NIGERIAN AIR GRAVES

[HUSNAA]

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaiHi rajiun.
Sunday 29th Oct 2006 was another dark day in the history of Nigerian domestic aviation. Nigerians yet lost some more of their illustrious sons and daughters in another crash. The most notable being the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Maccido. Amongst other notables was Senator Sule Yaro Gandi, his wife and his children. Senator Sule was one of those ANPP stalwarts who stood firmly against OBJ's third term ambitions. His stance and style showed him a man of integrity and
leadership, who if his life hadnt been a short span would have in the future made a lot of impact in the lives of Nigerians.

I have never met any of them, though hearing of them a lot of the time on the BBC Hausa Service has made some of them akin to family members and therefore I am feeling the loss of these people as if they were close relatives.

Another cause for depression is the fact that air accidents are becoming as common as road accidents, and we dont have alternatives to air or road travel since we have no rail transport, which is supposed to be relatively safer. However as Nigeria is a peculiar country, then maybe even that assumption of relative rail safety is just mere conjecture, and we only think so because we have no experience of it.

I heard Captain Shehu Iyal who is the president's advisor on Aviation matters answering questions about the tragedy and what the government is doing about it currently. From his answers I concluded that the government was just bumbling along doing nothing pragmatic or concrete to address the situation. In fact as the presidential advisor, he was somewhat a disgrace because as far as I am concerned the advisor should be full of dynamism and have a positive can do attitude.

When he was asked what explanation or news the government had so far received  concerning this tragic accident, Iyal said that the government had so far received no explanation and that these things took time to get to the bottom of. He further said that the government's priority at that moment was to make sure that the injured were taken to the hospital the dead were removed and given decent burials and their families were informed. That was the governments top priority... which seems to me a bit lame... (no disrespect to the dead) but the good samaritans who appeared on the scene long before any government presence assumed some of those tasks and at the same time, ADC officials, the police and ambulance services should be fully responsible for removing injured ppl and bodies and informing the family members not the government.  Clearly the government is fumbling and doesnt have a  sense of direction at the moment as far as this is concerned.

Asked what was the government's current stance on the situation (matsayin gwamnati a yanzu?) Iyal replied that the government's stance was that it was very concerned. So concerned that at that moment, there were top govt officials like minister and police chiefs at the scene of the accident..  :? (he was possibly reffering to El Rufai who was the only minister noted to have gone to the scene of the accident) :roll: You know Konliners, somehow I wasnt expecting such a dumbass answer. I was under the impression that the interviewer was asking what concrete steps the govt was implementing or so far how much have the government's goals in trying to curb air accidents been achieved or implemented?

The interviewer tried another tack then. He asked Iyal that somehow the Nigerian populace is not satisfied with the government's efforts; that the government is not doing enough, especially since it was only a month ago that a similar air accident claimed the lives of some of Nigeria's top generals, and before that, there had been the Belview tragedy and the school kids' air crash.

ANS: Government is very concerned.  Just two weeks ago, there was the report of a panel that had been set up to probe these air crashes which came out and a press conference was organized in Lagos in which the press was briefed on the outcome of the probe.

QUE:   So what other steps is the government taking to ensure that tragedies are averted?  

ANS:  Oh even before this (yesterday's) crash, the government had set up a powerful committee consisting of the minister of Justice, the aviation minister and some other ppl - about four others who have been mandated to look into affairs concerning aviation in Nigeria and come up with solutions. It was allocated funds totalling 19 million (? dollars, naira, not specified) for just this purpose. (at this point, I am scratching my head, :?  :!: am I missing something here?  :? What oh what is the government doing??? :( )

There were other things involved like the total uncommunicativeness of ADC and its officials, as they were claiming that they didnt have a list of the ppl who died in the tragedy. MY GOD ARE THEY THAT STUPID? NO WONDER WE HAVE AN AIRCRASH OR A NEAR MISS EVERY NOW AND THEN. SOMETHING SO BASIC AS A LIST OF PASSENGERS IS NOT LOGGED, SO HOW CAN WE EXPECT ANYONE TO BOTHER TO SEE TO IT THAT THE PLANES ARE IN A FIT CONDITION TO FLY?

I wonder, what is there concrete that can give a man or woman any hope or assurance that anything positive is happening as far as the aviation ministry and flying in nigeria is concerned?

The solution is simple really,

Get rid of Aborishade, old fuddy duddy grandpa,

Change presidential advisors on aviation,

Bring on ppl the ilk of el Rufai and Rubadu to run the ministry of aviation

Ground all domestic flights for  an indefinite period of time

Bring in foreign carriers to take over the job of domestic flights for the mean time. Let's face it, what Nigerians pay to fly a domestic route is on par with what others pay in foreign currency to fly domestic in their own country. So there is none of that excuse of its a lot more expensive to fly foreign carriers domestically within Nigeria. Besides concessions could be arrived at.  Besides we already have Virgin Nigeria, on a domestic route so what's the big deal?

Make an inspection of all the commercial and non commercial planes in Nigeria to certify them as airworthy or not.

Penalize all aviation companies whose planes are not air worthy by revoking their licences and slap a hefty fine on them.

Get aviation companies to form mergers so that they can pool in their resources and buy two or three good planes as a single aviation company rather than 10 grand papa planes as three commercial companies.

Also let them become public liability so that they can float shares on the market get more money to buy better planes and be under the control of the public shareholders with a say in the affairs of the company.

There are many other things that could be done I suppose. Anyone with better ideas pls put them down on this thread. At the end of the day, lets bring something concrete that can be advertized in the newspapers so that someone somewhere may sit up and take note. Someone said on this general board that its time we did something concrete apart from entertaining ourselves. I believe this is one of these ways. I hope you will all empathize with what I am saying.

Allah Ya jikan mamatan amin.

[Muhsin]

Yes Yaya Husna. You have really raised a very good, educative, thoughful,.... notion as regards to this redoubtable air craft accident. What an appalling?
We're all fatalistic, even if you are not, better be so as a good Moslim. We again know that, whoever dies, its his time that struck so must he. But, following such horendeous things that we are almost about to be use to, we must ask how? Why?
Moreover, the person that is answerable to all these aforsaid question is Mr. President. Though, Husna has preceeded me and has finished giving every possible hints to re-shape this thing. Hoping our govt. should act accordingly.
Allah ka jikan our esteemed icon died yesterday. May their soul rest in perfect peace-Ameen!

[amira]

Wat a TRAGEDY!!!
husnaa you,ve mentioned it all and i hope this change will occur as the solution that you've listed are simple to follow.

to Allah jikan musulmi, Allah ya gafarta mana ga baki daya Ameen summa Ameen.

[Dave_McEwan_Hill]

My sincerest condolences to all who are coming to grips with this terrible tragedy.

When I was in Nigeria Aer Lingus (Ireland) and Icelandair technicians looked after the servicing of Nigeria Airways planes but it doesn't matter who does the servicing if the whole system is corrupted, parts are stolen or not purchased and no proper checks are done.
Nigeria needs a total revolution. Where will you find the honest men and women who would be brave enough to stand up to the corrupted big men?

When I was in Kano there was a terrible crash of a plane returning from the Hajj.
It flew into Kano completley overloaded because  bribes had been given to allow lots of valuable excess baggage to be taken on board. It came in in thick Harmattan and the pilot landed by eyesight as the radar was not working. He dropped it on to the tarmac  too quickly as he was too far down the runway. Because the contractor was corrupt the runway tarmac was not thick enough and the overloaded plane's wheels went through it causing it to crash forward on its nose. Most of the crew got out before it burst into flames but none of the pilgrims. Nobody knew who was on the plane as no proper boarding record had been taken. Recent terrible air crashes in Nigeria tell me that nothing has improved over the last twenty years!

[HUSNAA]

Shortly after the tragic ADC air crash, another ADC plane also at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport Abuja had a near miss as it was trying to land on the runway and its tyres refused to fold out.  

I applaud the immediate revocation of ADC's licence, but at the same time, I strongly object to Aborishade's making the dead pilot of the crashed airline, Captain Kolawole Atanda, the scapegoat for the aviation ministry's and the minister's incompetence.

We now know how dynamic ppl work, ppl like Rubadu,  El Rufai, Okonja Iweala and Dora Akinloye. We feel their impacts in our lives therefore we are aware of the difference between them and others like Aborishade.

What is worse for Aborishade's ministry is that it is not even one of those dormant nothing impactful  happening either way kind of ministry. Powerful negative things are emanating from it, for which neglect and corruption are the chief causes.

Aborishade should stop his disgraceful cackles and step down with what remains of his tattered dignity.

[gogannaka]

Alas the Minister of aviation has been replaced by Femi Fani Kayode.The erstwhile minister has been redeployed to the culture and tourism ministry.I hope this would put and end to the frequent plane crashes in the nation.
Prof. Borishade has some bad luck in him.When he was minister of education the academic staff union went on a lengthy strike and this guy didnt do anything to help matters instead he kept frustrating the matter.As aviation minister,there were lots of plane crashes during his stay in office yet this guy refuses to at least resign.This guy failed to get the senate's aprroval to be appointed as minister but yet 'baba' used his ways to get him to his cabinet.
One would ask how useful is Borishade in Baba's cabinet?

[*~MuDa~*]

One would ask how useful is Borishade in Baba's cabinet?

Yeah i smell a big rat there...a gafiya specie!

Seriously, Husnaa, i feel your pain, it hurts my systems to witness such governmental scandals. I'm a tru nationalist, i love my country nigeria, my fatherland to the bones, i'm proud about my country even though we r so backwards and underdeveloped.

I hate to say this but all that fate is vibrating now, i kinda feel ashame to introduce myself as a nigerian anymore due to this countless air crashes, yeah they are countless coz honestly i cant remember how many planes have crashed in a year...

I feel like crying u know, y cant this lot of people die individualy on their own on some other normal aspect of death design? But in a plane crash is so ill due to the fact that we all know that the main reason is from negligence and corruption from our fellow homosapian brethens, wut the hell,  nobody has the right to play chess with our lives, we all know that, yet we vote these monsters every 4 years, we are to be blame coz this wolves dont even disguise in sheeps skin, hunt vividly in the open. Am exosted.

[HUSNAA]

I'm not sure Femi Kayode will do any better than Aborishade. He is rude, insolent and conceited and totally the wrong choice for the ministry.

[Nuruddeen]

I'm not sure Femi Kayode will do any better than Aborishade. He is rude, insolent and conceited and totally the wrong choice for the ministry.

Oh God! Fani- Kayode of all ppl. Look at how OBJ is using the wrong guys to claim lives of innocent ppl. I really sympathise with Nigerians.

[Muhsin]

Alas the Minister of aviation has been replaced by Femi Fani Kayode.The erstwhile minister has been redeployed to the culture and tourism ministry.I hope this would put and end to the frequent plane crashes in the nation.
Prof. Borishade has some bad luck in him.When he was minister of education the academic staff union went on a lengthy strike and this guy didnt do anything to help matters instead he kept frustrating the matter.As aviation minister,there were lots of plane crashes during his stay in office yet this guy refuses to at least resign.This guy failed to get the senate's aprroval to be appointed as minister but yet 'baba' used his ways to get him to his cabinet.
One would ask how useful is Borishade in Baba's cabinet?

Kwamachala! What a funny?
What OBJ thought of this guy Femi. I personally don't think he can do any better.

[Muhsin]

FG approves N19bn for aviation sector. Have you heard  of this?

[gogannaka]

I can remember kitkat saying that Femi Kayode used to be a drug addict and that he is still(at least at the time of the post) under rehabilitation in Ghana.Now he's Aviation minister.

Well he too had his first aircrash.I heard on the NTA that a helicopter had crashed in Nigeria on the 10th of November.There were 4 people on board and luckily 3 of them survived.

[Muhsin]

I can remember kitkat saying that Femi Kayode used to be a drug addict and that he is still(at least at the time of the post) under rehabilitation in Ghana.Now he's Aviation minister.

Well he too had his first aircrash.I heard on the NTA that a helicopter had crashed in Nigeria on the 10th of November.There were 4 people on board and luckily 3 of them survived.

What a demoralising? I also heard this. Lalle the title of this thread which Husna named as ...Air Grave is right. Allah ya jikan musulmai-Ameen!

[Muhsin]

Nigeria arrests ex-air ministers

Two former aviation ministers have been arrested by Nigerian anti-corruption agents investigating the disappearance of $160m for radar equipment.


Femi Fani-Kayode and Babalola Borishade were detained after giving evidence to a Senate inquiry into the case.

Both men denied any wrong-doing and Mr Borishade said that the amounts of money concerned had been exaggerated.

The equipment was supposed to help improve Nigeria's woeful air safety record after several fatal crashes.
   NIGERIA PLANE CRASHES
October 2006: ADC Airlines 737 crashes just after takeoff in Abuja, killing 96 people
December 2005: Sosoliso Airlines DC-9 crashes on landing in Port Harcourt, killing 106
October 2005: Bellview Airlines 737 crashes in Ogun state, killing 117
May 2002: Plane operated by EAS Airlines crashes in Kano, killing 148 people
November 1996: 142 people die when Boeing 727 owned by Nigeria's ADC airline plunges into lagoon 85km (55 miles) from Lagos



Mr Borishade was sacked as aviation minister after a 2006 crash at the airport in the capital, Abuja, which killed 97 people, including the spiritual leader of Nigeria's Muslims.

Mr Fani-Kayode, a spokesman for former President Olusegun Obasanjo who left office last year, then replaced him.

Correspondents say it is expected that the two will be charged in court in the coming days, where they are expected to enter a formal plea.

Also detained on Monday was Roland Iyayi, former head of the federal aviation agency.

Last week, an Austrian aviation contractor was arrested after giving evidence.

More than 200 people were killed in two crashes in 2005.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7482876.stm

Published: 2008/07/01 09:18:24 GMT

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