Airport Reporters

 NDLEA, UBTH,  STAKEHOLDERS CALL FOR ENHANCED ALCOHOL , DRUG TESTING   The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in collaboration with the management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and other key stakeholders, has underscored the critical need for alcohol and substance abuse screening.  During the second Special Stakeholders Workshop of the hospital, Commander of Narcotics, Dr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, Edo State Commander highlighted the urgent necessity of such measures, stressing that addressing substance abuse is vital for improving safety in both workplace and public settings.   The workshop was officially declared open by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, represented by the  Commissioner for Security and Safety, Festus Ebea.  Among them ,included prominent figures from law enforcement, the judiciary, education, and healthcare sectors, who collectively emphasized that substance abuse extends beyond youth culture into office...

 United Nigeria Airlines pledges N20m to fund Chinua Achebe Prize for Fiction for 10 yrs ‎United Nigeria Airlines has pledged N20 million  to sponsor the prestigious annual Chinua Achebe Prize for Fiction, administered by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) for the next 10 years. ‎The sponsorship deal was disclosed today  by the executive chairman of the airline, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, following a discussion with the ANA president, Dr. Usman Akanbi.  Under the arrangement, the airline will provide N2 million every year for the next 10 years to ANA, bringing the total sponsorship to N20 million, a commitment the association says would guarantee the continuation of the prize regardless of the change in the state government. ‎ The yearly award which was initiated by the Anambra State government in 2021 in conjunction with the ANA leadership, has faced financial constraints in the last three years following the failure of the present state administration to cont...

  NDLEA EDO DESTROYS TWO CANNABIS FARMS OF 4,628.9KG IN IGBANKE FORESTS ....ARRESTS 10   IN ABUJA QUARTERS RAID The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in a coordinated effort to rid Edo State of illicit drug activities, has destroyed 4,628.9kg of cannabis in two plantations and arrested ten suspected drug traffickers in separate operations across the state.  Acting on credidle  intelligence, officers of the command conducted the targeted cannabis farm destruction operation at Ugboku, Igbanke Forest, in the Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the state while Abuja quarters in Benin City were equally dislodged of criminals. According to the Commander of the NDLEA in Edo State, Commander of Narcotics Mitchell Ofoyeju, PhD, the operation is in line with the Chairman's Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa’s, operational order to dislodge illicit drug locations nationwide. “In a renewed offensive tasking order, the...

  Governor Eno Leads Pre-Delivery Inspection of Ibom Air’s Third Airbus  ..Leads delegation to Canada  The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, has led a delegation of State Executives and members of the airline’s Management team to a pre-delivery inspection of Ibom Air’s third Airbus A220-300 aircraft at the Airbus production facility in Mirabel, Canada, ahead of its formal delivery and reception in Akwa Ibom State. The inspection marks another significant milestone in Ibom Air’s fleet modernization and growth strategy and is part of the acceptance process before the aircraft enters commercial service. The aircraft is Ibom Air’s third Airbus A220-300 and the second A220 to be received under the airline’s firm order for ten Airbus A220 aircraft placed in 2021. Its addition marks a further step in Ibom Air’s commitment to expanding capacity, strengthening connectivity, and operating one of Africa's most modern fleets. The delegation was received by Guillaume Chevasson, He...

 NSIB seeks more funding, expertise to boost transport investigations The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has warned that the proposed reduction of its allocation of the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) from six to four per cent would affect its ability to probe accidents across Nigeria’s aviation, rail, maritime and road transport sectors. The Director-General of the Bureau, Capt. Alex Badeh Jr., raised the concern on Friday during a virtual media chat, saying adequate funding was critical to the NSIB’s expanding responsibilities. Badeh said the Bureau has evolved from the former Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), which was primarily focused on aviation, into a multimodal safety investigation agency with responsibility for accidents across several modes of transportation. He explained that the Bureau's new mandate creates additional demands for specialised investigators, technical equipment, training and deployment of personnel to accident scenes nationwide. He said the fun...

 Aviation safety: NSIB to procure breathlyser, other kits for on-the-spot crew test The Director-General of the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Capt. Alex Badeh Jr. has disclosed that plans are ongoing to procure breathalysers and other certified testing kits to test crew members for any drug. He said the devices and other equipment would allow preliminary tests to be conducted at accident sites by the Bureau's investigators before samples are sent to laboratories. He also defended the Bureau’s handling of toxicology findings connected to one of the domestic airline's crew, saying the Bureau did not state that the pilots involved were drunk. He explained that tests detected ethyl glucuronide, a by-product of alcohol that may indicate recent consumption, but said the result did not establish when alcohol was consumed. Another test, he said, returned a positive result for THC, with the matter left for the appropriate authorities to examine. He said: "The Bureau i...