its international flights for the showpiece operations, which started on Good Friday.

It operated on the Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt routes, winning accolades from air travellers comprising top government officials, royalties, corporate executives, among others.

Air Peace said it deployed its wide-body aircraft for the Easter operations “to give Nigerians and the flying public an Easter gift and showcase our readiness for our international operations, starting with our inaugural international flights to Sharjah/Dubai. Other international routes, including Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai will later follow.

"We are set and ready to give Nigerians, Africans and the flying public a reliable alternative on our chosen international routes. But we are pleased to give our loyal customers on the domestic routes a foretaste of our long-haul offering.”

The Boeing 777 aircraft with registration mark 5N-BVE took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 10:01 a.m. and landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport at 10.46 a.m. to start the scheduled operations on the Port Harcourt-Abuja-Port Harcourt route.    
                                              The flights recorded huge passenger loads on all the sectors on Good Friday and Easter Monday, with ecstatic travellers praising the carrier for the initiative to give its domestic customers a feel of its international operations ahead of the actual launch.

Justice Sotonye Denton-West, who was on board the Port Harcourt-Abuja sector of the flight, commended Air Peace for giving its customers a wonderful experience on its Boeing 777 aircraft.

“I was hugely surprised when I saw the aircraft scheduled for my trip and when I boarded I was greeted to its luxurious atmosphere. With that, you can see the airline is on the right track with the state-of-the-art aircraft and wonderful service,” she said.

On his part, Director of Legal Services of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Kaltungo Moljengo, who was on board the Abuja-Port Harcourt sector of the flight, said he was satisfied with the luxury interior of the airline’s aircraft, its well-mannered and courteous crew and exceptional service.

He predicted a bright future for Air Peace on the international routes it planned to service.

Air Peace surprises travellers, deploys B777 for Easter operations

West and Central Africa’s biggest airline, Air Peace on Thursday pulled a big surprise on the travelling public with its plan to deploy its wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft for its domestic operations on the Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt  routes on Easter Friday and Monday.

Air Peace recently acquired four Boeing 777 aircraft for its long-haul operations to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai. Three of the wide-body aircraft have so far been delivered to the airline in readiness for its soon-to-start international operations.

A statement issued by Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Chris Iwarah said the carrier decided to deploy its Boeing 777 aircraft at Easter to "give Nigerians and the travelling public a taste of the luxury to expect on our international routes starting soon.

"The deployment of our beautiful big birds, the Boeing 777 on our domestic routes this Easter begins with our Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt services on Easter Friday and Monday.

“Although our decision to deploy our wide-body aircraft on the domestic routes has huge financial implications for us, we are pleased to honour our pledge never to spare anything in giving our esteemed customers an exceptional feel of air travel experience.

“In the next few days, we will be announcing a firm date for the commencement of our international operations.

"We plan to operate long-haul flight services to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg,  London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai. We are set and ready to give Nigerians, Africans and the flying public a reliable alternative on our chosen international routes.

"But we are pleased to give our loyal customers on the domestic routes a foretaste of our long-haul offering.

" It sure will be a memorable experience starting with our Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt services on Easter Friday and Monday.”

The airline said the flight departs Port Harcourt for Abuja at 10.45 a.m. and returns to Port Harcourt at 12.30 p.m. on Easter Friday. The Easter Monday operations, it added, would take off from Port Harcourt at 8.30 a.m., with a return flight at 10.45 a.m.  

Air Peace boss loses father

Chief Michael Chukwuka Onyema (Nze Onyebuchi of Mbosi), father of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema, has passed on.

A devout Catholic and community leader, Chief Onyema passed on at the weekend. He was 86 years old. 

Speaking on the passing of his father, the chairman of Air Peace said he and his siblings would greatly miss Chief Onyema.

He described the departed head of the Onyema family of Mbosi in Ihiala Local Government of Anambra State as “my best friend.”

The second son and last surviving child of the late Mr. Alfred Onyema, Chief Onyema was a valuable member of the Mbosi Traditional Council and an ichie in the king’s cabinet.

Chief Onyema was famous for his tireless sacrificial community service.

He was the motivator of the several corporate social responsibility projects undertaken by Air Peace in different areas of Nigeria.

An amiable and hospitable leader, Chief Onyema was also credited with the mass employment of Nigerians without discrimination on ethnic or religious basis.

After losing his wife, Mrs. Helen Ekwusi Onyema at a young age, Chief Onyema shouldered the huge responsibility of catering for the upbringing of his young children alone.

He was a man that loathed dishonesty. A very opened-minded and passionately detribalised Nigerian, he encouraged and supported his children to see every Nigerian as one.

Chief Onyema supported his first child, the CEO of Air Peace, to marry a Northerner against the counsel of some of his friends. He also happily gave out one of his younger daughters in marriage to a Yoruba. 

He was a natural activist, speaking up against injustice and man's inhumanity to man, an attribute he bestowed on his son, Allen Onyema.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later by the family of the departed leader.

International flights : Obiano seeks FG's support for Air Peace

Anambra Governor, Chief Willie Obiano on Monday urged the Federal Government to give the needed support to Nigerian carrier,  Air Peace to enable the airline begin flights on the international routes.

The governor made the appeal in a
statement issued by the State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Don Adinuba.

It will be recalled that no Nigerian airline is currently plying the lucrative international routes which recorded 15,645 flights in 2018.

The federal government has  however granted Air Peace approval to start long-haul operations to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai.

Adinuba quoted Obiano as describing Air Peace, which recently received its third B777 aircraft in preparation for its foray into the international market,  as the fastest growing and most ambitious airline in Nigeria's history. 

The governor expressed  satisfaction with the number of aircraft the airline had acquired since it commenced flight operations in 2014.

Obiano urged the federal government to support the airline with a flag carrier status instead of floating a new national carrier like the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited. 

"This is a more pragmatic step to take than the rumoured current attempt in some quarters to make the President Muhammadu Buhari administration establish a state-owned airline.

"This is despite the terrible record of Nigeria Airways and the government's wise suspension of Nigeria Air in September 2018.

"There is no way any state-owned or promoted airline can enhance Nigeria's reputation in the world that Air Peace is not doing and will continue to do with greater efficiency and results," he added. 

According to him, of  particular interest to both the flying public and the government is the airline's safety record which is excellent owing to the extra mile it goes to not only maintain its machines to the highest global standards.

He commended the professionalism demonstrated by Air Peace staff in their flight operations, asserting the airline’s flight services were comparable to those of its international counterparts.

Police most corrupt institution in Nigeria- SERAP survey

 

A new public survey released today by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) reports high levels of corruption in public institutions in Nigeria for the past 5 years. Of the five major public institutions surveyed, the police emerge as the most corrupt, with the power sector identified as the second most corrupt in the country today.

Other public institutions identified as corrupt by 70% of Nigerians surveyed are: the judiciary, education and health ministries. The survey reveals that the level of corruption has not changed in the last 5 years.

The latest report by SERAP entitled Nigeria: Corruption Perception Survey was launched today at the Sheraton Hotels, Lagos.

According to the survey, “a bribe is paid in 54% of interactions with the police. In fact, there is a 63% probability that an average Nigerian would be asked to pay a bribe each time he or she interacted with the police.  That is almost two out of three.”

The chair of the report launch Professor Akin Oyebode said: “Nigeria is looked upon as a giant of Africa. Yet Nigeria could not conduct free, fair and credible elections. It is a smear on the image of Nigeria. If we do away with selective enforcement and condonation of corruption, we will build and live in a better society. Corruption is a refined form of stealing. The politicians are stealing our common patrimony. Development of the people is almost inversely proportional to the level of corruption.”

The report read in part: “Corruption remains a significant impediment to law enforcement, access to justice and basic public services such as affordable healthcare, education, and electricity supply. Several Nigerians have to pay a bribe to access police, judiciary, power, education and health services. Corruption is still a key concern in the country with 70% of Nigerians describing the level of corruption as high and in the same measure, stating that corruption levels either increased or remained the same in the last five years.”

“The national survey carried out between September and December 2018, covered the police, judiciary, power, education and health sectors to assess the state of corruption in law enforcement and public service provision.”

“From the analysis of the anti-corruption legal and institutional framework in Nigeria, the following cross-cutting issues emerged: there is lack of political goodwill to consistently enforce the different anti-corruption laws; inadequate funding for the various anti-corruption agencies; weak public support and/or ownership of anti-corruption initiatives; poor clarity of roles between various anti-corruption agencies; and public perceptions of politicisation of corruption arrests and prosecutions.”

“Bribery experiences were interrogated and recorded in the key sectors of education, health, the police, judiciary and power. Data analysis was conducted under five different and interrelated variables. There was a 63% probability that an average Nigerian would be asked to pay a bribe each time he/she interacted with the police.  The likelihood of bribery in the power sector stood at 49%.  With the chances of encountering bribery at the judiciary, education and health services standing at 27%, 25% and 20% respectively.”

“The police were the most adversely ranked on this indicator. For every 100 police interactions reported by the respondents, there was a bribe paid in 54 interactions. The prevalence levels stood at 37% in the power sector and 18% in education,17.7% in the judiciary and 14% in the health sector.”

“51% of the individuals that paid bribes to the police and 35% to the power sector believed this was the only way to access the services sought from the institutions. The ranking of the education sector and the judiciary was less adverse with 16% perceiving bribery as the main avenue of accessing services in the institutions, and health services recording 13%.”

“The police and judiciary had the largest proportion of total bribes paid at 33% and 31% respectively. Bribes paid for education, power and health services accounted for 19%, 10.9 and 5% respectively of all bribes reported. The average amount of bribe paid by the respondents was highest among those who paid to the judiciary at about Naira 108,000 (US$ 298). All the other institutions ranked lower on this variable with Naira 12,253 and 11,566 reportedly paid to the police and education sectors, and Naira 6,462 and 5,143 paid for health and power services respectively.”

“Perceptions on corruption trends in Nigeria show almost 70% of the respondents perceived the current level of corruption as high compared to 15.5% that felt it was low.  70% of the respondents said corruption levels either increased or remained the same in the last five years. Only a quarter of the respondents felt corruption reduced in this period.”

“About 41% of the respondents projected that corruption will either increase or remain the same in the next year. About a third of the respondents (31.5%) believed the ruling elite are pursuing their selfish interests only therefore corruption levels will increase into the future. Additionally, about a quarter of the respondents (24.9%) believed the current anti-corruption efforts are not comprehensive enough. The poor state of the economy was also seen as a driving factor to increased corruption at 17.2%.”

“Respondents identified poor coordination among the different state players as a key obstacle at 18.4%. Lack of political will from the government and weak public support were ranked second at 12%. Civic action against poor governance: 54.8% of the respondents reported that they had not taken any action against poor governance. That more than a half of the respondents were unwilling to initiate action is alarming and points to low confidence levels that appropriate measures would be taken even if the respondents took action.”

“This assumption is buttressed by the finding that 82% of the actions taken were either not responded to or deemed sufficiently appropriate. Low civic action may also indicate low levels of public awareness on what redress mechanisms exist or how to access them.”

“The Federal government should establish an independent commission of inquiry to conduct a transparent, comprehensive, and impartial investigation into systemic corruption within the Nigeria Police Force, judiciary, and the ministries of power, education and health.”

“The Inspector General of Police should receive and investigate complaints of bribery and corruption against police officers filed by members of the public. The police should liaise with community leaders and civil society organisations in regard to incidents of police bribery and corruption within the community.”

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council should identify and review all outstanding cases of judicial corruption and refer such cases to appropriate anti-corruption agencies. They should apply the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers in a consistent and transparent manner, with full respect for the fundamental guarantees of fair trial and due process.”

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria and the NJC should publish annual reports of all activities involving the judiciary, including expenditure, and provide the public with reliable information about its governance and organisation, including the number of judges found to be corrupt, as well as ensure that the Chief Justice of Nigeria and all other judges make periodic asset disclosures.”

“The National Assembly should move swiftly to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act to ensure public access to asset declarations made by public officials, and urgently pass the Proceeds of Crime Bill, the Whistleblowers Bill, and the Witness Protection Bill among other relevant pieces of legislation.”

“The National Assembly should immediately publish all reports of investigations on corruption and corruption-related matters in the judiciary, education, power and health sectors among others that have been conducted by the National Assembly since the return of democracy in 1999.”

“A positive legacy by the in-coming administration on 29 May 2019 and the recently appointed Inspector General of Police will mean improving accountability of the police, and proactively working to end all forms of corruption within the rank and file of the police. The Inspector General of Police should streamline and prioritise internal control mechanisms by establishing an Ethics and Integrity Unit at each police station. The unit should include a human rights officer, an anti-corruption officer, and an officer responsible for service delivery complaints.”

“The survey targeted a total of 2,655 respondents selected from seven states spread across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria and the capital city of Abuja. The sample was proportionate to population size across these zones. The survey covered the police, judiciary, power, education and health sectors to assess the state of corruption in public law enforcement and service provision.”

“Data for the survey was collected through a survey among ordinary citizens picked through simple random sampling of Nigerians above 18 years; in-depth interviews with key governance experts including representatives of national anti-corruption bodies, trade unions, the business community, media, lawyers, academia, people living with disability and university student leaders; and a review of the legal and institutional frameworks guiding anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria to assess their effectiveness.”

 

Air Peace decorates 2 new captains, insists on high safety standards

West Africa’s biggest carrier, Air Peace on Monday elevated two members of its flight crew to the rank of captain, urging them to sustain the high safety standards the carrier is reputed for.

Speaking during the decoration of Mr  Oluwasegun Fatonade and Mr William Devine as captains at Air Peace Corporate Headquarters in Lagos, the carrier’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Allen Onyema said he was proud that they scaled the tough tests for donning the four-bar epaulette.

The rigorous requirements the new captains were subjected to, he insisted, were necessary to ensure they were qualified for the high quality of the airline’s flight operations.

He said Air Peace would continue to reward excellence as a pro-staff organisation and ensure that its workers were promoted without regard to ethnicity and favouritism.

“I’m one of the happiest persons today. I take pride in seeing people grow. We are pro-staff. In our own little way, we try to ensure that staff enjoy their time here. Anyone can become anything they want to be here without discrimination.

“I don’t meddle in matters involving selection and elevation of our flight crew. It is strictly on merit. For the flight crew training team to have adjudged the new captains worthy of flying for Air Peace, they really must be good. It says a lot about their quality.

" The tough tests they passed through before being selected for elevation as captains was necessary to ensure the sustenance of the high standards of our flight operations.

“It’s not everyone that was tested that made it. I urge the new captains to continue to work hard to sustain the high quality of our flight operations. The position of a captain is one that comes with huge responsibility, but I have no doubt they will excel in their new roles,” Onyema said.

Also,  Air Peace Head of Training, Capt. Ndubisi Ekwempu, who presented the new captains to Onyema for decoration, described them as hardworking and dedicated members of the flight crew.

Their elevation to the left seat, he said, was well deserved. He, however, urged Captains Fatonade and Devine not to rest on their oars.

He commended Air Peace chairman for giving the training team the liberty to do their job uninfluenced. Ekwempu praised the flight crew training team for working hard to produce the new captains.

National Development: The Private Sector Experience in the Nigerian Aviation Industry

National Development: The Private Sector Experience in the Nigerian
Aviation Industry By Eniola Ade-Solanke

Development is not rocket science, neither is it a mere game of chess. It has to be conscious and deliberate. Development is critical and essential to the sustenance and growth of any nation. A country is classified as developed only when is able to provide qualitative life for her citizenry.

According to research, a critical assessment of Nigeria’s development despite her abundance in human, natural and material resources reveals that the
country is yet to achieve the desired expectations as clamoured by her
citizens.

The growth of the agricultural sector, a system of mass education,
growth of local industries, export-oriented strategy, the discipline of leadership,
existence of effective bureaucracy, human resources development,
encouragement of a dynamic private sector working in co-operation with the
government towards a society-wide vision of development, institutional ability building and attention to the problems of governance, consistency and policy stability are key influencing actors critical to the development of our nation.

Only recently, our next door neighbour, Ghana, took everyone by surprise with
the launching of new Kotoka International Airport, Accra, with state-of-the-art
facilities and an imposing edifice that has become an attraction and
destination for tourists.

This feat was no doubt achieved within the shortestperiod possible with its government’s support.

In the case of Nigeria, the agency under whose care the nation’s airports are
domiciled, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), have been in the
public eye for quite a while – not necessarily on positive notes as the case with Kotoka Airport, but mostly about its unbridled controversies with
concessionaires and other investors in the industry.

Is it gratifying, for all intents and purposes for this agency to always be in the public eye primarily owing to its avowed mission to stifle the progressive efforts of investors? Rather than being impartial, they have assumed combined and conflicting roles as both competitors and regulators.

Or isn’t it necessary for government to provide the much needed support, atmosphere and enabling
environment for the nation’s aviation to thrive and compete favourably
among the league of nations of the world, like Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia,
Kenya, Egypt, Malaysia, United Arab Emirate (UAE) e.tc?

This appalling situation owing to a legion of factors not only frustrate
infrastructure development in Nigeria and sets us at the backseat of national
development, it does beg for an alternative solution.

If as a country, we are still at the stage where there are no proper heath care systems, where power
generation and supply is still a challenge, where access to quality education
is an issue, where so many things that require government input is lacking, then
why not provide an enabling environment for private sector investors?

The Public Private Partnership (PPP) model has worked in the development of
sectors such as energy, mining, transport and telecommunication in other
countries. The John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 4 (JFK Terminal 4) was the first major terminal to be managed by a foreign airport operator (Schiphol Group) in the United States.

It is the only non-airline, privately￾operated terminal at JFK. In May 1997, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey awarded a concession contract to JFK International Air Terminal LLC (JFKIAT), a subsidiary of the Schiphol Group, to operate, manage and maintain Terminal 4 until 2043.

According to the concession, JFKIAT was in charge of expanding the Terminal 4 and upgrading the airport infrastructure, which includes nine new international gates, customs and border security facilities and additional baggage space. JFK remains one of the best air terminal
models for the 21st century.

It would take more than words to achieve a Public Private Partnership (PPP)
that works and it is only when such collaborations work that the country can
enjoy the benefits. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO), a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is a partnership between the public
sector and the private sector for the purpose of delivering a project or a service traditionally provided by the public sector.

The advantage of a Public Private
Partnership is that the management skills and financial acumen of private
businesses could create better value for money for taxpayers when proper
cooperative arrangements between the public and private sectors are used.

However, in Nigeria, there is apathy towards the practical operation of this
model stemming from the attitude of Government; lack of investor security;
lack of respect for the sanctity of contracts and the rule of law.

Under this scenario, the case involving Bi-Courtney Limited, operators of the
MMA2 airport terminal is certainly not a good poster for the country. The MMA2
airport has made it easy for the travelling public to get better service than any
other airport in the country.

It has introduced innovation to air transport management and has been publicly adjudged the best terminal in the country owing to constant maintenance of modern facilities, technology
innovations, and good service to provide faster, safer and more customer
friendly experience for terminal users.

One must therefore celebrate the
promoters of MMA2 for resilience and doggedness for a rightfully earned
reputation in the Nigeria’s aviation industry through the demonstration of the positive possibilities for national advancement through Public-Private
Partnership against all odds.

The concern though, is that after 12years of such monumental success, no one
has been able to replicate such a facility or undertake similar private sector
investment, instead FAAN has decided to sell our fortune to the Chinese by
investing in an infrastructure that has not been completed in the last 6years.

Meanwhile the MMA2 which remains the Nation’s PPP pioneer success story
and a key employer of labour was completed in just 3years.

This PPP mechanism has influenced employment creation, leading to gainful
employment of an army of unemployed including capacity development for
skilled workers, which is a mainstream contributing factor for the boost of any
economy.

Going by these reality, it is obvious the only way for development to happen
in Nigeria is to attract the private sector to play a critical part in this journey. If
only more great Nigerians will heed the current call of the masses by assisting
Govt. to provide quality service in all sectors in the economy.

Interestingly, there have been ongoing engagement and sensitization by
officials of the same government on development, transformation,
collaboration etc. and the need to give PPP a chance since government
alone can no longer shoulder the responsibility of providing all necessary
critical infrastructure for the country at large.

But how best do you convince serious minded investors about the PPP
arrangement when local investors are being treated as unwanted partners?

When relevant agencies who are to create the enabling environment for
genuine private sector participation in the infrastructure development of the
nation’s aviation sector, across all levels, routinely breach binding agreements
/ contracts with sheer impunity and pay lip service to the ease of doing
business in Nigeria.

Clearly, there is a need to look inward to see to how the sector can move
forward, mine business opportunities available in air transportation services forinvestors and all key stakeholders in order to improve both the airport and
national economy and discontinue dissipating energy on how to fight
perceived enemies within.

The industry is begging for serious attention. The increasing influence of airports in the development of the region where they are located makes this matter one that requires unwavering attention.

This age-long tradition of inherent economic sabotage cannot take the sector anywhere. It’s high time to borrow
best ideas, global best practices and apply concepts that have truly been
impactful – all for the benefit of this struggling industry and our Nation at large.