SAN FRANCISCO, October 09, (THEWILL) – The Minister for Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has been asked to apologise to Nigerians over the spate of plane crashes being experienced in the country.
The former Chairman of River State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Apostle Eugene Ogu,who stated this at a media briefing on Wednesday, also described the comment of the Minister on the recent development in the country’s aviation sector as reckless, saying it smacks of insensitivity to the grief of those who lost loved ones in the October 3 Associate Airline crash in Lagos.
Ogu, who accused the minister of being economical with the truth on the reasons for the suspension of Dana Airlines operations, said over 70 passengers actually escaped death when a Dana plane aborted a journey from Port Harcourt to Lagos because an engine packed up mid-air on Sunday against claims by the minister.
“As I am talking to you now the airplane is at the (Port Harcourt) airport. It is marked 5-N-SAI. The minister is not telling the public the truth and that is a shame. Why did they allow that to happen before they ground the airline?”
“It is a shame that a high ranking government official like the Minister of Aviation would make such careless statement. If she lost a relative or child in that crash, would she be saying that?
“The crash was not an act of God; it is a result of the recklessness of government officials like the minister, who are saddled with providing services to the people. She should apologise to Nigerians.
“We can avoid such accidents if the minister and other government officials face their jobs instead of hunting real and perceived opponents of the president. Did her job stop with suspending Rivers State Government plane?
“Are you not aware that an Air France plane killed seven cows in Port Harcourt? Was that also an act of God? So God sent the cows to the runway to be killed? She should apologise to Nigerians because she is not doing her job.
“So, Nigerians should equally accept that hundreds of souls who perish daily on our bad roads are acts of God?” the cleric stated.
