Dana Air and Institutional Racism in Nigeria?

By Ifeayin Okoro

Aviation Minister, Mrs Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi

On the surface there seems not to be much to talk about when it comes to the subject of racism and racial discrimination in Nigeria. But a better appreciation of the topic and careful observation of our social life reveal a worrisome trend with far-reaching consequences for our socio-political and economic development as a people.

According to UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the term ‘Racial Discrimination’ refers to any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

Considering the global ‘hierarchical structure’ which places white at the top and black at the bottom, and following the above definition, Black Africans, generally, appear not to have the power or privilege to be racist towards white people, even in their own countries. The existence of racist tendencies among Africans is more evident in the widespread inter-ethnic, inter-communal and inter-religious violence in most parts of the continent.

In Nigeria, the persistence of the Osu Caste system in the Central and Southern parts of the country, the continued large scale exploitation of natural resources in the Niger-Delta region without mitigating the effects on the people, the application of the Sharia system in the North with harsher sentences for women and the Boko Haram menace are just a few examples.

While these forms of racial discrimination amongst Nigerians have long lived with us, the idea of Nigerians being racist towards non-Nigerians is rather alien to most people. Nigerians, often described as one of the most-friendly and accommodating people in the world, can’t possibly be perpetrators of acts of racial discrimination against foreigners? Or can we?

In 2009, a group of Commonwealth MPs were refused carriage by a boat company operating in the Niger Delta. The four white South Africans and a mixed-race person from Namibia who were barred from a boat trip to Bonny Island cried racism. Outraged, the Black MPs decided not to use the boat company's services in solidarity. Their cries reached the governor of Rivers State who apologised and promised to use his power to force the boat company to change their policy. This experience was cited as proof that racism against white people exists in Nigeria.

Several other examples of racial discrimination against foreigners in Nigeria have also been given. However, whatever doubts remained in me about the seriousness of the trend were quickly dismissed following the Dana Air crash of June 3, 2012. The almost mob-like ‘guilty verdict’ slammed on the airline by the court of public opinion and the media, based mainly on the ‘Indian origin’ of its owners than any rational evaluation (as official investigation into the cause of the accident is still on-going), as well as the actions of Government in the aftermath of the accident, all have racist innuendoes.

Agreed, prior to the Dana incident Nigerians had enjoyed 5 years of zero-accident and relative calm in the aviation sector with the tumultuous crashes of years before a distant memory. So, I can understand the public rage and outcry that greeted the June 3 crash; it not only inflicted new pains but re-opened old wounds too. Of course, it is also very normal for people to try to deduce reasons for such a tragic incident and apportion blames where they feel they have a ‘strong case’ to do so.

But does the Indian origin of the owners qualify as a ‘strong case’? Well, from the ‘kill the bloody Indians’ shouts that rented the air after the accident, it appears race was a major consideration for most Nigerians in determining culpability in the crash. The fact that there is actually a legally constituted body (Accident Investigation Bureau) equipped to investigate cause of air crashes in Nigeria, with technical support from the US National Transportation Safety Board, didn’t seem to matter much. There was no need for the AIB to even do any real investigations on this one: “the owners are ‘Indians’ and, as such, are guilty”, Nigerians had reached a verdict!

Even if one chose to ignore the racist position of individual commentators on the Dana Air subject, or excuse the media for shamefully placing undue emphasis on the race of the airline owners in reporting the accident (of course their major concern is to sell their papers, so the more sensational the reporting the better for them) how can we forgive the Government, who should know better than to play the race card, especially when the entire world has its eye on the country following such a traumatic accident?

As painful as the Dana incident is, there is no justification for reaction based mainly on race or ethnicity, as the actions of Government suggest. Up until the Dana case, no airline in Nigeria, or anywhere else in the world, has had its operating license suspended following an accident even when it met all regulatory requirements for aircraft and proper insurance documentation. Bellview, for instance, was not stopped from flying for a day until the management made a decision to stop its operations months after, for commercial reasons. Sosoliso’s operations were halted due insurance matters. So why was Dana’s case different?

The world over, the norm is not to ground an airline following an accident. As long as the civil aviation authority in the affected country can confirm that the other aircraft in the airline’s fleet are airworthy and that the airline is compliant with ALL applicable aviation regulations and safety standards, it is allowed to carry on with its operations while the aircraft accident investigators launch a full scale investigation into the cause of the accident.

This investigation usually takes time, and the final report is never ready in less than a year; as a matter of fact, the report of the British Airways crash of 2008 was only released in 2010 while that of the Air France crash of 2009 was only published in June 2012 – 3 years after the accident. Had the government of these countries acted based on sentiments (as in the Dana case) rather than international standards, BA and Air France may have remained on ground for 2 and 3 years respectively.

That the preliminary report of the investigation jointly conducted by the Nigerian AIB and the United States NTSB on the Dana crash is out is no longer news. And, contrary to the rumours that the crashed airplane was not airworthy, the facts show that the aircraft was in good condition. Paragraph 13 of the report states “A review of the aircraft technical logs of the previous 30 days did not indicate a condition. The airplane had last undergone maintenance on 1st June 2012, and after a return to service flight on 2nd June 2012, it was operated on four revenue flights (two round trips between LOS and ABV) and another four flights on 3rd June 2012.”

However, as per the submissions made by the Commissioner/CEO of AIB, Capt. M.S. Usman, “The content of this report is based on preliminary information. The Bureau will continue to conduct the investigation in a meticulous and methodical manner and release facts as they become validated”. Rather than come to hasty, non-evidence based conclusions, what we should do is wait for the outcome of the final report, and put pressure on the authorities to effect the recommendations of the bureau to prevent future occurrences and, if the airline or the regulator is found culpable then, make them face the full wrath of the law. This is the practice everywhere in the world.

As reported by the Ministry of Aviation, the airline has gone through a satisfactory technical, administrative and financial audit and has also completed a rigorous process of recertification, leading to the award of a new Air Operator Certificate by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). If it is found to have fulfilled all the requirements for a safe return to the air, and has demonstrated a strong commitment to fulfilling its obligations to the victims’ families as severally confirmed by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), what justification does the government or anyone have to keep the airline on ground? Surely, the race of its owners can’t be sufficient reason?

Racism, tribalism, nepotism and all the other forms of negative human relational ‘isms’ are a disease inhabiting the dirty crevices of the human soul. They are often symptomised by absurd stereotypes, fuelled by ignorance and thriving in the mind of the mentally, morally and spiritually stunted regardless of whether such predisposition is found in an illiterate person or an Emeritus professor. As Nigerians we need not look too far afield for a demonstration of its unfortunate effects; it's right here in our homes, in religious and educational institutions, and in governance. And until we shed this contemptible cloak of immaturity, we are going nowhere as a country.

The Federal Government must reaffirm to Nigerians and the whole world that discrimination between human beings on the grounds of race, colour or ethnic origin is an obstacle to friendly and peaceful relations among nations, and can jeopardize efforts to attract foreign direct investment in the country, by immediately returning to service a legitimate business concern which has over 500 Nigerians directly in its employ, and countless others indirectly.

This is most important, considering that the Charter of the United Nations is based on the principles of the dignity and equality inherent in all human beings, and that all Member States have pledged themselves to take joint and separate action, in co-operation with the Organization, for the achievement of one of the purposes of the United Nations which is to promote and encourage universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.

Ifeanyi Okoro, a Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Lagos