OREANDA-NEWS. July 19, 2012.  The Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum, NNPC, on Wednesday pledged to support families of staff members who lost their lives in the ill-fated June 3rd, 2012 Dana Airline disaster which killed all 153 passengers on board.

 The four NNPC staff killed in the Dana airline disaster include: Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Okikiolu Olukayode, Manager Pipelines and Depot projects in the Engineering and Technology Division.
 
 Also involved in the crash were Nagidi Ibrahim, Senior Contract Specialist on secondment to the Brass LNG Project as well as Inusa Ahmed, Deputy Manager, Production Sharing Contract in the Planning Department of the National Petroleum Investment Management Service (NAPIMS), a Division of the NNPC. Ahmed also died with his son, Faysal in the crash. 

 Anthony Nwaokoagbara, Assistant Director and the Abuja Zonal Operations Controller of the DPR was also killed in the crash.

 Mr. Lanre Fatokun, a Transformation Officer in the Corporate Planning and Strategy Division of the NNPC, lost his wife Anjola along with a daughter, Olaoluwa, and son, Ibukun, in the air mishap.

 Speaking at an emotion-laden Commendation Ceremony organised in memory of the victims, Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Engr. Andy Yakubu, stated that the NNPC will stand by the bereaved family members as they grapple with the sad reality of the untimely demise of their loved ones.

 “Today we gather here to pay our respect to very illustrious and patriotic citizens of this country, hardworking and committed staff with whom some of us worked side by side only a couple of months ago,” the GMD stated.

 He noted that the management of the Corporation will work to ensure that the late hard working staff members did not die in vain.

 ``No doubt their passing away has been a very harrowing experience to us, not only in the NNPC but in the entire oil and gas industry.  But we take solace in the fact that God, the creator of all things, knows best why He has to take them away at this time. And we on our part will do our best to stand by them,’’ he said.

 Commending Engr. Yakubu for his commitment to support the families of the deceased, former Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Engr. Funso Kupolukun, stated that the staff members worked assiduously to contribute to the overall management objectives of the NNPC and the oil and gas industry.