Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured the families of the 32 people who died in Monday’s Nigerian Air Force plane crash in Ondo State that the nation will stand with them long after the mourning period ends.
Shettima said the Federal Government’s duty to the bereaved would go beyond words of condolence, adding that a nation that calls on its citizens to serve must also remember those who pay the ultimate price.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President sent his condolences to the families of the deceased and to officers, airmen and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force. He described the incident as a painful national loss.
“Thirty-two of our compatriots left on a routine mission in the service of their country. They were colleagues, friends and comrades. But beyond the uniforms they wore and the ranks they held, they were husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.
“Somewhere today, there is an empty chair. Somewhere, a family is still trying to comprehend the sudden silence left by someone who was expected to return home. These are the human faces of the supreme sacrifice we speak about as a nation,” he said.
Echoing the message of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Shettima noted that the President had declared three days of national mourning and ordered that flags be flown at half-mast in honour of the dead.
He also welcomed the President’s directive for a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the crash, saying the nation grieves with the families as they wait for answers.
According to the Vice President, the ultimate sacrifice of the deceased places a lasting obligation on the nation to remember both their service and the loved ones they left behind.
“We cannot ask the bereaved to be strong today. Grief does not obey instructions. We can only assure them that Nigeria remembers, Nigeria mourns with them, and Nigeria will stand beside them beyond these days of mourning,” Shettima said.
He further extended his solidarity to the Nigerian Air Force, noting that the tragedy had taken from the Service members of a professional family bound together by duty and sacrifice.
“To the men and women of the Nigerian Air Force, we know that this loss is yours in a particularly personal way. Your fallen colleagues have paid the supreme price. A grateful nation honours their courage, their service and the families who shared them with Nigeria,” he stated.
The Vice President prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and for comfort and strength for their families, colleagues and loved ones.
