Our encounter with ill-fated plane – Ministers
On June 7, 2012 · In News 1:00 amEmail2

By Ben Agande
ABUJA—Three ministers, Chief Edem Duke of Culture and Tourism Development, Senator Umar Idris of Transport as well as Minister of State for Defence, Olushola Obada, yesterday gave graphic details of their encounter with the ill-fated Dana Airline plane that crashed in Lagos last Sunday.

Narrating their experiences at a special session of the Federal Executive Council Meeting, the ministers said but for divine intervention, they would have been victims.

In his comment, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Edem Duke said he was made to board another airline against his preferred choice of Dana when he got to the Abuja airport.


A cross section of Ministers observe a minute silence in memory of victims of the Dana Flight 0992 and Alied Cargo air crash in Ghana as part of events to mark the end of the 3-Day national mourning by the Federal Executive Council at the State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

According to him: “A critical lesson to the living is that the future is not in our hands. Those who have the opportunity to serve this country must ensure love bond and know that every minute counts. I was lucky to be navigated around them and ushered into another flight which was not my preferred flight”.

Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke said: “I watched the take-off of the aircraft at the airport before I left Abuja. We saw the fire when we were landing and we asked ourselves what was causing the fire and we were very sad on landing to hear that the plane had crashed. We lost five of our trusted hands. It is a turbulent time for Nigeria. Our prayers must be deeper because deep must call to the deep. We need to say that 20 years old plane can fly, they do all over the world. But we must ensure that engines are replaced when due. Punitive measure when we found out the cause must be fully implemented”.

Transport Minister, Senator Umar Idris who said he flew the same plane from Lagos to Abuja the same day, said the plane crash is a wake up call. According to him: “There is destiny in everything. There is hand of God in everything. Every man will taste death. Any time any one dies, his time has come. I used that same aircraft same day from Lagos and came to Abuja by 2pm. In the conduct of investigation, certain issues will be addressed to avoid recurrence.”

Special session for victims

Yesterday’s Special session marked the end of the three-day mourning declared by the federal government in the wake of the plane crash on Sunday. And to underscore the uniqueness of the session, the FEC was open to members of the media who sat through the session which ended at 3 p.m.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, read out the focus of the meeting, after which a roll call of victims was read out.

A minute silence was observed in honour of those who lost their lives in the crash.

The Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah who spoke on the incidence said there was dual engine failure of the aircraft at 3.42 p.m. on Sunday while fiire trucks mobilised within 20 minutes.

She said those involved in the crash included 136 adults, five children, six infants, six crew members, adding that the Pilot was an American, while the co-pilot was an Indian.

Oduah also reported that Allied Air cargo plane overran runway in Kotoka Airport in Ghana, on Saturday June 2nd.

She said the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) was being supported by the aircraft and engine manufacturers according to international laws. According to her, 148 bodies (including those on ground) have been recovered as at Tuesday.

It was weekend of sorrow Health Minister

In his remarks, Minister of Health, Dr. Onyeakachi Chukwu said: “It was a weekend of sorrow for Nigerians. Actions taken so far by FG, Ministry, Lagos etc are all in good direction. Nigerians should remain calm and put their trust in God. Government will ensure victims don’t die in vain. Aviation sector is like medicine, safety cannot be taken for granted. Government will take proper action if and any lapse is found during investigation. May God intervention heal our nation”.

The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro described the incident as unfortunate but commended rescue workers and assured that the panel’s recommendations will address many issues.

Works Minister, Mike Onolememen, said this was clearly not the best of times for Nigeria. “While we pray for the repose of the victims, it calls for retrospection. We ‘ve experienced several crashes. The circumstances recur years after. It appears that the only motive for operators is economic at the detriment of lives of Nigerians. It is time to float a national airline. It may not be wholly owned by government, some people can subscribe to it. The lives of Nigerians are too precious to be left at the whims and caprices of businessmen whose main objective is to make profit”.

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: “To the bereaved, we cannot replace their loved ones. But we can enhance safety so that our airspace will not become a place of carnage and loss of lives. We should also look at the financial and economic strength of the airlines to work towards consolidation”.

Head of Service of the Federation, Isa Bello Sali, described the incident as tragic as many professionals perished in the crash. “We join all Nigerians in mourning”.

Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.

Disqus LoginAbout DisqusGlad you liked it. Would you like to share?
Facebook

Twitter

Share
No thanks
Sharing this page …

Thanks! Close
Sort by popular now Sort by best rating Sort by newest first Sort by oldest first Showing 10 of 45 comments

Jgbolahan 2 comments collapsed Collapse Expand
Honourable Minister of Transport, I totally disagree with you. Did you call that destiny? Did you just say destiny? No wonder our roads are bad and people are dying everyday on Nigeria road because people like you do not do their jobs and you you hear report of innocent Nigerians on our road due to accidents caused by bad road, you call it destiny. Would you call all these destiny as well: Let me bring you the history of plane crashed in Nigeria since independence and let's see the destiny you are talking about in action!

• November 20, 1969: Nigeria Airways BAC VC10 crashed on landing, killing 87 people on board.• January 22, 1973: Royal Jordanian Airlines flight 707 carrying 171 Nigerian Muslims returning from Mecca and five crewmen crashed in Kano, killing all on board.

• March 1, 1978: Nigeria Airways F28-1000 crashed in Kano, killing 16 people.• November 28, 1983: Nigeria Airways F28-1000 crashed near Enugu, killing 53 on board.• December 1988: Skypower Brandeironte aircraft overshot Ilorin Airport’s runway, killing all the passengers.• February 24,1991: British Helicopter crashed in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, killing all nine people on board.• May 21, 1991: A Cessna Citation 550 of Ashaka Cement, Hombe, crashed, killing all on board.• June 26, 1991: An Okada Air Bac-11 crashed in Sokoto, killing three persons.• September 26, 1992: Nigerian Air Force A C-130 plane crashed minutes after take-off from Lagos. All 200 on board killed.• June 24, 1995: Harka Air Services Tupolev 34 crashed on landing in Lagos, killing 16.• November 13, 1995: Nigeria Airways Boeing 737-2F9 crashed on landing in Kaduna, killing 9.• January 17, 1996: Ibrahim Abacha, son of Sani Abacha, was killed in a plane crash. The group “United Front for Nigeria’s Liberation” (UFNL) claimed responsibility for the crash.• November 7, 1996: A Nigerian ADC (Aviation Development Corporation) Airline Boeing 727-231 flying from Port Harcourt to Lagos with 142 passengers and 9 crew members crashed on landing, plunging into the lagoon with all on board killed.• January 31, 1997: SkyPower Express Airways Embraer 110PIA crashed on landing in Yola, killing five.• September 12, 1997: NAF Dornier 228-212 in Nguru, Borno State ran into a ditch during take off, none of the 10 people died.• January 5, 2000: SkyPower Express Airways Bandeirante 110P1A crashes on landing in Abuja, killing 17.• October 26, 2000: Dornier aircraft plunged into a thick bush near the Niger Delta, 6 occupants injured.• May 4, 2002: EAS Airlines’ BAC 1-11-500 with 105 people on board crashed and burst into flames in a densely populated suburb of Kano, killing 76 on board and 72 on the ground bringing total casualties to148.• November 30, 2003: A Cargo aircraft of Hydro Cargo, Brussels, Belgium, crash-landed.• March 6, 2004: An Aenail spray aircraft with registration number 5NBEF belonging to Berfieex Nigeria Ltd, crashed at the Bauchi Airport.• July 26, 2004: Pan African Airlines’ helicopter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in Eacraros, Delta State, killing four persons on board.• December 29, 2004: A Boeing 727 of Chanchangi Airlines belly-landed at the MMA.• December 29, 2004: A Kenya Airlines aircraft crashed- landed at the MMA due to gear fault.• January 28, 2005: A Nigeria Air Force fighter plane crashed into a farmland in Yar Kanya, Kano State.• February 25, 2005: ADC’s B73 aircraft had its tyre burnt while landing at Yola Airport.• March 27, 2005: A Boeing 737 of Bellview had one of its engines caught fire.• June 11/12, 2005: Lagos: a Boeing 727-200 aircraft belonging to the domestic Chachangi Airlines overshot the runway at Murtala Muhammed Airport, while yet another overshot the runway at the airport in Jos in central Nigeria a day earlier.• June 24, 2005: A Russian aircraft belonging to Harka Air crash- landed at the MMA, all the people on board died• July 6, 2005, Port Harcourt: An Air France A330 plane crashed into a herd of cattle at Port Harcourt airport, sustaining serious damage and killing many of the cows.• July 23, 2005, a Lufthansa aircraft crash-landed at Lagos airport and was badly damaged, but no life was lost.• October 22, 2005: A Bellview Airlines Boeing 737 with 117 people on board crashed shortly after take-off from Lagos. All on board killed.• December 10, 2005: A Sosoliso Airlines DC-9 crashes in Port Harcourt, killing all 103 on board.• September 17, 2006: A 18-seater Dornier 228 Air Force transport plane, carrying 15 senior army officers and three crew members crashed in Benue State, leaving only three survivors.• October 29, 2006: Aviation Development Corporation Airline Boeing 737 with 104 on board crashed minutes after take-off from Abuja’s airport. All but 6 perished in the disaster.• November 10, 2006: OAS Service Helicopter crashed in Warri, Delta state killing four on board.• August 2, 2007: Bristow-owned helicopter crashed inside ExxonMobil facility in Port Harcourt.• March 15, 2008: Beechcraft 1900D plane marked 5N-JAH, belonging to Wing Aviation crashed in Cross River State. The wreakage was not found until 6 months after. All four crew members died.• March 14, 2002: A helicopter belonging to the Joint Task Force (JTF) crashed in Kabong, Jos, killing all members onboard including four senior police officers.• May 4, 2002: Executive Airline Services (EAS) BAC-1-11-525Ft aircraft crashed at Aminu Kano International Airport Kano, killing 70 people.• December 10 2005: A Port Harcourt bound Sosoliso Airlines flight 1145 crash-landed in Port Harcourt Airport, killing 109 passengers including 60 students of Jesuit Loyola College Abuja.• October 22, 2005: A twin Engine Boeing 737, belonging to Belview Airline crashed in Lisa Village, Ogun State and killed all the 117 passengers on board.• October 29, 2006: An ADC aircraft crashed when it took off from Abuja, killing 105 people on board.• November 10, 2006: A six-seater helicopter belonging to Odengene Air Shuttle (OAS) crashed in Delta State and killed two people.• September 16 2006: Air Force plane crashed in Benue State killing Army generals.• March 15, 2008: A twin-turbo Prop 19-seater aircraft belonging to Wings Aviation Ltd crashed in Calabar while on a routine flight from MMA, Lagos.• March 8, 2011: HS-125 chartered aircraft crashed in Bauchi. No casualty.July 29, 2011: A Kwara State-bound helicopter crashed in Osun State killing all on board including the Managing Director of Josepdam Group of Companies, Mrs. Josephine Oluwadamilola Kuteyi and her personal assistant.Would you call all these ''destiny'' Honourable Minister? Honourable Minister, you can see Nigeria has a long history of plane crashes.Allegations have been made for years that after the ban on use of aircraft older than 20 years, many of the private airlines persist in purchasing second-hand aircraft that are considered unserviceable in the countries from which they were sourced. All these are avoidable disasters.The truth is people don't do their jobs in Nigeria. People love money more than they love life in Nigeria. It is pure corruption and negligence that is bringing this on Nigeria. So people like you need to do their job. No where in the world do we have this kind of long history of plane crashes. Thank you.R

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/our-encounter-with-ill-fated-plane-ministers/