By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Kechi Okwuchi, one of the two survivors of the Sosoliso plane crash that happened on December 10, 2005, said she has resolved to live her life as fully and excellently as possible on behalf of those who died in the crash 20 years ago.
Okwuchi noted that the resolve was a responsibility she took on herself to make the victims of the crash and their families proud.
She stated this in a tribute posted on her X handle on Wednesday, December 10, to mark the 20th anniversary of the crash.
The 2005 incident claimed the lives of 107 out of the 109 persons on board, including 59 students of the Loyola Jesuit College, and Bimbo Odukoya, wife of Pastor Taiwo Odukoya of the Fountain of Life Church.
In her tribute, Okwuchi thanked the families of those who lost their lives in the crash for their support in the last 20 years, noting that her successes are theirs too.
She said: “Twenty years have passed, and my memories are no longer negative or painful anymore. I’ve had a lot of amazing experiences because I was able to have a second chance at life that most people on that plane were not able to, were not afforded that.
“So, I think because of that, one thing that I will always carry with me is the loved ones that were left behind; the people that lost loved ones on that plane. Those people, I carry with me everywhere, especially the parents of the kids, the 60 angels, because these are people that despite their loss, despite the grief, they rooted for me, they reached out to me, they supported me, they became a part of my support system, which is the primary reason that I am able to remain standing, living my life, being myself today. And they formed a huge part of that because they made room for me in the middle of their grief.
“And so because of them, I resolved to live my life as fully and excellently as possible on behalf of those that they lost because I feel like it’s the least I can do.
“They have been watching me, supporting me, praying for me from day one, and all my successes they’re aware of, and all my successes are their successes too. I feel like it’s the least I can do to live as fully as possible on behalf of those they lost because…it’s just a responsibility that I put on myself to make sure that I make them proud; those that we lost and their loved ones.
“So today, I am reminded of that. I am just reminded of the fact that I have a purpose that I set for myself. I hope it’s God’s purpose for me, but it’s one that I’ve always felt strongly about, nonetheless. And I hope that I can continue to use my life to represent all those that we lost that day and make those that they left behind proud by the things that I accomplish.
“I know a lot of them have always told me that I don’t need to do anything grand or feel pressured to be great, I just need to live my life well, and I am taking that to heart; I always have.”
Reflecting on the tragedy, Okwuchi noted that she is always reminded of the transience of life and how one incident can change the course of a person’s life.
She said: “Today is a major milestone. It is the 20th anniversary of that plane crash, and it’s sort of unbelievable that 20 years have passed already. 20 is a big deal; I was 16 when it happened, and now I am 36. So much life has happened from that day till this moment for all of us.
“But I feel like every time this day rolls around, every one of us who was affected by that accident, we have that feeling of, at least I do, it’s like a grounding feeling, and you are forced to face the reality of mortality.
“The fact that life is not promised, tomorrow is not promised, anything can happen, and drastically change the course of your life. It’s just something that makes me very reflective, and I
feel like a lot of us can relate to that feeling.”
