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Funmi Iyanda
Lagos, Nigeria
Funmi Iyanda is a multi award-winning producer and broadcast journalist. She is the CEO of Ignite Media and Executive Director of Creation Television
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Wednesday, December 13, 2006

A tear for our angels

>:::Pix:Guess who is mine?
I have been a bit stumped since Sunday. I truly depressing day as l could not get the images from the many obituaries of the children from Loyola Jesuit who died in the Sosoliso crash one year ago out of my head. As a mother, my subconscious recoils at a realistic consideration of such an ill fate befalling me. For the llabos who lost three children all at once, l have no idea how they go on, for us as a nation knowing that the dragon in the aviation sector has not been banished to the abyss, l marvel at our, what is it exactly, denial, resignation or fatalism?

As l sat with other proud parents yesterday watching my little girl perform her angel part with the other primary one pupils in her school l couldn’t help but think of all those 68 angels killed before their time. I shed a tear in pain, a pain, which hides deep anger at a nation that refused to be moved into the kind of real outrage that might force a change. Yes the women matched and where tear-gassed, why did the men not match with them? Why did the youth not join them, why do we do nothing?

15 comments:

Zaynnah Magazine said...

All three of them look so cute in their angel costumes! I also went to my neice's nativity play at her primary school yesterday (she was a Christmas fairy!).

Re the Sosoliso crash etc, it's really sad that Nigerians have become so very complacent when it comes to things like this? Where are the Herbert Macauleys, Obafemi Awolowos, Funmilayo Ransome-Kutis, and Margaret Ekpos of our generation?

Anonymous said...

Ahhh fond memories..Yes I too was once an angel at our end of year xmas play and I thank God that my mother was there to see me. (Way back then!). It's been said again and again, how time flies and its as though time stood still for those parents that lost their own little angels in crash. I pray for the repose of their soles and strength for their families to bear the the loss.

I am going to take a guess and say the little angel in the center belongs to you?

Nilla said...

Nice pic!

I pray for the families of those that lost loved ones in all the past plane crashes we've had of recent in Nigeria

Anonymous said...

i was actually played the same role in 1984 or 85 i cant remememer exactly but i still remeber the play , of the 3 pretty angels the middle chic is yours !
i pray that calamity of Decemeber 10 never befall us again in Jesus name !

Omohemi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
cleo.kelvin said...

yeah how time flies and wat we forget is dat our yesterday determines our today so i wonder why after everytin no compensation has been paid thou it cant bring back de lost angels but it can be used to immortalize dem cos remembrance is de beginning of immortality about de man well he can continue his hardwork and performance der i wonder how many more wll go before we will learn our lesson and correct it cos it looks lik nothing happened to us cos its over and gone but wat about de parents and dere quiet homes now so u know we are 3 kids my mum had after much trouble and i know how she felt u know once i swallowed nail and she wanted to die and i know da thruout my school i was in de boarding and she wud pick me cos she was so scared despite my troubles to her and comimg back alone once by 7 in de night so i just dont know how she feels cos mine cant compare to ders. de cutie in the midle is urs.
cleoterria

Anonymous said...

Guess which girl is yours? Well, the girl to the left has her face turned half way off the camera- helping (hopefully)my decision; besides she's got a pair of specs on. Na! think she's out!. The Girl to the right is perhaps the most beautiful but she's too dark to be yours (except of course she's currently banned from your skin secrets). I guess that leaves just one; and the cap truly fits. Easy Peasy! Right?

Omohemi said...

The 3 angels are heavenly,

Does Nigeria as a nation value its people,young and old?

Has anyone noticed how young the ware hawkers|Beggars in the traffic in Lagos are?

On my way to work this morning a raving mad danfo drive,turns to a one way lane to escape the traffic in his head,then he hits a young boy trying to cross the road.
He didnot stop to look at his victim,he sped off!

Miraculously,the boy survives without any serious injuries.

Hmm.......

Anonymous said...

fummi u never told us the answer to this riddle !
~emini

Anonymous said...

fi, when are you going to release the results now? Or are you taking after JAMB them?

Anonymous said...

well if u ask me,i will say nigerians re goin thru so much now.i blive those parents who lost their children in d hill fated plane crash still hope they can c them but then d wicked one we all know as satan is behind all of it.all d tragedy re signs of end time,so we shldnt be surprised.i enjoyed readin ur blog,very touchin.kip it up ma. Tolu

Funmi Iyanda said...

proof that we only see what we expect to see or what clever mind manipulators want us to see. okay l ramble. the one to the right is my morenike, who is darker than me (her father is dark anounymous) but more beautiful than l could ever hope to be inside and out.

Anonymous said...

finally, the results are out and .. er.. er.. I won(well, sorta): I got the unasked question of who the most beautiful was, but slipped up on the question of who yours was - So I guess that leaves me with 50% - the last time I checked, that was still a pass mark.

Anonymous said...

it is disheartening to say the least how we have been loosing the most brilliant,the future leaders and most importantantly those who are likely to shape our future and make us great indeed,no thanks to our leaders who are pre occupied with themselves rather than facing the sacred trust of governance given to them,it a pointer to other areas where we suffer deprivation inspite of our God given wealth,none of them will go scot free,God will judge them.

Anonymous said...

I went Loyola Jesuit College, and knew most of the kids that died in that crash (10 of them were my classmates, including Chuka Ilabor)........we miss them..........but its always nice to know people keep us in their thoughts and prayers.........today's the third anniversary of that sad, yet momentous day........
Have a wonderful day, though, and your work is excellent.........