Editorial
Dana Airline And Unpaid Compensations
Nigerians last Monday, June 3, 2013 expressed fresh grief and paid tributes to victims of last year’s Dana Airline flight 992 which crashed in Iju Ishaga, a suburb of Agege area in Lagos State, killing all 153 crew and passengers on board and four others at the crash site.
To commemorate that dark day a year ago, of the horrific accident, families that lost loved ones joined Federal and Lagos State governments to pay tributes to the departed and prayed God for safer skies. Although no amount of memorial can restore lost lives, the events nonetheless explained true empathy with the families of the departed, who are still grieving.
One of the reasons, for such long grief, far beyond the huge losses suffered on that day amongst other issues is that of non payment of compensations to families of the dead which we think should have been addressed long before the first year anniversary.
We understand that in line with Montreal Protocol, relations of the crash victims are entitled to one hundred thousand dollars each in compensation. But one year after, it is most regrettable that Dana Airline management has not discharged its responsibility to the affected widows and other relations who lost their breadwinners.
Also waiting for the same compensation are families of crew members, not to mention the innocent four of Iju Ishaga crash site whose case still hangs in the balance.
Considering the fact that Dana Airline has since commenced operations in spite of public outcry to the contrary, that such compensations have not been paid is the height of insensitivity and indeed the most annoying example of corporate irresponsibility.
We think that one year is long enough period for a responsible Airline to address all issues arising from that ill-fated crash including, helping to resolve lingering litigations between and among possible beneficiaries of the compensations and of course the dead four on ground.
The Tide agrees with the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, that adequate compensation be paid to the Iju Ishaga ground victims, along with the crew and passengers who perished in the crash. Clearly, if Dana Flight had shown sufficient empathy with the families involved and after receiving easy clearance it got from the authorities to commence operations it would not require the ceremonial reminder of a Catholic Bishop to do right, one year after.
In fact, all necessary demands made of the Airline by the victims’ next of kin should have been met within the year, before what appears a hurried clearance by the National Aviation authorities to start flight operations.
This is why the new December deadline given Dana Airline to make good its obvious lapses in human relations, is perceived by many as an unnecessary time extension. However, it should give the Airline another opportunity to leverage on public goodwill, even in the face of obvious disapproval and act right.
Although The Tide shares the sentiment of those who view the new December deadline as unnecessary, it is however hoped that Dana Airline will use the time to resolve all these issues because it offers fresh sufficient opportunity to discharge its responsibilities to families of crash victims including the Iju Ishaga ground victims without fail.
When Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, received the Board and Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), led by its Chairman, Senator Adeyeye Adedayo Clement, his message was unmistakable: Rivers’ seaports remain underutilised, and Nigeria is poorer for it. The governor’s lament was a sad reminder of how neglect and centralisation continue to choke the nation’s economic arteries.
The governor, in his remarks at Government House, Port Harcourt, expressed concern that the twin seaports — the NPA in Port Harcourt and the Onne Seaport — have not been operating at their full potential. He underscored that seaports are vital engines of national development, pointing out that no prosperous nation thrives without efficient ports and airports. His position aligns with global realities that maritime trade remains the backbone of industrial expansion and international commerce.
Indeed, the case of Rivers State is peculiar. It hosts two major ports strategically located along the Bonny River axis, yet cargo throughput has remained dismally low compared to Lagos. According to NPA’s 2023 statistics, Lagos ports (Apapa and Tin Can Island) handled over 75 per cent of Nigeria’s container traffic, while Onne managed less than 10 per cent. Such a lopsided distribution is neither efficient nor sustainable.
Governor Fubara rightly observed that the full capacity operation of Onne Port would be transformative. The area’s vast land mass and industrial potential make it ideal for ancillary businesses — warehousing, logistics, ship repair, and manufacturing. A revitalised Onne would attract investors, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth, not only in Rivers State but across the Niger Delta.
The multiplier effect cannot be overstated. The port’s expansion would boost clearing and forwarding services, strengthen local transport networks, and revitalise the moribund manufacturing sector. It would also expand opportunities for youth employment — a pressing concern in a state where unemployment reportedly hovers around 32 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Yet, the challenge lies not in capacity but in policy. For years, Nigeria’s maritime economy has been suffocated by excessive centralisation. Successive governments have prioritised Lagos at the expense of other viable ports, creating a traffic nightmare and logistical bottlenecks that cost importers and exporters billions annually. The governor’s call, therefore, is a plea for fairness and pragmatism.
Making Lagos the exclusive maritime gateway is counter productive. Congestion at Tin Can Island and Apapa has become legendary — ships often wait weeks to berth, while truck queues stretch for kilometres. The result is avoidable demurrage, product delays, and business frustration. A more decentralised port system would spread economic opportunities and reduce the burden on Lagos’ overstretched infrastructure.
Importers continue to face severe difficulties clearing goods in Lagos, with bureaucratic delays and poor road networks compounding their woes. The World Bank’s Doing Business Report estimates that Nigerian ports experience average clearance times of 20 days — compared to just 5 days in neighbouring Ghana. Such inefficiency undermines competitiveness and discourages foreign investment.
Worse still, goods transported from Lagos to other regions are often lost to accidents or criminal attacks along the nation’s perilous highways. Reports from the Federal Road Safety Corps indicate that over 5,000 road crashes involving heavy-duty trucks occurred in 2023, many en route from Lagos. By contrast, activating seaports in Rivers, Warri, and Calabar would shorten cargo routes and save lives.
The economic rationale is clear: making all seaports operational will create jobs, enhance trade efficiency, and boost national revenue. It will also help diversify economic activity away from the overburdened South West, spreading prosperity more evenly across the federation.
Decentralisation is both an economic strategy and an act of national renewal. When Onne, Warri, and Calabar ports operate optimally, hinterland states benefit through increased trade and infrastructure development. The federal purse, too, gains through taxes, duties, and improved productivity.
Tin Can Island, already bursting at the seams, exemplifies the perils of over-centralisation. Ships face berthing delays, containers stack up, and port users lose valuable hours navigating chaos. The result is higher operational costs and lower competitiveness. Allowing states like Rivers to fully harness their maritime assets would reverse this trend.
Compelling all importers to use Lagos ports is an anachronistic policy that stifles innovation and local enterprise. Nigeria cannot achieve its industrial ambitions by chaining its logistics system to one congested city. The path to prosperity lies in empowering every state to develop and utilise its natural advantages — and for Rivers, that means functional seaports.
Fubara’s call should not go unheeded. The Federal Government must embrace decentralisation as a strategic necessity for national growth. Making Rivers’ seaports work is not just about reviving dormant infrastructure; it is about unlocking the full maritime potential of a nation yearning for balance, productivity, and shared prosperity.
