The Chairman, Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema has honoured distinguished sports heroes with lifetime free flights and walls of fame whose strides played a tremendous role in unifying the country.
Onyema made this known in a statement issued in Lagos on Friday
Onyema was honoured for his humanitarian act of rescuing Nigerians in South Africa amidst xenophobic attacks and his immense contributions to the Nigerian economy through job creation.
Onyema, represented by his daughter, Ms Nnenna Onyema, the Executive Director, Air Peace, while delivering a keynote speech at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
He explained that these iconic past sportsmen and women were being honoured in recognition of the powerful tool that football had become in fostering unity in Nigeria.
The chairman said he had again demonstrated his characteristic love for the unity of the country through sports, projecting Nigeria in a favourable light and representing the entire Black race positively.
He emphasised that such minor gestures would go a long way to encourage the youth to have faith in the nation, besides encouraging broad nationalism as against ethnic and religious nationalism.
Onyema said they could not adequately promote FESTAC of Sports without recognising and honouring their sports heroes and those who have made such huge sacrifices through sports for the good of Africa and the Black race in general.
He said: “To this end therefore, Air Peace shall sponsor the building of a Wall of Fame where the names of our sports heroes of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
“Among others are those who have won laurels for our dear nation, beginning with the then Green Eagles and our national football team that won the African Cup of Nations for Nigeria for the first time in our history, will be displayed.
“Those that won sporting laurels in various sporting events like the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and subsequent African Cup of Nations will also be included in this Wall of Fame.
“For the 1980 National Football team referred to above, Air Peace shall sponsor an event where they would be celebrated and honoured.
“The surviving members of that team are hereby made Special Ambassadors of Air Peace and are entitled, for the rest of their lives.
“They will fly Air Peace free of charge, six times in every year on the domestic destinations and once a year to any foreign destination serviced by Air Peace.”
Onyema said on the night of celebrations in their honour, Air Peace would equally give out certain financial rewards to all members of that team including the heirs or spouses of the deceased ones amongst them
The chairman noted that sports had become a potent tool not only for national peace, unity, and cohesion but also a powerful channel for international relations and diplomacy.
He said, through his airline, he had been at the forefront of supporting Nigerian sports.
It would be recalled that in September 2021, Air Peace penned a sponsorship deal with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for the National Teams, as their official carrier.
The agreement, which is for a four-year period, is renewable annually. The initial agreement is worth 300 million naira.
