Wife of Late Chief Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, has lauded the duo of Prof Obiora Okonkwo and Barrister Allen Nwachukwu Onyema, for what she called their beautiful friendship.
Ambassador Ojukwu, has wondered how both men, despite being in the same aviation business can be so close, instead of the rivalry always noticed among other business men.
Although, Professor Okonkwo owns United Nigeria Airline, Barrister Onyema’s Air Peace, was already a brand before Okonkwo joined the business.
Bianca Ojukwu, in a write up said: “I often wonder about the relationship between these two Igbo business tycoons which can best be described as puzzling. In these times of cut throat capitalism, corporate cannibalism and cloak and dagger intrigues, this duo stand out as a shining example of the positive power of competitor friendship. Both are airline operators, Prof Obiora Okonkwo of United Nigeria Airlines, and Chief Allen Onyeama of Airpeace. These two are like Siamese twins, inseparable, even at public functions and always celebrating each other’s milestones and achievements so far.
“The bitter truth remains that building and maintaining a good friendship with a business rival is no easy feat. It is only natural that envy and jealousy caused by competition can easily soil the relationship.
“The mutually supportive friendship between these two evokes nostalgia and memories of ‘People’s Club’ of yesteryears, the premier and premium Igbo social club set up in 1971, after the end of the War which always advocated collaboration as against outright competition amongst members of the club, who were the biggest business moguls of that era. This approach in no small measure helped the Igbo’s to recover a huge portion of their pre-war economic status within two years.
“It goes without saying that all over the world, supporting potential business rivals goes against traditional capital thinking, and even the famous economist Adam Smith was a staunch believer in the fact that success in business entails driving out your competitors.
Bianca Ojukwu Calls On Business Men To Emulate Air Peace and United Nigeria Air Chairmen For Strong Friendship Despite Being Competitors
