Nigeria Commiserates
With Poland
Uche Aneke, Abuja
The
government and people of Nigeria have expressed heartfelt
condolences to the Acting President of Poland, Bronislaw
Koromowshi and the Polish people over the death of President
Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria, and 94 other high ranking
officials of the Polish government in a plane crash on Saturday.
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan in a condolence message
described the incident as tragic noting that Poland has, in one
fell swoop, lost the commanding heights of its political
leadership.
He prayed God to comfort the families of the departed and the
entire people of Poland as they pass through the painful period
in their history.
National mourning
Among the dead were Poland's army chief of staff, the navy chief
commander, and heads of the air and land forces.
A week of national mourning is underway in Poland as the remains
of Kaczynski and others have been flown from the Russian city of
Smolensk to Warsaw.
Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stood solemnly next to
the coffin in a short ceremony before it was placed in a
military plane.
Russia has also declared Monday a day of mourning.
Funeral ceremonies for President Kaczynski have been scheduled
for Saturday.
The team was headed to Smolensk to honour 22,000 Polish
officers slain by the Soviet secret police in 1940 in the
western Soviet Union when their plane crashed as it hits a tree
in thick fog.
Although Russia has never formally apologised for the 1940
murders, Mr. Putin's decision to attend a memorial ceremony
earlier this week in the forest was seen as a gesture of
goodwill toward reconciliation.
With additional report from ITN/Yinka
