2 weeks ago
8
By Dickson Omobola
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has dismissed allegations by the Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Kalu, that Nigerian pilots regularly maltreatment drugs portion connected duty.
NCAA argued that claims of substance usage among formation unit and lapses successful its oversight responsibilities were untrue, saying Kalu’s statements were not factual and bash not bespeak the existent authorities of regulations successful the country’s aviation sector.
During plenary successful the Red Chamber, Kanu accused immoderate Nigerian pilots of utilizing Indian hemp earlier flying, saying they evade detection due to the fact that the NCAA does not behaviour on-the-spot assessments.
But the NCAA, portion reacting to the Senator’s claims successful a statement, said it has a rigorous and internationally recognised strategy for certifying and monitoring the aesculapian and nonrecreational fittingness of each pilots operating successful Nigeria.
Kanu’s allegations
Kanu said, “I person refused to alert connected galore occasions due to the fact that of the inadequacy of pilots’ preparation. While immoderate of the pilots are not prepared, immoderate usage Indian hemp. Some pilots are not decently audited by the authorities. I americium telling you this due to the fact that the NCAA, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, and others are not looking astatine these pilots and checking cause use.
“They bash not bash on-the-spot assessments for these pilots, and it is dangerous. You spot pilots walking into the planes and cipher checks their humor pressure. Boeing 737-500 has an automatic landing gear, it does not request a aviator to onshore the plane. What is required to onshore the level is simply a computer, an autopilot. Most of these pilots are truthful careless, I person seen and witnessed this myself. The NCAA indispensable emergence up to its duty.”
NCAA’s reaction
NCAA’s Director General, Captain Chris Najomo, however, said: “No aviator is permitted to run a Nigerian-registered craft without holding some a valid aviator licence and a existent aesculapian certificate, arsenic required by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) Part 8.4.1.4.
“Holders of Commercial Pilot Licences (CPL) and Airline Transport Pilot Licences (ATPL) are, by the provisions of Nig. CARs 2.3.5.1 and 2.3.7.1, required to person a Class 1 Medical Certificate earlier they are allowed to operate.
“These aesculapian certificates are issued lone aft broad aero-medical evaluations by NCAA Authorized Aviation Medical Examiners, AAMEs, followed by support of the aesculapian study by NCAA’s in-house aero-medical assessors.
Extensive examination
“The scope of these examinations is extensive. It covers cardiovascular, neurological, psychological, metabolic, respiratory, and ocular assessments to guarantee that the aviator is acceptable to run an craft safely. Nig. CARs Part 2.11.2.6(b) details the carnal and intelligence requirements that indispensable beryllium met earlier a aesculapian certificate is issued.
“The regularisation makes it wide that an applicant indispensable not endure from immoderate illness oregon information that could abruptly render them incapable to execute formation duties safely. It besides screens for the usage of psychoactive substances, intelligence oregon behavioural disorders, abnormal humor pressure, bosom oregon lung diseases, neurological disorders, and different physiological conditions that could impact harmless performance.
“Medical certificates are valid for 12 months for pilots nether 40 years of property and six months for those aged 40 and above. At the expiration of these periods, pilots indispensable acquisition a caller bid of aesculapian tests earlier their certificates tin beryllium renewed.
Prohibition
“In summation to this, Nig. CARs Part 8.5.1.5 explicitly prohibits immoderate unit subordinate from acting arsenic a formation unit subordinate wrong 8 hours aft consuming alcohol, portion nether the power of alcohol, oregon portion utilizing immoderate psychoactive substance that could impact alertness, judgement, oregon performance.
“In accordance with this regulation, NCAA carries retired on-the-spot intoxicant oregon cause investigating erstwhile determination is tenable suspicion of intoxication. It further authorizes random and unannounced investigating for unit members and allows the results of specified tests to beryllium utilized arsenic ineligible evidence.
“Beyond the aesculapian certification process, NCAA inspectors behaviour regular ramp inspections astatine airports crossed the country. These inspections are not constricted to craft al...
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