Federal Govt- Dana airline to pay crash victim families compensation by December

 

The Federal Government on Thursday ordered the management of Dana Air and its insurers to ensure the payment of all claims to the dependants of passengers and others who lost their lives in the June 3, 2012 air crash before the end of this year.

Although the airline said it had paid over 60 per cent of the claims, the government insisted it must clear the outstanding debts this year.

The Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, gave the order in Abuja during the 2013 ministerial briefing organised by the Federal Ministry of Communications.

She said, “The challenge of Dana is that of multiple claims. When you have multiple claims, it becomes difficult to ascertain who should collect. And until they are able to do that, they will not pay multiple claims and we will continue verifying and re-verifying to ascertain who should be the next of kin to claim the money.

 

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“But I think Dana has actually done about 60 per cent, if not more, because I don’t have the actual figure. However, Dana is given till December, and if it fails to pay completely, we will have to sanction them and they are aware of that. So, I am sure they are working on the process.”

President Goodluck Jonathan had recently said the Federal Government would do everything humanly possible to prevent the occurrence of air crashes in the country.

Jonathan, while speaking at the unveiling ceremony of a cenotaph to honour the victims of the Dana Air crash, said the government had resolved to make the nation’s airspace safe.

“I want to say to all my countrymen and women, and the entire world that we will make our airspace safe. In this regard, I reiterate our determination to do everything humanly possible to prevent the occurrence of this unfortunate tragedy,” he had said.

The President described the crash as a monumental tragedy for the country.

He said, “All the 153 persons on board and six others on the ground lost their lives. It was a monumental tragedy for the nation.

“We commiserate with the families of all those who lost their lives, especially on the first anniversary of that terrible tragedy. We also feel and share the same sense of profoundness to the victims of all other aviation accidents that have occurred in this country.”

As a result of the crash, Jonathan said the Federal Government had put in place measures to forestall such occurrence in the future in a bid to enhance the overall safety of flying in Nigeria.

 

Culled from Punch