Dana airplane Crash Scene

Chinedu Eze

Dana Air has announced that it has been paying insurance claims to the families of those involved in the June 3 tragic crash, which occurred in Iju-Ishaga, a Lagos suburb.

“Our attention has been drawn to some media reports suggesting that Dana Air and its Insurers have refused to pay statutory compensation to the families of victims of the tragic accident of June 3, 2012.

“The present position is that 80 advance payments of $30,000 have been processed by virtue of documentation supplied demonstrating familial links and kinship; our insurers are continuing to deal with all other claims in accordance with the applicable law.”

In a statement signed by the airline’s head of communications, Tony Usidamen, it said that in order to assess and verify full compensation due and payable, however, it is necessary for claimants to produce the required grants of probate or letters of administration.

“To date, letters of administration have been produced by only a small number of claimants.  However, these need to be verified by the probate office who issued them. This is customary procedure and an important requirement in order to ensure that just compensation is only paid to those who have entitlement,” it noted.

Usidamen said that Dana Air has no control over the speed with which the probate office deals with the verification process, although maximum pressure is being exerted to expedite this.
“Subject to verification, full compensation will be paid to those properly entitled in accordance with the law and available evidence at the earliest opportunity,” he said.