CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN)
Head Office: National Christian Centre, Central Area, Garki, Abuja 09-6706063
PRESS RELEASE
ABUJA, OCTOBER 30, 2006
CONDOLENCE
To: The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Cc: The Senate President
Hon. Speaker, House of Representatives
The Governor, Sokoto State
The Press, for All Nigerians
On behalf of the Christian Community in Nigeria, we write to express our condolence to the President, Houses of Assembly, Sokoto State Government and indeed all who have been affected by the shocking news of another crash of a commercial aircraft near the Abuja airport yesterday.
We mourn with our Muslim brothers the untimely, cruel and most tragic loss of one of the foremost spiritual and traditional leaders in our Country, His Eminence Alhaji Maccido Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), his son and grandson who were victims of the air crash.
We also mourn the loss of other prominent leaders and patriotic, peace loving and progress seeking Nigerians including two Senators, a Deputy Governor and a State Commissioner. We pray that the comforting presence of God will be felt all over the land healing pains and drying tears of those that have lost very dear ones. We join in prayers for the healing of the wounds of the survivors. We trust the departed souls have returned to the Almighty and encourage everyone to ‘prepare to meet your God’.
Again, this air crash has thrown the entire nation into mourning and air travelers into a state of despair, panic and anxiety as air travel has become almost definitely synonymous with a journey to the grave.
Only last month the nation lost some of its best and brightest in the Armed forces in an air crash en-route Calabar. Barely a year ago, there was the Bellview air crash at Lisa village closely followed by the Sosoliso Air crash at Port Harcourt airport. There have also been several air crash misses in the last one year. This air crash is definitely one too many.
Clearly, all the effort at sanitizing the Aviation industry in Nigeria is yet to produce tangible results essential to engender the much needed confidence, safety and patronage in the Country; though flying is said to be the safest means of travel worldwide. Curiously, the public is yet to be informed of the causes of the previous crashes in the past and one wonders if there is a grand collusion to prevent the public from knowing the truth. In other parts of the world, report on those investigations would have become public property long ago.
We call on the Aviation Authorities to ensure that this air crash is speedily investigated and the report made public along with the previous ones immediately. The government owes this to the generality of Nigerians and the many families who have had to bear the brunt of this colossal waste of valuable and much needed human lives cut down in their prime.
SIGNED
Most Revd. Peter J. Akinola, CON, DD
President of Christian Association of Nigeria
and Primate of All Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
Head Office: National Christian Centre, Central Area, Garki, Abuja 09-6706063
PRESS RELEASE
ABUJA, OCTOBER 30, 2006
CONDOLENCE
To: The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Cc: The Senate President
Hon. Speaker, House of Representatives
The Governor, Sokoto State
The Press, for All Nigerians
On behalf of the Christian Community in Nigeria, we write to express our condolence to the President, Houses of Assembly, Sokoto State Government and indeed all who have been affected by the shocking news of another crash of a commercial aircraft near the Abuja airport yesterday.
We mourn with our Muslim brothers the untimely, cruel and most tragic loss of one of the foremost spiritual and traditional leaders in our Country, His Eminence Alhaji Maccido Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), his son and grandson who were victims of the air crash.
We also mourn the loss of other prominent leaders and patriotic, peace loving and progress seeking Nigerians including two Senators, a Deputy Governor and a State Commissioner. We pray that the comforting presence of God will be felt all over the land healing pains and drying tears of those that have lost very dear ones. We join in prayers for the healing of the wounds of the survivors. We trust the departed souls have returned to the Almighty and encourage everyone to ‘prepare to meet your God’.
Again, this air crash has thrown the entire nation into mourning and air travelers into a state of despair, panic and anxiety as air travel has become almost definitely synonymous with a journey to the grave.
Only last month the nation lost some of its best and brightest in the Armed forces in an air crash en-route Calabar. Barely a year ago, there was the Bellview air crash at Lisa village closely followed by the Sosoliso Air crash at Port Harcourt airport. There have also been several air crash misses in the last one year. This air crash is definitely one too many.
Clearly, all the effort at sanitizing the Aviation industry in Nigeria is yet to produce tangible results essential to engender the much needed confidence, safety and patronage in the Country; though flying is said to be the safest means of travel worldwide. Curiously, the public is yet to be informed of the causes of the previous crashes in the past and one wonders if there is a grand collusion to prevent the public from knowing the truth. In other parts of the world, report on those investigations would have become public property long ago.
We call on the Aviation Authorities to ensure that this air crash is speedily investigated and the report made public along with the previous ones immediately. The government owes this to the generality of Nigerians and the many families who have had to bear the brunt of this colossal waste of valuable and much needed human lives cut down in their prime.
SIGNED
Most Revd. Peter J. Akinola, CON, DD
President of Christian Association of Nigeria
and Primate of All Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
