The last batch of payment of compensation to families of victims of the
Sosoliso and ADC plane crashes, will be made this week, a government official has said.
Dr Harold Demuren, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), made this known in Abuja on Thursday, at the "2010 Ministerial Score Card of the Federal Ministry of Aviation."
"NCAA will ensure that the families of victims of Bellview, Sosoliso and ADC airlines are duly compensated," Demuren promised.
Some 329 people were killed in the three separate crashes involving Bellview, Sosoliso and ADC airlines in Lisa, Ogun; Port Harcourt and Abuja respectively between October 2005 and October, 2006.
NAN recalls that a Bellview flight from Lagos to Abuja crashed soon after takeoff at Lisa village, Ogun, killing 117 people.
A Sosoliso DC-9 aircraft, which departed Abuja for Port Harcourt, crashed as it tried to land, killing 109 of its 110 passengers, including 62 students of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja.
The ADC aircraft crashed near Tunga village, 10 minutes after it took off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, killing 103 of its 106 passengers, including the former Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido.
While Bellview airline has settled compensation claims to the families, Sosoliso and ADC airlines have yet to pay.
Demuren said the airline had realised more than $2.1 million from the sale of all its aircraft and other assets to settle compensation claims to the families of the victims.
"Money cannot replace life but I want to tell you that Sosoliso airline has sold all its aircraft and realised $2.1m.
"That money is in an account in Diamond Bank. I want to assure you that it would be paid next week, Demuren said.
According to him, the dispute among families of the victims, their lawyers and the school also contributed to the delay in payment of compensation to them.
"There is a family dispute between the families, their lawyers and the school; it was very long and painful battle but thank God that has been resolved," he said.
He stated that discussions were ongoing to put additional funds in place for compensation incase of a plane crash so that compensation to families of victims would not be delayed.
"We are talking with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to see how we can have additional funds to take care of issues like this," Demuren said.
According to international statutes, victims of plane crashes are each entitled to 100,000 dollars.
The Federal Government had, in the wake of the crashes, revoked the licences of the airlines, making the payment of compensation a condition for restoring them.
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