by Raheem Oluwafunminiyi
It was yet another sad day in the history of the country as several prominent Nigerians lost their lives in an ill-fated helicopter crash few days ago. This writer joins millions of Nigerians and the families of those who died in the crash in mourning a great loss. It is one too many a death, especially at a time when a bleak year is coming to a close. Several comments and opinions have been going round in tha aftermath of the crash as to what went wrong and why such had happened. It is pertinent to state here that whatever befalls man must be taken with sincere faith and belief that divine will had intervened. There is no questioning the fact that it is from God we all have come and to him we shall return. Death is a leveler and an inevitability. Therefore, Nigerians pray the souls of those who died in the crash should rest in peace and give the families left behind the fortitude to bear the loss.
As Nigerians and in Nigeria, air mishaps are nothing new, what with the 112 aircraft accidents witnessed in the country between 1944 and 2012. It has been a recurrent feature and therefore, witnessing one is like witnessing the dawn of a new day.
Just this year alone, we were inundated with the sad story of a Nigerian cargo plane which veered towards a road in Ghana, killing in the process atleast ten people instantly. Not too long after, a commercial airliner crashed in the Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos, killing all 153 people on board and others on the ground, in the worst air disaster in nearly two decades. As if that was not enough, just some few months back, an unfortunate yet avoidable air crash happened in far away Adamawa state. One would have thought the casualties were another ‘unfortunate Nigerians’ (as the political/aviation system seems to agree with this notion), but to everyone’s chagrin, the casualties appeared to be a serving governor and his retinue of aides, with the former, according to sources, believed to be in a state of mental impairment as we speak.
The Adamawa crash in particular makes an interesting read to keen observers simply because the governor involved in the unfortunate incident was known in government circles to have spent billions of naira procuring choppers and building airstrips or heliports surprisingly not for the development and betterment of the vast majority of the people, but for self aggrandizement.
The governor was known to have suddenly developed a flair for flying, enrolled in aviation schools both at home and in the United States, got certification and began junketing the airspace like a colossus. Many in the state noted that the governor, ever since then, blatantly refused to hit the road with his large convoy and rather preferred to fly the supposedly state owned choppers himself to functions within and in neighboring states.
Such was the lust for power, money, control and the ‘things of the airspace’, that matters of the state were recklessly left unattended. It was the height of abuse of power, yet praise singing and world class medical services were accorded a man who had used the instrument of state for personal use rather than for the masses of his people. It is no wonder want, deprivation and lack permeates the North simply because those entrusted with political power misuse such for their own sake.
As the late governor and others are buried, typical of us, we must not begin to conjure unworkable conspiracy theories or spring up unrealistic rumors. Both have never taken us anywhere in this country. They are in fact ill winds that blow nobody any good, therefore, we must do away with such and others which may seemingly heat up the already fragile peace in the land, most especially in Kaduna state.
The death of these individuals should be a means for us all to seek redemption and reminisce on our own lives. It should be a means most especially for the political elites to understand that life is short and power is a trust which must be guarded jealously. The late Yakowa, Azazi and others did not die because of the so called conspiracy theories as many are wont to make us believe, they died because someone in government refused to do the right thing at critical times and because someone entrusted with power refused to pass the right and beneficial legislation to fix our roads.
If all Ministers and Commissioner for Works had made it a point of duty to construct a state of the art ten lane road linking Bayelsa to Rivers states or had ensured the waterways in these two states were equipped with technologically viable boats or had seen to it that public figures lived above board by using workable public transport like the vast majority of the people, perhaps, these deaths would have been avoided. If a super-sonic railway system had been constructed to link all South-South states with Federal, state and local government officials compulsorily mandated to use such, perhaps, fewer deaths or accidents would have occurred on air or land.
It is therefore, the reason all hands must be on deck to avoid such needless deaths such as those which consumed one of the finest military officers and detribalized governors in the country. On a final note, the vast majority of the people would wish to know which people are entitled to use Naval planes or helicopters. If, according to sources, the Nigerian Navy whose Agusta helicopter marked NN07 was used to ferry highly placed Nigerians to and fro a funeral in Bayelsa state, then the question we should be asking ourselves is how the equipment or machines belonging to the Nigerian Armed Forces become a tool for public transport? Why were these helicopters used to ferry those it ferried, excusing the usual road transport? If the Armed Forces are using its equipment for the wrong reason, then they need to be called to order.
The death of these patriots must be a reminder to those who sit at the top to begin the process of change and finally learn from history. We must not face this unfortunate incident in the future and getting this done starts with us all.
- Raheem Oluwafunminiyi is a social commentator and public affairs analyst. Reach him at creativitysells@gmail.com