Bristow crash: We will not hire foreign expertise if need doesn't arise - AIB

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), has said it will not hire foreign experts to extract information from the black box of the crashed Bristow helicopter, if the need does not arise.
Tunji Oketunbi, the General Manager, Public Affairs of AIB told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.

Oketunbi said that its accident investigators had been well trained on how to handle the task.
``At the moment, our investigators are up to the task to download the information from the device, but we may need technical assistance of foreign experts, if the need only arises.’’

Oketunbi said that its accident investigators had been well trained by a Canadian firm, CAE Flightscope, supplier of the laboratory equipment on how to download content from any crashed aircraft black boxes.
``The supplier of the laboratory equipment came to Nigeria sometime ago to train our accident investigators on the use of the equipment for a week or so.
``Our investigators are now competent to extract stored information from any black box brought to the laboratory but the supplier of the equipment may give technical support if the need arises,’’ he said.

The AIB used to spend millions of dollars flying the vital objects overseas to decode.
Oketunbi said the training and technical support was part of its agreement with the supplier before the equipment was bought from the company.

``This is part of our agreement before the equipment was purchased from them, it is not just to supply us the equipment, there is also technical support because it will take time.
``Maybe over a period of time, to offer us technical support on anything we need from them. This is because our investigators cannot understand the equipment overnight.
``This is due to the fact that the equipment are not used on daily basis to have made them to be grounded enough with the handling of the equipment.
``You may have accident today and you may not have one for the next two to five years.
``And during the cause of using the equipment, the bureau may still need their technical support, and this supplier is just a phone call away from us,’’ he said.

Oketunbi said that AIB was not under pressure to extract stored contents from the black box of the ill-fated Bristow helicopter that crashed on Wednesday.
He noted that extraction of such information required no time-line in achieving the task.

``There are a lot of other things we are doing, for example, we are examining the Bristow helicopters' wreckage at the moment.
``We have seen the black box, it is with us now but we still need to gather more facts from different agencies, interview people that have information about the crash incident.
``We will definitely download the information from the black box, but I don't have the exact time it will be done," he said.

SUN/NAN/LH

Community Development in the heart of Lagos State Govt - Ambode

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Monday reaffirmed his commitment to make community governance the spring board for economic and social development of the state.

Ambode said this at a parley with members of the various Community Development Associations (CDAs), Community Development Councils (CDC) and other stakeholders at the Government House, Alausa, Ikeja.
He said that the establishment of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs placed community development in the heart of government.

''I am aware that there are 57 Community Development Councils synonymous with each Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas in the State.

''There is an Advisory Council which is the highest body giving advice to the government on community development.

''The over 3, 100 CDAs have provided a veritable platform to mobilise your members to assist in the quest for infrastructure provision and social renewal state-wide.

''Sustainability of the various interventions should now be a mojor concern of the CDAs in their neighborhood as the government alone cannot provide all community needs as of date.

''The people have to be mobilised to 'do- it- themselves' to complement government's efforts.

''I urge you to embrace this 'self-help' or community development approach as a veritable tool for sustainable development advanced by this administration, '' he said.

Ambode said that the state government had embarked on Local Government reforms as part of ensuring inclusive governance as well as included CDAs in the budgetary cycle of the state.
He also promised to embark on local government tour to appreciate CDAs and get their needs directly, as part of participatory governance.

The governor urged the associations to be alive to their responsibilities of civil enlightenment, monitoring and upkeep of provided facilities,  good environmental sanitation, and payment of dues to government.

Earlier, Alhaji Tajudeen Quadri, Chairman, Lagos State Community Development Advisory Council (LSCDAC), urged the government to recognise the CDAs and CDC by allowing them have input in government policies.

Quadri also said that they wanted to be involved in project conception and accommodated in the state budget to enhance grassroots participation.

 LH/NAN

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Olajide Basorun, has stated that over 360 students benefited from the Agric-Yes Summer School Programme for Secondary School Students in Lagos.

He noted this in a statement signed by the Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo that the ministry organised the programme to further boost students interest in agriculture.

``The Agric-Yes Summer School Programme was initiated to provide students with the technical skill that will be administered through on-farm practical teaching and field demonstrations, it said.

It stated that the14-day intensive training at the Agricultural Training Institute, Araga, Epe, Lagos, was the sixth in its series.

``As matter of deliberate policy, the Lagos State Government introduced the school agricultural programme more than 20 years ago.

``The purpose of the programme is to encourage students understand the business side agriculture and not just as subsistence farming as many people perceive it, the statement quoted him as saying.

It said that agricultural programmes such as aquaculture, vegetable farming by using greenhouse technology and some form of agro- processing programmes had been introduced to schools over the years.

According to the statement, the state government had also introduced the formation of Young Farmers Club in some public schools in the state.

LH/NAN