Dana Air Crash: 'Why I Moved Motion To Compensate Victims' Families'

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The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Treaties and Protocols, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu says he moved the motion for immediate payment of compensation to families of Dana crash victims in order to reduce the emotional trauma they are currently going through.

The House of Representatives, after the debate on the motion mandated the management of Dana Airlines to pay compensation to the families of the victims of the 153 passengers and several others on the ground who were killed in the crash that occurred in Iju area of Lagos.

In the resolution in Abuja, Nigeria, the House gave the airline up to 3 July to comply with the directive. An amendment to the Motion added that the House should ensure that the compensation is extended to other victims who were on ground at the time of the crash.

The House also gave a similar directive to other airlines, that have experienced similar air crashes that claimed hundreds of lives in October and December, 2005 to pay 30 per cent of the compensation or make the full payment where investigations had been completed as required by law.

The House took the decision following a motion by Bush-Alebiosu who represents Kosofe Federal Constituency of Lagos who told the House that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act makes provision for the payment of compensation to victims within 30 days of an air disaster.

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Bush-Alebiosu had prayed his colleagues to act urgently on the ground that the compensation of victims would reduce emotional trauma they are currently going through.

He added that, “Dana should sooth some of the pains of the victims’ families in this moment of grief,” adding that it was unfortunate that almost a month after the tragic incident, such a requirement stipulated by law was yet to be complied with.

The Lawmaker said: “The Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, simply known as the Montreal Convention, adopted by a diplomatic meeting of member states of the International Civil Aviation Organisation in 1999, stipulated a Special Drawing Rights for victims of air crash, which current value is put at about $171,000 per passenger.”

On the NCAA Act, Bush-Alebiosu said: “Since section 48 of the Civil Aviation Act stipulated that an advance payment of 30 per cent of the SDR be made within 30 days, it is important that the management of Dana Air comply immediately.”

        —Kazeem Ugbodaga

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