Air Tragedy Averted at Lagos Airport (This Day)
Tragedy was averted yesterday at about 10.55am when a Virgin Nigeria aircraft with registration number, VK 44 that was landing at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, from Abuja almost collided with another aircraft that was taking off a few meters from the runway.
Passengers in the in-coming flight, including the pilot agreed that the near-collision was too close. The passengers agreed that the tragedy was averted due to the dexterity of the pilot of the Lagos-bound flight who was quick to notice the aircraft that was taking off, and immediately gained altitude until it stabilised in the air, and landed after another 10 minutes.
Among the passengers on the flight were World Bank officials who were coming to Lagos for a meeting, senators, businessmen and women and other Nigerians and foreign nationals.
Senator Ganiyu Olarenwaju Solomon of Lagos West Senatorial District who was on board of the Lagos-bound flight said it was the pilot who saved the situation, as the aircraft had less than a minute to touch the runway when the pilot sighted the other aircraft that was taking off.
"My God, it was very close. The pilot had told us that he was landing. He directed the crew to prepare for landing. We could see everywhere the grasses before the runway. Then all of a sudden, the plane took off again because as he was trying to land another aircraft was taking off," he said.
The Senator said when the aircraft stabilised in the air, the pilot explained to the passengers what happened and apologised for taking their time, noting that the two aircraft were very close.
Solomon, who was yet to shake off the shock of what happened, observed that the aircraft had to gather more energy to reverse its course because it had already prepared for landing and needed renewed velocity and resurgence to gain altitude again, describing the situation as "a very, very close shave."
Director of Communications, Virgin Nigeria Airways, Larry Agose, confirmed the incident and explained that the flight was about to land and when the pilot noticed that another aircraft was taking off, it gained altitude again to make way for that aircraft. He added that the aircraft that was taking off was not Virgin Nigeria's airplane.
Agose explained that the pilot merely took precautionary measures, noting that such incidents happen all over the world, advising that it is not necessary to magnify it.
The Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Capt. Ado Sanusi, said the pilot that took off again into the air was observing normal safety procedures, which every pilot is acquainted with, noting that a pilot can abort take-off or landing, depending on the signals he receives.
Sanusi also explained that this happens in all the airports in the world, adding that passengers who don't know about this usually panic when they observe it happen, stressing that publishing such in the media may create fear in the flying public.
Reacting to the allegation that the near-collision may be due to the closure of one of the two runways which has been undergoing repairs, the General Manager, Public Affairs, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Akin Olukunle, said the cause of the incident should not be attributed to the runway. He noted that FAAN does not want to join issues with NAMA and urged the agency to work on its radar, adding that air traffic controllers seemed to be under pressure and therefore may be making mistakes when monitoring and directing aircraft movement.
Peace Summit Efforts Intensified (This Day)
The Presidency at the weekend, literally relocated to Lagos as President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and Vice President Goodluck Jonathan visited the former federal capital in pursuit of peace in Niger Delta region and economic co-operation between two neighbouring South western states controlled by different political parties.
While President Yar'Adua met with Governors Gbenga Daniel and Babatunde Fashola of Ogun and Lagos States at Dodan barracks, Lagos, Jonathan used the visit to hold parleys with several groups from the Niger Delta areas, who came to Lagos from the Creeks.
Yar’Adua also met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the same venue.
THISDAY gathered that Jonathan's visit to Lagos was in connection with the proposed summit on Niger Delta being planned by the presidency.
The summit aimed at bringing together all stakeholders in the oil-rich region to discuss solutions to the crisis was scheduled for last month in Abuja. The summit was later postponed to give room for wider consultations.
A source close to the Presidency said Jonathan had been involved in "cross-sectional and multi-layer consultative meetings with all groups, both militant and moderate, radicals and conservative, peoples movements and tradtional institutions".
The source further said that the wide consultations have enabled the presidency to extract commitments from the stakeholders.
It is expected that the next step of the preparation would be to formulate the specifics of the summit itself.
"The next step after the series of consultation is to get effective representation that will mirror the ethnic groupings and ideological persuasions of the various people.
"We will then move to the level of confidence building projects which are intended to show that the administration is serious in its efforts to resolve the crisis in the Niger Delta. These projects will be targeted at job creation, ensure security and also bring development to the communities in the area," he said.
Another top official involved in the preparation for the summit said government is also determined to isolate the "criminal elements that have attempted to hijack the genuine struggle of the people of the Niger Delta".
The conference proper is expected to be facilitated by credible Nigerians, which all the stakeholders can trust. The Niger Delta issue is one of the seven-point agenda which President Yar'Adua set as priorities for his administration.
President Yar'Adua's meeting yesterday with Daniel and Fashola deliberated on the proposed Lagos mega-city to be established between Ogun and Lagos States. It was conceived by the Obasanjo administration which appointed Prof. Akin Mabogunje as the chairman of the implementation committee.
The project will include residential and industrial estates as well as a free trade/export processing zone. It is expected to create economic co-operation between the two states with the Federal Government as a major muscle behind it.
Obviously mindful of the different political affiliations of Daniel, who belongs to Yar'Adua's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Fashola's Action Congress (AC), the President came to Lagos with a bi-partisan message for the two state chief executives.
According to sources, the President's discussion with the governors centred on how to get the project off the ground with minimum hitches.
THISDAY also learnt that President Yar'Adua held a secret parley with his predecessor, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
The meeting reviewed developments on state and PDP affairs, particularly those arising from actions of the Obasanjo administration, which were inherited by the new government.
Another Chief's Son Kidnapped
AGAIN, suspected militants have struck in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, kidnapping the son of a prominent Eleme community chief, Prince Awala Nta-Oluka, who is said to be in his late thirties.
Four men reportedly abducted the chief's son from his residence at Eleme yesterday evening, thus shattering the lull in kidnapping of single individuals particularly children.
In the past weeks, militants, who demanded ransoms from victims' parents, abducted two three-year-olds, who were later freed after widespread condemnation and pleas from individuals and groups, including President Musa Yar'Adua.
The Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, Mrs. Ireju Barasua, told The Guardian last night that the gunmen abducted the chief's son from his residence at Eleme.
Barasua said the Police were still investigating the matter to ascertain the motive for the abduction.
But sources in Eleme revealed that the abduction of the chief's son might be connected with the staunch anti-terrorism campaign he had organised with the Eleme Petrochemical Company some of which workers were kidnapped recently.
However, no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction as at press time.
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