Many find it difficult to come to terms with the unfortunate incident that threw our country into sorrow but all we can do at this point is to pray for God to give the affected families the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. I am convinced the thought of many selfless Nigerians are with them at this darkest period.
Many find it difficult to come to terms with the unfortunate incident that threw our country into sorrow but all we can do at this point is to pray for God to give the affected families the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. I am convinced the thought of many selfless Nigerians are with them at this darkest period.
I have used the word “Selfless Nigerians” to single out those Nigerians who would have acted differently had it been they were in a position to manage our aviation industry and not those who have had the opportunity to stop these painful tears rolling but yet chose to throw Nigerians into the dark and desolate valley of mourning while enjoying their ill-gotten money together with their families when quite number of children are out in the wilderness crying their eyes out, searching for their Dads, Mums, Sister’s, Brothers etc to no avail just because of someone’s careless acts.
Granted, accidents are bound to occur but some accidents are avoidable and the recent plane crash and road accidents in Nigeria are a clear testimony of that. While the accusation and counter-accusation as to whether there are issues of gross-negligence on the part of Dana Air soars, one thing is certain: This is just a litmus test result of Nigeria’s inefficiency, carelessness, negligence, and greed…………I stand to be corrected!!
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The result of the test has shown how incompetent those entrusted with certain responsibilities in Nigeria are, and how the present and previous Nigerian Government at all levels has woefully failed in protecting the fundamental human rights of her citizens.
The truth is; some people prefer travelling by air in Nigeria not because they enjoy it but because there seem to be certain element of security of life compared to what is obtainable when you travel by road sadly though, such theory must have surely diminished from their brains because no transport medium in Nigeria could be associated with the term safety. While we mourn the victims of this gruesome murder, we must also seek to find answers to certain questions which includes but not limited to “Why certain accidents and loss of lives should be prioritised in Nigeria” I asked this question because Nigeria seem to sacrifice human lives every hour via different means such as road accident, terrorism, armed robbery, child mortality, assassination etc.
While the Government deserve some commendation for at least making some usual noise by setting up a committee to investigate the plane crash, the question many Nigerians would be asking is who will investigate the increasing number of deaths Nigerians are subjected to on an hourly basis? Can certain people ever be prosecuted and convicted for first degree murder or gross-negligence for the loss of lives of innocent Nigerians on our roads?
While Dana Air is expected to pay compensation to the bereaved families, who will pay compensation to the family of those whose relatives has been forcefully taken away from them by the action/s of certain greedy Nigerians and Nigerian politicians whose blood has been replaced with corruption and lawlessness? Nigerian leaders, remember the words of Martin Luther King (Jr), Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. If the booklet with the inscription “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” in my possession is the same being used by other Nigerians and indeed various Governments in Nigeria then I can constructively argue that certain Nigerians are hypocrites especially the political class.
The truth remains; Nigerians are yet to see a Government or institution that would protect their rights especially right to life. In as much as we believe Dana Air should be taking certain responsibility for their carelessness, it might be morally justifiable for the Federal Government to come out clean and apologise to Nigerians for her continuous momentous failures. The Federal Government in this context includes the three tiers of Government because they have all failed though; it is not surprising to me because the record of most executive and legislative members of Government speaks for itself hence the urgent need to rediscover and redefine Nigeria and her leaders.
For this to work, our leaders must first rediscover themselves and incorporate the thought and welfare of every Nigerian in their agenda especially when planning to divert public funds meant for road reconstruction and rehabilitation knowing that the blood of any Nigerian who lost his or her life as a result of their greed would be on their head. The Senate and House of Representative members must come to terms with reality and make realistic laws that will guarantee the protection of lives in Nigeria. The Executive should work towards redefining the country, her values and what it represents which is corruption and lawlessness and that should be reflected through Government appointments, award of contracts, and during decision making. Those that claim to be opposition politicians must also realise that it is either you are part of the cause a problem or part of the solution and in Nigeria, the opposition parties and politicians are always part of the cause of major problems in Nigeria and should as well be part of the solution hence; the need to move along with international best practice and stop playing politics at the expense of Nigerians. We have suffered a lot and must stop inflicting injury on ourselves and our future.
Fellow patriots, follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot' than the stigma of conformity. And on issues that seem important to you, stand up and be counted at any cost. Nigerians must be ready to resist anything that is against our conscience even if the state demands it and that includes corruption and lawlessness!!
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Samuel Nwaobia a commentator on national issues wrote from England.
www.nwaobia.blogspot.co.uk
Twitter: @samstrongng
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