By; VICTOR DAZANG, Kaduna
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has called on prominent Nigerians to intervene in the misunderstanding between the office of the Director of Protocol, Alhaji Isa Bayero and the management of Peace Air for peace to reign, once and for all.
A statement issued and signed by the National President of the group Alhaji Yerima Shettima and made available to newsmen on Sunday noted that ” it is worrisome that a viable solution to the ongoing misunderstanding seems far away because elders in the country are yet to either pay attention to the matter or make move in the interest of peace”.
The National President, in the statement expressed surprise that the Peace Air chairman Allen Onyema”is being associated with disrespecting the Emir of Kano because the Onyema I know has never ever been linked to disrespect for monarch in the North, much less the Emir of Kano”.
He explained that the Peace Air Chairman has made business sacrifices, evacuating Nigerians from troubled spots around the world, “with the most recent being that of South Africa’s xenophobic attacks and we hope this matter will not obliterate such sacrifices”.
On the issue of delayed flight, the AYCF leader gave an instance of what happened “two years ago, when I humbly asked the Peace Air Chairman to delay a flight for us, in the entourage of Chairman Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi, the CNG Chairman Board of Trustees, Nastura Ashir Shariff and he promptly did. I can recall vividly, that we were travelling by road from Ibadan to Lagos in order to catch the Peace Air plane for our return to Abuja that time; and he did that favour by delaying the flight for over an hour – notwithstanding I’m not a revered monarch like His Royal Highness the current Emir of Kano.
“And the Peace Air Chairman later told me why he did that favour. He said he delayed the flight because you and Ango Abdullahi were doing peace shuttles around Nigeria to douse certain tensions. And you were about missing another important peace shuttle in Abuja if that flight was not delayed.
“That, Allen Onyema said that he would do anything for peace to reign in the country hence he delayed the flight,
So, we just hope this matter does not get out of hand or create the wrong impression that the Peace Air chairman was being needlessly intimidated by the Emirate’s Director of Protocol.
“As a group, the AYCF holds the Emir of Kano in very high esteem and it is well-known that if anyone had ever tried to belittle any Emir in the North, we would be the first to fire back. And that is why we are disturbed that our dear Emirate and Peace Air matter has become protracted”, AYCF said.
The AYCF therefore urged prominent Nigerians to intervene very quickly in the interest of peace, adding that, “we don’t want our beloved Kano, the financial nerve centre of the North to have lesser number of commercial airlines plying the State”.
The group furrher said “tactical diplomacy is required in ending the worrisome problem and prominent Nigerians are best suited to handle this important matter involving two important pillars of Kano’s economic growth – the royal father whose blessing is needed to move Kano forward and the Peace Air which is providing vital business services for the State”, the President pointed out.
