Guardian

One year after the Dana Airline’s Boeing McDonnel MD-83 flight No. 992 crashed into Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos State, killing all the 153 passengers and the crew on board, DEBO OLADIMEJI who visited the Iju- Ishaga Memorial Arcade Cenotaph erected in memory of the deceased, reports on the feelings of the residents concerning the first anniversary remembrance which took place on Monday.

AS people swarmed into the crash site (Olaniyi Street, Iju-Ishaga, Ifako Ijaiye Local Government, Lagos) of Dana Airline’s Boeing McDonnel MD-83 flight No. 992, for the first anniversary remembrance in memory of the victims on Monday, the residents of 1, Shobande Close, off Olaniyi Street, whose properties were destroyed by the flood penultimate Tuesday from the newly constructed drainage by the government on Olaniyi Street, were counting their losses.

They were unanimous in the call on the government to come to their aid so that they can live in their house without any fear. One of the victims of the flood, Mrs. Abosede Maye lamented: “We are now made to suffer from the flood coming from the neighbouring communities. The channel for the flood to pass under the railway line is too small.

“The channel cannot withstand the pressure of the flood and it is pushing the water backward to our close. That is what we are going through. All our properties were soaked. Since I have been living here (11 years ago), it has never been like this. We are now scattered all over the place with our children”.

Another victim, Bola Shobande warned that if the government does not take immediate action to provide a big channel for the flood to pass, the whole close may soon be submerged by flood.

Her neighbour, Biola Adejumo, corroborated her views. The mother of Farouk, Arafat and Soburat was sighted with her children displaying the left over of her property in the sun. Her husband, Wasiu was not around.

“We thank the government for what they are doing. But they should complete the work by providing drainage for the flood to pass,” she said.

Joseph John, another hapless resident, took this reporter to the small channel which the flood coming from Agbado Crossing, Powerline, and the neighbouring communities ought to pass under the railway line. “But the channel is too small. The contractor constructing the road said that they cannot expand the channel because it was not part of the contract given to them by the state government. Besides, the place belongs to the Federal Government,” he said.

He lamented how he came back from work on that fateful Tuesday around 10.pm to meet all his property soaked in the flood. “Life has not been easy since then,” he said.

The staff of HFP Engineering which constructed the road on Olaniyi, Idowu, Kufeji and part of Okusanya Street, also sympathised with the residents.

One of them, Israel Dick who was impressed with the government effort to bring development to the area, explained part of the reasons for the flood.

“The contract they gave us did not include the road down Okusanya Street. Because of that, the rain is bringing sand from there to block the drainage,” he said.

He said that the government should extend the good gesture to the other streets in the community. His colleague, Ani Ikashi also said the government should extend development to every part of the community.

“The people of the community are happy for the work being done. It would be good if the government can let the good roads to go round,” he said.

One of the residents in the community, Iya Ibeji prayed for the relations of the departed souls and for God to give them the fortitude to bear the loss of their loved ones. “The construction of the road and the building of the cenotaph is a good gesture from the government. The only problem we have is that of flood from the newly constructed drainage,” she said.

But whether you go into the site via Iyana Ipaja or through Oke-Aro, the fact that the environment has changed is glaring. Olaniyi and the adjourning streets are now tarred with new drainage.

The cenotaph is situated at the centre of the crash site inside the memorial arcade. On top of the cenotaph which is a magnificent three-step tower, is a sculpture of a damaged Dana Air plane. Engraved in the cenotaph made of marble are the words: “In loving memory of the 156 men, women and children who lost their lives following the crash of Dana Boeing McDonnel MD-83 Aircraft on Sunday, the 3rd Day of June, 2012”.

The names of the victims are engraved in the tomb block close to the cenotaph.

Femi Coker, Assistant Secretary of the CDA residents association, urged the government to provide fire stations for each of the local government in the state to respond to emergency situations. “We the officials of the CDA are now under pressure from our members who feel that we are not doing our best to make Dana Airlines to compensate the ground victims. The CDA has been writing letters to the government, no response. Dana Airlines officials just neglected the community which is a wrong way to go about it,” he said .

Akin Aina, Assistant Secretary for Akande Community Association, recalled that he was around on June 3 last year when the plane crashed. “We thought it was a train that had derailed because the tremor shook the whole community. Before the plane burst into flames, I attempted to open one of the emergency doors but it could not open,” he said.

Aina averred that if the fire service had been around to douse the heat from the plane, it would not have caught fire. “I don’t pray for any of such thing to happen again. But there is still a threat in the sense that I don’t think we have learnt any lesson to prevent such an ugly situation from repeating itself.

“It is true that the government has opened up this place with good roads. But what if such a thing happens in another location (God forbid)?” he wondered.

He described Monday’s anniversary as a memorable event to assure the people that all is not lost. “It will help to keep the memory of the people fresh. The government has turned the place which hitherto was a den for robbers, into a tourist haven”.

He said that there is the need for the Dana Airlines to pay compensation to the ground victims “Mr. Daniel Omowunmi had a furniture factory with industrial machines before the incident. Six families were dislocated and three people died”.

Aina urged the government to provide primary health centre, pipe borne water and regular electricity for the people.

On his part, the Chairman of the CDA, Adewale Oriowo said: “We are grateful for the governor for the development it has brought to our community. But it will not be okay for the government to leave the roads in Akande and some parts of Okusanya untarred,” he said.

He urged the government to always remember the victims of the crash. “They ought to be coming here yearly to remember the victims. The people of this community will always remember those people that lost their lives in the plane crash,” he said.

Governor Babatunde Fashola at the site on Monday said to the bereaved families: “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.”

He pledged that the state government would continue to stand by the families to reduce their burden and urged stakeholders in the aviation industry to learn some lessons from the accident and use them to avert a recurrence.

“The essence is to keep proper records and a reference material for emergency management in the state,” he stressed.

President Goodluck  Jonathan  also promised to make the country’s airspace safe. He spoke after unveiling the cenotaph in honour of the victims of the crash at the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The president said the government in the last one year had taken measures to keep the airspace safe. “Today, I want to say to all my countrymen and women and the entire world that we will make our airspace safe. In this regard, I reiterate our determination to do everything humanly possible to prevent reoccurrence of this unfortunate tragedy. In the aftermath of the Dana air crash, additional safeguards to enhance overall safety of flying in Nigeria were immediately put in place.

“You will recall that the Minister of Aviation, with approval, appointed the technical and administrative review panel comprising of highly qualified experienced industry professionals to review the operational, technical and managerial practice that existed in all airlines that operate domestically.

“The assignment of the panel was separate from that of the statutory investigation of the accident carried out by the Accident Investigation Bureau. The panel was established to uncover any contributory lapses that may have existed in the industry so that they could be speedily addressed to enhance the overall safety of Nigeria’s aviation industry,” he said.