The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) Sunday said it is disturbed by the issue between the Kano Emirate and Air Peace while calling on prominent Nigerians to intervene.
The AYCF President, Alhaji Yerima Shettima in a statement made available to our correspondent said, “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 it or make a move in the interest of peace”.
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Daily Trust reports that Prince Isa Bayero, the Chief Protocol Officer to the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero had accused the airline of disrespecting the Emir by refusing to delay its Lagos-Kano flight after the airline delayed its flight from Banjul, the Gambia to Lagos.
But Air Peace denied disrespecting the Emir and said it rather protected his image by refusing to delay a flight that was ready for takeoff. Prince Isa Bayero had also given the Airline a 72-hour ultimatum on Saturday to apologise to the Emir and the people of Emirates.
However, AYCF expressed shock that the Air Peace Chairman, Mr. Allen Onyema is being associated with disrespecting the Kano Emir, saying the Onyema he knows has never disrespected any monarch in the North not to talk of the revered Emir of Kano.
Shettima said, “We just hope this matter does not get out of hand or create the wrong impression that the Air Peace chairman was being needlessly intimidated by the Emirate’s Director of Protocol”.
He said prominent Nigerians must urgently intercede in the misunderstanding between the office of the Director of Protocol and the management of Air Peace “for peace to reign, once and for all”.
Shettima said the Air Peace 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, adding, “We hope this matter will not obliterate such sacrifices”.
The statement added, “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 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 matter has become protracted.”
The AYCF urged “prominent Nigerians to intervene very quickly in the interest of peace,” adding, “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 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 Air Peace which is providing vital business services for the State.”
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