NEWS
Sanctity of Truth
Friday, May 9, 2014
INSURANCE
Seven months after their beloved ones perished in air mishap, families get something off Associated airlines Wole Shadare
I
t was an emotional scene yesterday for the 16 relations of people who died in the Associated Airlines Limited ill-fated plane crash of October 3, 2013. They came in quietly to the airline’s office at Adeniyi Jones Street, Ikeja to collect the payment of $30, 000 which is the first tranche of compensation for families involved in plane crashes as stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the global aviation regulatory body. Representatives of the Nigerian Civil Aviation
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Relatives get Associated Airlines' $480,000 compensation l Firm promises balance of $11.2 million Authority (NCAA) were in attendance to monitor the disbursement of the funds. The Montreal Convention of 1999 states that airlines wishing to operate on domestic routes shall adopt the approved liability limits in line with the requirement of the ICAO which states that the airline shall pay compensation in the case of death, or injury of passengers of $100, 000 per person, destruction, loss or delay of baggage shall be $1, 000 and destruction, loss, damage or delay of cargo shall be $20 per kilo. International flights are governed by the Mon-
The percentage of individuals using the internet in developing countries in 2012. Source: Itu.int
treal Convention, an international air carrier treaty adopted in 1999 by the ICAO, a United Nations agency. If the airline is found at fault for an accident, the Montreal Convention stipulates that it is liable for up to $113,100 special "drawing rights" per passenger, a value established by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The value changes regularly, and for now equals about $170,000 per passenger in the United States of America. Associated Airline however disclosed that the balance of $70, 000 would be paid as quickly as possible when other matters
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The total area (in sq. km) of Indonesia. Source: Worldfactsandfigures.com
pertaining to documentation would have been resolved.In all, the airline paid out $480, 000 to the victims’ families. The relatives were individually presented with “certificate of release and discharge”, which would enable them to process the funds domiciled with Skye Bank. Among those who died in the crash which occurred within the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos were Tunji Okusanya, Samson Hassan, Deji Falae, Rajeem Bernard, Kingsley Amaechi, Yakubu Lateefa. Others were Abdulkareem Ibraheem, Kola
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The number of fixed-telephone subscriptions of Guinea in 2009. Source: Itu.int
Oyinlola, Bisi Awoyomi and Chijioke Duru among others. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Operating Officer of the airline, Mr. Taiwo Raji, stated that there were insinuations immediately after the crash that the carrier was shirking its responsibility to do the needful.
“We have been meeting with our insurers but it has been very slow. We are working with them to resolve the whole issue. The insurers and the airline have resolved to 30 per cent of what should be paid now while the 70 per cent balance will also be paid later as quickly as possible.”
Nasarawa women protest abduction of school girls, demand their release Cheke Emmanuel LAFIA
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undreds of women in Nasarawa State yesterday marched to the Government House Lafia, the state capital, protesting the abduction of female students of the Government Girls College, Chibok, Borno state. Some of the protesting women wore black clothes and carried placards with inscriptions like: “Our girls girls are our hope”,”We want them back now”. They also chanted. The women, made up
of both the state's chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Women Wing and the Federation of Muslim Women of Nigeria (FUMWAN) were received by the Secretary to the State Government, Hajiya Zainab Abdulmumini, amidst tight security. Speaking separately, the Amira FUMWAN and CAN Women chairperson, Hanatu Kabir and Mrs Lydia Attah condemned the abduction of the schoolgirls and called on government to do everything necessary to secure their release .
Adamawa Immigration command resumes clampdown on illegal aliens Ibrahim Abdul Yola
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L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Dr Godknows Igali; Chief Executive Officer, Standard Bank Group, Mr. Sim Tshabalala; Chairman, Stanbic IBTC, Mr. Atedo Peterside and Mission Director, USAID Nigeria, Mr. Michael Harvey, during the Power Forum Breakfast at the World Economic Forum in Abuja …yesterday
Clement James Calabar
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he controversy surrounding the ambition of a frontline governorship aspirant in Cross River State, Mr. Goddy Jeddy-Agba, took a new twist on Wednesday when the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ntufam John Okon, declared that he (Jeddy-Agba) was not “a card carrying member of the party.” Jeddy-Agba is the General Manager (Crude) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) whose ambition to run for the governorship in the state has ruffled many feathers. In an exclusive inter-
Jeddy-Agba not a member of C’River PDP - Okon view with New Telegraph, Ntufam Okon said his office did not have any evidence that Jeddy-Agba is a PDP member “because he is a civil servant.” Asked if the NNPC manager is a PDP member, Okon said; “No. Not to my knowledge. He is not a member of PDP for now. If he comes in and asks to be registered, we will register him. There are procedures for registration. As far as we are concerned, Jeddy-Agba is not a card-carrying member of PDP in the state.”
When told that Agba’s supporters claim that he had been registered at the ward level, the chairman asked; “How can he be registered at the ward level and we are not aware? Who put him in the ward? The ward cannot register a civil servant. There is a rule that the Ward cannot register a civil servant. He cannot come and say he wants to contest on the platform of the party because we will look at the constitution.” On whether the controversy generated by Agba’s
ambition is not a sign of an impending crisis, the former Clerk to the State House of Assembly said what is happening is not crisis “but a trend.” “We are a cohesive party and serious aspirants are working within the rules. I can assure you that what is happening now is not crisis. It is called “trend”. Naturally, there are interests and I can beat my chest and say we have been able to accommodate genuine interests and we will continue to do so,” he said.
he Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Adamawa State Command yesterday arrested 45 suspected illegal aliens in Yola. Speaking while parading the suspects in Yola, the stale Controller of NIS, Alhaji Rauf Adeboyega, said the arrest was part of the renewed effort by the command to check illegal immigration. Adeboyega said the aliens, comprising 36 men and nine women, were from neighboring countries and would be eased
out accordingly. "We are not saying that foreigners should not come into the country, but when they are coming they should come with their valid documents so that we will be able to identify them. "It will make our job of monitoring their activities in the country easier," Adeboyega said. He lauded the support of the public, particularly community leaders in exposing such aliens, adding that with the current security challenges, the public needed to be more security-conscious and support security agencies.
Bayelsa assures envoy on release of kidnapped Dutchmen
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ayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has assured the Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, John Groffen, that everything was being done to secure the release of three Dutch nationals kidnapped at Letugbene community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state. Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, in a statement yesterday said the governor who gave the assurance, when the Ambassador visited him at the Bayelsa House in
Abuja, expressed regret over the incident, adding that the government in collaboration with the security agencies was working round the clock to ensure the safe release of the victims. He noted however that the three Dutch nationals were escorted into the Niger Delta, through Warri in Delta State, by a Non-Government Agency (NGO), without any notice to the governments or security agencies of either Bayelsa or Delta states, until they were abducted.