Posted by From Chuks Okocha in Port Harcourt on
Parents Teachers Association of the Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, which lost 60 of its students in the Sosoliso air crash on December 10, 2005, yesterday held a procession in remembrance of the dead students and called for a boycott of air travels by parents until the aviation sector is turned around.
Parents Teachers Association of the Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, which lost 60 of its students in the Sosoliso air crash on December 10, 2005, yesterday held a procession in remembrance of the dead students and called for a boycott of air travels by parents until the aviation sector is turned around.
The parents also expressed disappointment that in spite of the unhealthy state of the airplanes, most of the airlines still put them up for flight services.
The procession, organised by Mrs Sharon Ikazor, started with a mass at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, at 12 noon, presided over by Reverend Father Williams Ojukwu, with the actual procession lasting one and half hours.
Ojukwu, in his sermon, said God wanted human beings to have a sweet life on earth until Adam and Eve sinned, which resulted in death.
'Death is a necessary end, though painful, but people of God should not behave like those who do not have faith. I strongly believe the children are in heaven with God and one day the parents will join them, since the world is a temporary place only heaven is permanent," he said.
While expressing happiness with the Federal Government on has been done so far, he expressed the hope that it will be seen to its logical conclusion.
'There is need for the Federal Government to treat the aviation industry the way it has done with the banking sector ,by calling for consolidation, so as to stop the issue of cutting corners.
'Events of 2005 should serve as lesson to all, hence the need for us to be prepared, so that death will not take us unawares," he said.
Eziamaka Odunze, one of the parents, told THISDAY 'we still feel it keenly, and we don't want their memories to be ever forgotten .
'We want to do this on the 10th of every month for the next one year. We want change and for sanity to come in not just in the aviation sector, but for every sectors in this country. We have seen that government officials have been going around the airports, looking at the facilities at the airport, the planes etc. So far they are doing well, but then if we forget about it, they too will forget about it, but we hope it is not going to be business as usual.
'We want to see improvement in the facilities at the airports, we want emergency services unit at the airport, fire trucks, ambulances and general aviation facilities like the radar etc. We are looking up to experts help us in this sector," she said.
In her own remark, Bilquis Magoro, said the procession is like a reminder that this is one incident that mothers in Nigeria will not just forget and is not one of those incidents that will be swept under the carpet.
'It is something we will continue until something is done about our system. It is not just aviation, even our roads. I am not really satisfied with what has been done so far. I think more should have been done like the plane are still flying at the moment. I would not let myself, family and children go on those flights and I believe the government and private entrepreneurs should come together and see how they can get better flights into the country, because even if it is three flights, at least we know they are good.
People are only flying two airlines, Virgin Nigeria and Aero Contractor, that is why private entrepreneurs must come together and make a decision and not wait for government to make decision for them. I am a private entrepreneur and a mother, and it is what's good for the country that I will go for. Wehave to play safe and be alive to enjoy our money", she said.
Magoro called on the Minister of Aviation to resignand allow a more competent person to mount the saddle.
'If I were Babalola Borishade, as a woman of integrity, I will just stepdown until things are rectified and if people think I should be there and I know I am not competent to be there, I will let the right be there. The President should remove the Minister, he is not meant to be there," she said. a more competent person should be there", she insisted.
Hon. Abike Dabiri disclosed that there is going to be a strong bill from the National Assembly in terms of the aviation sector but that this was beyond politics.
'This is not just for politicians what this women are doing here is that they are saying we are agent of change and whatever happens we are not going to keep quite. We are saying we want to keep the memories alive beyond whatever you are doing we are saying as Nigerians we should learn to talk we are not going to keep quite. It is a different kind of approach attitude because they say time heals all wounds but this wound would be hard to heal. The children resumed in school yesterday (Monday) and it was tough in school, the school has been organizing counseling sessions for them urging them to talk because they are internalizing this thing so that gradually things will get back to normal".
Earlier the students of Loyola Jesuit had participated in the mass and sang songs and while they were singing parents of the fallen angles came with their pictures crying. One of such song was title 'City of God".