Nigerian Newspapers
Dana…it is not business as usual
Before June 3, last year, Dana Air was the toast of many a traveller. But, all that changed when its McDonnel Douglas 83 aircraft crashed exactly a year ago into residential buildings in Iju-Ishaga, a Lagos suburb, killing all 153 passengers and crew members onboard. The airline’s licence was suspended and was not restored until six months later. Even when it got the greenlight to resume operation, it went back to the drawing board before returning to the skies.
It resumed operations on January 4 on the Lagos-Abuja route. But business has not returned to the pre-June 3 crash days. The airline now flies about 40,000 passengers monthly as opposed to the over 100,000 passengers it was flying before the crash.
It began with two daily flights between Lagos and Abuja, which it has now increased to 12 daily flights on the same route.
A few months after the consolidation of the Lagos-Abuja route, the airline began flights on the Lagos-Port-Harcourt route, which started as a daily flight, but has now increased to two daily flights. In all, Dana operates 16 daily flights on the Lagos-Abuja-Port-Harcourt routes.
But its flights to Uyo, Kano and Enugu airports are yet to take off.
The airline claims it will soon resume flights on these routes, as “passengers from those cities have been putting pressure on the airline to resume operations on the routes”.
With its flexible fare offering, DANA Air has been providing cheaper fares on the routes it flies since it resumed operations.
As a way of shoring up its business, Dana has introduced the ‘Roving Agent’, a mobile device which allows passengers to be checked-in on arrival at the airport by its mobile check-in staff.
The mobile check-in agents can issue boarding passes to guests even before they reach the check-in counter. They are strapped with tablet PCs and mini printers. This new initiative complements the airline’s existing check-in counters and online check-in service.
Dana Air’s Head of Commercial Obi Mbanuzuo said: “What we are offering in roving agents is immense value addition for our guests. With this solution, our mobile check-in agents can quickly access and verify the travel reservation details of guests; book them on their choice of seat and generate boarding passes.
“Now guests with hand baggage need not wait at the check-in counter to collect their boarding pass; they can simply approach any of our easily recognisable mobile check-in agents on arrival at the airport and then proceed through airport security to the boarding gate.”
It has also introduced the book-on-hold option, which gives the convenience of booking tickets and paying later at designated bank branches across the country as well as using interswitch enabled Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
Mbanuzuo described the introduction of the book-on- hold option as “a good step forward in our effort to make the process of booking travel more accessible to guests throughout Nigeria.”
Passengers can access the option by making reservation either online or by phone, after which they will take their booking reference number to any of the designated banks or interswitch enabled ATMs to make payments not later than 48 hours to confirm the booking.
The airline’s spokesman, Mr. Tony Usidamen, said it would acquire two Boeing 737-300 aircraft. He said the choice of Boeing 737-300 was considered for economic reason, saying it is cheaper to fly and fuel efficient, as opposed to older and fuel consuming aircraft.
The new aircraft, he said, would be delivered in the third quarter of the year.
The airline has also been busy sorting out the ‘mess’ of the crash.
Usidamen said the airline was gradually recovering from the effects of the crash, following its plan to settle the insurance claims of families of those killed in the crash.
He said the airline was fully insured, challenging industry watchers to cross check its premium claims with the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).
Usidamen said 65 families sued the airline, adding that payment of compensation to such families’ representatives had been put on hold until all the legal issues are sorted out.
He said: “So, from the point of view of the airline, it has done what is considered responsible, especially at the time of the accident by ensuring that all those who lost their abode got a place of their own immediately.
“Naturally, when an accident occurs, once an airline is fully insured and premiums are paid up to date, the onus is on the insurer to ensure the payment of compensation. The process is ongoing with all the victims’ representatives, both onboard and ground.
“Negotiations are ongoing with all persons who submitted their claim forms. The claim forms are sent to the insurers who will send valuers to assess the extent of the loss in the affected area. Based on this, negotiation begins between the insurers’ and victims’ representatives.
“Negotiations are ongoing between the legal representatives of both the insurers and the victims. Both parties, as a matter of necessity must reach an agreement. That process is ongoing; it is not in the hands of the airline. The insurers are sparing no effort in ensuring that an agreement is reached and all the people who lost properties are fully compensated to the extent of the losses incurred.
“Delay in completion of the payment process is due to incomplete documentation, multiple claim cases, challenge in securing grant of probate/letter of guardianship (in the case of minors) and legal suits. Our insurers are, however, sparing no efforts in processing all claims in accordance with the applicable law.
“We are giving the support we can to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); we are doing the best we can because we, as an airline, would like to see the process completed soon. The money to pay is there; it can be confirmed from the NAICOM, but certain requirements have to be met with regard to the payment of the balance of $ 70, 000 to each beneficiary.”
Usidamen said 11 families had received full compensation of $ 100,000 while 21 more, whose grant of probate had been processed, would soon get full payment.
He added that as at May 24, 125 beneficiaries’ families who completed claim forms had received the initial $ 30,000 compensation following legal verification of documentation and next-of-kin status while eight families were yet to submit any document.
“May be they are observing the one-year mourning period; maybe they are not interested because they feel the money means nothing to them,” he added.
The main ground victim, Pastor Daniel Omowunmi, whose warehouse the plane crashed into, said he has been frustrated. He said but for the $ 30, 000 his lawyers demanded in lieu of accommodation about three months ago, Dana has not done anything.
He said: “The last time I besieged their office, they called the police and when we went to the police station, they claimed they knew nothing about my N500 million claims. They also claimed they were not aware that I have been given $ 30, 000. I was the one who told the Area Commander that they have given me the money, which was demanded by my lawyer for accommodation.
“Till today, they have kept promising to make an offer but have done nothing. If they are claiming they have given me advance payment, what then is the sum they have agreed on? We are still waiting on them and it appears they want to frustrate people to go to court so that the issue will keep dragging.”
On the construction of cenotaph on his land by the state government, Omowunmi said he was contacted by the government and they promised to relocate him before using his land.
He added: “The government promised to sort me out before construction on the land but till date, nothing has been done. I reached out to the Ministry of Lands to make enquiry and they told me they were on it. I have the Certificate of Occupancy and other relevant documents on my property. So, I want to believe the government is not planning to take my land by force.”
Mr. Olatunji Lawal, who claims to have lost his sight to the disaster, said he has not been able to do any business in the past one year. He said all efforts to make Dana Air understand the suffering he is going through has yielded no result.
Lawal said: “ The post-traumatic stress we experience cannot be overemphasized because emotionally, psychologically and otherwise, I cannot say I have been okay.
“I cannot even go about my businesses the way I used to because the crash affected my sight. The whole thing has restricted me to a particular place.
“As you are standing before me now, I cannot see you. Well, before this incident, I had eye challenges but I could see with my glasses and I used to go about my business. But the day the plane crashed, I was sleeping inside my house. It was the thunderous landing of the plane that woke me up. Before I woke up, my apartment has been engulfed with smoke.
“So, the gaseous emission from the aircraft entered my nostrils and eyes. For some weeks, I could not open my eyes because they were paining me. So, I went to the hospital and complained and they told me they will run a check.
“At a point, they said the machine to run the check was not functioning. I even told the Dana people that this is what I am going through but they did not care.
“Dana refused to compensate us. They refused to come to our aid. Our lawyer, Gbenga Eguntola has written several letters to Dana. He even had a meeting recently with us here. He has been trying his best and we are hoping that something good will come out eventually.
“Of the ten cheques they brought while we were still in the camp, only two of us (Pastor Omowunmi and I) rejected the offer. I was given a cheque of N100, 000 for accommodation and I wondered where in Lagos I will secure an accommodation for N100, 000.”
Another victim, Olakunle Olanipekun, said it appears the government has connived with Dana to neglect them.
He said: “If the unfortunate disaster that happened last year had occurred in India, will the Indian government fold its arms and watch? Does Dana Air not have a responsibility towards us? The whole thing is beginning to make us wonder if our governments have not conspired with Dana against us.
“Most people have left this neighbourhood but some of us who cannot afford accommodation outside are still here. I am begging the government, Federal, State and Local Government not to lead us to temptation.”
Alhaja Ramatalai Akinwusi, whose fence and toilet were damaged by the crash, said she repaired her properties herself when Dana was not forthcoming.
“When Dana came here, they promised to come and repair my fence, toilet and one room that were destroyed by the crash, but after that day, I did not see anybody.
“So, I had to use my money to repair them since I do not have any one to help me. After I had repaired the damages, government people came and gave me notice to quit that they wanted to demolish my house to add the land as part of the cenotaph.
“The information made me sick and I was hospitalised for three days. In April, the road construction people also brought another notice through one lawyer Giwa that they wanted to demolish my house and acquire the land; I still told them I have no husband, no help and nowhere to go. That I won’t allow them demolish my house unless they have a new place for me.
“So, they finally pulled down part of my fence and a shop attached to it.”
Mrs. Grace Adekunle said she used her feeding allowance, which her children gave her, to repair the damaged roof in her main building. She said she has not seen anyone, “no government, no Dana”.
Her boys quarter, which was damaged in the crash, The Nation observed, has not been repaired till date.
She said: “Although it is one year, I am still in shock over the accident. Each time that I wake up and remember how busy our street used to be and that the empty land beside me used to be a very big compound, I shiver. But I thank God for everything.”
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: The Nation Newspaper
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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