Plane Crash, Agagus, Nigerians and lack of sensitivity.
By Emeka Oparah
Special to USAfricaonline.com, CLASSmagazine and USAfrica multimedia networks, Houston.
USAfrica: The October 3, 2013 crash of Associated Airline plane conveying the body of Mr. Olusegun Agagu, the former Governor of Ondo State of Nigeria, to Akure for burial continues to draw varied responses from Nigerians. This is because of the sensitivity (and in some cases, lack of sensitivity) of the double tragedy of 
bereavement and the unfortunate accident.
My heart has been heavy with thoughts of the catastrophic incident and the ensuing outbreak of commentary on social media about the incident. So, twenty-four hours down the line, I believe it’ll make me feel lighter and better, if I say what’s on my mind.
A plane crashes and people are busy bandying names of the passengers, with absolutely no qualms about the feelings of their families and friends. Then, some start posting pictures and writing dirges of people who later turn up alive! Imagine announcing the death of Gbenga Obasanjo who was safely in the US! Someone said it was better the wife of the late Mr. Agagu died in the crash because it would be impossible for her to survive the death of all her kids and her husband. Meanwhile, she was not even on the flight neither was any of her daughters. The widow and her kids were already in Akure and the only son of the man, Feyi, miraculously survived the crash! Someone cited Karma, saying that had Agagu fixed the Aviation industry when he was Minister, he wouldn’t have died. What a heartless comment!
The one that really got me was one clown who said Agagu must be occultic to decide to crash the flight bearing his corpse because the casket was intact!
Why won’t a metal casket be intact, especially when the crash occurred at very low altitude? Was the dead man flying the 23-year-old aircraft, which last flew in August? But accidents occur anywhere, anytime, abi? And which dead man crashed the planes that previously crashed in Nigeria and elsewhere?
All of these upon the grief of a mourning family and a frustrated nation! What the hell are we turning to? Why are we losing our humanness? Why can’t we show compassion anymore? A family lost their bread winner, the plane conveying his body with family and friends crashed and more deaths occur and we are busy spewing absolute rubbish!!! Only God can save Nigeria and the time seems to be now or else…!
The evils of free speech and social media are unraveling indeed. Most unfortunate is the involvement of known journalists in this charade of “breaking News” and “Citizen Journalism”. Whatever happened to respect for human dignity? I mean, how could you simply announce the death of someone without caring whether the family was aware? How could you just post the battered body of an accident victim on the internet without caring for decency and respect for the dead? As a matter of fact, armed with smart phones and no-so-smart brains, people would rather be taking photos or video recordings than assisting with search and rescue.
For completeness, let me recount the whole story: The former public official, who served as Governor of Ondo State during President Obasanjo’s first term as Minister of Aviation during his second term, having failed to secure a second gubernatorial stint, died suddenly of what seemed like a cardiac arrest on September 14th. His home state had activated elaborate funeral plans for a befitting burial for their great son. The state burial was fixed for Friday, October 4th after a lying in state at the state capital, Akure. So, early Thursday, October 3rd, the body in a metal casket (which turned out fortuitous) together with about 17 relatives and friends, boarded an Associated Airlines Embraer airline on a 35 minute flight to Akure.
Unfortunately, just seconds after take-off, the engine of the aircraft reportedly failed and it plunged to earth just 800 or so metres away from the airport. 16 of the 20 people on board died in the aftermath of the crash, while four survived miraculously including the deceased’s only son, Feyi. The Ondo State Commissioner for Tourism, who apparently was representing the state government, and son of former Finance Minister, Chief Olu Falae, died in the crash as well as other prominent citizens. The Chief Executive of MIC, the funeral company hired 
by the Ondo State government to handle the burial, died along with his son, heir to the very highly reputed organization.
Beyond the loss of lives and the potent scare the crash created among already frightened Nigerian air travelers and others alike was the groundswell of commentaries on social media. Honestly, I thought Nigerians were rapidly losing their souls and fast becoming an uncaring people, insensitive and obnoxious.
It’s a free world out there on the blogosphere but something needs to be done to the orientation of people regarding the use of otherwise good innovations in IT and technology.
•Oparah, editorial contributor to Houston-based USAfrica multimedia networks, is a public relations practitioner based in Lagos.
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and friendship hold lessons for humanity and Africans, USAfrica Founder Chido Nwangwu takes a measure of their works and consequence to write that Mandela and Achebe have left “footprints of greatness.”- Eight lessons of the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. By Chido Nwangwu, Publisher of USAfrica multimedia networks, Houston. https://usafricaonline.com/2009/11/01/chido-8lessons-rwanda-genocide/
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Margaret Thatcher, Mandela and Africa. By Chido Nwangwu, Founder & Publisher of USAfrica, and the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the internet USAfricaonline.com. Click for newscast video of London-based SkyNEWS, the global, 24-hour British international tv network’s interview with USAfrica’s Publisher Chido Nwangwu on April 11, 2013 regarding this latest commentary http://youtu.be/G0fJXq_pi1c )
There’s a compelling political trinity to Nelson Mandela: the man, the messiah and the mystique. https://usafricaonline.com/2013/07/18/mandela-95-hearty-cheers-to-his-footprints-of-greatness-by-chido-nwangwu/
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- Margaret Thatcher, Mandela and Africa. By Chido Nwangwu, Founder & Publisher of USAfrica, and the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the internet USAfricaonline.com. Click for newscast video of London-based SkyNEWS, the global, 24-hour British international tv network’s interview with USAfrica’s Publisher Chido Nwangwu on April 11, 2013 regarding this latest commentary http://youtu.be/G0fJXq_pi1c )
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‘POPE FRANCIS, champion for the poor and evangelistic dedication’ by Chido Nwangwu
Long Live, CHINUA ACHEBE! The Eagle on the iroko.
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