Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Loss of lives from the Dana Air Crash: A COLLECTIVE FAILURE


It is easy to blame Dana air management if it makes us all feel better but directly or in directly we as citizens of this failed state Nigeria play a role when disaster like this happens.

The Government: That certifies unfit planes or equipments discarded by other nations as fit for use, that is too busy looting to apportion funds and resources to the agencies (NEMA , NCA) That ought to have led the rescue operations.

Dana Management: For their greed and irresponsibility resulting in corporate manslaughter. Average cost of dana ticket is N18K. For 145 passengers, total revenue generated from that flight was less than N2.7Million! Was that money worth losing so many people for , families wiped out, dreams killed?

Dana Employees: Who all knew that flight had a problem and did not have the guts to stand up to the management that asked them to fly because no one wants to rock the boat.I don’t know much about aviation protocol but can a pilot not refuse to fly a plane? Does he see the safety records and maintenance checks done? I remember once a Virgin Atlantic flight to London was cancelled after we boarded. Crew members of Nigerian Airways saw us seated waiting for a bus to take us to a hotel asked us why and when we told them we were told there was a bird in the engine , they all burst out laughing, saying that if it was their flight, they would have been asked to fly on a faulty engine! DANA IS NOT THE ONLY AIRLINE THAT WAS AND IS STILL DOING THIS.

Nigerian Citizens: Who obstructed whatever rescue operations that could have been done by crowding the place just to take pictures and stare. I know some were trying to help but they are not trained or equipped for a situation like this and by being there hindered rescue operations.

Private Sector: In a country where private citizens own jets, helicopters and move around with ambulances etc, does it mean not even 1 multinational could have assisted in whatever capacity? I know they have no jurisdiction but when lives are involved is that the time for bureaucratic red tape or following due process? Was any attempt even made if for nothing to put out the fire quickly or did everyone just sit helpless?

So while we all blame Dana, until we all start being involved in our little way, nothing will change. The government has failed us but should we also fail ourselves? Today it is a plane crash but look within and around us and see areas where our lackadaisical attitude, nonchalance and ‘Look the other way if it does not affect us attitude’’ may has or can cause loss of lives.

Nothing can bring back Ayoola Somolu,other passengers on board and all the other people at home who died as a result of negligence, careless, irresponsibility but they should not have died in vain. Let this be a wake up call for us all because it could have been anyone of us.