Federal Governm- ent yesterday ordered Sosoliso airlines to pay compensation and claims to parents of students who died in a crash involving it in Port Harcourt in December 10 2005.
The Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode revealed this in his office in Abuja when a delegation of parents who lost their children in the crash led by Mrs. Kunbi Amachree visited him to complain that the management of Sosoliso has failed to honour their obligation in terms of payment of insurance claims.
In a statement by the ministry, the parents were also piqued that neither the management of Sosoliso nor the Ministry of Aviation had shown any iota of remorse for the loss of over 60 children since last year as no condolence letter has been written to them.
Fani-Kayode commiserated and apologised to the parents on behalf of the ministry and Nigerians in general for not demonstrating or showing enough concern to the bereaved families in the past one year however restated the determination and commitment of the Federal Government to improve the sector and assured that he would look into the insurance policy of domestic carriers with a view to ensuring that they do the right thing in line with standards and recommended practices worldwide.
He maintained that the age of an aircraft is a strong factor in the issue of safety and security in the industry and emphasised the imperative of the policy of consolidation for the domestic carriers to make them strong and viable like what obtains in the banking sector.
Fani-Kayode also reiterated his commitment to do everything humanly possible to ensure security, comfort and safety for all air travellers in Nigeria stressing that there would be no business as usual in the aviation industry as all forms of insensitivity and irresponsibility would not be tolerated anymore.
He further promised that the ministry, parastatals and friends would assist to enable the only surviving student of the ill-fated air crash go to the United States of America for plastic surgery while a monument would be constructed at the Port-Harcourt airport in remembrance and honour of the departed souls.
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