Daily Independent (Lagos)
Sola Alabadan
8 July 2009
Lagos — Nigerians have been advised to give due consideration to aviation insurance now that the country is experiencing increasing air travels and traffic.
Glory Etaduovie, Deputy General Manager, Business Development/Operations, Fin Insurance Company Limited, who gave this charge during a chat with journalists in Lagos, stated that people should always bear it in mind that travelling by air is risky and that such risks can only be handled by proper insurance.
He said "Nigeria is presently experiencing increasing air travels and traffic. In a sense, it is the effects of improved economic development, even though at a slow pace. Albeit, some persons fly because of the need to manage time effectively in view of their very tight schedules; many other flights are sponsored on official duties by organisations. Yet, for others, it is a class thing. In all, we are witnessing increased air travels."
In a situation where so many people are always in the air, he said this has lot of implications for the airlines, passengers, regulatory bodies and the government, especially as air travels are risky. "For travellers, it means hanging on the balance all of one's life's investments - family, dependants, aspirations, love and what have you. Air crashes can and have happened a time and again leading to so much pain and anguish. The planes have no landing or parking spots once airborne - except by miraculous landing. Air accidents are fatalistic. Few if any are survivors," he noted.
In a Third World like Nigeria, Etaduovie pointed out that the death of a bread winner has serious implications for the dependants and relatives of the deceased, adding "when you see people wail the dead, it is not just outpour of emotions for the dead loved one, but a lot of questions are in those tears. Who will now fend for us? How will the children continue their schooling? Who will pay our rents?"
He further said, "It is for this, that internationally, the world and the aviation industry agreed, with involvement of governments that adequate insurances - especially for passengers be put in place for minimum amounts. The effect of this is that, the wailing for the dead may be short- lived and the survivors of the deceased can get back to living their lives with minimal distraction.
In view of the social implications of air crash for people and the government, he stated that the government should be interested in the enforcement of the IATA (International Air Travels Association) rules on predetermined international agreements for air travels - including insurances that must exist.
Whereas the American government has negotiated even higher compensations for their citizens, he lamented that the enforcement of IATA rules in Nigeria is weak and probably fraudulent, as dependents of some air crash in the country are yet to receive their insurance claims because some of the airline wangle their way through with inadequate insurances in place.
Etaduovie, who expressed displeasure that no effort is being made to reverse the trend, warned that "This is sad because nobody is saying anything. What goes around comes around. This is not only a bad omission, but wicked."
He also identified the problem of ignorance among the populace as another major challenge, noting that "The travelling public is not aware of this need. It is a selling point airlines, who are consciously arranging their insurance. They should make bold to advertise it or call attention to it. Travellers should make it a point of duty to be interested in this. In life there are controllable factors and the uncontrollable. We should thus be interested in the controllable.
Besides, he called on the Consumer Protection Council to be alive to its responsibilities in this regard, saying the council should show active interest in this, so as to keep all on their toes.
By so doing, he said there will be reduction in the number of resultant economically dependent widows/ children with no one provider and probable delinquents thereof.
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