Dana Air plans to resume flight operations today. The inaugural flight is slated for 9:45am. For the better part of yesterday, the airline was busy selling tickets to customers for its first flight exactly seven months and one day after its plane crashed into Iju-Isaga, a Lagos suburb. The flight is resuming at a time victims, who lost their properties and valuables to the crash are still crying foul.
Head of Commercial at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Internatonal Airport, Abuja, Mr James Shallangwa, yesterday said the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, had issued a resumption letter to the airline to resume operation. Shallangwa said the first flight would take off from Abuja.
Head, Corporate Communications, Dana, Mr Tony Usidamen, confirmed the development, saying necessary approval was received from the Federal Government.
In September 2012, the Federal Government returned the Airline’s licence, which was suspended after the crash. Last month, the NCAA issued a new Air Operators Certificate (AOC) to the airline.
But, the victims, who are yet to be compensated for properties lost to the disaster which claimed over 200 lives, said the airline has been unfair to them.
The victims, including widows and young parents with many children, have cried out to both the Federal and Lagos State governments to come to their aid and ensure that what is left of their lives is not shattered.
Those who spoke to The Nation lamented the insincerity with which the airline has treated their case.
Spokesman of ‘seriously affected victims’, Mr. Chike Okwuosa, said he was disappointed that the Federal Government has allowed the airline to address their matter with levity.
He said: “My lawyer, Mr. Monday Ubani, told me they have not done anything. He said after several letters to them, they wrote more than two months ago that they needed additional information, which he forwarded to them.
“But till now, nothing has been done; instead, we heard they are resuming their business when they have destroyed ours. Is that fair?”
Ubani, who spoke to The Nation in a telephone chat, said he expected the government to ensure that all affected persons were compensated by the airline before returning the licence to the airline.
He said: “What Dana is doing is really crazy. They have not paid anything or said anything to the victims. They wrote me two months ago that they wanted additional information, which I immediately provided.
“Since then, I have not heard from them. Government should have ensured that they settle all the affected persons before returning their licence to them. But since their licence has been returned even before now, government should compel them to attend to the aggrieved persons.
“They are just trying to tie people down. They killed a lot of people, destroyed so many properties and no one seem to be saying anything.
“I have tried to avoid litigation but if by the end of January they are still nonchalant about the plight of those their business adversely affected, we will have no other option than to go to court.”
Pastor Daniel Omuwunmi, who lost over N500 million to the disaster, said the airline, after series of letters from his counsel – Messrs Dele Adesina and Co., made an offer of $30, 000. Omuwunmi, who spoke through a counsel at the law firm of Olumide Olaiya, told The Nation that the offer was rejected because the airline has not even written to accept or negotiate his claims.
He said: “They have not done anything. We never heard from them until the last working week of December when they made an offer of $30, 000 to Pastor Omuwunmi as advance payment.
“What are they advancing? All the efforts we made to bring them to the negotiation table were rebuffed. We expected them to reply our letter, or even say what they intend to pay from the claims before them which are verifiable.
“$30,000 is less than N5 million. So, a man who lost nothing less than N500 million, what will $30, 000 do for him? He rightly rejected the money. Besides, $30, 000 was the same amount they paid to all on board victims as advance. So, why come to offer a man who lost everything he had $30, 000 without even writing to acknowledge or reject his claims?
“They said their insurers are still processing our claims and so, we are also waiting to hear from them. Although we are also waiting for them to commence flight operations, then we will know the next action to take.”
Like a whirlwind, the ill-fated Dana aircraft rammed into some buildings at Popoola and Olaniyi streets in Iju Ishaga, rendering no fewer than seven families homeless. A host of others had part of their properties destroyed.
Although the airline had on several occasions announced that it had begun compensating families of those who died and those displaced, none of the displaced has been contacted by Dana Air after it gave some ‘meagre’ assistance to some to secure accommodation. Most of the victims had, through their lawyers, written the airline but got no reply.
Worst hit by the disaster is Pastor Omowunmi and his family, who lost properties valued at more than N500 million.
Others, who lost properties to the disaster: are Mr. Adoroja, whose two- storey building was razed, the families of Odika Daniel, Chima Iloka, Mr andMrs. Ogbonnaya Mr and Mrs. Eweh, Mr and Mrs. Okafor and Daniel Obasi.
Also affected are two aged widows, Mrs. Adekunle Abike of 7, Popoola Street and Hajia Ramota Akinwusi of 11, Popoola Street.
On the extent of damage she suffered, Mrs. Akinwusi said part of her boys’ quarters was affected as well as her toilet facility, which was destroyed.
She said miscreants, who took advantage of the situation, looted her shop and carted away tubers of yams, recharge cards and cash. They also damaged part of her fence and roofing.
Mrs. Akinwusi said the looters also burgled the shop of one of her tenants, which forced the tenant to abandon the shop since the incident.
She said: “Things have not been the same since that incident occurred. The tenants I used to get rents from have all packed out. They said they cannot stay in a compound without toilet. So, as an old woman, I am just trying to see how I can reconstruct my soak-away and buy the equipment for the toilet.
“It has not been easy because the major customers I had were those who were seriously affected. Since that time, business has been grounded; many people have packed out of the area because of the bad omen.
“Dana came here for inspection when the crash occurred and they promised to come back and repair our buildings but since then I have not seen anyone.
“I know that my own case is not so serious like those people who lost their houses and properties worth millions but they should also remember to come and repair my building for me.
“I am doing the little I can because I am old. I do not know the exact value of the things I lost and I do not want to lie. So, they should come and repair my property for me.”
Mrs. Adekunle is disappointed that the airline is yet to settle her former neighbours who lost their entire belongings to the disaster.
“I have not seen them. I heard they came here some time ago for inspection and promised to come and attend to us after they had finished settling those who died as well as those who were rendered homeless. But till today, I have neither seen them nor received anything from them.
“Please, whoever is responsible should come and repair my house for me. My boys’ quarters is almost collapsing and even the roofs of my main building have gone bad.”
Last year, Pastor Omowunmi told The Nation that he was disappointed that the airline has shown no concern towards his plight.
He said: “I am really disappointed and wondered what manner of people are at the helms of affair as managers of Dana Air and those representing them are. They must be satanic people, else they should not be comfortable having done nothing these past months to even show some concern for the lives they have destroyed.
“The only thing Dana has done has been to put me through stress. The property of the person that imported those books is now at risk. The documents, including those of the kitchen utensils, were sent to Dana, but till today, they have not said anything.
“The management of Dana is made of satanic people. From the day I rejected their N500, 000 offer till date, they have not bothered to know what has happened to us. They have not contacted anyone of the displaced persons.
“My family and I have been squatting in the church premises. I thank God for the grace of life and I know that God who has brought us this far, will not abandon us.
“If Dana says they have contacted us, they are lying. As I talk with you, even the other people who lost their properties have not been contacted. I am in touch with the others and if Dana had contacted anyone of them, I will know.
“They are only interested in reopening their business to make money without recourse to the lives of innocent Nigerians they have ruined.”
Pastor Omowunmi said the crash destroyed everything he had worked for over the years and also destroyed other people’s property he had in his warehouse.
“I own the property on 8/10 Popoola/Olaniyi Streets. It is a four plot of land that housed my warehouse, furniture factory, my residential building and my fish pond, among others.
“After writing several letters, including those from my lawyer to Dana and their insurance company’s law firm, without reply, I wrote a petition to President Goodluck Jonathan and copied the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, the Minister for Aviation, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Chairman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the NCAA Director-General on September 26.
“I also wrote the Senate President, who I must commend for his prompt response, Speaker, House of Representatives, Lagos State Governor and the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, among others,” he said.
Pastor Omowunmi lamented that some days after he submitted his claims to the airline, he discovered that Yomi Oshikoya & Co., are the local correspondent to Dana’s underwriters.
“On July 23, I attended a meeting tagged ‘preliminary meeting’ alongside my solicitors at the office of Yomi Oshikoya & Co., where the managing partner, Otunba Yomi Oshikoya sarcastically noted that I was claiming N500 million for a mere building.
“His statement was evidence that my claims dated June 20, more than one month after, had not been read as at July 23; else he would have discovered that I was not claiming N500 million for the building alone but for other goods and stocks in the warehouse as well as my furniture factory.”
The pastor alleged that after the preliminary meeting, his lawyers were requested to supply documents to prove his claim. The documents were forwarded on July 24 to Oshikoya’s firm.
He said efforts had been made by his lawyers to secure another meeting with both Dana and their insurance company’s representative to no avail.
The schedule of claims sent to the airline shows that Omowunmi’s premises had a six-bedroom duplex (ensuite) with a penthouse, four-bedroom bungalow with two large sitting rooms, two standard warehouse and four fish ponds (fully stocked).
It further stated that the warehouse accommodated his furniture factory which housed 447 panel doors, imported educational materials, imported kitchen utensils as well as other items either warehoused for various clients or for his use at the furniture factory.
For the building structures, factory equipment, plants and machines, electronic appliances, furniture, fixtures and fittings, personal effects, livestock as well as cost of resettlement for a period of two years, Omowunmi wants the airline to pay N224.1 million.
He said the educational books that were imported from Malaysia by Thursmay Educational Services and were being warehoused in his premises were valued at N250.1 million, adding that necessary documents and contacts for verification were made available to the airline for confirmation.
Omowunmi said the kitchen utensils which were also imported by Nike Odupitan and warehoused at his premises is worth N40 million, adding that necessary documents were also forwarded to the airline and its representatives.
The compensation being demanded for losses suffered by the pastor is N514.176 million as well as N10 million per month for loss of earnings from the date of the incident till the conclusion of the redevelopment of his damaged properties.
Okafor, who also decried the alleged nonchalance of the management of the airline to the people’s plight, said he has written Dana Air through his solicitors and forwarded his claims to them but have not received any reply from the airline.
He said he has tried to move on but the trauma and pains have been worsened by the airline’s negligence.
Okafor said: “It could very devastating for someone to, all of a sudden, lose all he has. And it could even be made worse because the people responsible seem not to be bothered about the whole issue.
“But for the N200, 000 and some food stuff I received from them when the crash occurred, I have not heard anything from them. They have not even looked for us or acknowledged our letters.”
Also lamenting the negligence he and his family have suffered, Iloka said it was cruel for the airline to have acted the way it did.
He said: “It shows how unreasonable and heartless they are. But God is watching us all and I am sure everyone shall be held accountable for their actions.”
Okwuos said Dana Air gave some of the victims N200, 000 as a temporary measure to help them secure accommodation.
His words: “Dana said they were coming to compensate those that were affected but till now, nothing has been done.
“People who are at the camp are those we call moderately affected. All those that were seriously affected rejected the camp because that place to start with, is far.
“We are appealing to the government to hold Dana Air responsible. Imagine Pastor Daniel that lost his entire investments, till date he is squatting in a church. That pastor does not deserve to be neglected. We all live in this community and can testify that he gave so many people hope. There was hardly anyone who will approach him for help that he will not assist. Government should return all that he lost to him, and let others who were affected be compensated.”
The airline’s spokesman once debunked the allegations that the airline has not been in contact with the affected persons.
He said: “Persons with free mind will attest that we have been in touch with them because we acknowledge and recognise the traumas they must have gone through. Claims are being processed and benefits will soon be paid to the affected persons in accordance to the law. Our insurers are handling the process and I am positive that compensation shall be paid soon to the affected persons in accordance to the law.”
