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ADC CRASH: Too Painful For Tears By Garba A. Isa A flight attendant reportedly asked the late Sultan Abubakar iii out of courtesy whether he was “Okay” shortly after take off on an international flight; the Sultan in Far Northern bluntness, wondered how he could be comfortable with “all his legs up in the air”. This used to be constantly referred to as a joking statement. But after the tragic ADC plane crash on Sunday 29th October near Abuja which ironically killed Sultan Abubakar’s son and later, successor Sultan Maccido Abubakar, it is no longer a joking matter once one is destined to fly in Nigeria’s mainly “Tokunbo” aircrafts. In July 1991, a DC 8 aircraft chartered by Holtrade carrying the defunct Sokoto state pilgrims, exploded in mid-air killing everybody on board. Some 15 years after that tragic event, the unanswered question remains; who gave a clean bill of health to the Holtrade-chartered DC 8? The same question can be recycled for almost all the ill-fated flights we have had over the years in this country. This piece is not about a catalogue of several air disasters which consumed some of the nation’s most illustrious sons such as Professor Klaude Ake (also killed by an ADC plane crash near Port Harcourt), a late Governor of the old Sokoto state Brigadier Umaru Muhammad, several Muslim Pilgrims and Soldiers (including the most recent fatal crash which killed scores of Army Generals enroute to Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross Rivers state) over the years. It is largely about wondering why these tragedies keep occurring serially while we literally chose the “Do-nothing” option. In more organised, more disciplined nations, air traffic regulation and management is too serious a business to be entrusted in the hands of well connected corrupt-ridden mediocre. The ADC Airline seems to run a near monopoly of scheduled flights on Abuja-Sokoto route and its planes are always full of “Who is who” from Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara, particularly since the deterioration of the federal highway linking the 3 states. As bad roads and increasing menace of highway robbers force the societal elite to take to the air, it is the more reason why one always feared a fatal mishap in our increasingly dangerous air travels could tragically claim high profile victims. Imagine a single fatal flight killing the Sultan, his son who is a Senator an heir apparent, a deputy Governor, another Senator, two Governorship aspirants and several leaders in one fell swoop! Who else do we wait to be killed before taking decisive action to stop these recurring air disasters with all their devastating consequences? Despite all the painful air tragedies in this country spanning several years, there seemed to be no great lessons learned and subsequently no apparent concrete measures for amends put in place. In all honesty though, the current Minister of Aviation Mr. Borishade who was literally forced down the throat of the Senate for confirmation as a Minister is too colourless for the Aviation portfolio. Several expert reports on overhauling the rotten sector may not see the light of the day soonest given the sacred cows that may be touched by the required radical changes. For a safer, more respectable Aviation industry in this country, the cabal holding us to ransom must be broken up. For instance, those sacred cows that strangulated the Nigeria Airways to death when poorer nations’ Air Carriers such as the Ethiopian Airline and the Sudan Airways are still flying are walking as free men and women as though nothing happened. The so-called Virgin Nigeria contraption is more of a national disgrace than any landmark achievement for which our reform apostles should bury their heads in shame. To make matters worst, our Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management system is simply a non-starter: our search and rescue operation strategy for instance, even where Military planes are involved, is to say the least a national disgrace. The response to disasters in this country is largely “Fire Brigade”. We do not plan for disasters, we only wait to embark on the “mopping up” operation after a Natural or Man-made calamity has struck; this itself is a national calamity of immense proportion. The often fatal nature of Aviation disasters means special security and safety measures and standards ought to be reserved for that sector. An inward looking national Inquest or Conference on the future of the Aviation industry in the country is urgent and imperative. The rate at which innocent lives are lost to air disasters in this country is very alarming and is akin to war zones only that in our case Corruption, Nepotism and Mediocrity are the ones “shooting down” the planes rather than missiles! Competent people are simply thrown away to allow space for the most incompetent who happen to come from the correct side of the divide in this country. This situation cannot move us anywhere; we must be just enough to put the proverbial round pegs in round holes if we must make meaningful progress. Someone told me an unbelievable incident where a certain system failure was to be rectified in one of the nation’s Airports but instead of sourcing our internal experts, an “expert” was brought from America only for the American to see the Nigerian sidelined expert who was his teacher on the welcome party. He declined the offer insisting that his Nigerian teacher who taught him the same task should be patronised, The American remained adamant and left the country. The other time we were landing safely at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, one of the passengers was clapping at the pilot for a job well done; this writer however reserved his thanks to the Almighty God. This is because given the rot in the Aviation industry, the direct Intervention of God is as always, imperative for every successful take off, flying and landing. It looks as though if one chooses to travel by Air in this country, he may be on his own with no any semblance of safety guarantees or confidence building measures. Plane mishaps or near misses in this country take various forms some too funny such as avoiding animals on the tarmac. In some cases it the plane falling on houses below like the one in Kano some years ago which consumed a former sports minister and the wife of the former FCT minister Jerimia Husseini including scores of residents in the Gwammaja area of the city. The ADC crash came shortly after the first anniversary of the Bell-View plane tragedy of October 2005. But this very fatal clash involving his eminence the late Sultan Maccido and several political leaders such as Senators Yari Gandi and Muhammad Maccido and Sokoto State Deputy Governor, will attract serious probe as ordered by President Obasanjo. The pertinent question is what happens after the usual ritual of probe and all the noise about the Black Box and other jargons? Also given the personalities involved in the ADC Air tragedy, even the conspiracy theorists will be at work; but the bottom line is no amount of probe will bring the dead back to life. Besides, the accident victims are mainly Muslims from a part of the country where all happenings are returned to God as providential fate. If a deliberate human factor was actually responsible, let the culprits live in this World for ever by defy ing the will of God. There must be clear enforcement of the policy of reward and punishment in an attempt to sanitise the Aviation sector. What of something like an annual Presidential Aviation safety Awards or charging the negligent officials for manslaughter where the case is established against all reasonable doubts. We cannot continue to watch our precious souls lost in cold blood. The Sultan’s death in the latest air tragedy tragedy should mark a turning point in our approach to the Aviation industry in general, this should be one of the best steps towards a honouring the man who was “sacrificed” so that we can eventually take radical measures to finally remove the rot in the system. The Sultan has somewhat become the most remarkable "martyr” of Aviation disasters in the country to-date! The Muslim Ummah in the country will continue to remember Sultan Maccido for his simplicity and peaceful disposition. Despite our criticism of the Sultanate for its often passive approach to hot national issues, one cannot take away the symbolic significance of the office within the body politics of the country and beyond. Meanwhile as the Sokoto State Governor Dalhatu Bafarawa whose state apparently suffered the most in the tragedy put politics temporarily aside to bury and mourn the departed, our broken hearts go with him in this trying period. As the Holy Qur’an tells us “We are from Allah and unto Him shall we return”.
Garba A. Isa Yekuwa Communications, Kano-Nigeria |