DANA AIR CRASH: LAGOS COMPENSATES CENOTAPH SITE LANDOWNERS

Fifteen months after the ill-fated Dana Air crash in Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos State, the state government yesterday compensated landowners whose expanse of land was used for the construction of a memorial cenotaph and arcade for the 157 passengers and crew on board. Although, the state government refused to disclose the exact amount given to the landlords, but said it pegged the amount paid per plot of land between N4 to N5million.
The government said it also paid for the land measured at 2, 834.917 square metres used for the construction of the cenotaph and fence. Those compensated by the government are people with approved documents.
Those who benefitted, according to the government include Mr. Isaac Aduroja; Pastor Daniel Omowumi; Alhaja Ramota Akinwusi, Pastor Ezekiel Akin-Jesu and Alhaji Wahab Oshinaya.
Speaking shortly before the presentation of the cheques, the Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, said between N4 to N5 million was paid per plot of land, in accordance with the current market value of land in the area. He added that only those with genuine landed documents were the ones compensated.
Muri-Okunola, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, Lands Bureau and Acting Permanent Secretary, Aina Salami, said after the Dana Air crash, the damaged buildings had to be demolished as they were no longer safe for human habitation.
This, according to him, made the state governor, Babatunde Fashola, approve monetary compensation for the land owners on the basis of the fair market value within the neighbourhood where the cenotaph was erected.
He said: “This memorial should remind Nigerians to be cautious and to do all in their power to prevent such occurrence. By erecting the cenotaph, the state government is ensuring that the lessons of the incident are not lost on us as a people.”
When asked if the state government would consider free Certificate of Occupancy, C of O, for the beneficiaries, should they acquire other lands elsewhere, having initially had C of O on the property, the acting permanent secretary said the compensation covers all the expenses to process new C of Os on other property acquired by them. But one of the beneficiaries, who has half a plot of land, said she was not paid since her building was not demolished.
Meanwhile, Pastor Omowumi said he would go back and consider the compensation he described as offer, saying apart from the property he lost to the crash, he also lost four plots of land to the cenotaph. He added that Dana Air is yet to pay him on the lost property.
On why the government did not disclose the amount paid as compensation, the Acting Permanent Secretary, said the government would not want the beneficiaries to be victims of armed robbers and disgruntled Nigerians, who may act on the information based on the amount paid.
Source: National Mirror