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Tag: plane crash

  • Anger in Senate over frequent plane crashes

    Anger in Senate over frequent plane crashes

    Minister, others summoned

    There was anger in the Senate yesterday over the “resurgence” of plane crashes.

    Aviation Minister Stella Oduah has been summoned to explain why planes are dropping.

    She is also to explain the state of the sector.

    The Senate Committee on Aviation is to investigate the October 3 crash in Lagos of Associated Aviation’s plane conveying the remains of the late former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Agagu to Akure for burial.

    Also invited are chief executives of aviation agencies who are to answer questions on the state of the sector.

    The Senate relied on Section 67(2) of the Constitution (as amended), which empowers it to invite any official of the government for questioning on national issues.

    The lawmakers expressed frustration over air disasters.

    Senators took turns to lament the rot in the sector and sought immediate steps to remedy the situation to avoid “avoidable deaths” and destruction of property.

    It all began with a motion by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma (Imo West), titled “Crash of Associated Airlines airplane”

    Uzodinma said Nigerians had witnessed a record of seven fatal air mishaps and averted crashes within the last two and half years, which, according to him, is unprecedented in the history of plane crashes in the country.

    He listed the crashes to include

    •Allied Airlines (cargo Aircraft), which crashed on 2nd June 2012 in Accra, Ghana, killing about 10 people on the ground.

    •Dana Airlines, which crashed on 3rd June 2012 in Lagos, killing about 153 persons on board.

    •Nigeria Police Force helicopter, which crashed on 23rd March 2012, killing the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), John Haruna, and three other officers on board and several other people in Kabong Village, Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State.

    •Odenegene Air Service (OAS Helicopter), which crashed on a flight to Akure in 2012, killing all on board.

    •Taraba State Governor’s aircraft, which crashed in Adamawa State while attempting to land in October, 2012, injuring Governor Danbaba Suntai and others.

    •Associated Aviation, which crashed on 3rd October in Lagos 2013 in Lagos, killing 16 persons on board, four are injured.

    •Augusta 109 Helicopter, which crashed in Bayelsa State, killing the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi, and the Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa, two naval pilots and two aides on December 15, 2012.

    It also recalled the near mishap of a Kabo aircraft conveying Sokoto Pilgrims averted on October 4.

    Another averted air crash, he said, was a Maxi aircraft conveying Taraba Pilgrims on October 4.

    Uzodinma said he was worried that the resurgence of plane crashes since 2011 was “suggestive of a deep-seated system problem that must be unravelled and resolved to avert further and unnecessary loss of lives.”

    He acknowledged that the frequent crashes have robbed the country of some of her best and brightest citizens who have served the nation gallantly in their capacities at various levels.

    He prayed the Senate to condemn the resurgence of plane crashes in Nigeria and the inability of the agencies to unearth the causes of the incidents.

    He also prayed the chamber to mandate the committee on aviation to as a matter of urgency, investigate the cause(s) of the crash and ascertain the level of compliance by agencies with the recent resolution of the Senate on the Dana Air crash on air safety.

    He urged the Senate to mandate the Aviation Committee to investigate and identify lapses in the operation of laws and regulations guiding aviation by the ministry and all its agencies with a view to correcting and streamlining same to avert further untoward disasters.

    Uzodinma asked the Senate to observe a minute silence in honour of the victims of the Associated Aviation crash.

    All the four prayers were adopted unanimously.

    Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba said the Minister of Aviation should be invited to brief the Senate in plenary on the state of the sector.

    Ndoma-Egba, who relied on Section 67(2) of the Constitution, said that there was no doubt that with the sheer number of air crashes, Nigeria is in a state of emergency.

    The prayer was also unanimously adopted.

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), who seconded the motion, said that the Senate needed to go beyond the surface to address systemic problems in the aviation sector.

    Abaribe noted that while considering the report of the Dana Air crash, the Senate made far reaching resolutions about how to solve the problems.

    He wondered how far the resolutions had been complied with.

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) said it was unbecoming of the aviation minister to have said that air mishaps were inevitable.

    Mrs. Tinubu also said that the Senate should look at the state of the runways at the airports, describing them as the “worst in world”.

    She said: “The Minister of Aviation actually said that you cannot really avoid disaster in air travel.

    “It was quite scary because air travel is supposed to be the safest.

    “So, for an aviation minister to say that, we really have to look into the statement credited to the minister. Is the minister supposed to frighten Nigerians that each time they travel they are supposed to be afraid? That is a question that requires answer.

    “I want the Senate to look at the state of our runways. Are the runways in good condition? Have we ever considered the take-off and landing of our aircraft? Our runways are probably the worst runways on this planet.

    “We all travel abroad; we’ve been to various airports and each time I land even at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos that is supposed to be the busiest airport in the country, I weep for Nigeria.

    “While we look at the state of our aircraft, we should not forget to consider the runways. The Senate Committee on Aviation should look at the entire aviation industry.

    “We don’t just pick on one issue because we had disaster and leave the rest. It should be holistic.

    “We should stop playing politics with the lives of our people. Enough is enough. We have to make sure that this Seventh Senate, we consider issues as they are and always do the right thing so that we all will be glad that we served in this Seventh Senate.”

    Most other Senators who contributed to the motion had one tale of woes or the other to tell about the aviation sector.

    Senator Ita Enang said that the minister concentrated more on infrastructure without paying attention to the health of aircraft.

    Senator Bukola Saraki said that the greatest respect the Senate could pay those who died in the ill-fated Associated Aviation was to ensure that the right thing was done at all times, especially ensuring the previous resolutions of the Senate were implemented.

    Senator Thompson Sekibo said that it was disheartening that the number of those who die in accidents are 10 times more than those killed by AIDS and other illnesses.

    Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi said that the kinds of calamity frequently witnessed in the country were avoidable.

    The Senate, he said, should always speak truth to power in the interest of the country.

    Adetunmbi noted that provision of physical infrastructure does not automatically translate to reform.

    Urging the Senate not to overlook the failure of regulation in air crashes, he noted that reform has to do with people.

    The Ekiti State-born lawmaker concluded that “there is failure of leadership in the aviation sector”.

    Senator Smart Adeyemi noted that the plane crashed because of corruption.

    He said he discovered that the ill-fated plane was on a test flight.

    He said that the plane should not have carried any passenger.

    He said that nobody has bothered to ask why there were engineers in the ill-fated Associated Aviation plane.

    According to him, because it was a test flight, engineers were in the aircraft to observe the flight.

    For him, corruption in the sector must be checked for sanity to return to the sector.

    The Senate yesterday adjourned plenary to October 22 to allow its committees to complete pending reports.

    The plane flew on August 22 and 30, a source in the airline said. “It was no test flight and it was normal to have one or two engineers on board,” he said.

     

  • Plane crash: I’ve surrendered to God’s will, says Falae

    Plane crash: I’ve surrendered to God’s will, says Falae

    Former Minister of Finance Chief Olu Falae yesterday said he has surrendered to the will of God.

    He was reacting to the death of his son, Deji, who was the Ondo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism.

    Deji died in last Thursday’s plane crash in Lagos.

    Receiving leaders of Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-political group, at his home in Akure, the state capital, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) said his family took solace in the fact that Deji lived a purposeful life, distinguishing himself in all aspects of life.

    Falae, a Christian, said: “The Holy Spirit has ministered to us and we have been comforted by different testimonies that preceded the incident. My son saw his appointment as a commissioner as a service to humanity.

    “We are happy that he exhibited the family values we instilled in him. The money he was making during his practice was more than what he was being paid as a commissioner.

    “He was humble, honest, transparent and exhibited integrity. He did not build a house of his own but he helped most of his supporters to build their own houses.”

    Leader of the Afenifere delegation Chief Lanihun Ajayi urged Falae to take solace in the fact that “God giveth and taketh”.

    Describing Deji’s death as “shocking”, he urged the family to take solace in God, saying “He knows best”.

    Olanihun said: “Deji was one of us and we looked forward to him as a Yoruba future leader, but God knows best. We know the pain his death has caused the family, but we urge you to remain strong in the service of God and humanity.”

    In the delegation were Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Jimi Agbaje, Funsho Alayande, Yinka Odumakin, Sehinde Arogbofa, Pekun Awobona, Lanre Omisore and Jide Akinbiyi, among others.

    Former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel and a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele (Irepodun/Ifelodun Constituency), also visited Falae.

    They prayed for the repose of the late Deji’s soul and asked God to give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

    Representatives of Ijaw Arogbo in Ese Odo Local Government and traditional rulers from Okitipupa Local Government also visited Falae.

    Labour Party (LP) National Chairman Dan Nwanyawu and his National Conscience Party (NCP) counterpart, Yinusa Tanko, also commiserated with the Falae family.

     

  • Air mishap: Senate summons Aviation Minister, others

    Air mishap: Senate summons Aviation Minister, others

    …To probe Associated Airline crash
    … Crashed plane engine still in Nigeria – AIPB
    The Senate on Tuesday summoned the Aviation Minister, Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, to appear before it to explain the state of the country’s aviation industry.
    The upper chamber also said that Oduah would brief members about the resurgence of air crashes that have claimed hundreds of lives of Nigerians and others.
    It mandated its Committee on Aviation to investigate the October 3 crash of Associated Airline in Lagos while conveying the remains of late former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu to Akure for burial.
    Apart from Oduah, the Senate also invited Chief Executives of aviation paratatals to appear with the minister to answer questions on the state of the nation’s aviation sector.
    The Senate said that it relied on Section 67(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which empowered it to invite any official of the government for questioning on national issues.
    The lawmakers expressed frustration over incessant air disasters in the country.
    Senators specifically took turns to lament the rot in the aviation sector and sought immediate steps to remedy the situation to avoid what they called “avoidable deaths” and destruction of property.
    This followed a motion by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma (Imo West) entitled: “Crash of Associated Airlines airplane.”
    Uzodinma noted “with ultimate sorrow” the unfortunate crash of the Associate Airlines propeller airplane EMB190 from Lagos to Akure on Monday October 3.
    He also noted “with concern” that the plane bearing the remains of Agagu to Akure for burial crashed within the vicinity of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport barely a minute after takeoff from the domestic wing of the airport.
    He observed that the ill- fated plane plunged to the ground shortly after flying over the perimeter fencing of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and moments later busted into flames.
    The lawmaker said that apart from the remains of the former governor, there were 20 passengers on board the crashed plane “16 of whom have been confirmed dead” while four others sustained varying degrees of injury and receiving treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
    Meanwhile, the Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau on Tuesday said the engines of the Embraer 120 aircraft have been moved to an undisclosed hangar at the Lagos airport.
    According to the spokesman of the agency, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, the engines are being worked on as part of the ongoing probe into the cause of the crash.
    Oketunbi said the engines may not be moved abroad, if investigations on its parameters are concluded in Nigeria by experts probing the crash.
    He dismissed reports in some quarters that the aircraft engines have been flown to Brazil.
    He said,” We are taking steps to advance the investigations into the crash. As at today we have moved the aircraft engines to an undisclosed hangar in Lagos Airport.
    We are still examining the aircraft engines. The engines have not been flown abroad. It is the intensity of investigations that will determine whether they will be flown abroad.”
  • Aviation minister to Fani-Kayode: Bow your head in shame

    Aviation minister to Fani-Kayode: Bow your head in shame

    The Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah , on Tuesday berated a former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Fani-Kayode, on his utterances on the sector, asking him to bow his head in shame.

    She said the ex-minister’s comments on the aviation sector were capable of misleading the public.

    Oduah spoke at the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization Conference organized in partnership with the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), in Abuja.

    The event was tagged:  “Transforming ATM Performance.”

    Oduah said: “When you see ignorant people in particular, I have sympathy for them. This is because when you speak out of context, when you speak under whatever influence you are under, you speak incorrectly and mislead innocent Nigerians. That is what he has done. He should hide his head in shame.”

    The minister restated her commitment to safety in the aviation sector.

  • Three crew members survived crash – NCAA

    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.”

  • Tight security as Agagu begins final journey home

    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.
  • 11 things about Embraer 120 Brasilia

    11 things about Embraer 120 Brasilia

    Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia is a twin-turboprop commuter airliner. It is produced by Embraer of Brazil. This commuter airliner yesterday crashed in Lagos while conveying the remains of the former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu, his son Feyi and 26 persons to Akure, Ondo State. It was reported to have crashed after two minutes of take-off.

    Below are 11 things you should know about Embraer 120 aircraft:
    – Amount varies between: 8,500,000 – 11,000,000 USD (2013)
    – Carrying Capacity: 30 passengers
    – Length:  65ft 7 1/2 in
    – Maximum speed: 608 km/h
    – Manufactured by Embraer in Brazil
    – First ever flight: 1983
    – The name given to the first set of airliner was: EMB-120 Araguaia
    – The name EMB-120 Araguaia was changed in 1979
    – Its current name since 1979 is: EMB-120 Brasillia
    – Also produced with EMB-120 Brasillia were: EMB-123-Tapajós,EMB-121
    Xingu,EMB-121
    -Since September 19, 1986, EMB-120 Brasilia has been involved in 16 accidents

  • No plane crash in Lagos, says NEMA

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA), has denied reports of an  plane crash or crash landing of any aircraft in Igando/ Isolo area of Lagos.

    In telephone interview with The Nation, the information officer, South West office of NEMA, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye explained that no aircraft either crashed or crash landed in any area of Lagos.

    He said :” NEMA confirms that there is no air crash in Lagos. No aircraft crash landed into either Igando or Mangoro area of Lagos.

    “What we learnt is that on Wednesday night, about 11.20 pm, some persons were transporting scraps of disused aircraft in a truck from the airport vicinity. This triggered anxiety among resident that saw it, people took the photographs and circulated it on social media, thinking it was wreckage of an aircraft that had a crash.  This is the cause of the anxiety. There is no crash in Lagos.”

    Meanwhile, aviation authorities at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), Nigeria Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA), and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), have clarified that there is no air crash in Lagos.

  • Plane crash: ‘Suntai has started speaking’

    Plane crash: ‘Suntai has started speaking’

    Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai, who was involved in a plane crash and was taken to Germany for treatment is recovering fast.

    He has started speaking.

    Suntai spoke on Wednesday from the German hospital on telephone with the Senator representing Taraba South, Hon. Emmanuel Bwacha.

    Bwacha, who is the governor’s personal friend, had been with the governor at the Medical Diagnostic Section of the Specialist Hospital, Yola, and the National Hospital Abuja, where the governor was rushed to for initial treatment before he was flown abroad.

    He has also been with the governor in the German hospital and just returned to Nigeria on Wednesday.

    Bwacha, who spoke to journalists shortly after his conversation with Suntai said: “the governor started speaking before I left for Nigeria. But his voice is more audible and clearer on telephone now.

    “His wife –the First Lady initial spoke with me, and then she handed over the phone to the governor who spoke with a discernible voice.”

    Bwacha allayed the fears that the governor would be incapacitated.

    He also disproved the rumours that the governor has spinal cord damage and was bleeding from a fractured head.

    According to him, Suntai, at the time of the accident, was injured in the abdomen, had a fracture on the hand and his whole body swollen, which made him unconscious.

    He said: “The governor is recovering fast. His state of health was stabilized when I left him in Germany. I am surprise to hear the rumour in Nigeria that he has a problem with his head and spinal cord. It is not true.

    “Ideally, a plane crash is not a bicycle accident; he needs time to recover well. In fact, it was by divinity from God that he even survived the air crash. Those with evil wishes would be put to shame and would definitely not go unpunished.”

     

  • Forced to be single for 20 years, widows of Ejigbo plane crash victims in pains

    Forced to be single for 20 years, widows of Ejigbo plane crash victims in pains

    They have been grieving since 1992, when their world came crashing down. Precisely 20 years, one month ago, they lost their husbands to the cruel hands of death. They were in their 20s.

    They are the widows and children of about 131 officers of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force who died in the Nigerian Air Force Lockheed C-130Hercules aircraft, which crashed into the swamp in Ejigbo in 1992.

    The then Military President , Gen. Ibrahim Babangida , promised to provide for their needs, including houses, education for their children and so on. The promises, which were made to assuage their losses, remain unfulfilled.

    Regrettably, more than 20 years after, most of the widows and children of the victims of the crash have not fared better.

    Some have even died. Two years after the incident, a directive was issued from the office of the Chief of Defence Staff that letters should be given to all the widows to their various state military administrators then to provide accommodation. While some of the state administrators then responded positively, others shut their doors against the widows. Most of the widows and their children were ejected from their various barracks.

    The children education provided for under Section 334 of the Term and Conditions of Service for officers in the Nigerian Army 1979 was half-implemented. According to the provision of the Section, “ for the purpose of training, the children are to be treated as Federal Government scholars and all conditions applicable to Federal Government Scholarship students will apply to them.” But the reverse was the case.

    On September 26 in Kaduna, a cenotaph was unveiled in memory of the victims by the Commandant of the Armed Forces Command Staff College(AFCSC), Jaji, Air Vice MarshalllAhmed Tijani Muazu. While the victims were remembered, nothings was said about their widows.

    At a roundtable discussion with their counsel, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) and Mr. Kabir Akingbolu, held at the Strong Tower Redeemed Christian Church of God, Gbagada, Lagos, some of them bared their grievance against the government, which successively, had abandoned them to their fate.

    A daughter of one of the victims, Mrs. Bisi Olusanya-Johnson, said she lost her mother due to neglect by the military authority.

    Olusanya-Johnson claimed that lack of adequate care and depression led to the death of her mother a few years after the crash.

    Crying profusely during the event, Mrs. Olusanya-Johnson said she was 14 years when she lost her father in the crash. She said her mother faced a lot of trauma taking care of her children.

    She said: “I was 14 years old when my father died. In fact, I was in school when we were summoned from the school to inform us of the tragic incident. Few days later, the military authorities directed us to quit our apartment.

    “My mother died because of the trauma she went through since the demise of my father. My mother carried the burden to her grave. One thing which these wicked leaders should realise is that the pain which they made us go through, their own children will go through it.”

    She also spoke of how her mother made several appeals to former military governors of Lagos State to provide their family with the landed property promised after the crash to no avail. Olusanya-Johnson appealed to military authorities to pay all her father’s entitlement.

    A widow of one of the victims of the crash, Mrs. Stella Onabolu, said they had made several attempts to convince military authorities as well as Ministry of Defence but were paid little attention.

    She explained that while their colleagues who are from Navy and Air Force had prompt attention from their corps, the Army turned deaf ears to their case, adding: “As at today, I have not received the school fees of my children from the Army headquarters for 2011, not to talk of 2012. We met the Minister of State for Defence in 2010 but nothing happened thereafter.

    “Last year, the president made a statement on the issue and promised to offset all our entitlements but the presidential pronouncement was just an empty promise like that of his predecessors. We are praying silently for a miracle on the matter. The Army is the worst corps because they don’t want to see us at all.

    “They are behaving as if they have something to hide but we know that God will fight for us. Several times, they had threatened us. They asked us not to marry and we are living without any man. This is sad. It has been tough and my husband served the Army for 20 years before the incident that claimed his life.”

    Another widow, Mrs. Risikat Mukoro, said she wrote several letters to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd) without any response. She said she had not collected any money from the Army since they relocated from Lagos to Abuja.

    She said: “Many widows did not get any landed property from their state government as promised. Initially, the then military government promised to give all of us landed property in Lagos. Later they directed military governors of our respective states to redeem the promise, but many states have not fulfilled that promise. Some states gave landed property to victims without any C of O.

    “Since the Army headquarters relocated from Moloney Street in Lagos to Abuja, I have not collected any money from them. They asked us not to marry another man, but they refused to cater for our family.”

    Mrs. Didi Feruke-Bello, the widow of late Lt. Commander Kareem Bello, said the battle for their entitlements was not a personal but aimed at upholding the ideals of their late husbands.

    “We are not fighting for ourselves, but we are fighting for the dead. They made them to die and rendered us useless. If you have forgotten, I did not forget because the memory of that dark era is still fresh in my memory,” Feruke-Bello said.

    Falana assured the widows of his preparedness to use instruments of law to get justice for them .

    He said: “It is very sad that you have been abandoned for about 20 years by successive governments in the country. They made promises when the incidence happened but they didn’t do anything to correct this injustice.

    “Is it not an irony of life that Obasanjo who was tried illegally for phantom coup, pardoned to contest elections would spend eight years ruling the nation without addressing the plight of the widows? When he was there one would have thought that he knows where shoes pinch others.

    “If the military failed to address this injustice before the end of this month, we will be compelled to use the instrument of law to seek redress. We want to assure you that human rights community and progressive arms of the bar are behind you.”

    Akingbolu toed a similar lane. He said: “The continued neglect of these widows is an act of wickedness and injustice by successive administration in the last 20 years.

    “It is very sad that many of your colleagues have lost their lives in this struggle, but I want to task you that you should close rank and work as a team so that together you will get justice at the end of the day. The women had fulfilled their own part of the contract by declining to marry another man since the loss of their husbands, but their entitlement is still in the winds.”