Ex governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala
From Tunde Sanni in Ibadan
Former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala and a former national secretaryship candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party , Chief Akintayo Akin-Deko have lamented last Sunday's ill-fated plane crash in Lagos, describing it as unfortunate.
Alao-Akala and Akin-Deko who spoke with THISDAY, described the air crash as human error which, according to them, was avoidable.
Alao-Akala noted that the crash was preventable if the management of the ill-fated aircraft had taken necessary safety measures.
“If it was true that the crashed aircraft was recommended not to be airworthy as of the time it was made to fly, then the management of the airline was culpable," the former governor said.
In his reaction, Akin-Deko described the incident as condemnable, especially judging from the available facts that the crashed plane was not certified good on the unfortunate day.
“That the crash came less than a week after we celebrated democracy day was totally reprehensible and abhorrable. The management of the aircraft should not be allowed to go scot free. They should be sanctioned.
“The crashed air craft has exposed the problems in our aviation industry and now is the time to do a holistic cleaning of the entire nation’s transport system with the view of separating the wheat from the chaff," he said.
In the same vein, the vice chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, has called on the federal government and relevant authorities to ensure that no stone is left unturned in a bid to ascertain the immediate cause of the crash .
Lanlehin in his reaction to the crash, described the development as another sad chapter in the history of the country. "At a time Nigerians are celebrating 13 years of democracy, the multiple tragedy of last weekend which claimed many lives was unfortunate. 157 lives lost in a Lagos plane crash, about 24 in a road accident along Lagos-Ibadan expressway and another 12 in a Bauchi church bomb blast all within 48 hours. The entire country is obviously in grief.
"We can only pray for the repose of the souls of the departed and also ask God to give families of the victims the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses even as we ask the Almighty to prevent such occurrences in the future," he said.