Twenty years after the tragic Bellview Airlines plane crash that claimed 117 lives, the Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has decried the neglect of Lisa Village in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, calling on both the Federal and State Governments to urgently rehabilitate the road leading to the crash site and restore the overgrown memorial ground.
Showunmi, in a statement issued to mark the 20th anniversary of the October 22, 2005 disaster, described the present condition of the Lisa crash site as “a national embarrassment” and a reflection of Nigeria’s poor culture of remembrance.
“It is unfortunate that twenty years after one of the darkest moments in our aviation history, Lisa Village—which should stand as a monument of collective remembrance—has been left in disrepair. The road leading to the site is almost impassable, and the graves of our compatriots are being swallowed by bushes,” he lamented.
The politician and public affairs analyst urged the Federal Ministry of Works and the Ogun State Government to work together to fix the Lisa road and restore the memorial site to a condition befitting of a national monument.
“We cannot continue to treat sites of national tragedy with such disregard. The victims of the Bellview crash deserve honour, not abandonment. Government must take responsibility by clearing the area, paving the road, and ensuring the site is preserved as a heritage ground for reflection and learning,” Showunmi added.
He also appealed for collaboration between government authorities, aviation regulators, local communities, and civil society to transform Lisa into a functional memorial and research centre that promotes aviation safety and disaster response awareness.
“Let Lisa not remain a symbol of neglect, but a place that reminds us of the value of human life and the need for continuous improvement in our systems,” he concluded.
The Bellview Airlines Flight 210 crashed in Lisa Village on October 22, 2005, killing all 117 people on board. Two decades later, the once-bustling memorial site has fallen into neglect, with poor infrastructure and little government presence despite its historical significance.
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