The coroner’s jurisdiction in the matter is being questioned by a group, ‘Civil Aviation Round Table Initiative’, in a suit filed before the Federal High Court, Lagos.
Headed by a retired pilot, Dele Ore, the group stated that the Lagos State Coroners’ System Law does not cover the investigation of deaths arising from aircraft accidents.
Ore urged the court to declare the State Coroners’ Law inapplicable to aviation accident and deaths.
He accused the coroner of delving into technical issues relating to the crash and prayed the court to stop the proceedings of the inquest and the nullify steps taken by the coroner to invite witnesses to testify or give evidence.
"He has also scheduled appointment to visit the Control Tower at the Murtala Mohammed Airport to see how the Air Traffic Controllers carry out their duties," he said, adding that the coroner had also wrongfully ordered the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) to produce the crashed plane's Black Box and Technical Log Book.
According to him, investigation into such technical issues should be better left to “the experts in aviation technology that apply scientific investigation techniques that can ascertain the probable or exact cause of each air crash.”
The group president also described the coroner’s inquest as “unconstitutional” due to the country’s ratification and domestication of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Chicago 1944 Act.
However, the state government has urged the court to dismiss the order for injunction, claiming that the coroner has the power to investigate the cause of death, and the identity, place of death, and the manner of death of victims of aircraft accidents.
In her counter-affidavit, a senior counsel in the State Attorney General's office, Olawunmi Osibanjo, stated that the group filing the suit lacked constitutional role, as it was not created by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
“The coroner has received evidence from witnesses relating only to the circumstance of death of the victims of the Dana crash and not the technical issues of the operations of the aircraft," she added.
Jointly included as respondents in the suit to be heard by Justice Okon Abang on September 6, 2012, were: the coroner, Oyetade Komolafe; the State Chief Judge; the Attorneys General of the State and the Federation; the Federal Ministry of Aviation; Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority; Dana
Source: Daily Times
10 comments:
THe German Immigrant says...so long story short, The civil avaiation authority will prefer to be the judge and jury of their own case. I smell a cover up. What have they got to hide?...says The German Immigrant
Everybody just wants to be in the news.
Warri Girl
Dat group shld pls keep quiet! This are the pple taking our country backward!!!! For once a proper enquiry dat wld help us all at least to prevent such accidents from occurring again on our air route,some grp show up talking about counstition !wht constitution ? Dat has been bastardized over the years by leaders for personally gain? Pls they shlould keep quiet !!!!
Oh my dear country how can we move forward. How???
Naija, alwaz covering the truth but it will certainly prevail and d blood of d dead will avenge.
Indian juju don work on some person be that. Only God will judge.
Gbam! My thoughts exactly.
M'unique
QF
I think Nigerians hav d ryt 2know wat really went wrong...wateva dey do to achieve ds aim is fyn by me.
And u tell me PEJ didn't cause, or has no hand in this? Enhen Lindy, what about that Femi Falana and the "unknown VIP" mata @ the abuja airport that day? Don't tell me it's a coincidence that he was made a SAN few weeks after that, and he just chose to keep mute? Cos the 7 days ultimatum wey him give don pass tay tay.
God save our soul,d blood of d innocent wil surely cry out one day•
I keep saying we Ngerians deserve all the injustices that have been unleashed on us in plentitude of recent. See the Dana boss partying up with Psquare. In a civilised society, there would such an uproar that even Psquare would feel the burn. We have joined the rest of the world and moved away from the presense of God. We worship material gods and they are merciless. Until we crawl back to Him things are just going to get worse.
As for me and my household we will serve the Lord with all our heart and mind. Not just for show.
Post a Comment