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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria owes an enduring debt of gratitude to the 32 Nigerian Air Force personnel who died in Monday’s aircraft crash in Ondo State, assuring their bereaved families that the Federal Government’s responsibility to them will not end with words of condolence.
Shettima, in a statement on Tuesday, described the deaths as a painful national loss, saying the fallen personnel paid the ultimate price in the service of the country.
He said their sacrifice must not be reduced to statistics, stressing that behind the uniforms and military ranks were husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters whose sudden deaths had left families struggling with an unimaginable 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.
The Vice President assured the families that the government would stand by them beyond the immediate period of mourning.
According to him, a government that calls on citizens to serve the nation must also remember and support those who pay the ultimate price in that service.
“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.
His remarks came after President Bola Tinubu declared three days of national mourning for the deceased and ordered that the national flag be flown at half-mast across the country in their honour.
The President also ordered a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, with Shettima saying the nation would mourn with the families while awaiting answers on the tragedy.
The Vice President also extended his condolences and solidarity to officers, airmen and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force, describing the fallen personnel as members of a professional family bound 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.
Shettima prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and for strength and comfort for their families, colleagues and loved ones.
The Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed on Monday near a naval base in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State, killing the personnel on board.
