My Condolences Mr President By Dele Momodu.

I believe the first thing to do is to once again commiserate with you on the death of fellow Nigerians in that fatal helicopter crash. It is always sad, sombre and sobering when we witness such tragedy of monumental proportions in our clime. The loss of any soul, no matter the religious persuasion or ethnic background is always an occasion for  collective mourning and abstemious reflections.

On a personal note, I was absolutely shattered even if I did not have a close relationship with any of the unfortunate victims. I was a great fan of Lt. General Owoye Azazi, in particular, after the brilliant speech he gave at his controversial outing in Delta State, where he lampooned and lambasted Nigeria’s reckless ruling party as being responsible for the spate of violent crimes in the country. Since then and until he paid the ultimate price and became a reluctant statistic of the failings of our nation, life had never been a bed of roses for him.   He instantly became a pariah and was treated like a recalcitrant baby in the family.
One did not have to be a soothsayer to know he had touched the tiger by the tail and it is not in the nature of such beasts to condone and forgive acts of impudence. It was only a matter of time before he was eventually booted out of the corridor of power even if, as now seems apparent, he remained in the periphery somewhere. It is tragic how the end came so suddenly and quickly.
I never met Patrick Yakowa, the late Governor of Kaduna State.  His rise to power and influence was beginning to mirror your own.  Indeed he had become Governor of Kaduna State as a benevolent beneficiary of the good fortune for which you have become widely acclaimed because you chose his boss, Namadi Sambo, then Governor of Kaduna State as your Vice-President.  His miraculous ascent to power was therefore similar to yours. He was Commissioner, Deputy Governor and then, Governor; without personally contesting election.  Indeed some were also beginning to tout him as a potential Presidential candidate, a possible bridge being a Northern Christian.  As they say, man proposes but God disposes.  Glowing tributes have been paid to his memory and I assume he was deserving of them all.
However, it is usual at times like this for Nigerians, particularly our leaders to forget the aides and pilots who died with them.  It is my hope that you will give pride of place in your grief to Dauda Tsoho, Commander Muritala Mohammed Daba, Lt. Adeyemi Sowole and Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal.  In particular, the latter three officers should attract commendation and glowing tributes from you for they are the ones who truly died in the service of their nation.  They were sad victims of a terrible system that made it possible for big men to use and abuse government facilities and personnel for non-official duties and totally private engagements. I hope that you will find the time to pay condolence visits to the families of those four gentlemen and encourage your darling wife and members of your Government to do the same as they have no doubt done with respect to the two more distinguished gentlemen who lost their lives.  These officers and aides are not lesser mortals merely because they did not attain the higher offices of those compatriots that died with them. They must be treated as fallen heroes in obeying the last order. Uncle Bob Dee is the only one that has summed up my thoughts on how our President and his Cabinet have gone about commiserating with a select few and leaving the others to Commiserate with themselves. It is rather sad from a country such as ours, our insensitivity to those who are hurting are divided into two groups those who matter and those who don't. We are not Americans or in America but that doesn't make us any less important than the rich. We voted President Jonathan in and our feelings should matter as well. He has a duty to reach out to everyone that was affected by that crash because he is our President. He should grieve with us and not just a select few. Even if he can not visit the family he should find a way he can personally reach out to the affected families. He came to Lagos with his cabinet to see only the Azazi's caused alot of traffic in Lagos that day and went back without seeing the families. It was like fanfare in the Azazi's because everyone that was anyone in Jonathan's Goverment came to mark register. We ask are the Sowole's, Daba's Tsoho's and Kamal's not as important or relevant. I remember the military plane that went down in Obudu, Cross River State September 2006, the wives of the Generals that lost their husbands in the crash rallied around the Pilots wives and still keep in touch till this day. We expected Mrs Alero Azazi ans Mrs Amina Yakowa to reach out to the wives of the Pilots because they had barely started their marital lives with their Husbands when it was cut short. They should be united in grief with the families. Maybe am ranting but i feel a miscarriage of justice.
SOURCE THISDAY NEWSPAPER.