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The Nigerian Association Of Kingian Nonviolence Practitioners has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to offer an apology to the management of Air Peace Airline over the disruption of its flight operations at the Sam Mbakwe airport in Owerri due to its ongoing industrial action in Imo state.
The spokesperson for the group Sixtus Nwoke who addressed reporters in Owerri on Monday said that the action of NLC and TUC was a huge national embarrassment and economic sabotage.
Nwoke, explained that NLC and TUC had to Publicly apologise to the management of Air Peace Nigeria and the Nigerian people who they disrupted their business engagements by barring flights movements in and out of Imo state.
‘I speak on behalf of the members of our group drawn from the six geopolitical zones of the country. Few days ago, while Allen Onyema was in the war front trying to rescue stranded Nigerians In Sudan, Joe Ajaero led NLC group was busy disrupting operations of Air Peace and its passengers causing the Airline to lose an estimated N700m,’ Nwoke stated.
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‘NLC has no right to stop the social contract Air Peace has with the public. We urge that legal action be taken against NLC and TUC as their actions are unjustifiable.
‘If the unions have issues with the government of Imo state as they claimed, it has no correlation with Air Peace activities. They should had taken their actions against the government through legal means rather than attacking Air Peace Nigeria.
‘The airline is not the only airline flying to Imo from Lagos, so why single it out for attacks?
‘Allen Onyema has contributed mightily towards the development of this nation. During the upsurge in militancy in the Niger Delta region which almost grinded oil production, he introduced the nonviolence education to Nigeria and the agitators embraced this philosophy of peace, oil production was boosted again.
‘He has intervened in several areas of our national challenges towards ensuring peaceful coexistence as brothers irrespective of tribe or religion. He deserves every recognition and appreciation.’
He continued ‘As nonviolence practitioners, we are known for peace in line with the trainings which over 200,000 Nigerians have received at home and abroad through the benevolence of this same Allen Onyema. We therefore call on the government, security authorities to seriously investigate this action carried out by NLC and TUC and those responsible brought to book to forestall any future recurrence.
‘Allen Onyema’s Air Peace should be encouraged and not attacked considering all he has done and still doing for the unity of this nation.
‘This ugly and insensitive attack should not and cannot be swept under the carpet. The leadership of both the NLC and TUC must tender an unreserved apology to the management of Air Peace for that unwarranted attack.’
NLC and her co-travellers should know that the larger Nigerian population outnumber the membership of all labour unions put together in Nigeria. Let it be known that their perceived acts of intimidation can be resisted going forward,” Nwoke stated.
