News

All 8 passengers on board crashed chopper feared dead — Police

Published

7 days ago

October 25, 2024

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The Eastwind Aviation helicopter that crashed into Bonny River, in Rivers State, yesterday, has claimed the lives of its eight occupants.

The helicopter, carrying eight persons, six passengers and two crew members, crashed from Port Harcourt Military base to FPSO NUIM ANTAN (offshore Calabar).

Rivers State Police Command said all eight persons aboard the helicopter that ditched into the Atlantic Ocean have been reportedly dead.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said: “The Rivers State Police Command regrets to inform the public of a tragic incident that occurred today, at 11am.

“Mr. Ifeanyi Udogwu, a staff of Antan Producing Limited, Port Harcourt, reported to the Command that a helicopter with the call sign number 5N-BQG (S76C+), belonging to East Wing Aviation, departed from the NAF Base in Port Harcourt. The flight was bound for Nuim Antan OML123 fields, carrying two crew members and six passengers.

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“Unfortunately, about 11a.m., the helicopter reportedly ditched into the ocean near Antan Producing Limited’s Mimbo platform and FPSO. All eight persons onboard are feared dead.

“The Marine Division of the Rivers State Police Command is cooperating with other agencies to recover the aircraft and the occupants.

“The Rivers State Police Command extends its deepest condolences to the families of the tragic times.

The incident was confirmed in a statement by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Odutayo Oluseyi.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the oil workers were contract staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL.

The statement said that three bodies have been recovered so far from the crashed helicopter, while search and rescue operations were ongoing to locate the remaining passengers.

“It said the helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76 with registration 5NBQG and operated by East Wind Aviation, was from Port Harcourt Military Base, DNPM, to the Nuimantan Oil Rig.

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“The aircraft, with eight persons on board, ditched into the waters near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean.

“The National Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, has been notified and emergency response teams were immediately activated.

“Search and rescue operations are ongoing with the support of the Nigerian Search and Rescue Unit, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, the National Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, and other relevant agencies. Neighbouring aerodromes have also been notified for support.

“While no Emergency Locator Transmitter, ELT, signal was received, manual efforts to plot the location of the accident are underway.

“And all available resources, including the military and low-flying aircraft, have been deployed to assist in locating and rescuing any survivor(s). So far, three bodies have been recovered,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, NSIB, has commenced investigation into the accident.
A statement by Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance of NSIB, Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, said: “Operating under Visual Flight Rules, VFR, the helicopter did not transmit an Emergency Locator Transmitter, ELT, signal, prompting authorities to manually plot the accident’s location to expedite search and rescue efforts.

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Search and rescue operations were activated immediately, with the NSIB collaborating closely with NEMA, NCAA, the Nigerian Armed Forces and other relevant agencies. Emergency response teams are actively working to locate survivors, with three bodies recovered so far. The search continues with support from neighbouring aerodromes, military units, and low-flying aircraft.

Quoting the Director General of NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., the statement added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families affected by this tragic incident. We are fully committed to uncovering the circumstances surrounding this accident. We will work diligently to ensure that all necessary information is collected. The public must avoid speculation during this sensitive time, as our focus is on providing clarity and accountability through our investigation.”

JUST IN: NSIB locates wreckage of crashed helicopter in Port Harcourt

Published

8 hours ago

October 31, 2024

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The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says its search and recovery teams have successfully located the wreckage of the ditched Sikorsky SK76 helicopter.

In a statement on Thursday, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, NSIB’s director of public affairs and family assistance, said the wreckage was identified during recovery dives conducted on Wednesday night.

Details later…

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News

Don’t Patronise Fake Oil And Gas Bodies, NUPENG Cautions

Published

10 hours ago

October 31, 2024

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The leadership of our Union has identified fraudulent advertisements from individuals falsely claiming to represent a dubious association of Transporters and Oil and Gas Marketers.

The association urge the public and government institutions to be vigilant against these unscrupulous figures, who seek to exploit the current economic landscape following the removal of fuel subsidies. The Union reaffirms its support for recognized associations in the industry and urges all stakeholders to reject these miscreants and their deceptive practices.

The open letter below:

The attention of the leadership of our great Union has been drawn to some advertisements on news media of some unscrupulous and dangerous individuals claiming to be members of one amorphous association they claim is both Transporters and Marketers of the Oil and Gas at the same time, and we wish to state that this association is nothing but assemblage of failed Rent Seekers in the Subsidy Regime and Irredeemable Smugglers of Petroleum Products disguising as businessmen and women.

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The general public and government institutions are hereby warned and strongly . advised to be very wary of these individuals who are desperately seeking ways and means to continue to exploit Nigerians and collecting rents in other manners since the current administration removed subsidy from petroleum products and make
smuggling unprofitable for them.

The leadership of our great Union recognizes National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) as the legitimate umbrella body of Transporters in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry and Employers of Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) of which our Union has Collective Bargaining Agreement with on behalf of Petroleum Tankers Drivers.

We also recognize Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) as well as Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) as legitimate marketers of Oil and Gas products. These are associations of Marketers that are well known and respected in the downstream sector of the Nigeria oil and gas industry.

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There is also no ambiguity in the fact that the Nigeria Labour laws only recognize Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) as the umbrella bodies
for oil and gas Workers in Nigeria. These are the two organizations that represent and protect the job interests of the Nigeria oil and gas workers including Petroleum lanker Drivers (PTD) as prescribed in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Niger
AFFILIATED TO THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC) & Industrial Global Union
Ref:
SUPPORT OUR DREAM

GAS WORKERS

We implore all well-meaning Nigerians and government officials whose names these Usurpers and Rent Seekers are dropping to urgently disregard any invitation from them and publicly denounce them because they are purely mischief-makers, names Droppers and unscrupulous business individuals that can sell their families and country for money and are unfortunately part of those that plunge the country into the current economic woes and hardship that the country is currently battling and struggling with. Following numerous failed attempts to coerce our Union into collecting money for them at various petroleum depots, they have now resorted to these names-calling and cheap blackmail to further their insidious rent-seeking schemes.

READ NNPC’s revenue hits N894.6bn, records N141.96bn surplus

Our Solidarity remains Constant for the Union makes us strong!!!

News

Finally, Joseph Wayas, ex-senate president, to be buried November 30 — three years after his death

Published

10 hours ago

October 31, 2024

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November 30 has been fixed for the burial of former Senate President Joseph Wayas, who died three years ago.

Wayas, who served as senate president from October 1, 1979, to December 31, 1983, died on November 30, 2021, at a London hospital after a protracted illness. He was 80 years old.

On July 10, his remains arrived in Nigeria after several controversies that followed the repatriation of his corpse.

Speaking on Thursday at a press briefing in Calabar, the capital of Cross River, Dorn-Cklaimz Enamhe, secretary of the central planning committee for Wayas’ burial, thanked Bassey Otu, governor of the state, and other individuals for repatriating Wayas’ body.

Enamhe noted that the committee, in collaboration with other authorities in Nigeria and the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom (UK), worked together to ascertain the authenticity of the body.

He also appreciated the media for constantly reminding the nation that the body of the former senate president was yet to be buried.

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“Unfortunately, the body has been kept this long due to issues and disagreement among members of his family,” he said.

“We had to wait for these issues to be resolved, and as of today, they have been resolved; that is why we are going ahead with the burial.”

Nsa Gil, the chief press secretary to the governor of Cross River, added that the funeral would be held at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar and later at the deceased’s hometown in Bassang, Obanliku LGA.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and many other dignitaries are expected to attend the burial.