Those peddling the rumour that the closure of the airspace to facilitate the movement of First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan contributed to the crash of the Dana Airline plane on Sunday got it wrong, the Federal Ministry of Aviation said yesterday.

There were rumours yesterday that the closure of the airspace by aviation authorities forced the ill-fated aircraft to hover for more than two hours.

But in a statement signed by Joe Obi, the media assistant to Aviation Minister Stella Oduah, the ministry said there was nothing to warrant air space closure for the First Lady who flew into Lagos on Saturday and returned on Monday.

“The crash occurred at about 4.47pm on Sunday.

The Federal Ministry of Aviation will like to clarify that nothing could be farther from the truth. For the records, we wish state that the First Lady arrived in Lagos at about 4.45p.m. on Saturday, 2nd June, 2012 and only departed for Abuja on Monday, the 4th of June, 2012 at 1.30p.m., whereas the ill-fated Dana flight departed Abuja on Sunday, 3rd of June, 2012 at 2.54p.m. and its last contact with the Lagos Control Tower was at 3.42p.m. as has already been announced.

“We wish to stress that the First Lady did not fly on Sunday, the 3rd of June, 2012 as is widely been speculated.

An Impeccable source at the Presidency yesterday said it is not the practice to shut down the airspace for the First Lady or any other VIP apart from the President and the Vice President. Even in the case of the President, the time has been cut 10 minutes and that of the VP to five minutes

“And so, it is wrong for anyone to insinuate that the airspace of Lagos was shut down for two hours because of the arrival of the First Lady.

“The First Lady’s flight just runs as any of the flights


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/49230-airspace-not-shut-down-for-first-lady-says-minister.html

From the start I knew it's just a political blackmail, the woman flew in on saturday and flew out on monday.

PLEASE REMOVE THIS MISLEADING POST.

Even if that was the case, do you expect anyone to say that was true?
Or can anyone explain why a plane should hover aimlessly in air for over an hour when the airport is just a few minutes distance away?
I still suspect something...
She could easily have postponed her flight till Monday when she heard that the airspace closure enforced in her favour had caused a crash. She may have postponed her trip to avoid suspicion.
This is just a suspicious thought, it may not be true afterall. Let no one quote me!

I dont trust this aviation people at all. This could have been the truth if : the plane hovered at all, even if for ten minutes.
Let the facts keep emerging first, i just want to know if the plane hovered at all.

So they even shut down our airspace completely, just for themselves!
Imagine if a plane was in distress during that time!

The same stewpid and crazily selfish they behavior they exhibit on our roads (e.g, closing the Third Mainland Bridge for almost six hours, just because the "President or VeePee" is passing that road on his way to the airport!), has now been extended to our airspace!

Lord have mercy, what next will they shut down for their own selfish reasons? NEPA? WATER? ALL HOSPITALS or even ALL MARKETS!
Clowns in Govt houses!
Mtcheeew

Lastpage!

Sam Milla: I dont trust this aviation people at all. This could have been the truth if : the plane hovered at all, even if for ten minutes.
Let the facts keep emerging first, i just want to know if the plane hovered at all.

Even from the post of the Aviation Ministry (and l have read also from the posts of Dana Airlines as well) it said it lost contact with the plane for over one hour! ...before it eventually crashed. Read the bulletin again please.

Thus be assured: The plane hovered for over an hour before eventually ditching.
Even when it crashed, it was "simmering" over some time before it exploded in a ball of fire.
Reports at the seen said they could hear people shouting for help for a long time when the plane crashed (before it exploded) ...AND NO HELP CAME!

This is the irony of Nigeria!
We waste lives like its rain water and those in Government dont give a toss, as long as they can close airspace for themselves and their families on board!

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some people never tired of roping madam Jonathan into any case.

I know Nigerian diplomats er' Cabals are stupid, but this is beyond them. They can't shut down the airspace for the "First Lady", I meant "Her Royal Blunder". Besides, this isn't the first time such "Cabals" will fly in. So why are we just hearing the issue of an airspace being shut down. Nigerians are just looking for whoever they can blame the ill fated crash on. And if a plane were to hover, it will do so on the final approach, that is when it is just around the airport and not about 4 nautical miles away from it. And we already have with good reason to believe that the said plane had some major engineering faults.

If you want to peddle a rumour at least make sure it is sound. You can take a cue from U.S, they are very good at it.

May the souls of the departed rest in peace.(And maybe haunt those bastards that killed them). Amen!

this cant be true sha... evin thou who ever started the rumor might have gotten an insight of what happened... The first lady cant be held responsible evin if that was what happened... Madam Patience's not working on the control tower

If Patience was in Lagos over d wkend nd left only on Monday, u kinda wonder wat her reaction was afta d crash. She flew out of Lagos on Monday? A day after d crash? About the same time her husband was visiting the site? Sumtin stinks!

The truth will be revealed. Soon.

I've been opposing this, violently to ever since i heard it in d morning. I've been saying it is never possible not until I heard from a friend who works in the air port that it is d usual practise. I still dnt want to beleive its true because if it is...if it is...hmmmm...hmmmmm...ko ni funny.... I've been opposing this, violently to ever since i heard it in d morning. I've been saying it is never possible not until I heard from a friend who works in the air port that it is d usual practise. I still dnt want to beleive its true because if it is...if it is...hmmmm...hmmmmm...ko ni funny....

so they can even shutdown airport 4 there selfish reason too? Then i smell a rat in dat statement.

If you get news analyses from Nairaland these day, you are doomed.

Enemies carry rumours, Ignorants spread them, Fools accept them without confirmation

Hey! You'd better surrender your brains for Re-Engineering my fellow country men

farouqzaib: I know Nigerian diplomats er' Cabals are stupid, but this is beyond them. They can't shut down the airspace for the "First Lady", I meant "Her Royal Blunder". Besides, this isn't the first time such "Cabals" will fly in. So why are we just hearing the issue of an airspace being shut down. Nigerians are just looking for whoever they can blame the ill fated crash on. And if a plane were to hover, it will do so on the final approach, that is when it is just around the airport and not about 4 nautical miles away from it. And we already have with good reason to believe that the said plane had some major engineering faults.

If you want to peddle a rumour at least make sure it is sound. You can take a cue from U.S, they are very good at it.

May the souls of the departed rest in peace.(And maybe haunt those bastards that killed them). Amen!

You're hearing it for the first time because it caused tragedy this time around. Even if the crash was as a result of airport closure for madam Umbrera, they would still deny it.

Rumors just dont fly.
No smoke without fire.

If you ask me, have there been history of delayed landing and take off due to the arrival and take off of VIP's some hours b4 their expected landing/take off time in Nigeria in the past, the answer is YES

The truth will never be known because they will be made to keep sealed lips.

Basic: Even if that was the case, do you expect anyone to say that was true?
Or can anyone explain why a plane should hover aimlessly in air for over an hour when the airport is just a few minutes distance away?
I still suspect something...
She could easily have postponed her flight till Monday when she heard that the airspace closure enforced in her favour had caused a crash. She may have postponed her trip to avoid suspicion.
This is just a suspicious thought, it may not be true afterall. Let no one quote me!

there had been previous complaints about d landing gear and hydrualic leakages of d plane. If d plane had been hovering with d knowldge of possible crash (which i doubt), i think hovering over a residential area is not part of d training of d pilot

Somebody plz wake me up,am I dreamin.lol

Basic with this your useless comments [ Basic(m): 12:37pm
Even if that was the case, do you expect anyone to say that was true?
Or can anyone explain why a plane should hover aimlessly in air for over an hour when the airport is just a few minutes distance away?
I still suspect something...
She could easily have postponed her flight till Monday when she heard that the airspace closure enforced in her favour had caused a crash. She may have postponed her trip to avoid suspicion.
This is just a suspicious thought, it may not be true afterall. Let no one quote me!]u are a suspect [b][/b]

This is getting so tiresome you have to give up on Nigerians!

lastpage:
Even from the post of the Aviation Ministry (and l have read also from the posts of Dana Airlines as well) it said it lost contact with the plane for over one hour! ...before it eventually crashed. Read the bulletin again please.

Where did you read this?

lastpage:
Thus be assured: The plane hovered for over an hour before eventually ditching.

Pray, sir, can you provide your source for this?

lastpage:
Even when it crashed, it was "simmering" over some time before it exploded in a ball of fire.
Reports at the seen said they could hear people shouting for help for a long time when the plane crashed (before it exploded) ...AND NO HELP CAME!

What "reports", sir? Even if this "report" was true (which it certainly isn't going the credible accounts so far, rather than accounts from fiction writers and those who can't tell the difference between people trapped in building and those dead in aircraft) can the "reporter" tell us why he or she didn't help? Oh, I forgot the government should have been at Iju waiting for the plane to crash!

lastpage:
This is the irony of Nigeria!

Yes. It is! That the more educated a Nigerian, the...

GP15: Come to tink of it, Something doesn't add up. That woman (Dame) went everywhere with Jonathan during the campaigns and after. Why would she den hurriedly leave on Monday when he was visiting the crash site? Didn't they visit hospitalized victims of the Abuja blasts together? According to her media aide, she left Lagos at exactly 1:15pm on Monday. Jonathan had already arrived Lagos at the time to visit the crash site. And we are to believe she left just like that? Without visiting the site? Something is CERTAINLY NOT RIGHT here.

I understand you completely and this was my thought when i read this story. How on earth could she have left for Abuja on Monday when the news of the crash was all over the place on that sunday evening. I know that the government so well, they will never stop trying to play on our intelligence as if we are kids.

Atimes i wondr d kind of educatn we nijerans cliam 2 hav.especaly all ds idiots dancng 2d tone of haters.d fist questn is what is an airspace.ds d total aerial terotorty of a gven con3 or state witin a geograhical area.an airport kan nt be an airspace neidr its environs,bt d entire lagos state is an airspace so if an airspace re 2be shut down it wil be d entire lagos nd odar airports wil be notifid nd flights wil nt cm in.so who ever dat is spreadng ds rumour agamst d presidnt nd hs family shud cm up wit smtng beter

everything Jonathan, everything Dame Jonathan, everything GEJ......even in my village no pipe borne water!!! It is GEJ...Dumb Nigerians......Lazy Nairalands....No wonder i metioned Nairaland to my oyibo friend and he just hissed and said its the dumbest site he has ever and stoped visiting. KEEP BLAMING GEJ FOREVERYTHING. Even when you fail a course in school it is GEJ.SCCCHHHH!!!!

I was at Oriental Hotel on Saturday during Dame's program and there was a mad holdup around d Lekki axis as a result. Conspiracy theorists should get busy and stop the blame game

ok the first lady did not come in on Sunday,but why would d airport n roads used by the woman remain shut each time she visits a place?

@Maasoap if what you say is true, then I have to raise the stupidity level of Nigerian politicians. IMHO, I doubt it had anything to do with the crash even if that is true. And please people should stop saying the plane was hovering in Iju. The only reason a plane has to hover is if it is awaiting clearance for landing from the control tower and until it gets it, it will be placed in a a holding pattern probably along with other planes around the airport (You will even be able to see them in the air). All these is medicine after death anyways. I just pray God gives those who lost anybody in the crash the strength to bear the lose.

@maasoap, thanks for the hindsight.

na my private jet been get accident 4 up dia,since towing van no been dey,so the mechanic come stand 4 road do the repairs,as the dana air plane come the pilot no see say my plane don block road him come hit am,crash,i dey sorry 4 wetin happen,na yesterday i come see towing van,so we don tow the plane come down airport now.

@ atuboweke, so ur oyibo friends no beta?