By Sade Williams
The Guardian and The Nation newspapers have chosen Air Peace Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Barr. Allen Onyema as one of the most outstanding leaders of corporate Nigeria.
In a letter dated February 23, The Nation said it selected Onyema as one of the “10 Most Outstanding Chief Executives in 2016” for maintaining a culture of efficiency in running Air Peace despite the huge challenges the Nigerian aviation industry faced last year.
“In the year under review,” the newspaper said, “you maintained the tradition of efficiency in service delivery for which your airline is renowned. Despite daunting operational challenges occasioned by the economic downturn and aviation fuel scarcity, you provided all-year-round, uninterrupted flight services to your numerous customers nationwide, thereby maintaining a reputation as one of the most reliable and efficiently managed airlines operating in Nigeria.”
The Nation said it would dedicate a special edition to the Air Peace boss and nine others who made the list on Monday, March 13.
For its part, The Guardian said it picked Onyema as one of “Nigeria’s 50 Most Inspiring Personalities” to spur the youths to action.
“Today in Nigeria,” the newspaper regretted in a letter to the Air Peace boss dated March 6, “there is no hiding the fact that the youths are not interested in hard work or ready to struggle to achieve. All they want is money … The youths of today will do anything to travel abroad as it is their belief that the streets of advanced countries are lined with hard currencies and that all they need do is get there … and start picking the money.”
The media giant explained: “To all right-thinking people, this mindset of the youths is worrisome and repulsive, and therefore, they need to be reorientated. This is why The Guardian has come up with this initiative, which is meant to make them (youths) see that there are virtue and valour in hard work by showcasing people who through hard work, resilience and can-do spirit got to great heights in this country.”
The newspaper said it was going to publish a special report on the 50 personalities comprising captains of industry, traditional rulers, religious leaders, public servants, politicians and technocrats on Monday, March 20.
