Dana Air Crash: Patience Jonathan Denies Being The Cause Of Dana Plane Crash

Nigeria’s first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has debunked rumours making the rounds that she was the cause of Dana Air plane crash.
In a press statement released by her office, the first lady dissociated herself from the disaster.
The rumours stated that the Lagos airport was shut down due to her visit to the state and the therefore distressed Dana aircraft could not land during its emergency call.
Press Release From Office Of The First Lady: Politicizing The Dana Crash
Our attention has been drawn to the orchestrated plan to politicize the Sunday Dana Air crash in Lagos in which many people lost their lives, through rumours about the possible cause of the accident citing VIP movement involving the wife of the President.

We consider it callous, inhuman and devilish for anyone to have thought of wrapping such national calamity in political garb by insinuating that the plane crashed because the airspace was closed for the First Lady’s movement in Lagos.

For the avoidance of doubt, the First Lady arrived Lagos at about 2pm on Saturday, 2nd June, 2012 for a private engagement and was billed to leave for Abuja on Monday, 4th June, 2012.

In compliance with her itinerary, the First Lady arrived Lagos on Saturday. She was at a public event on Sunday when the accident occurred and promptly abandoned the ceremony as a mark of respect for the victims and retired to the State House, Marina. She left Lagos at exactly 13.15hrs on Monday, 4th June, 2012, according to schedule.

It is therefore surprising that some mischievous persons will see this moment of National mourning as an opportunity to blackmail and impugn the First Lady’s integrity.

This is the time for all Nigerians to be sober and pray for the repose of the souls of the victims and not a time to subordinate the interests of our nation to narrow self-serving interests.

Let us all put the interest of the Nation first in whatever we do.

Mrs. Jonathan had no intention to travel on Sunday and never did. Like all Nigerians, she has been mourning the dead.

Signed
Ayo Osinlu
Special Assistant to the President
Office of the First Lady
5th June, 2012

27 COMMENTS

  1. In every rumour there is an element of truth. I still remember that when Mrs Johnathan visited Uyo, even pedestriants movement was suspended for over two hours. When she came to Makurdi, it was worse. All roads were closed and many businesses shut down and many students missed exams in d University of Agriculture, Makurdi. She has commands more security than her husband.

  2. In all sincerity I believe that she was responsible completely because I had friends who called me from Lagos to say that they were stranded in the airport because of the first lady’s visit, but it never occured to me that the whole airport wud be shut down just because of her private jet…well, the Government and her office can use power to deny their role in this massacare and cover up but God knows and one day the truth will come out. I want to urge the airport authority to do their investigations and tell the world what rili happened without fear of their lives only the truth can set them free.

  3. @James while Nigerians are always looking for who to blame, Nigerians like you are hypocrites and prefer to be treated like animals bcos u r used to it and don’t know your right…The question here is not about VIP treatment but that the plane cudnt do any emergency landing bcos of her presence, which wud hav saved some lives…why shud they even shut down d airport bcos of her visit wen she was on her own private bussiness??? More so wen that is the only airport in Lagos?? If found to be tru she shud be persecuted period! The country na all of us get am abeg

  4. The question is did any plane land at the airport that day before, during and after the crash if yes then case close its not the first lady’s fault else they would ve God forbid suffer similar fate or delay. In other countries planes have had to fly around for hours due to bad weather before cleared for landing. I believe Dana air planes should be capable of this if not their planes are not fit for flight. Please let stop the blaming thing.

  5. Please 1- what was Dana’s departure time?!
    2- what time did Madam 1st lady exit the lagos aiirport
    3- plane was faulty, whose duty to enforce grounding?
    4- please suspending the licence of Dana is inappropriate……..there are many ways to ensure safety.

    As hard as it seems, our inability to enforce discipline is what the Indians have copied in Nigeria.

    May all our souls rest in peace, as death stares both the rich and poor.

  6. am just confuse about the whole issue here.. how could they close a Airline without any atternative for other passengers and travllers… let just call this whole issue mis-use of power and authorities. what i know is that God is watching, many questions will be ask when we get there… but no man will leave the world without getting is reward

  7. The issue here is: the Airline’s management, the pilot and the 1st lady are to blame. My reasons are:
    1. The station’s manager insisted that the plane shoudn’t fly buh the indian management said it must, do u think it would have flied if it was in their country (India)
    2. The pilot shouldn’t have agreed to fly the plane knowing its faulty.
    3. The pilot made a distress call but because of the 1st lady they were snubbed, Try this in the US and see, not only the 1st lady even if its Obama thats there they’ll still land that plane.
    In conclusion, I just feel that the government don’t value the lives of our citizens.

  8. I think some of you making rounds of coments do not understand anything about AIRCRAFT! a healthy airplane has the capacity of being on air for several hours if with enough fuel, but no complain was made about fuel. Even at that, the Pilot concerned could land at nearby airport city arround lagos, places like Ilorin or Ibadan, the flight Engineers on board could resolve that just developed in transit of a jouney lest than 1 hour. Let’s wait for them to play the black box b4 comenting. I think the crew wanted to managed the unfortunate aircraft to lagos before effecting any maintenance required, here experience has failed the captain/co-pilot this time. It’s their usual practice in nigeria’s airspace, since the authorities sadled to check thoses lapses decided to turn their face to the other side of swelling their pockets with cash. the gap between the remote technical cause of the crash and Mrs. Jonathan engagement in Lagos was thousands of miles above sentimental reasoning. Just pray that it will happen any aircraft you may enter even Mrs. Jonathan migth not travel to anywere.

  9. This particular plane was seen in Ibadan flying very low already, meaning it had problems already why didn’t the pilot land in Ibadan why risk it to Lagos. Then this plane pilot’s life is in danger as well as the passengers is it not better he landed any ways in the airport whether closed or not at least to save his own life. Let’s face the fact the plan was faulty and leave the politics of the whole issue, evrybody is corrupt that is the problem

  10. The jonathan’s administration is not a type of government Nigerian’s should pray for to ever reapeat itself.
    why?
    1) on 1st of jan: when every one is celebrating and thanking GOD for seeing the new year, he announce the removal of fuel subsidy.

    2) on 29th of may(democracy day): instead of sympathizing with the student and staff of unilag over the death of their VC, he brought another confusion and calamity unto them by changing UNILAG to Moshood Abiola university(MAU).

    3) on 3rd of june: claiming over 150 lives, due to her wives selfishness and arrogancy by shutting the airpot just because of the first lady’s arival.

    Jonathan’s family and administration has brougth nothing but calimity, disaster, confusion, hunger, death and shame onto this country.

    The question is: what should we expect from his administration or family on 1st of october(independence day).

  11. You have a point son of abraham but plane is not like other means of transport, how can it land without informing them or without clearing the road before-hand. if the plane had landed even in the presence of the first lady, she herself will become a heroine because she will be praised for saving those lives.

  12. People can say what they like, investigate before you criticise. Look before you leap but most lept before they look.

    @Mr. Brian- Is the road the same with the air? Why will you use what happened in Uyo n Markurdi to justify the claims of critics in the Dana Air crah? Ask yourself won’t the airport authrities sound it that all flights to Lagos should be suspended?
    O boi shine your eyes, use your brain bros. No offence pls

    @James- Bless you ma brother, blame must come. If we are to blame what would they say to the airport authorities, who did not sound warning. Jonathan have been coming to Lagos before they never shut down the airpot because he’s somewhere in Lagos. Not to talk of the wife who was partying somewhere @ oriental @ that time. Come on naija! Why hating…?

    @Francis- Just swallow your own. Like you said if found to be true she should be prosecuted. What if found to be false what will happen to the wrong accusation???

    @Cole- did you know that the plane was being expected @ the airport? The pilot have already called for emergency @ 11 nautical miles but was unable to make it to the airport, n fell @ 4 nautical mile to the airport about 3mins to destination. The airport confirmed that. So you should stop commenting rubbish guys because you all hate Jo…

    @Sammy- May God bless you for that question!!!!

    @Kishon n Blossom- Good comments.

    Like some one said let’s wait for the blackbox…
    Yahweh help us all!

  13. Whoever cook this lies are stupid, what did you people think of Nigerians? Aircraft can be delay on air for more that 3hours, and again why pilot did not know that first lady private jet is where the Dana aircraft will land? If the plane is in good condition for sure such crash will not happen, Please people should stop taking nonsense or looking for whom to blame, the airline directors know the truth.

  14. You people are happy calling Jonathan name, let call his son also oh wait let say his uncle land 2mints before the crash ohhh no let say that Jonathan his self are in airport that time, no people will not believe, let say his mother is there yes but many Nigerians will not yes while many south will not believe, ok musa think very well this man name must be destroy because we need to take this power back, yes let say his wife privet jet is there yes this one people will listen to this one, ohhh musa your very intelligent man, in fact in 2015 I will make you a governor because you have sense but don’t lie against me or my life, yes sir beside were people that spoil government so I will not destroy our government in 2015, please Nigerians have to grow up and know what is happing in Nigerian now, we had been fool with politicians.

  15. HEAVEN KNOWS THE TRUTH, BUT I WANT U PPLE TO BEG FOR FORGIVENESS BEFORE JUDGING ANYBODY.IF U HAVE WORK IN ANY INDIA COMPNY OR HAVE ANY REASON 2 WORK 4 THEM U WILL KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. THEY ARE SLAVE DRIVERS, WHO BELIEVE THEY CAN MANAGE ANYTHING JUST 2 MAKE MONEY.HOW MANY TIME THEY HAVE DIS TYPE OF HAPENINGS INDIA IS IT TRAIN U WANT 2 TALK ABT OR AIR CRAFT.SINCE D GOVT HAVE ALLOW THE INDIA 2 PENETRATE OUR ECONOMY DIS ‘LL NEVER STOP IN AVIATION, IN BANKING INDUSTRIED,IN COMMUNICATION .OR U DONT KNOW?

  16. This calamity shud nt b politicized.The craft was faulty,gud bt dia ar a lot of mistery dt we can’t unrappd bt God can.My question is,is it dt d Indians knew dt d plane may likely crash nd dt is d reason we can’t found any of them among d crew or on board.

  17. @uc. Ur realy inteligent. 9jrians shd use dia brains n stop poking fingaz all around.
    @francis: calln james a hypocrite is uncalled 4. Evryone shd hv a ryt 2 xpress their view witout attacks on dia personalities

  18. When something happens, people will always tell different types of lies to make the story interesting. It’s very common to hear that plane changed it’s destination and landed somewhere else cos it’s faulty or couldn’t land when it was supposed to land cos the weather was bad so If you hate Jonathan and his wife, don’t bring the issue here cos Politics had nothing to do with what happened. Use your time to pray for their souls instead.

  19. Listen to yourselves. do you have so much hate for the president and his wife that you have lost common sense? She arrived saturday and left on monday. even if the airspace around an airport is to be closed for the president. its a matter of minutes. to land and take off. Its shameful how low we are willing to go in order to make them look bad.

  20. Nigerians here is the truth, the air craft was faulty, I wonder how a literate person will be saying and believing this baseless rumor, well we’ll always be Nigerians! If you’ve really flown in an air craft before you should know that an air craft can be be in the air just hoofing around for 2 hours, so the issue of delaying the landing of the air craft dose not even arrive at all. I know the truth and will always stand on the truth, the plane in question is not in any way suppose to fly again that sunday the problem is fixed, because it even managed to land in Abuja Murtala Muhamed airport on that very day because one engine has already packed up, but in Nigeria any thing goes, now lives has been waisted forever and people are beginning to talk rubbish. God save Nigeria!

  21. Freedom of expression is not to rubbish ones image. Can we be truthful to ourselves? We Nigeria, Why should we always pouring water into river? Leave Jonathan n his family out of this n face d fact. A enough is a enough allow our president to sleep well. may be after his tenure, dos throwin blames can go n lead Nigeria. Instead of us prayin for Him n his Govt. To succeed We ar buse rubbishin his name n his administraton. Wat pleasure shall we derive? May God help us. May dos lives rest in peace.