Why I turned down N500,000 compensation -Victim

Barely one month after the Dana plane crash, victims, whose property were destroyed, were invited by the airline management to come for their compensation.  Daily Sun gathered that while some of the victims received what the airline described as advanced payment of the compensation ‘towards interim relief to secure temporary accommodation,’ others refused to collect on the ground that what they were offered was not commensurate with their losses.
Those who collected the advance payment were made to sign a letter of acknowledgement. However, it was not certain where the letter originated from, though it was addressed to Dana Airline Management, 51, Allen Avenue, Ikeja.

Pastor Daniel Omowunmi, a businessman, who lost property worth over N500 million in the incident, said he was offered a cheque of N500,000 in spite of all he lost. He said he turned down the offer because he did not know what the airline wanted him to do with the money, alleging that the whole incidence was propaganda, as he did not understand what the general manager of LASEMA was doing in the case.
“The whole incidence was a propaganda and that propaganda was organized by the management of DANA and the head of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyitolu,” Omowunmi said. Omowunmi said when he spoke to some Dana officials, he was informed that Oke-Osanyitolu had instructed them not to meet any of the victims directly, but rather they should come through him.
The businessman also disclosed that Dana management scheduled a meeting for 10.00am last Tuesday, adding that when he arrived at the venue, the officials of the airline did not come until after two hours. Omowunmi told Daily Sun that Oke-Osanyitolu later called to inform him of the amount he would be offered.
According to him, LASEMA was not supposed to be part of the compensation arrangement, saying their primary function was to play a social role to Lagosians. He said he had three issues against the LASEMA general manager. However, the cleric said he had instructed his lawyer to write the LASEMA boss.
Omowunmi, who also said that he had instructed his lawyer to write the airline management, alleged that they had refused to reply officially.  When contacted, the Head of Administration and Human Resources of the airline, Mr. A. B. Anand, said four out of six families contacted collected the cheque for the advance payment of the compensation, while according to him, Pastor Daniel Omowunmi and a blind man, Mr. Lawal were the two families who refused to collect theirs.
Anand said the airline management intended to provide accommodation for those affected, adding that the families insisted that they would prefer money so that they could find a place for themselves. Also reacting, the LASEMA General Manager, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said he had no business with the compensation arrangement, adding that the responsibility of the agency as regard the air mishap was to take care of the victims.
Oke-Osanyintolu said: “I am not involved in the compensation issue. When they were planning it, I was not there. The reason I am involved is that my duty is to take care of victims of disasters.” On the refusal of collection of cheques, Oke-Osanyintolu said he was not concerned, adding that some persons who refused to collect earlier went back to collect it.