Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, have urged the Federal Government agencies investigating the helicopter crash in Port Harcourt to do a thorough job.
Last Thursday, a helicopter operated by East Wind Aviation ditched into the Bonny River in Rivers State resulting in the death of eight individuals, six contract staff of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, and two crew members.
While five bodies had been recovered, three persons remained unaccounted for as of the time of filing this report.
A statement by President of the NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, said one of the crew members was a member of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, and noted that a comprehensive investigation into the accident would provide lessons capable of preventing a similar occurrence in the future.
Also, PANDEF described the incident as a dark day for Rivers State, tasking the investigators not to leave any stone unturned.
Their appeals came after the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, said it has intensified search and recovery efforts.
Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, NSIB, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, had stated: "On the morning of October 25, 2024, at 07:30 AM local time, rescue teams resumed search operations. The search area was expanded as part of ongoing efforts to locate debris or signs of survivors. A team of NSIB Aviation Safety Investigators and Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development representatives arrived at the Nuim Antan facility at 11:30 AM local time. Investigators conducted interviews with relevant staff to gather information pertinent to the ongoing investigation. The investigative team completed their on-site interviews and departed the FPSO by 3:24 PM.
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"At approximately 6:15 PM, search operations were suspended due to diminishing daylight. Unfortunately, no debris, survivors, or bodies were recovered during the day's search. However, the divers successfully established a secured diving perimeter at an expected location of the wreck, which will guide the operations planned for tomorrow (yesterday). The perimeter depth has been measured at 40-50 metres, and additional diving equipment and resources will be deployed to aid in the continuation of these efforts."
On its part, NLC stated: "While this tragic loss was labelled an accident, it underscores the critical need for reliable flight equipment, effective communication, and robust search-and-rescue capabilities. We urgently call on the relevant agencies in aviation and oil and gas to enact rigorous frameworks that prioritise workers' safety and prevent further tragedies. The NLC demands that the federal government, through all pertinent agencies, conducts a thorough investigation into the causes of this crash. Only through a comprehensive inquiry can we uncover the lessons necessary to prevent such tragedies in the future and ensure that Nigerian workers are better protected."
Meanwhile, National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Dr Obiuwevbi Ominimini, in a statement, added: "PANDEF notes that it was a dark day for the Rivers State, the federal government, especially the aviation sector, where energetic persons who were oil workers and contract staff of NNPCL died in the process. PANDEF also calls on all relevant agencies to ensure no stone is left unturned in unearthing the immediate and remote causes of this tragic occurrence and all the measures required to be put in place to forestall any further occurrence."
