One year after the ill-fated air crash involving an aircraft belonging to Dana Air in the Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos, Lagos State Governor on Monday commissioned a cenotaph in honour of the 157 late passengers.
The cenotaph is built on four plots at the junction between Popoola and Olaniyi Street, by Toyin Bus Stop and it holds the replica of the Dana aircraft broken into two.
Speaking to the huge crowd that gathered at the event, Governor Fashola said the State Government spent several millions of naira carrying out tests to ascertain the true identity of the victims. He also said that although the incident happened one year ago, the memory has lingered in the hearts of bereaved family members. He lamented that the cause of the accident remains yet unknown.
“But while the cause was at the time unknown, our collective tragedy was immediately unfolding. Many nations and their nationalities from India, China, Germany, the United States and Nigeria were united by a common grief: the loss of their loved ones,” he said.
“It was an accident that took place in Lagos. But its impact and reach were beyond our borders. Men and women, Muslims and Christians, Hindus and atheists became joined by a common pain. It was a horrific day.
“I remember that I had promised myself to rest a little that afternoon and prepare for a new week. Just like many of you, I remember where I was. I had just settled on my sofa to watch the television when the news filtered in. Initially, I was told it was a cargo plane in Ghana. As I sought to make further enquiries, my thoughts were racing. The cargo was replaceable, how many crew members were on board. I was in this reverie of a damage limitation calculation when my enquiry revealed that it was a passenger plane.”
He observed that no one could have predicted what sad and painful thoughts would accompany people to bed that night. According to the governor, a year may seem like a long time but for the families and friends of the men women and children lost, that day does not feel like history.
“The memories of that day are probably as fresh as they are painful; particularly today when you are forced to confront the thoughts you may have pushed to the innermost recesses of your minds, just to enable you get from one day to the next.
“What does one say at a time like this? What does one say when words will never be enough? Many of us cannot even begin to imagine how great your suffering must have been this last one year.
“We can only empathize with you, in the vain hope that our empathy will bring some relief. We can only utter words we know will never fill the voids but which we nonetheless pray will bring some comfort.
“What I do know is that today, although our grief is deep and our sense of loss unquantifiable, our heads are not bowed. We are not crestfallen. Your undying spirit to continue and your presence here today is a sign of monumental courage.
“It is not courage without pain. No. It is courage defined by dignity and resolve to get on with life inspite of the pain. I stand before you today, the representative of a government and a State that shared your pain. A State whose lot it was to play host in the most unwelcome of situations a year ago today.”
Recalling details of the sad incident of the day, Governor Fashola noted that even the Okuchukwu family that did not fly also shared the pain.
“Electricity had a part to play. A mother and a father in a building close to this site were spending time with their four children. The mother was plaiting the hair of the youngest child, a girl. They did not have power. Suddenly, electricity came and the whole community knew. Strangely their flat did not have power.
“The father instructed the eldest child to get the local electrician to come and solve the problem so that they could iron their uniform in readiness for school on the next day, a Monday. The boy took some time returning, so the father sent his younger brother to go and locate him.
“In pure innocence, the third child, a girl, followed her brother. As soon as they stepped out of the building, Dana Air flight 992 descended on their home. They became lost in the massive crowd. The eldest was eleven, followed by the nine year old and the seven year old. Their parents and youngest sibling were consumed by a flight they did not board.”
Continuing, Fashola said: “God works in wondrous ways. I met them at the site on the 4th of June. Our paths have remained intertwined since then. They are doing well. They have become a lifetime commitment for my wife and I to ensure that their promise is fulfilled. Their origins are in Enugu State. But their home is Lagos. The home of all Nigerians; and this memorial will always remind us about how we met.
“On that fateful Sunday morning, the men, women and children of the ill-fated Dana Air Flight 992 had journeyed more than 700km from Abuja to Lagos and were minutes away from arrival and reunion.
“There are no words that can reliably convey the depth of our heartache. Anything we say today will be an inadequate expression of what we truly carry in our hearts. The greatest and truest testimony will not be in our words but in our actions.
“Apart from the Okuchukwu family, there were so many other stories. Stories of great people, Nigerians and non-Nigerians that time will not permit me to fully narrate.
“But I must share some of them with you in remembrance because they symbolize the spirit of men, women and children who were bound together in the common destiny of an ill-fated flight.
“We remember Tosin Anibaba who loved her job and the life she was building with her husband and two-year old daughter. She worked at the FATE foundation, an NGO that is dedicated to reducing unemployment. Those that knew Tosin said that she always wore a huge smile on her face.
“We remember Dunni Doherty who was a bright and determined young woman. She had returned to Lagos after her studies in the UK and had taken up a job as a teacher at the Lagos Preparatory school. She was an inspiration not just to her students but to all her friends. This bright young lady will be missed by all those who knew her.
“We remember Eke Chijokie, one of the crew members, who was not even supposed to be on the flight. He was only on board because he was called in to relieve a sick colleague at the last minute. Being the dutiful employee he was, he responded immediately. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth and their two-year old son.
“Vivian Effiong was also a dedicated crew member. Her colleagues described her as a caring, selfless and lovable person. Vivian was just a month away from marrying her fiancé who lived in the United Kingdom. She is survived by her 16-year old daughter.
“The story of the Anyene family is one that will live long in the memory. All of six of them perished in the crash. Maimuna the wife and mother of 4 beautiful children – Kamsiyonna (3), Kainetochi (2), Kaimarachi (2) and Kobichimee (five months), was a graduate of the University of Ibadan before she moved to the United States. Her husband, Onyeka Anyene, was a successful lawyer with offices in both Abuja and Lagos. His young family had relocated to the United States and were only visiting Nigeria to attend a wedding.
“Sisters, Josephine and Jennifer Oniita were also just visiting Nigeria for a friend’s wedding. Both girls grew up in Texas attending the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Jesus House where their parents were the founding members. Theirs was a life dedicated to God’s work. Their parents and two siblings can take solace in the fact that their work here on earth is surely now being rewarded in heaven.
“Rajulie and Ugabio Oyosoro were aged 15 and 12 respectively and were two siblings of exceptional promise. Such was their academic prowess that the school they were attending in Lagos fought to retain their talents when their mother relocated to Abuja. They had just come back from a trip to visit her when disaster struck. Mrs. Oyowosoro we share in your pain and sorrow.
“Sergeant Adejilola Abraham joined the Nigerian Air Force immediately after he completed his schooling. He was known as a courageous soldier and a doting father. He was returning to work after attending the christening ceremony of his second child.
“Anjola Fatokun was a high flying lawyer who had recently been transferred to Abuja by the communications firm she worked for. She had been married for four years and is survived by her husband and two children.
“Alvana Ojukwu, was another lawyer of immense promise. She had been admitted to further her education at Oxford University in September last year. A devout Christian, Alvana was able to send out a text to her brother which read thus:
‘TAKE STRENGTH IN THE LORD. A FEW MINUTES FROM NOW I WILL BE GOING TO MEET THE LORD’
“Each of those we come to eulogise had their own unique story, their unique purpose in life that was cut short far too soon. As we remember the victims, we must deeply reach out to their survivors and salute their tenacity and courage.
“I remember Dr. Ayene. He had the biggest personal loss. But in my meetings with the bereaved relatives, he showed a courage and strength that I have never experienced. He seemingly forgot about his own personal loss and joined me in consoling and calming others as if his own loss did not matter.
“I remembered Chizoba Majekwe, the head of HR in CBN who had come to the meeting because she was herself bereaved and her colleagues in the Bank were also victims. She told the story of how she herself lost her mother in a horrific road crash in which everybody was burnt beyond recognition.
“She helped in giving strength to bereaved relatives as they gave us their authority to undergo a long process of victim identification that was later to prove definitive in the positive identification of 148 bodies, that were subsequently released to their families for burial.
“I remember all our first responders from LASEMA, Lagos Fire Service, the Police, FEMA, Ministry of Health, our Chief Pathologist, and Vice Chancellor of LASU, Prof. Obafunwa and his colleagues from other Universities who performed all the autopsies. To you all I say thank you.”
He commended religious leaders, who rose to join government efforts in consoling the bereaved. He also thanked the minister for aviation, members of the National Assembly, President Goodluck Jonathan and Nigerians for their support throughout the period.
“To all family members who lost loved ones, we promised a year ago that we would fittingly honour all of them and today we move one small step closer towards immortalising their memories.
“In as much as it is a tragedy that brings us together here, the real tragedy to befall us would be to forget what happened. We must never forget. We can never forget. This cenotaph which we are unveiling here today will ensure that their memories never die.
“This monument will stand as a permanent memorial to these family men, women and children; and we will cherish each of their stories – stories of potential and of fulfilment, stories of true heroes,” the governor said, adding that it will be more important for all who have authority and responsibility to act with a preventive purpose to ensure that such an incident does not happen.
He stated that the watchword for decision-making must always be safety and not profit, stressing that the government has learnt some painful lessons.
“We have now improved our response capacity, trained and continue to re-train our first responders, develop response protocols and acquired necessary equipment. We convened a Disaster and Emergency Management Summit for all the States in the South West, at which we shared our experience and information.
“The entire incident is properly documented for posterity, with copies in the Attorney General’s office and the Governor’s office, with details of what we did well and what we could have done better to avoid our past mistakes. God forbid it, if such a disaster should recur, we are much better prepared to respond. But it will not be enough to hope that this kind of disasters will not happen.”
Relations of the victims were present at the event. Mrs. Chizoba Majekwe said life has not remained the same since the incident happened. She said at the period, she did not know who to mourn between her sister and the eight staff of the CBN who died in the crash. She however commended the Lagos State Government for its efforts since the incident happened.
Some families of the victims also raised issues concerning compensation. They accused the airline of playing politics with the incident, saying those who have received benefits were not more that 10 percent of the victims.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has promised that his administration could continue working relentlessly to improve safety in the aviation sector to avoid recurrences of the Dana air crash.
“Let me reiterate our resolve to maintain maximum vigilance to safety regulations of our aviation industry,” Jonathan said while unveiling the cenotaph in memory of the victims of the air disaster at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja
