Business
Associated Airline Crash Survivor Demands Compensation
One of the cabin crew members who survived the crash of Associated Airlines which occurred at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos on October 3 2013, Mrs Oluwatoyin Samson, has alleged she was denied compensation by the airline.
In a statement made available to journalists at the 2nd Engineer Zakariya Haruna Memorial Lecture held in Lagos recently, Mrs Samson, said when she heard the airline had started paying 30 per cent insurance to the families of the deceased, she decided to call the spokesman of the airline Mr Alex Emode and asked him about her own settlement.
She said Emode asked her to go and get a lawyer but when she got a lawyer and went to the Association office, the management of the airline said she was not a staff of the company.
According to her, she returned from South Africa where she was taken for treatment as a result of the crash because there was no enough money to pay for medicals she sustained pelvic dislocation, fracture of the distal left radius, blunt chest and abdominal injuries.
“According to the medical report from the hospital in South Africa, I was declared to be in need of continual intensive and extensive physiotherapy rehabilitation and pain management in order to be functional again. The management of the airline never did anything about this. My lawyer wrote a letter to the company and copied the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
“To my surprise, the spokesman to the airline told my lawyer on the phone that I am not a staff of Associated Airlines. He said that according to the Geneva Convention that I am not going to be compensated because I am alive and did not suffer any loss or permanent injury that I will only be compensated on compassionate grounds if possible, she said.
However, when contacted Mr Emode said the issue is being handled by the woman’s lawyer and that of the Associated Airlines.
She also said “my family members were the ones buying the drugs, when the drugs given to me from South Africa finished. Then I decided to ask for my one and half month salary that they owed me since 2012, when the company was temporarily suspended in June 2012, which they paid me in January.
She said the airline refused to compensate her because they accused her of granting interview to Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) when she came back from South Africa.
“I only told AIB the truth about the crash. In fairness to the crew and passengers that died, I don’t need to hide any thing from AIB. My personal effect recovered from the wreckage has not been given back to me and it has been returned to Associated by AIB. As you are seeing me. I am in deep pains; I need money to take care of myself, I cannot stand for along time”, she said.
The chairman of the occasion, Capt Brikemi Porbeni, said he would discuss the issue with NCAA for not doing what it was expected to do in aircraft and aviation regulations, promising that the regulatory body would definitely get to her.
MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.
Corlins Walter
In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.
In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.
Corlins Walter