Senator Kalu
Former governor of Abia State and member of the Nigeria’s upper chamber, the senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has said he was not considering a retraction of what he had said on some Nigerian pilots smoking Indian hemp.
He made this statement in a telephone conversation with this correspondent when asked whether the statement was a slip.
According to him, “I am not ready for a retraction. Let whoever want to dispute what I said go ahead and make their points to the contrary. ‘
Senator Orji was owner of Slok Airline which folded in 2008 in the wake of a protracted scuffle between Kalu and Nigeria’s former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
The Nigerian government, led by President Obasanjo, revoked Slok Air’s operating license, citing “unethical practices”.
However, the Nigerian aviation regulatory body, NCAA, had countered the Nigerian lawmaker saying that his statement was far from the truth.
NCAA said Senator Kalu’s allegations of some pilots being on substance use was inaccurate and damaging to the nation’s aviation reputation.
Director General if the regulatory authority, Capt. Chris Najomo, said that it maintains a rigorous and internationally recognized system for certifying and monitoring the medical and professional fitness of all pilots operating in Nigeria.
Najomo claimed that: ” no pilot is permitted to operate a Nigerian-registered aircraft without holding both a valid pilot licence and a current medical certificate, as required by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) Part 8.4.1.4,” the statement read.
He explained that holders of Commercial Pilot Licences (CPL) and Airline Transport Pilot Licences (ATPL) are required to possess a Class 1 Medical Certificate before they are allowed to operate.
These medical certificates, he said, are issued only after comprehensive aero-medical evaluations by NCAA Authorized Aviation Medical Examiners (AAMEs) followed by approval of the medical report by NCAA’s in-house aero-medical assessors.
“Any suggestion that pilots operate under the influence of substances or without adequate checks is inaccurate. The processes in place are not only thorough but also consistent with global standards prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),” he stated.
Najomo also debunked another claim by the lawmaker that modern aircraft do not need a pilot to fly.
According to the NCAA czar, while modern aircraft are equipped with advanced autopilot and autoland systems, the systems do not replace pilot control.
He explained thus “take-offs are entirely manual operations carried out by the flight crew. Autopilot functions are only activated after take-off, usually when the aircraft reaches a safe altitude. ”
He reiterated NCAA ‘s commitment to upholding the highest standards of safety through continuous inspections, random substance testing, enforcement actions, and strict adherence to ICAO provisions.
“The NCAA remains proud of its safety oversight record and the professionalism of Nigerian flight crew,” Najomo stressed.
