By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Calabar
AS Nigerians continue to mourn those who died in the ill fated Dana air crash that killed over 150 people on board, the National Association of Seadogs, NAS, has called on the federal government to make public reports of the panels of investigations set up to investigate previous air disasters in the country.
President of NAS, Oscar Egwuonwu in a statement which was made available to Saturday Vanguard urged Nigerians to exercise the utmost vigilance in order to ensure that this probe does not go the way of others before it.
The association further demanded that the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration should without delay embark on a thorough investigation of both the immediate and the wider causes of the Dana crash.
Besides, NAS called for a determination of the extent of industry-wide compliance with applicable rules and regulations; and the establishment of a regime of strict compliance going forward.
NAS which is also known as Pyrates Confraternity called for appropriate sanctioning of all persons and authorities found to have been criminally responsible for the Dana crash or the perversion of applicable rules and regulations on an industry-wide level.
The group in the statement advised the federal government to embark on re-assessment of all existing air transportation licenses operating within Nigerian airspace with a view to ensuring compliance with established regulatory standards.
The statement further called for "Payment in full by Dana Air and its insurers of all claims and other compensations due to the families and personal representatives of the victims of the Dana Air crash, and a similar outcome in respect of the families and representatives of the victims of previous air crashes in the country."
The association urged the federal government to Provide or improve on alternative means of intercity transportation including rail system and road transport.
Vanguard Nigeria