BEYOND THE CRASH

 They were ordinary people like us going about their businesses and unprepared for the fatal fate that the nation’s epileptic aviation industry dealt them. They were different people going to Lagos from Abuja but became united in a death mourned by the entire nation. We call them the Dana 158. We have reduced them to mere statistics. Statistics however doesn’t tell us their stories, it doesn’t dwell on the dreams that died with them, it tells nothing about the battles they won or lost, the accomplishments. To those of us who had neither friends nor family among the casualties, we have removed the RIP dps and avatars, we have moved on. To us they are the people we never knew but whose deaths touched us. They are dead and gone and will never feel the tragedy of their demise but these people will;

Tolulope was married to Ikechukwu Ochonogor popularly called “Iyke” by friends and family for 5 years. He was a staff of Fedex courier and they have a 2 year old son together. When he called her shortly before boarding the ill-fated Dana plane that crashed in Lagos, she wasn’t close enough to pick her call. She probably thought there will be another time, another opportunity to hear his voice and bid him safe journey when embarking on a trip but…She missed her last chance. He left behind his 67 years old parents, 3 brothers and 2 sisters

Every girl dreams of a fairytale wedding but its not only the bride’s day, the bride’s mum is always celebrated too. For the aged mother of Oluwakemi Ayoola Somolu, the first Saturday of September 2012 was the day she looked forward to. The bride’s gown had been imported, bridal train sorted out, venue paid for, the family was ready for a wedding. Kemi who lived abroad promised her mum to be back the next day when the woman was clinging to her not to travel. Kemi came to the country for her friend’s wedding in Abuja and died alongside 9 other friends who went for the wedding and were returning to Lagos. She left aged parents and 2 brothers who weren’t prepared for a funeral.

Joel, Esther and Chisom Okuchukwu were sent on an errand by their parents Josephine and Jeremiah Okuchukwu. The children returned to find their home was no more. They saw the rubbles but didn’t see their parents. They woke up that morning to a normal life and a sense of family but when they wake up the next, it will be the dawn of a new chapter in their lives for life as they knew it had changed forever.

Ndako Mijindadi wanted to celebrate his wedding and his sister Maimuna wasn’t going to miss out on her brother’s day of joy. She was based in the United States but came to Nigeria for the wedding. Maimuna travelled to Lagos with her husband Onyeka Anyene, her mother-in-law, 4 children; Kamsi, twins Kayna and Kayne, Kamal , and two cousins. They all died in the crash. Ndako’s wedding cannot be filled with laughter and joy as he thought.

The other people who met their demise also have stories but I can’t say it all because I don’t even know it all. The tragedy doesn’t end there though. Years from now, Iyke’s son will inquire about his father. The 3 Okuchukwu children will hunger for that sense of family they once had. They will learn that their parents died because their country is faulty. Worse, they will learn that despite their parents’ deaths, the problems that killed them have not died. I am not forecasting evil but this is Nigeria, a country where a Farouk without “Lawani” and a man whose name converts conspiracies to wealth have turned the nation to a football pitch, dribbling us with skills that will shame Ronaldinho’s  legendary stunts.

Ndako went ahead with his wedding, Mrs Somolu’s school hasn’t shut down, Iyke’s 2yr old son continues to grow. The morale is that life goes on! Even with the grief, everyone moved on with their lives. This is why when I ask people what their favourite quote is and they give me the inspirational words of great philosophers I wonder why. Call me a simpleton, but mine is from Akon’s song “ghetto”. It goes thus;

“This life is a luxury

Cos everything come and go

Even the life that we have is borrowed

Cos we are not promised tomorrow”

Beyond the grief, the Dana crash is a lesson to us all that there is a force outside us that can take us anytime whether we are prepared or not. This is why we should endeavour to live like there is no tomorrow since we don’t know when death will come knocking.