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Tag: Agagu

‘Agagu left indelible marks’

Femi Agagu, younger brother of the former governor of Ondo State, the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu, spoke with Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU on the legacies of the scholar, politician and administrator, who died on September 13, last year.

How is life without Dr. Agagu in the last one year?

Obviously, we are missing him. But, of course, as Christians, we have taken solace in God that he left behind a good legacy.

What was your feeling when you heard about his death?

I was shocked because he just came back from overseas trip. We were together abroad for some days and he had a clean bill from his doctor. I didn’t expect that he would die so soon. And, of course, death does not make announcement when it will come.

What about the calamity that also befell the family when he was about to be buried?

It was a tragedy. But, God is the ultimate giver of life. Someone who is in his or her sitting room can die as well. When the plane crashed, some people died, others did not die. Everything is in the hands of God. There is nothing any man can do about death. I was at Akure Airport waiting for the body when we heard of what happened. We commiserated with the families of the people who died in the crash. It was an act of God, which nobody could control.

There was a prophecy that it would happen…

The people prophesying, what did they know about the plan concerning the burial? So, they knew there would be a lying-in-state in Akure? It was a state burial, which was being organised by the state government. There were just two of us in the family they involved. They asked us to send two people, who represented the family. It was the government that arranged everything. They bought the casket, arranged the lying -in-state. How did they know that the body was going to be flown? Did they prophesy anything about plane crash? I think we should all rise above this white garment church thing and those who want to play on the emotion of people. So, saying that we are too deep in our relationship with God for us not to take something seriously is out of place. Of course, in my own church, when anybody is doing anything, we always pray for the person that there should be journey mercy and nothing should happen. In my church, we had a vigil. That was not something we should be talking about here. If we want to do any major event, we pray. As Christians, that is what we should always do. But, for somebody to come up and say, I foresaw it is out of place.

There is the insinuation concerning the prophecy being taken seriously by some and neglected by others…

Those who said that are those who do not know God. The aircraft was hired by the state government in conjunction with the MIC. The two members of the family were flying the aircraft for the first time. It is God who guarantees safety. When you enter any aircraft, you are totally at the mercy of God. If the plane gets to its destination, thank God for you. Out of the four people, there were two that died. There were others that survived.

Is it not baffling that, a year after, nothing has been done to immortalise a man, who was a deputy governor, governor and minister?

Literally, I expect that there will be some reactions from the government, in term of immortalising him. Honestly, my consolation and that of the family is that he had immortalised himself while he was alive. When he was the deputy governor, he worked tirelessly to make Ondo State benefit from the derivation principle. That you cannot take away from him. When he was the Minister of Aviation; we had problems and issues with General Sani Abacha; but within one year, that he was Minister of Aviation, all the issues, like derivation, were resolved. The ban placed on our airports by America was lifted. Within that short period, there was an upsurge in our revenue generating capacity. When he was governor, he ensured that all the primary schools in Ondo State benefited by, at least, a block of classrooms. He ensured that hospitals were working. He opened up roads to the riverine areas. He built the university, which nobody will take away from him. He built a new stadium in Akure for the state. Even, if no structure is named after him, he will continually be in the memory of the people. Agagu worked for the good of the people.

What are the programmes that you are packaging for his first year anniversary?

We are trying to reflect on his personality, in what we are packaging. It is going to be a big event. It will be graced by important dignitaries. We will have a reception at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, and because he was an intellectual, the event will reflect on this aspect. And because of his passion for good governance, we have invited a man that is well known for good governance. A former President of Botswana will come and deliver the memorial lecture during the event. He was somebody who believed strongly in industrial development and he implemented policies that would eradicate poverty. We are expecting the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, at the event.

How do you assess the Agagu factor in Ondo politics?

Dr. Agagu was a man of the people. He contested election against Chief Adebayo Adefarati of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), which was quite popular then. He ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He urged the Yoruba to abandon a sectional party and join the mainstream. He knew quite well then that, with the circumstances on ground, a Yoruba man would eventually emerge as the President of Nigeria. Even with the hostile environment, he had 34 percent vote. And immediately the result came out, he congratulated Chief Adefarati, just like Dr. Kayode Fayemi did to Mr. Ayo Fayose. He was lucky to be appointed as Minister later. He used his position as minister to help the people. When we had problem with electricity, he was able to get transformers for most communities in Ondo State. By the time he came back and wanted to become the governor, he won over 70 per cent of the votes. He became more popular after he left office. It was after the people tested another government that they realised he was really concerned about the state.

After he left office as governor, he wanted to be a senator. Why was he not able to bounce back to reckoning?

I thank God for Nigeria. I thank Him for where our electoral process has taken us so far. Since the Ekiti election, we are beginning to witness a free and fair election. If the election, which Agagu contested, was like the one conducted in Ekiti or Osun, Agagu would have won by 70 or 80 per cent of the votes. What happened during that election is explained in the fact that he had left politics of the state for a while. Now, it is no longer your popularity that determines what you get at the election. The people who contested against Agagu, if you put them side by side, they are poles apart. And, of course, Governor Olusegun Mimiko had made up his mind that he would work against Agagu. The results from Ilaje were mutilated to the extent that the margin they were looking for to catch up with Agagu was outnumbered. When the result was announced, the candidate of the the Labour Party won. The magic was between Mimiko and the INEC officials. He decided not to contest the result at the tribunal because it would be out of place. He wanted to serve his people and he needed almost N1 billion to see the case through. That was why he did not contest it at the tribunal.

Would Agagu have made any difference, if he had been alive to witness the reconciliation in the PDP?

That is going to be a difficult question for me to answer. From the matters that affect human being, it is difficult to predict what will happen, particularly when they are politicians. It is all about what do I get and who gets what. As long as there will be competition, there will always be defaults. At the end of the day, if you are familiar with the politics of the state, without Agagu, the people have virtually reconciled themselves. They have all now come to realise that they have been used. So, reconciliation is an on-going exercise and whether he would feel differently, I cannot determine that.

There is the misunderstanding between Governor Olusegun Mimiko and the Agagu family…

There was really no difference or issue between the family and the state government. The state government was behind the state burial and the family gave all the cooperation. I believe what happened after the plane crash led to whatever shortcomings. The government backed out in subsequent events. The situation is really difficult to understand. There was the unfinished job of burying somebody and the family decided to finish the burial in a low key manner. The main backer of the entire programme has backed out. The family believed they could not just leave the body and there was not going to be any major celebration. In fact, I left the church with a team of people to commiserate with the families of others who lost their lives in the plane crash. We all went to Chief Olu Falae’s house right from the church to commiserate with him. So, there was no ceremony, except that the man deserved to be laid to rest. So, government was not patient enough to sit down with us, to go through all of these things. I don’t see that as disagreement.

When you worked under your brother as the Chief of Staff, people said power had been turned into family affairs in Ondo State. How did you feel working under your brother?

It was a lot of pressure on me. If I was working for somebody else, maybe, I would not drive myself beyond certain limits. But, because I was working for him, it put a lot of pressure on me. And, of course, he was also a very committed person, even as governor, and the back stopped on his table. He was working almost 20 hours everyday. And, if you are a chief of staff to a governor who was working almost every hour, that means you cannot sleep, when the governor has not slept. You must be awake before the governor wakes up. It was a lot of pressure on me.

When you review the life of your brother, what are the lessons you have learnt?

One major lesson that I have learnt from politics, contrary to the belief of people, is that politicians are bad people. I keep telling people that you can’t be a politician and give the people the best. The bad people in politics, who enjoy momentary advantages, do so temporarily. The advantages don’t last. But, the good people who have participated in politics suffered adversity at the initial stage. In the final analysis, they come out stronger. Chief Obafemi Awolowo had a lot of adversities. He could not become the President. People who were less qualified got there. But, as at today, his name is stronger than the names of those who became President. People like Bola Ige, Chief Michael Ajasin are names that people are still proud about in politics. They played politics in the proper way. Today, when you mention the names of politicians in Ondo State, Ajasin’s name is the best. Whereas, those who played dirty politics and may have acquired all they wanted, their records after they left government are nothing to cheer about. That is why somebody like me, with all the contacts and goodwill of my brother, people are saying why haven’t I contested election. I may not be too anxious to go for elective post. This is because of the competition going on and how people struggle to get to power. If I get to that position, I will behave exactly as my brother. I am not going to steal money and I will ensure that I serve the people to the best of my ability. If that is my mission, why would I have to go and amass N1 billion to go and run for election? Where will I get it back? Is it from the salary that I will earn as a governor? It was easier in their days. The election that my brother ran, when he talked about the money he spent, the money was not anything near what people give as gift.

What are the unfulfilled dreams of your brother?

He left some projects uncompleted. His dream for Ondo State was to transform it from agrarian to industrial. Ondo State has a strong economic base.

September 11, 2014
Agagu donated his life to Ondo State Nigeria’s Ambassador to Uganda, His Excellency, Omolade Oluwateru, was a former Deputy Governor of Ondo State. In this interview with SEGUN AJIBOYE, Oluwateru, who was Agagu’s deputy, shares his experience on the life and times of the late Agagu. —Ex- Dep Governor Oluwateru

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Uganda, His Excellency, Omolade Oluwateru, was a former Deputy Governor of Ondo State. In this interview with SEGUN AJIBOYE, Oluwateru, who was Agagu’s deputy, shares his experience on the life and times of the late Agagu.

IT’S been a year since Agagu died. What has been the impact of his death on the PDP in the state? It has been difficult, trying, very trying and full of ups and downs. But we are eternally grateful to almighty God. You know the strength of any system by its survival instinct, and for us, I think we are way above average pass mark. Remember, my late boss and leader, Dr Olusegun Agagu, was one of the founding fathers of the party and Ondo State PDP and the people generally were privileged to have him as their leader and governor for six years.

I was honoured to be elected to serve as his deputy for those years and so I am an authority on those years. For a man who brought so much determination and vitality to government, so much brilliance, patience, love, sincerity, clear ideas and track records, there is no gainsaying he will be sorely missed. If you look at us in the light of what we have missed by his absence, then it has been difficult, but I’d also say we have discharged ourselves creditably.

Does it mean that the Party’s fortune will continue to dwindle beyond rescue? If you understand what I have been telling you, then you will see the irrelevance of your suggestion. The PDP in my state is an irrepressible spirit, it is an organ that won’t die. It has grown into an ideology, a belief that binds all genuine lovers of development of the land together. So the issue of Agagu’s death running PDP aground doesn’t arise.

It is even a disservice to his memory to suggest such. Remember also that our party nationwide has an organic existence that has been developed to endure. You know, this is the very nature of PDP in this country since 1999. This is the only party that has weathered the storm. It has not changed its name since 1999 unlike all others who have worn different garments and had different constitutions over the years. Yes, our party in Ondo State suffered a great blow with Agagu’s demise but it has capacity to recover and it has recovered numerically.

My joy as a witness and partaker is that Agagu worked daily as if he knew his time might soon be up. He thrived and developed people and systems around ideas, processes and goals instead of building tin gods and ephemeral things. This is the kind of building bricks that has wedged us together. But Agagu’s popularity or grip on the party was also thought to be responsible for the instability that rocked the party. Do you agree? I disagree with you.

I have always told people that one good thing about God is that He makes truth constant above lies. And evidence of this is the fact that good things are never out of fashion. If there is anything that has bonded the PDP in Ondo till now, it is Agagu’s vision, fair leadership and polished humanity. Yes it is true. In fact, I doubt if there is anyone in the party who is not a beneficiary of his benevolence and astute leadership. The facts are there for all to see.

The sprawling structure of our party which has survived all vilification and subversion in the last six years or so is still surviving and waxing stronger. If you talk about leadership with mission and deep understanding of organising human being into a successful team, that defines Agagu. Today, I doubt if there were any politician in the state whose heart is not saddened at the state of our dear state considering the dreams and lofty vision our administration had, initiated and began implementing for the state.

How could anybody oppose progress and development? The funny thing about life is that events and actions come in binary pairs which are most times in opposition to each other. So how have you coped with the loss? Till now I still find it most difficult to refer to him in the past tense, which means one is still in a state of self denial. While a part of me let go and thank God for a life well spent by Dr. Agagu, the other part of me growl in sadness at the loss of a good man. He was a very wise man, dependable, knowledgeable and friendly.

Throughout my relationship with him, I found him to be trust worthy, highly urbane and astute in organisation and planning towards specific and beneficial end. My greatest worry since he died however, is the short memory of human beings. But I get energised by the physically indelible legacies that dotted his foot steps through his years of sojourn on earth as a parent, professional, politician, leader and statesman. How did you receive the news of his death? With deep shock, embarrassment, unbelief and total loss. For one year I was in a state of self denial. I think one is just coming round to it, having not heard the voice or seen the face of the mentor in the last one year.

Given the circumstances that surrounded his death and the burial rites, would you attribute it all to anything supernatural? I am not superstitious and so do not see anything supernatural or more than meet the eyes in all the events. As a Christian, we are taught to believe and know that God knows about everything that happens to us both in life and death. You know there were three parts attached to Agagu’s death. How he died, the tragedy of the plane crash and the burial service and interment.

The most shocking are the first two. The death was shocking and devastating. But it is the event that preceded the burial that took the wind off one sail. It shook this nation. It was like an angry thunder storm. But we thank God the storm is over. The end of the righteous is filled with thanksgiving. I think Agagu’s life and times and particularly the events after leaving office ought to teach one a great lesson. Good things don’t go out of fashion.

What were your feelings one year ago when the news of his death was broken and now that the reality is dawned? It was inconceivable and the feeling indescribable. He was never sick, gave no sign or warning. For an athletic and very healthy man, fresh from vacation to be pronounced dead was my greatest shock of the year. If you know my late boss very well, you will know he was a man who paid deep attention to detail of life, his own health inclusive. We spoke until a few days to his last breath. In fact, a few months earlier, he was with me in Kampala,Uganda and we interacted greatly about the growth and development of our country.

He was always interested and committed to reinventing our society to a functional, productive and proud nation. What were the high points of your times together in Cabinet? It was a breathless experience in the sense that Agagu drove us at a steady but frenetic speed towards delivering both the profits and dividend of democracy to the people. It was a team that had a dream and a clear vision of what to do and how to do it.

Agagu introduced a robust sense of transparency, issues driven debates, and knowledge based policy making process. Our cabinet meetings were like a ship that always sailed in the same direction in spite of whatever storm came its way. I remember the debates leading to the approval of the policy plan of action of government for the first four years. As a development expert, Agagu led us into the minute details of the whys, how’s and when’s of the policies.

And for everything we set out to do, we never begun until every member of the cabinet understood, believed and in fact became an evangelist of the roadmap. So, cabinet days under Agagu were some of my best moments of serving the state. He was a patient listener, a stickler for details and a very understanding leader who knew how to manage individuals instead of their known excesses.

He never had bad words for anybody who served with him. He was always focussed on our goals. So, cabinet meeting, which sometimes drew into the far nights, were always sober, highly challenging and deeply intellectual sessions. Of course the results are there for posterity to judge today.

Considering the often frosty relationship experienced between many governors and their deputies, how were you able to survive such tensions between the two of you? I think the basis of such disaffection was not there. If you have a competent, highly exposed, goal driven and very friendly and decent governor who is neither greedy or domineering, what more could you ask for? Dr. Agagu was a team player, a leader of men.

I was always proud to take assignments from him. What effort is your party at home putting in place to immortalise Agagu? Well, Agagu has already inscribed himself in our hearts by his good deeds. And so we will continue to honour him with our memories. Beyond this, he remains the patriarch of the PDP family. The Party at the highest leadership level will continue to work hard to win elections and form governments in the state, so that the good works he did would be completed and many more will be done to immortalise his heritage.

September 6, 2014
Yoruba Council of Elders mourns Agagu, Falae

The Yoruba Council of Elders-a.k.a. Igbimo Agba Yoruba has commiserated with the entire families of Agagu and Falae over the death of their sons, Dr. Olusegun Agagu the former Executive Governor of Ondo State and Mr. Deji Falae, the former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ondo State.

In a separate letter of condolences addressed to the families, and signed by Chief Idowu Sofola SAN Secretary General of the Association, the council of elders said the deaths were monumental loss to the Ondo State Government and its citizens, the Nigerian Government and Nigerians, the Yoruba race in particular, and both families, especially with the unfortunate ill-fated crash of Embraer 120 ER Aircraft marked 5N-BJY which claimed several lives and left others injured while conveying the remains of Dr. Agagu to Ondo state.

“We must admit that these happenings are so shocking, painful and still makes all our hearts bleed.

We share in this grief and

October 18, 2013
Death of a dead man

The quiescence of the dead to object to their eternal confinement six feet below, certifies the reality of their non-existence. We, the living, also grope in a void of vanity that we proudly call existence. The movement of the living from the void to the darkroom below is wrapped in mystery. I have seen mysteries to a point of not being mystery-awe.

The Agagu episode was not a mystery as such but something like it. A dead man Olusegun Agagu was enclosed in a casket of gold with all his vanished accomplishments – former governor of Ondo State, former chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Minister of this and that, Dr this. Chief that, ex- His Excellency etc. His corpse was on the way to its final resting place in Iju Odo in Ondo State. The man in the small metal box was isolated in the belly of the plane while others were seated in the cabin. The man could no longer sit with the living among whom were my good friend and big brother, Tunji Okusanya (Snr) a.k.a. Rector, his son, Tunji (Jnr) and other people of mixed importance. In less than two minutes of take-off, the plane crashed and closed the gap between the living and the dead. The accident was a dramatic illustration of the dead burying the dead.

When Jesus said, ‘Let the dead bury their dead’, it was not a parable. It was a poetic mockery of mortal humanity. He saw no difference between the dead and the living. What separates them is time and space of tenuous insignificance. One sleeps in perpetuity while the other functions in the chaos and ructions of human existence. For one, the politics of life has ended. For the other, he skedaddles with death in the politics of hide and seek. When mourners and undertakers assemble for the funeral of a departed one at a cemetery, their posturing and pretensions notwithstanding, they are flirting with the rehearsal of their own funeral. The difference is in time and space; one sleeps that day, others will come to sleep on other days. The cemetery gate is the metaphor of life and death; the barrier between the dead on the other side and the dead on this side. While some dead are sleeping in the graves in the cemetery, the other category of “the dead” (the living) are on long-queues outside the cemetery gate uncertain of whose turn is next.

The dead in the graves are the ones that have been eternally denied the right of redress and corrective privilege for all their actions when they were outside the cemetery. But those at the gate are the living that still have the privilege of correction. The stories of those inside the cemetery have sufficient lessons for those outside it. But very foolishly, many who are still outside the gate will still go inside the cemetery with the same blunders committed by those within, believing that eternity is nothing but a fantasy promoted by those seeking recompense for their perceived self-righteousness.

The circumstances of the literal narrative of the accident excite me just as its figurative dramatisation. According to the Ojomo of Iju Odo, Chief Sehinde Oguntoye, who obliged us an insight into a pre-tragedy prophesy given by an unnamed Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Prophet, the town, on the receipt of the revelation, went on a 3-day revival of fasting and prayers. Hear him: “We have just finished a 3-day revival because we saw it coming and if not because of the revival, the calamity would have been more brutal and serious”.

My initial reaction was to pooh-pooh the statement but when I saw the pictures of some Mafoluku residents giving thanks to GOD for re-directing the plane which was almost crashing on their houses to an isolated area, I withdrew my rebuff of Chief Oguntoye’s spiritual triumphalism.

Another spiritual rhapsody was introduced to the narrative when Dr. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State urged all Nigerians to intensify their prayers as a way of cleansing our nation of all its profanities and iniquities. He made the call when he paid a condolence visit to his bereaved Ondo State counterpart, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko. Fayemi’s prayer alert is troubling. Of all the countries of the world, Nigeria appears to be the one with the highest number of churches, pastors and prophets who are very very close to government and political leaders. Even if I don’t know what goes on in other churches, I know that in my own church, prayers are always said for Nigeria during some of these special programmes. If all these prayers are still to be intensified as Fayemi suggested, it shows that most of our churches have either not been praying for the country, or have not been sincere in their prayers, or that GOD is not accepting our prayers for one reason or the other.

Countries all over the world had been granted autonomy by GOD to run their affairs but here in Nigeria, we keep showing our incapability to manage our affairs ourselves. We bother GOD for virtually everything that other countries have taken for granted. We organise vigils, special prayers and even visit prophets before we take a flight, before we travel from one part of the country to the other, we pray to get jobs, we pray before writing exams, we pray to get contracts, we pray before attending political meetings/rallies, before our children go for national service, we pray not to be victims of Boko Haram, kidnappers and ritual killers. Even simple thing like eating also requires prayer otherwise… we pray when our drivers take our children to school and pick them from school, we pray before we sleep. With all this list of ‘befores’ coming from Nigeria alone, when will GOD rest?

While I am not doubting the intervention of GOD in human affairs either to make things happen or prevent tragedy from happening, I am only saying that GOD should not be blamed for what is purely our own deficiency. When man fails to play his part in the drama of life, he looks for a scapegoat in GOD that has played His part. Of course, it is always convenient for man to blame GOD for his own negligence and failure. Raising objection to the spiritualisation of obvious secular matters should not be an excuse for pharisaic spiritualists to label me a pundit of agnotism –I am not and I will never be.

Our post-tragedy attitude reveals one thing – human existence is a puzzler. As soon as a tragedy occurs, we cry, we shout, we moan, we mourn and we grieve. Afterwards, I mean in a very short period, we begin to laugh, we rejoice, we frolic, we enjoy, we razzle and continue with life as if nothing had happened. The one that is dead is the one that is doomed. This is why I think government attitude to tragedies is spiteful. It is convenient for the government to deal with tragedy in a casual manner because Nigeria is one nation where tragedies are on queue. As soon as one erupts, the next on the queue allows just some few days of hoopla before it takes it own turn and it does not take time at all.

If the government is therefore overwhelmed with tragedies and lacks the capacity to prevent them, it is because we have allowed tragedies to become a routine occurrence, hence death no longer shocks us. In any case, death itself is now in surplus. It is so cheap that everybody can now afford it. Look at it: death in the air, death on the road, death in the hostel, death of religion, police death, death of poverty, death of acid, death of depression, inheritance death, death on the sea, lovers’ death, death in the train, death at political rallies, death of fire. There are some death parastatals as well; Boko Haram, kidnappers, ritualists, Doctors strike, and so on and so forth.

Besides, government’s strategy in the management of tragedy needs some elevation. Making predictable moves all the time does no credit to its creative capacity. Immediately the tragedy occurred, I was expecting government to set up a panel to investigate the cause or causes of the crash. And it did. Yes, it may be the natural action to take but my concern is that the country is becoming notorious for its festivals of probe. Government has never shown the political will to release past investigation reports or even release White Paper on them. Why must we always set up panels to investigate tragedies when we can set up one to prevent tragedy so that we can stop turning funerals into a way of life.

The death of a dead man is far-fetched, eldritch, curious and preternatural. Methinks we are exaggerating the fatality of death knowing that nobody dies twice. Everyman, whether in a casket or in a mansion, dies once. When therefore a corpse in a casket, on its way to its final resting place, is assaulted again by death, such bizarre attack is misplaced venom from the one that has the final encounter with everyone that carries the flesh of sin. This second death is nothing but an evil expression from the one that is proud of the superfluity of its sting. Otherwise, why waste your sting on a man that is already gone?

The riddle of the Agagu tragedy lies in the multitude of victims that became the casualties of the cabbalistic fellowship between death and its evil accessories that were engaged in a conspiracy of revenge over covenant breach. Agreed that death is the conclusion of life’s vanity and the finality of the unrewarding labour of man on earth but why must another man depart consequent upon the unfaithfulness of the other to the obligations of his covenant? Why did GOD allow a collateral damage of the innocent in the crossfire between death and the brotherhood. The Christians are not wrong when they refer to GOD as unquestionable. What then is the point of engaging GOD in a dialogue that will end in rhetoric? I therefore submit myself to a mystery I can NEVER unravel.

October 13, 2013
Agagu: Pilot’s error caused Lagos plane crash

Barely 10 days after the Associated Airlines Embraer 120 aircraft crashed at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, killing 14 passengers, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has said that the preliminary readout and analysis of flight 361 flight recorder indicated that the right engine of the aircraft was faulty.

The agency also said that preliminary investigation indicated that the captain-in-command of the ill-fated aircraft, Abdulrahman Yakubu, ignored the warning from the onboard computer voice.

This was disclosed to journalists by the Commissioner for AIB, Capt. Usman Muktar, while reading out the preliminary readout and analysis of flight 361’s flight recorders in Abuja yesterday.

He said the investigation was done in AIB laboratory in Abuja in conjunction with international flight recorder experts from Canada, who designed the laboratory.

Capt. Mukthar said the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) contained approximately 47 hours in solid state memory, while the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) contained thirty-two and a half minutes of audio, which included internal conversation of two pilots, radio calls, and the overall environment in the cockpit.

Muktar said that Associated Airlines flight 361 was cleared for take-off by the Air Traffic Controller on runway 18 left of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Lagos, adding that at that time, the wind was calm and weather was not considered a factor in the accident.

He added that four seconds after the engine power was advanced to commence take off roll, the crew received an automated warning from the onboard computer voice which consisted of three chimes followed by “Take off Flap, Take off Flap, Take off flap.”

He stated that this configuration warning suggested that the flaps were not in the correct position for take-off and there was evidence that the crew might have chosen not to use flaps for the take-off.

According to him, “This warning did not appear to come as any surprise to the crew, and they continued normally with the take-off. This warning continues throughout the take-off roll.“

Capt. Mukhtar added that AIB was in the process of verifying the accuracy of the flight data, adding that the agency had not been able to confirm the actual flap setting and that AIB was expected to determine this in the fullness of time.

The AIB commissioner added that the ‘set power’ call was made by the captain and the ‘power is set’ was confirmed by the First Officer as expected in the normal operations, adding that approximately three seconds after the ‘power is set’ call, the First Officer noted that the aircraft was moving slowly.

Approximately seven seconds after the ‘power is set‘ call, the internal aircraft voice warning system could be heard stating ‘Take off Flap, Auto Feather’.

He explained that auto feather refers to the pitch of the propeller blades, adding that in the feather position, the propeller does not produce any thrust.

The Flight Data Recorder, he said, contains several engine related parameters, which the AIB was studying.

“At this time, we can state that the right engine appears to be producing considerably less thrust than the left engine. The left engine appeared to be working normally. The aircraft automated voice continued to repeat, Take off Flap, Auto Feather.’ “

According to an aircraft engineer, Sheri Kyari, the flap on an aircraft is located at the trailing edge of the wing. It is at the rear end of the wings.

Kyari, a former president of Pilots and Aircraft Engineers in the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, the function of the flap when operational increases the surface area of the wing, thereby generating enough lift at low aircraft speeds. This is when the aircraft is taking off or landing.

Kyari, is convener and executive director, Centre of Aviation Safety and Research.

“When the flap is not set to the required degree for take off, the aircraft will have to do a long take-off run before gaining enough lift to lift-off the ground,” he said.

Reading out the preliminary report, AIB said “the standard ‘eighty knots’ call was made by the First Officer. The first evidence that the crew indicated that there was a problem with the take-off roll was immediately following the ‘eighty knots’ call.

“The First Officer asked if the take-off should be aborted approximately 12 seconds after the ‘eighty knots’ callout”

AIB added that the captain, in response to the Flight Officer’s question to abort the take off, said that they should continue, adding that the crew did not make V1 call, which is the speed at which the decision to abort or continue a take-off is made, or the Vr call, which indicates the speed at which it is planned to rotate the aircraft.

The Commissioner added that normally, the non-flying pilot pulls back both the V1 and the Vr speeds,

He said that when the Vr was called, the flying pilot pulled back the control column. The First Officer asked the Captain ‘gently’, a word that indicated that the aircraft was not performing normally.

He added that the aircraft did not produce enough overall thrust and that it was difficult or impossible to climb without risk of an aerodynamics stall.

An aviation expert, Mallam Muhammadu Dodo, described aerodynamics as the streamline of air flow around the aircraft due to its design. It enables it to attain a stable and safe flight.

Immediately after lift-off, the aircraft slowly veered off the runway, heading to the right and was not climbing, and that the aircraft behaviour made ATC to ask the pilot if Flight 361 operation was normal but that they did not respond, and that 31 seconds after the warning, the aircraft crashed.

October 12, 2013
What Agagu ‘ll be remembered for, by Senator

In this piece, Second Republic Senator Michael Onukun extols the virtues of the former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Agagu, who was laid to rest at the weekend.

Nicolo Machiavelli took more than 400 years after his death to earn a mark of greatness through an epitaph erected at his grave in Florence in Latin: “Tanto Nomini Nullum Par Elogium,” meaning: “Of this great man, no praise is adequate.”

Chief Obafemi Awolowo was perhaps, luckier. It took his condolence register time before his interment to be named the best President that Nigeria never had. Ironically, this declaration was made by those who opposed the acclaimed leader of the people and constantly denied Chief Awolowo their votes to block his many chances of being elected President.

Geniuses in a generation are very scarce indeed, not easy to find. The ones identified among us therefore should be accorded life-enchancing appreciation and encouragement while still alive, in order to maximize their resources for the general good of the people. The lack of candour and love shown towards our great men often hastened their death, so much so that the rush of post humous encomiums and eulogies became valueless to the dead but constituted a bad lesson to the living.

I have recognised the traits of a genius in Dr Olusegun Agagu and did not hestitate to tell him so. The realisation drew me closer to him to encourage and advise him and sometimes, to warn about pitfalls besetting the paths of great men. True, Dr Agagu was a loving personality, liberal minded and light-hearted man, who devoted his life and time to the service of his people totally, even at the risk of his own health. He overworked himself no doubt, shunning all admonition to embrace increased delegation to allow himself more time to rest.

Like Ceaser, Dr Agagu did not fear death. He often argued that his father did not live long enough to make him believe he could do better at the rate he was going.

Adolf Hitler was a genius of a special class. That cannot de disputed. Wasn’t Alexander the Great a genius too? Whether they had put their abilities and activities to a good use or not is beside the issue.

In Berlin, on April 30, 1945, Hitler retreated to his room in the bunker, leaving his last two faithful, Jioseph Goebells and Martin Bormann, outside. With the sudden sound of a muffled gunshot from the direction of Hitler’s room, both men raced to burst the door and found the lifeless bodies of Hitler and his wife, Eva Braun, lying on their bed. Goebells immediately ran outside and cried: “Our Fuerher (Leader) is dead, the heart of Germany has ceased to beat.”

Now, Dr Agagu is gone! When comes such another?

Come, let us join together to sipplicate Almighty God to grant Agagu’s soul eternal rest that he can no longer shun.

October 7, 2013
Agagu: ‘Why plane crashed’

Facts emerged yesterday on the probable reasons the chartered Embraer 120 aircraft carrying the corpse of former Ondo State governor, Chief Olusegun Agagu, crashed on Thursday minutes after it took off from the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos.

The ill-fated plane reportedly had 20 passengers, 13 of which died while the seven others were left in critical conditions. Among the casualties was the Ondo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Deji Falae, who was said to be the eldest son of elder statesman and candidate of the AD/APP alliance in the 1999 presidential election, Chief Olu Falae.

Also dead in the crash were Mr. Tunji Okusanya, the proprietor of Nigeria’s most popular casket making/marketing outfit, MIC Funeral Company, his son Tunji Okusanya Jnr, no fewer than four of his staff, the pilot of the plane, Captain Yakubu and five others.

While the ill-fated 30-passenger aircraft was said to have only 20 people on board, a reliable aviation source insisted yesterday that the plane might have crashed because it was overloaded in some other ways.

The source, who pleaded not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the issue, told our correspondent that at the time it crashed, the aircraft had five-hour endurance fuel, which constituted unnecessary burden on the plane because it only needed just about a third of that quantity of fuel for a return trip from Lagos to Akure.

“The aviation expert said: “It is true that the plane is designed for 30 passengers and there were only 20 passengers on board, but it was loaded with too much fuel, and that is professionally wrong.

“The aircraft had five-hour endurance fuel for a return journey that would not take more than one hour.

“Remember that the aircraft was also carrying a corpse, and you know that the weight of a corpse is more than that of a living person. This combined with the weight of the casket and the volume of fuel in the aircraft probably weighed it down as it approached the air.”

The foregoing, the source said, was compounded by the fact that the two engines of the aircraft might not have been in perfect conditions. Hence, when one of the engines packed up, the weight of the aircraft became too much for the other.

“As it taxied for take-off, the pilot probably realised that the plane had lost an engine, but he believed that he was already at a point that we in the aviation sector call the “critical point of no return.” If he had aborted the flight at that point, the impact would have been much more.

“The pilot probably had to continue to go up or ‘ pull off ‘ in the hope that the other engine could take the aircraft to a level where it could return to land and abort the flight. But whereas it is possible to stabilise with one engine when an aircraft is in the air, it is very dangerous to take off or land with one engine.”

By the account of the airliners, the ill-fated aircraft’s last flight was in August while it underwent a A-check in June, meaning that it did not fly in the whole of September. The expert said this was probably so because the aircraft , usually used for chartered services, was not hired during the period, which underscores the need for vigorous check by ground officers who certified it fit to be airborne.

The aviation expert also said communication between the pilot and the traffic controllers at the airport could not have been possible because the aircraft had not gained altitude for it to come under aerial radar control

Explaining the various stages of control before an aircraft is airborne, the source said: “There are four stages of control. The first stage is on the ground when the necessary checks are made to certify the aircraft fit. The second is the tower stage where the control tower declares the captain free to take off.

“The third is the approach stage where the control tower monitors the aircraft to see that it stabilises. The fourth is the radar stage when the plane is airborne and communication between the pilot and air traffic controllers is possible.

“The aircraft was at the third stage which is ‘approach’ when it crashed on Thursday.”

The propeller aircraft belonging to Associated Airlines crashed into the disused compound of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at the premises of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport around 9.32 am on Thursday minutes after it took off from the local wing of the airport.

The chartered plane had hit the wall demarcation and broke into two before it went up in flames after about 25 minutes.

October 5, 2013
Agagu buried amid grief

THE mood in Iju-Odo, Ondo State was sober yesterday as the remains of former Governor Olusegun Kokumo Agagu were buried. The ceremony, planned to be elaborate by the state government, was downgraded and the mood fouled up by Thursday’s crash of the plane carrying the body of the governor from Lagos. Thirteen people including the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Deji Falae, died in the Associated Airlines’ plane crash. There were seven survivors including Agagu’s son Feyi and son- in- law Femi Akinsanya. Governor Olusegun Mimiko who learnt of the crashed plane at the Akure Airport, while waiting to receive the body, was absent at the burial yesterday. But the state government was represented by a three-man delegation which included Senator Boluwaji Kunlere (leader of delegation) and Hon Jumoke Akindele. The state government is still mourning having lost three other officials apart from the commissioner in the crash. The dead were deputy chief of protocol, a protocol officer and the Lagos Liaison officer, according to officials. President Goodluck Jonathan sent Police Affairs Minister Caleb Olubolade to stand in for him. Governors of Southwest states during the time Agagu was Ondo State governor were among the mourners at Iju-Odo. They were Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun) Segun Oni (Ekiti) and Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun). Some of them came with their wives. Minister of Information Communication and Technology, Mrs Mobolaji Johnson, who hails from Ondo State, Agagu’s former deputy Omolade Oluwateru, Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly during Agagu’s tenure, Taofeek Abdulsalam and businessman Jimoh Ibrahim, were among the other dignitaries in attendance. Agagu’s widow and other children were at the event though the late exgovernor’s eldest child, Feyi, is still hospitalised in Lagos as a result of the injuries he sustained in the crash. The church service preceding the burial billed to start at 10.am did not commence until 1.50pm. The body of the ex-governor, who was also a minister in the power and Aviation ministries, rescued from the wrecked plane intact, did not arrive the church on time. From as early as 9.00am, dignitaries were waiting at the residence of the deceased for the arrival of the body. The Saint Paul’s Anglican Church was filed up with guests who came to honour theman who died on September 13. His corpse however remained intact, his son and four others survived the crash while others including the commissioner for Culture and Tourism Mr. Deji Falae, died. However, scores of party members , supporters and other members of the community were at the residence of the late former governor waiting for his remains to arrive as early as 9: am. The issue of the crashed plane dominated discussions at the burial The body was laid to l rest in a purple casket substituted for the casket that was partly damaged in the crash. In his sermon, Bishop on the Coast,( Anglican communion) Joshua Ebunoluwa Ogunele, said the gathering was not only meant to commit Agagu to the mother earth but also to praise God. Bishop Ogunele said the late governor’s widow’s decision to travel from Ibadan to Akure by road “changed many things.” He said her decision not to join the aircraft that was conveying the remains of the body of the late former governor was praise worthy and commendable. The cleric described the late Agagu as a father, a brother and a friend. Taking his message from the book of Genesis Chapter 42 verse 36, Bishop Ogunele said looking at it from the human angle, the death of Agagu and subsequent burial was against the wishes of the people. He noted that only God’s will could be done always. The cleric said God’s way is not the way of human beings, stressing that people blame God when things happen because they are short sightedness. “Our short sightedness has blocked our views from seeing things of heaven and focus on earthly things “Today we are committing Agagu to the mother earth, I want to assure you that none of his property will be buried with him” The cleric said “the day Agagu died, his certificate expired” He said he had been buried with nothing adding that if he had millions or billions in the bank, it could not be buried with him. The cleric charged the people to think of what to leave behind when death comes, saying nobody could be richer than the biblical King Solomon. The Bishop said Agagu did not know that he was going to die , saying he was working on some projects for the Ikale community. President Jonathan described the late Agagu as an intellectual, a man of great achievements and diligence. The President said he received the sad news of the air crash yesterday. He offered his condolence on the death of the late Agagu and the crash victims. Other dignitaries at the service were: Governorship candidate of the PDP in the last election, Chief Olusola Oke, his running mate Mr. Saka Lawal, Mr. Mr. Akin Aduwo, Hon. Akintoye Herbert and Hon. Jumoke Akindele.

October 5, 2013
Three crew members survived crash – NCAA

… Feyi Agagu responding to treatment

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority said on Friday that three crew members of the ill-fated air craft that crashed in Lagos on Thursday were among the victims the survived the crash and are currently receiving treatment at various hospitals in the state.

They are – two cabin crew members and a flight engineer.

The Head of Aero Medical Directorate of the NCAA, Dr. Theresa Bassey, who made this disclosure, also said the son of the late Ondo State governor, Feyi is doing well at the hospital.

According to her, Feyi has started talking with friends and family members.

Speaking at the crisis centre opened for victims of the crash at the NCAA Annex at the Lagos Airport, Dr. Bassey, said one of the female survivors had a successful surgery and is responding to treatment.

She said two survivors are in the intensive care unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) because of the intense burns and fracture.

She said, “Seven of the survivors are doing well at the hospital. There are three crew members – two cabin crew members and a flight technician.

“One of the crew members has undergone a surgery and she is doing well. Two other passengers that survived have been sent to the intensive care unit of LASUTH.

“I can confirm to you that Feyi Agagu is alive and kicking. He is responding to treatment and has started talking to friends and family members.

“The two survivors at the intensive care unit have severe burns and fracture. I cannot tell when they will be released, but they are doing well at the hospital.”

October 4, 2013
Tight security as Agagu begins final journey home

There was a tight security in Iju-Odo, Ondo State, as the final burial rites for the former governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, commenced at St Paul Anglican Church on Friday.

Scores of police men were sighted on the Okitipupa-Iju-Odo road, monitoring vehicular movement.

Also sighted were officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Commission.

There was also a heavy security presence at the country home of the late former governor as well as the Manuwa Memorial Grammar School and Iju-Odo Civic Centre, both slated as venues for the reception.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the church was also filled to capacity even as the corpse of the former governor was still being awaited as at the time of filing this report.

After the initial confusion that trailed Thursday’s crash of an Associated Airline plane conveying Agagu’s casket, some family members and top Ondo State government officials, the family resolved to continue with the burial programme.

At least 13 persons died in the crash while six others were seriously injured.

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Mr. Ebenezer Alabi, had on Thursday announced the decision to continue with the burial programme after meeting with the Agagu’s family.

“We have just consulted with the family and they had decided to go ahead with the burial,” Alabi said.

October 4, 2013