Posted by By MUYIWA OYINLOLA on
Mojisola, widow of Captain Kolawole Atanda, who flew the ADC aircraft which crashed on Sunday, has dismissed as flawed Federal Government's allegation that her husband was responsible for the death of the 96 people that perished in the disaster.
Mojisola, widow of Captain Kolawole Atanda, who flew the ADC aircraft which crashed on Sunday, has dismissed as flawed Federal Government's allegation that her husband was responsible for the death of the 96 people that perished in the disaster.
Aviation Minister, Prof. Babalola Borishade, had on Monday told the nation that Atanda's refusal to heed the advice by the control tower against flying due to bad weather was responsible for the crash.
But speaking to Daily Sun at their Abesan Estate, Ipaja, residence on Tuesday, the mother of five faulted Borishade's claim, saying that it could only pass for a political statement.
She described her husband as a professional of high repute who would never disobey aviation rules or deliberately put the lives of the people on board in danger.
To buttress her claim, Mrs Atanda noted that her late husband was a pilot with the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways, for 27 years before moving to ADC a few years ago, stressing that throughout the period, he was never involved in any crash or incident.
She therefore condemned the minister's position, stating: "that couldn't have been true. He has an aged mother and an aged father, a wife and five children. He couldn't have disobeyed. Nobody wants to die. Nobody wants to be involved in an air crash. Nobody wants to die. So he's not saying the truth. It's a political statement as far as I'm concerned."
Speaking further, the pilot's widow said: "He's an American trained pilot. He has a Masters Degree in Transport, and he's a very meticulous man, very cautious, very reliable and very humble. He would not disobey. He could not even hurt a fly, and ADC can also confirm this. He was with the Nigeria Airways for 27 years and he moved over to ADC when Nigeria Airways was about packing up."
The widow was not alone in heaping scorn on Professor Borishade. A member of the Abesan Estate Community Development Area (CDA) and family friend of the deceased, Chief S. A. Sobowale also feels the minister should be removed from office. He wants the nation to note that the minister's tenure has recorded more plane crashes than ever. His words: "The minister is not someone that befits that position. He is not, because in the circumstances, either in aviation or any other area, when something happens, one needs to investigate it. And for a minister of a country like Nigeria to behave like a naïve person, I think it is very very bad.
"And now, something happened within 24 hours, he only relied on the evidence that the control tower gave him without further enquiry or investigation, went on air and started blaming the pilot. Did he know what happened when the aircraft took off? These are the areas he should have investigated. And after he has made his judgement, they now begin to set up a panel to investigate what happened. They didn't consult the ‘black box' which is the most important element in investigating what really happened before the crash, before he went on air to be talking nonsense.
"No wonder he spoilt the Ministry of Education, he spoilt the educational system of this country and he was removed from there only for Obasanjo to put him in aviation ministry.
"The senate rejected him three times. They didn't approve his appointment. Since his appointment as Aviation Minister, it has been a season of air disasters, yet the government refused to remove him."