I Was Not In The Dana Crash -Alli

ALLI

 Yusuf Alli, a former long jumper, on Saturday said that he was touched by the concern shown by Nigerians over the fears that he was killed in Dana plane disaster.

Alli said  in  a telephone interview in Lagos that he had received no fewer than a thousand phone calls seeking to confirm the report.

The  Dana Airline crashed on June 3 on Iju- Ishaga Area of Lagos State, which claimed the lives 153 passengers and other residents.

``Someone by the name of Yusuf Alli was listed in the flight manifest throwing sports lovers and administrators into panic,” he said.

Ali said he was happy to be alive since he was not the one listed on the manifest of the ill-fated plane.

``I was receiving calls for about three days; they said they saw a Yusuf Alli's name in the newspapers.

``The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) called me, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State and sports administrators called me.

``Even those that I did not expect to call me at all called. I was truly touched by their act. God bless them all.’’

Alli said that he had to switch off his mobile phones for three days because the calls kept coming and he got tired of receiving calls.

He, however, condoled with the families of the deceased, saying God in his infinite mercy would give them the fortitude to bear the loss.

``I pray to God to give the families of the bereaved the fortitude to bear this loss. This is a huge loss to Nigerians.’’