September 09, (THEWILL) – Leading West African airline, Air Peace, has distanced itself from the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, by the Department of State Services (DSS).
THEWILL had earlier reported that Ajaero was arrested by operatives of the DSS at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday, on his way to the United Kingdom for an official assignment.
The airline, in a statement by its Spokesperson, Omotade Makinwa, said it was reacting to media reports insinuating that the secret police arrested the NLC President over a petition submitted by the airline.
Makinwa said prior to Ajaero’s arrest, the airline and the NLC had already reached an amicable resolution and that Air Peace had withdrawn its petition, allowing a positive working relationship to resume between the two organisations.
The statement made available to THEWILL reads: “Air Peace Airline expresses deep concern over recent media reports regarding the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in connection to a petition filed by the airline in September 2023. This development does not reflect the current relationship between Air Peace and the NLC.
“It is important to clarify the events leading up to the petition. On the 3rd of May 2023, the NLC disrupted Air Peace operations as part of a broader conflict with the Imo State Government.
“Although Air Peace had no involvement in the dispute between the NLC and the Imo State Government, our airline was unfortunately used as a tool to exert pressure on the government. This unlawful disruption of our services caused significant financial losses and impacted the travel plans of many Nigerians across multiple states.
“In response to this disruption, Air Peace’s legal team submitted a formal petition against the NLC to the Nigerian Police. Despite our repeated efforts to follow up on the petition, the Police failed to take prompt action.
“However, over a year later, the Nigerian Police have chosen to act on the original petition, which has now led to the alleged arrest of the NLC.
“Before this arrest, the airline and the NLC had already reached an amicable resolution, and Air Peace had withdrawn its petition, allowing a positive working relationship to resume between the two organisations.”
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
