There are strong indications that Allen Onyema’s travail regarding the money laundering charges from the US may not be unconnected with his recent decision to order 30 brand new aircraft from European manufacturer Embraer, at the expense of its America rival, Boeing.
Recall that in April 2019, Air Peace placed a record order for 10 brand new Embraer 195-E2 planes, first of such in Africa. The order comprises purchase rights for another 20 E195-E2 jets. The request has 124-seater jet in dual class and 146-seater jet in single class configurations.
Some stakeholders who are involved in international business transactions have averred that the deal which was valued at N640.5 billion ($2.12 billion) based on current list prices, may have provoked the American government to anger thus the recourse to money laundering charges to punish Mr. Onyema for not patronizing its brand.
Baron Roy, an international business man who offered his opinion on a Facebook post said such speculation may not be unfounded. “I am involved in purchasing some equipment for industrial use too. A very large local competitor had been purchasing from a manufacturer in the USA until a Chinese company came along to offer him a 60% off.
“He purchased about 6 units at a million bucks each as against 14m from the US manufacturer. The US firm reported the issue and our competitor got the Onyema treatment. He was banned for 10 years (still counting) from the US while his family lives there. The rest of us got the message and changed tact.
“We buy some from the US but we have our ways of buying others from China through proxies so as not to get into trouble. Next time, he buys Boeing and all would be well. Trust me on this,” he said.
Baron also blamed Onyema for running a porous corporate governance system which left loopholes for the money laundering charges. He noted that he should have placed the business in the hands of experts while he took a backseat. “I know at least 5 persons personally that are far richer, controlling huge firms but no one knows them! He's too visible and too involved. Corporate Governance,” he said.
He was corroborated by another businessman, Ubong Kingsley-Udoh, who runs a cyber security firm in Lagos. “Allen Onyema's biggest fault in all of these is the lack of corporate governance in his organisation and as we know it, a large percentage of Nigerian founded organisations and multinationals operating in Nigeria are guilty of this dysfunction. Moving forward, Air Peace need to shore up its defenses and run like a properly structured organisation.
“What Allen Onyeama did is very permissible within the constructs of the Nigerian society (aka anyhowness), and if you read the charge from the DoJ, if he was purchasing those planes and moving monies like that in some countries in Europe, it might not have been a problem. For the Chairman & CEO of an airline to act as the CFO and being responsible for purchase of line items when that could have been done conveniently through partners without raising an eyebrow speaks a lot on how we handle business.
“The DoJ in its briefing said, "Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial."
So, Mr. Allen Onyema is presently innocent and will prove his case to the US government beyond every shadow of a doubt. Hopefully, he will get support from the government of his home Country.

Go and face your charges.

All this would not help you.

voltron14:
Go and face your charges.

All this would not help you.

2 faced people.


tell tinubu to go and clear his name on bullion van saga .

any American can shit in Nigeria, and nothing will happen. absoluty nothing will happen. even the homeless Americans on the street dont give a damn about you, howmuch more their elite, they here they they form mouth piece

funny how a section of Nigerian that sees thiefnūbu as a demi god, will still have moral authority to point their crooked oily fingers.


anytime they here onyema the open their brown teeth to talk trash. onyema should clear his name. yorubas just just up

United states thinks they can bully anyone who is in competition with them....

orion7:
2 faced people.


tell tinubu to go and clear his name on bullion van saga .

any American can shit in Nigeria, and nothing will happen. absoluty nothing will happen. even the homeless Americans on the street dont give a damn about you, howmuch more their elite, they here they they form mouth piece

You think you are helping him.

By the time America decides no spare parts can be purchased by Air Peace you would know what's up.