Air Peace Boss, Onyema Receives Special Award At Abuja International Film Festival
The Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, a leading Nigerian Airline, has been honoured with SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD by the organizers of the Abuja International Film Festival for his humanitarian support for Nigerians stranded in the South Africa in the aftermath of the Xenophobic attacks.
Abuja International Film Festival is the longest running film festival in Anglophone West Africa. The festival aims to celebrate outstanding work in video film in Nigeria and promote growth in the film industry in particular and the creative industry in general.
Allen Onyema was born in Benin City in 1964 to parents of Anambra State Origin. He had his early education in Benin. He attended several Schools including the prestigious Government College, Ughelli.
He left Government College in 1984 having obtained his Higher School Certificate and was directly offered admission to read law at the Nigeria’s Premier University, The University of Ibadan in the same year
Barrister Onyema who was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1989 started his legal practice in 1990 in the Law Firm of Nwizugbo & Company and rose to become the Head of Chambers by 1992. He resigned from this law firm to establish his own outfit ONYEMA & CO. He equally floated the property Company of Allen Onyema & Company and an import trade outfit- Continental Business Links Ltd.
According to the Festival Director, Mrs Temitope Duker, the team found the act of evacuating Nigerians from South Africa, by Allen Oyema, at a time they faced grave danger, highly patriotic. This is in addition to other efforts of the CEO in fostering peace in Nigeria.
Also awarded alongside the Air Peace CEO were Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade, the governor of Cross River State who was awarded for industrialisation, his support for creative industry , tourism and entertainment., Alhaji Adedayo Thomas the executive director of the national film and video Censors board for his enviable contributions to developing the industry and Mr Charles Okpaleke of the Play Network Group for his investment in the Nigerian movie industry.
The award was presented to Mr. Onyema at the closing ceremony of the 16th Abuja International Film Festival which held at the Silverbird Cinema in Abuja on Friday 25th October, 2019.
Past winners of the award include former president Goodluck Jonathan, Engr Musa kwankwaso, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, late Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, late Ambassador Segun Olusola amongst several eminent Nigerians in the last 16 years.
