Senseless Devastation

Yesterday's Tragedies in Nigeria left me at a loss for words and in tears. No one I knew personally perished in the plane crash; however, some of my friends family members and friends did. (Just when I thought no one I knew lost their lives in the plane crash, my mother calls me yesterday and told me her friend from High Schools daughter and 9 month old son perished in the crash. I remember meeting her in Lagos when I visited a few years back. May God be with her husband and family. It's still surreal to me) It makes you question why?!? It makes you sad, then angry, then furious!!! As a Nigerian born and raised in America, my father used to always tell me about so many people like himself in his age bracket that went to school abroad with the purpose of going back to make Nigeria better, yet to no avail.

Many that went back were faced with adversity, recultant and/or greedy government officials or other person's in power. Many people fail to realize that the more we allow these senseless acts to occur the more we are putting our personal lives at risk. How many of use know family members that fly locally from Lagos to Abuja, monthly if not weekly? I am sure we all do (Nigerian readers that is). How many times could we been the victims of Dana? It saddens me and makes me upset. We as Nigerians need to change our mentalities and focus on what's important (not renaming Univerisities) and put value to the human life, first!! Our greedy and corrupt system has no value of human life and it needs to change, now!

Why are our aircrafts in such horrible condition, why is Nigeria a dumping ground for Western Countries rejected aircraft's, why aren't the NCAA doing better? I have read many of the stories that are unfolding that state the aircraft has been having issues with Dana from time, yet were ignored to maximize profits?!?! People are now coming forward revealing the how many of these airlines operate.So human lives are worth nothing when it comes to money?!! I despise our nation for not doing better, and the foreign investors that take advantage of this corruption, because families are now morning due to this senseless tragedy. Where are our Morals?

I cannot call the Dana airplane crash an accident as the signs for maintenance and the aircraft being unfit for travel were seen yet ignored. I have family in Iju, I immediately called frantically praying and hoping the aircraft didn't crash in their house or neighborhood. The 5 minutes that I couldn't get a reply seemed like the longest 5 minutes of my life. I searched pictures of the plane crash and tried to access the area to make sure it was not the case. In the end, they were okay. But other families were less fortunate. I cried when I heard of an entire family wiped out a wife, a husband and four beautiful children. I just broke down, not because I knew them but because that could have been anybody!!! Preventative and reactive measures need to be put in place when it comes to the aviation industry, motor industry, healthcare system, and etc...

Yesterday's tragedy could have involved any of us, whether you were flying, or in your house; anybody! Nigeria is a beautiful country with so much potential and the money to make our country one of the safest and most sought after countries in the world, yet corruption and greed overshadow this. I hope this opens eyes to our government and those responsible will be brought to justice. Knowing Nigeria, I am trying to be more optimistic and less pessimistic. Dana should cease to exist and all aircraft's of local airlines inspected and discarded of, if deemed unfit for travel. Dana is the fourth major plane crash in ten years: Senseless Devastation. We Can Do Better.