Tears,anguish as Government, families,remember Dana plane  Crash victims.
By Patience Ogbo.
Rajulie and Ugabio Oyosoro would have been  16 and  and 13 years  old  respectively this year but this would not be as there lives were cut short by the ill fated Dana plane crash  on June 3rd in 2012.
 These two siblings  with  exceptional promise and  academic prowess were among the 157 victims of the Dana plane 992 which crashed at the Iju ishaga area of Lagos state.
The siblings among others were today remembered by the government and their loved ones.
The one year remembrance service took place at the crash site on Okunsanya street  with the laying of wreathes and the unveiling of a cenotaph   with the names of all the  victims on a tomb.
The event which was held in a very sober mood saw families of the victims in open anguish as they pay tributes  their loved ones.
Paying glowing tributes to the victims, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola Of Lagos State stated that the death of the victims was a huge national lost and described the the crash as “a horrific day” which touched the world .
He said  “We had experienced a tragic accident whose cause remains yet unknown.But while the cause was at the time unknown, our collective tragedy was immediately unfolding.
Many nations and their nationalities from India, China, the United States and Nigeria were united by a common grief. The loss of their loved ones.It was an accident that took place in Lagos. But its impact and reach were beyond our borders.
Men and women, Muslims and Christians, Hindus and atheists became joined by a common pain. It was a horrific day.A year may seem like a long time, but for the families and friends of the men women and children we lost, that day does not feel like history.The memories of that day are probably as fresh as they are painful; particularly today when you are forced to confront the thoughts you may have pushed to the innermost recesses of your minds, just to enable you get from one day to the next". Governor Fashola said.

Consoling the families , friends and loved ones of the deceased, Governor Fashola assured that the lagos State government will continue to provide all the necessary support to families of the victims to ensure that they are duly compensated .
"What does one say at a time like this? What does one say when words will never be enough. Many of us cannot even begin to imagine how great your suffering must have been this last one year.We can only empathize with you, in the vain hope that our empathy will bring some relief. We can only utter words we know will never fill the voids but which we nonetheless pray will bring some comfort. What I do know is that today, although our grief is deep and our sense of loss unquantifiable, our heads are not bowed.
 We are not crest fallen. Your undying spirit to continue and your presence here today is a sign of monumental courage.
It is not courage without pain. No. It is courage defined by dignity and resolve to get on with life inspite of the pain.I stand before you today, the representative of a Government and a State that shared your pain. A State whose lot it was to play host in the most unwelcome of situations a year ago today.I stand before you today, united with you in remembrance of your loved ones and united in our collective desire to pay our respects to their memories.I say I am united with you in remembrance because I will also never forget that day. This memorial holds true for me forever in a different way” Governor Fashola added.
Family members of the deceased  while responding to the setting up of a yearly  and  memorial service in remembrance of the victims expressed appreciation to the Lagos State government for  conducting a DNA test for thevictims and for setting up the cenotaph for  posterity.
Dr. Ben Ayene who lost six members of his family to the crash urged the government to forestall a recurrence of such an ugly event.
He said  “Those of us who were directly affected were pained, angry, and despondent.The crash could have been avoided if human lives are valued in this country.We should not throw up our hands in resignation that the plane crash was an act of God. God does not kill his own.The victims families mourned, they found a chief comforter in the executive governor of Lagos State.
Lagos provided all relevant paraphernalia of emergency rescue services. Provided mortuary, ambulance, pathological services including DNA analysis to ensure that our people's bodies were identified and properly buried. We urged the federal government to look into the aviation industry becasuse  that sector is very organized and such a thing can only happen due to negligence on the part of those who are vested with the responsibility of proecteing lives in ourt airpace . such a thing hould not allow to happen again”He said

Chizoba Mojekwu,  the Director  Human Resource  with the Central Bank of Nigeria whose sister  Adaobi was aboard the ill-fated flight,  said in tears that  June 3rd  which used to be a special day for her family has become a mourning day as her sister was aboard the flight to lagos to mark birthdays of two family members who happened to have their birth days on June 3rd.
 She said “Attending the memorial is difficult because I am standing at the place where it happened. I’ve been living a life that maybe my sister was on holiday,  also I  lost eight colleagues to the crash. They say time heals all wounds. There is still much to do. Issues of what really happened to this flight remain unanswered
Also the issue of compensation. It is easy to blame the insurance companies but Dana Air has to step up and ensure that people are treated with respect and with dignity
Sometimes I believe that because I've lost my mum and for 14 years we still feel some of that pain.But this is very raw and we are still grieving, There are tons of unanswered questions  and as we speak these questions on how that plane crashed have  not been made public. Our questions on what happened that day is not to apportion blames but to find a closure  so that such a thing would not happen again" Ms. Mojekwu added.
Dr. George AfamIhemefuna  Osie, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Aviation represented the Minister of Aviation at the event .
 He revealed that the  Federal government is in touch with Dana Arilines to ensure all the families of the victims are duly compensated.
Prayers were said for the repose of the souls of the victims.
The high point of the event was the laying of wreaths at the Cenotaph  -157 wreaths. Governor Fashola accompanied by dignitaries  from the  US,China and Indian embassies among others international guests also unveiled the marble  tomb bearing the names of all the victims.