‘How three ministers escaped death’
But for providence, three serving minister would have been involved in the ill-fated Dana plane crash that occurred in Lagos on Sunday. At a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting to mourn the victims of the crash where the ministers took turns to express their condolences to the families of the victims, the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, while commiserating with the families of the victims, said he escaped death by a whisker as he had earlier flew the plane from Lagos to Abuja.
According to him, it was after he disembarked in Abuja and the aircraft was returning to Lagos that it crashed.
For the Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Minister, Mr. Edem Duke, he was also supposed to be on the ill-fated flight to Lagos, but as providence would have it; he could not make the flight.
Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada, told the session that she was supposed to board the aircraft from Lagos to Abuja but that the plane crashed before it could make it to Lagos to carry passengers, including herself to Abuja same day.
At the special session, where a minute silence was observed for the souls of the victims, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator Anyim Piuys Anyim, said the session was held to conclude the three-day national mourning of the victims of the Dana Air crash and that of the Allied Air that occurred in Accra, Ghana.
The Minister of Health, Onyekachi Chukwu, said it was a weekend of sorrow for Nigerians, adding that the actions taken so far by the Federal Government, the Lagos State government and all other agencies are all in good direction. He urged Nigerians to remain calm and put their trust in God.
For the Interior Minister, Abba Moro, the crash was an unfortunate incident and prayed God to grant the President and the families of the victims the fortitude to bear the loss. Works Minister, Mike Onolememen, said the period was not the best of time for the country.
He said the nation has experienced several crashes in the aviation sector, saying that it would appear as if the only motive for airline operators is for economic gains at the detriment of lives of Nigerians, saying that it was time to float a national airline.
The Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochepe, in her contributions at the special session, commended the aviation minister for measures taken so far and stressed the need to look at the work ethics of the sector to ensure seriousness in the sector.
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