Official statement from President Jonathan on Dana Airline crash

Below is a statement issued by President Goodluck Jonathan after yesterday’s DANAAir plane crash in Lagos where 153 people are reported dead......

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has declared a three-day period of national mourning for all those who lost their lives in the Dana plane crash in Lagos today. President Jonathan, who has cancelled all his public engagements scheduled for tomorrow, has also directed that the Nigerian flag be flown at half-mast for the three days of national mourning.

Meanwhile, the President has ordered the fullest possible investigation into the crash. In compliance with the President’s directive, the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah has already left Abuja for Lagos to oversee the crash investigations and present an interim report to the Federal Government as quickly as possible.

The President joins all Nigerians in mourning all those who lost their lives in the plane crash which has sadly plunged the nation into further sorrow on a day when Nigerians were already in grief over the loss of many other innocent lives in the church bombing in Bauchi State.

The President expressed sadness at the loss of more Nigerian lives in a terrorist attack on a church in Bauchi State and conveys his sincerest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the bombing and has directed federal medical and emergency services to do everything possible to assist the survivors.

While the recurrence of a heinous attack on a place of worship is most regrettable, the President urges Nigerians not to be disheartened by it.

Rather, he urges Nigerians and friends of the country to be comforted by the knowledge that the significant reduction in the frequency of such attacks in recent weeks is a clear indication of the increasing effectiveness of measures that had been put in place by the security services to combat the evil of terrorism.

President Jonathan assures air travellers in the country that every possible effort will be made to ensure that the right lessons are learnt from the tragic loss of valuable lives in today’s plane crash and that further measures will be put in place to boost aviation safety in the country.

He prays that God Almighty will grant the families of the victims of the plane crash the courage and fortitude to bear their irreparable loss.

Reuben Abati Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) June 3, 2012.