The Presidency has denied insinuations blaming the ill fated Dana plane crash on Sunday in Lagos on the flight of First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan.
A statement by Special Assistant to the First Lady on Media, Ayo Osinlu, said the plane crash is a national calamity that should not be politicized. "Our attention has been drawn to the orchestrated plan to politicize the Sunday Dana Air crash in Lagos in which many people lost their lives, through rumours about the possible cause of the accident citing VIP movement involving the wife of the President.
"We consider it callous, inhuman and devilish for anyone to have thought of wrapping such national calamity in political garb by insinuating that the plane crashed because the airspace was closed for the First Lady's movement in Lagos," the statement said.
The Presidency described as false such insinuations adding that "For the avoidance of doubt, the First Lady arrived Lagos at about 2pm on Saturday, for a private engagement and was billed to leave for Abuja on Monday, 4th June, 2012."
"She was at a public event on Sunday when the accident occurred and promptly abandoned the ceremony as a mark of respect for the victims and retired to the State House, Marina. She left Lagos at exactly 13.15hrs on Monday, 4th June, 2012, according to schedule," the statement said.
Daily Trust