One year after the ill fated flight 992 belonging to Dana Airlines crashed at Iju Ishaga,Lagos State, the relatives of victims are still crying out over unpaid compensation. MURITALA AYINLA reports that in the face of competing claims, the victims' relatives are still in the dark as to when they will be paid.
For many years to come, the memories of the unfortunate Dana Airline crash would continue to linger in the minds many Nigerians.
The ill-fated Boeing McDonnell Douglas (MD- 83) belonging to the airline that crashed into buildings at Iju Ishaga in Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area killing all the passengers on board, including residents on the ground.
On that fateful Sunday, June 3rd 2012, the ill-fated Flight 992 had flown in from Abuja to Lagos and was minutes away to the airport when the plane crashed.
The pilot, Peter Waxtan, an American, had planned to make it his last flight in Nigeria.
The plane crashed on the properties of Pastor Daniel Omowumi and other residents in the area. In one fell swoop, storey buildings went up in flames as the wings of the ill-fated aircraft was also engulfed in fire.
Lives were lost, dreams shattered and hopes dashed as many promising Nigerians and foreign experts perished in the crash. It became a harvest of tragedies as residents on whose properties the air craft crashed were in confusion.
"We did not know what to save; the burning properties or our neighbours who were lying in the pool of their own blood,"an eyewitness said. The Lagos State Fire Service had hectic time,even as they were assisted by hundreds of other people to control the inferno.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency LASEMA, the National Emergency Management Authority, NEMA and other agencies took charge of injured victims.
For those whose relatives were on board, it was a colossal loss, while residents who lost their loved ones at the crash site would forever mourn the painful deaths. Some of them are the three kids whose parents sent on errand shortly before the crash.
Joel (11), Chisom (9) and Esther Okechukwu (7) are now orphans. For months, the remains of the unidentified victims underwent series of DNA tests to ascertain the true identity.
There were also tragi- drama among the relatives who fought over the remains of victims that got burnt beyond recognition but the DNA tests by pathologists, led by Professor John Obafunwa settled the dispute.
Many victims' relative claimed they were subjected to unnecessary stress before they could retrieve their corpses. The first solemn anniversary at the crash site afforded the victims' relatives opportunity to shower encomiums on Governor Babatunde Fashola on the roles of his administration in ably managing the events that followed the disaster.
Speaking at the first remembrance of the victims and unveiling of the cenotaph, the Director of Human Resources, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mrs Chizoba Mojekwu who lost a cousin and eight colleagues praised the governor for standing by the victims' relatives.
Amid tears, she said: "He made us realise we are human because were too rough and driven by our emotion, he reasoned and treated as humans beings. We cannot but say, "Thank You". You do not know that what you did have affected us, what you did has made a huge difference in the lives of the families present.
Our actions and inaction make difference in the time of crisis, I have learnt from your action and I appreciate."She said amidst tears.
Although, cenotaphs have been erected in memory of the departed in Lagos and Abuja, but one year after the accident, victims of the crash are still battling with issue of compensation both from the management of Dana Air and state government,as relatives of the passengers are yet to be fully compensated.
Although, the Managing Director of Dana Air, Mr. Jacky Hathiramani, claimed that no fewer than 23 of the 125 families have received full compensation of $100,000 (N15.5m) as recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, but relatives of the victims especially those killed on ground debunked the claims.
Dr Ben Ayene who lost eight relatives to the crash, decried the delay in the technical report of cause of the crash, even as he bemoaned the continuous operation of the airline in spite of the National Assembly order to suspend it.
He said: "Dana Air is flying despite the motion passed by the National Assembly that it should be grounded and the license withdrawn. This is because no official report has been presented since the incident.
The airline is operating because when such incident happens; Nigerians only complain but fail to take drastic measure to mitigate and forestall another occurrence.
These are things that do more harm than good. Among us, we have what it takes to constructively engage the aviation sector and those in the authority, the blood of our loved ones cannot be shed in vain."
Mojekwu decried the inability of the Dana Airline, Accident Investigation Bureau,AIB, and the Federal Government to publish the detailed report on cause of the crash.
She continued:" Like many families here we have questions that have not been answered about what happened. We are asking these questions not to apportion blame but to understand and find pleasure and most importantly, ensure it does not happen again."
"Unfortunately, these answers remain elusive and those who can help either refuse or maybe do not know how to help. Amidst tears, she repeated:" I say we are asking not to apportion blame but because we want as nation that this does not happen again.
Tragedy happens; we can take all the precaution but things do happen. How we react to it becomes critical. "The issue of what really happened to the aircraft remains unanswered.
There is still the issue of compensation. It is easy to blame the insurance company, but Dana Air has to set up measures to ensure that people are treated with respect. For customer service, a reputation is built during tragedies like this, a time like this tells a lot about who we really are. May be NCA will compel other airlines to ensure this should not happen again."
Meanwhile, as some are accusing the management of the ill-fated aircraft of not fulfilling the compensation procedure earlier promised when the crash occurred, others are accusing the state government of building a cenotaph on their land, thus worsening their plight.
But the government on the other hand, is yet to state its position on the plight of those whose land the cenotaph is built. As at now, many residents whose houses were demolished to pave way for the network of roads around the crash site are still waiting for compensation by the government.
One of the victim's Steven Abuyere is still fighting over the exclusion of his mother name on the cenotaph wall. He insisted his mother's name is not Hurriyah Lawal as engraved on the memorial cenotaph.
According to him, his mother bought the fight ticket from Hurriyah Lawal, when the later could no longer travel on that fateful day. But a year after, the Lagos State Government is yet to rectify the error. Also, the names of the seven cabin crew were not listed on the cenotaph, which again, raises serious questions mark as to how government values the victims.
National Mirror
Dana crash was a very sad one to happen to anyone. I just hope all the affected families have been compensated by Dana.