Dana crash victims’ relation accuses airline of insincerity

A relation of one of the victims of the June 3 Dana plane crash, Mr. Ogbonnanta Uwaeme, has said the management of the airline is not sincere and sensitive to the demands for payment of compensation.
Over 153 passengers, crew and persons on the ground died when a Dana Air flight from Abuja to Lagos crashed into four buildings in Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos State.
Uwaeme told newsmen at the Lekan Ogunsola Memorial Mortuary, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital that Dana officials were trying to frustrate the payment of the compensation through unnecessary bureaucratic processes, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Uwaeme, who lost nine family members, expressed bitterness at the entire process of claiming the money.
“I am extremely bitter about the airline because Dana is doing some funny things. They are not being considerate.
“They are not thinking about the trauma they have already caused people.
“Look at the compensation they said they want to pay to relatives, just $30,000 or about N4.8 million?

“The normal amount of compensation should be a minimum of $100,000 or about N1.6 billion. But this is not what we are getting,” he said.
He said Dana would not allow the victims’ relatives to show the compensation form to their lawyers.
He regretted that the airline’s officials insisted that relatives must sign and return the form at its office.
“If you bring a lawyer there, you will see how Dana lawyers will start behaving. Something is not right, so we are appealing to the Federal Government to defend us in that area.
“The most important thing is not even the compensation. What we are interested in is that there shall be no further loss of lives due to carelessness,” he added.
Uwaeme appealed to the Federal Government to put measures in place to ensure justice for those concerned.
He lauded the efforts of the Lagos State Government on the DNA processes, urging other family members to be patient with the procedures.
“The best thing that has happened after the unfortunate crash is the DNA test. With the DNA, you know you are taking the bodies of your relatives, not someone else’s.
“The DNA results, I understand, were done abroad. They said they are still working on some other results.
“We know what the best practice is and we are all civilised people and the world is moving away from mass burial. This is perfect,” he stated.