All posts tagged: air crash

Why Are You Angry About Stella Oduah's Armoured Cars?

Published by Osemhen

So today, Nigerians are outraged over the purchase of two armoured vehicles for Stella Oduah’s  safety. Said vehicles cost over 250 million naira (About 1.6 million dollars). See Sahara’s report here. I understand the outrage, and I would share it if I knew: What is the annual budget of the “cash-strapped” Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority? How do we know they’re cash-strapped? Was this purchase included in the budget for 2013? Was the budget approved by the Senate? Did the Senate know she was going to buy the cars with the NCAA’s budget? Knowing this, did they approve? If they neither knew nor approved of the cars’ purchase, what was this money earmarked for originally? Has that activity been done? Is it pending? Money cannot buy air safety, can it? Someone please explain to me how this money increases the risk of me boarding a plane that will crash? I’m sincerely curious about these things. This is not an attempt to ridicule anyone. I just need to know why I should care. So I can join …

On Being Jaded

Published by Osemhen

  I remember thinking the conversation a bit dramatic. We were in first year, Jide and I, and it was one of those idle days where all we had to do was gist, waiting for one lecturer or the other. We used to have deep conversations, we still do. In almost ten years of our friendship, I can’t remember having a frivolous discussion with Jide. (Yes, we’re boring like that.) I can’t remember what the exact topic was but I remember Jide saying something like “I pray to never get jaded or used to mediocrity. It worries me, sometimes, I see a dead body lying on the road and feel nothing. I want to always feel something.” This was 2004. Before Boko Haram and its bombings. Before Aluu. Before Bellview and Sosoliso and Dana. Before violent elections that killed NYSC members. And I remember thinking, I’ll never be jaded either. It’s a resolution I fight to keep. Because it’s too easy, right? Too easy to get used to the statistics. The bad news pours in and …