By Henry Umoru, Abuja
CHAIRMAN, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers state said, “We hereby commiserate with the government and people of Ondo state and the families of all those who died in Thursday, October 3, Associated Airline’s crash in Lagos as the body of late Governor Agagu was being conveyed for burial. The incident is shocking and devastating given that the initial sudden death of Dr. Agagu himself was a huge tragedy in itself.

Governor, Rotimi Amaechi

”We pray the Almighty God to give Governor Olusegun Mimiko, the people and government of  Ondo state and everyone who lost loved ones in the crash the fortitude to  bear their losses. May God heal the injured and restore them to perfect health.

”We also demand a prompt and thorough investigation of this incident as that is the only way of assuring the Nigerian people that their airspace is safe for flying. ”The remote and immediate causes of the accident should be established while anyone found guilty of any recklessness or dereliction of duty should be brought to book.’’

Former Governor of EdoState, Chief Lucky Igbinedion also yesterday, described as mischievous and misleading, reports that he owned the ill-fated Associated Airlines.

While commiserating with the family of the late  Agagun and families of all those who lost their lives in the crash which occurred in Lagos Thursday morning, the former governor expressed shock that he was being associated with the ownership of the Airline in the social media which according to him “is another attempt to tarnish my image by my detractors”.

While speaking to Vanguard on telephone yesterday, Chief Igbinedion said that “people can be wicked some times. Some of my friends called me to say that people are insinuating in the social media that the crashed Associated Airline belongs to me. This is not true. I want to say that I have no hand or business in the running of Associated Airline.

“It is sad that people will just get up and feed the public with lies and for me that is wicked. I see it as another attempt by my detractors to rubbish my name. You can see that when the entire Nigerians are mourning the incident, evil people are somewhere insinuating rubbish, cooking up false stories just to feed the public. I will advise those behind it to change from their evil behavior so that they will not face the wrath of God” he declared.

The former Governor who disclosed he was shocked when he received the news, called for prayers for the souls of the dead. “I was really shocked like many other Nigerians because late Dr Agagu is someone we all know very well and for this to happen even after his death is quite sad. I pray that the Almighty God will grant mercy to the souls of the departed”.