How long shall we continue to grieve?
I have tried putting down words to express my
true state of mind as regards the very avoidable sad event of yesterday but I
kid you not the thoughts are so not processing, how do you explain it, air
travel is meant to be the safest and fastest means of transportation everywhere
and anywhere In the world but same cannot be said of my darling country
Nigeria.
We have had series of air disaster in the
last couple of years firstly, December 2005 Belleview Airline flight 210 a
Boeing 737-210 crashed killing all 177 people on board, 10th of
December same year Sosoliso Airline flight 1145 a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 with
110 people on board crashed during landing in Port Harcourt 107 people died, In
2006 ADC Airline flight 53, a Boeing 737-200 crashed near Abuja killing 96 of
the 105 people on board, then yesterday 3rd of June 2012 a Lagos
bound Dana aircraft McDonnell Douglas MD-83 carrying 147 passengers and 6 crew
members crashed in a densely populated area in Iju ishaga Lagos killing all
passengers and crew on board.
I have seen several pictures of loved ones
that were involved in the mishap, I can’t comprehend how young souls will be
lost at their prime, I saw the beautiful picture of the entire cabin crew,
beautifully ladies gracefully dressed in their well tailored and smoothly
ironed red apparel they embarked on a call to duty and never returned, the
young handsome looking captain, I am sure he had his dreams, those dreams were
cut. Levi Ajuonoma, the former NTA Sunday Show host who later joined NNPC as
the Group General Manager, Corporate Affairs had no inclination that he would not
make it to his destination. I shed tears for all the souls lost; they all never
said their goodbyes to friends and loved ones.
This is not a time to apportion blame on
any individual, sector of the economy or organization, the entire Nigerian
system has failed us, we as Nigerians we have failed ourselves. Yesterday’s
event was fostered by No power, bad roads, slow media/communication, terrible
response and no water just to mention a few of our national socio-economic problems.
I thought out loud yesterday and said to
myself ‘If I’m being optimistic about Nigeria its sheer lunacy, if I’m
pessimistic I am unpatriotic or a skeptic. Nigeria, just keep an open mind’. I
asked myself how did it get this bad.
I am in no place to advice The President of
The Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Aviation Minister on what need be done,
steps to be put in place, due procedures to be followed and checks and balances
in the aviation industry, common am sure they have loads of advisers around
them, moreover am not on their payroll.
I empathize with the bereaved families, I
pray that the Supreme Being help those that are hurting right now, guide them
and place your arms around them to comfort and give them strength. But my
singular fear is this, after our three (3) days of national mourning, will we
go back to status quo, will committees be set up to investigate the disaster,
will proper recommendations be made, will recommendations by the committee be
put in place, or we just go about our daily activities and let everything
remain as it were and someday soon In the nearest future there would be another
air disaster, HOW LONG SHALL WE CONTINUE TO GRIEF.
Long Live Nigeria
God Bless Nigeria
God Bless The president of The Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
Olasoji Olabode
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