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How Helicopter Carrying Wigwe Crashed, US Gov’t Gives Graphic Account In Interim Report

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The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has announced that it has received an initial report from the United States’ National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding the accident involving an Airbus Helicopter EC130B4, which tragically claimed the life of former Access Holdings Group Chief Executive Officer, Herbert Wigwe.

According to ATLANTIC REPORTERS, the crash occurred on February 9, 2024, near Halloran Springs, California, United States, while Wigwe, his wife Doreen, son Chizi, former chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) Mr. Abimbola Ogunbanjo, and two pilots were traveling.

In a statement by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, the NSIB revealed that the NTSB provided a detailed account of the accident. The preliminary findings suggest that the helicopter sustained severe damage upon impact, leading to the fragmentation of its major components.

The NSIB further explained that, as per the prerogative granted by the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Annex 13, it has the authority to access investigation information on aviation accidents and incidents involving Nigerian-registered aircraft or Nigerian citizens in 193 member-states of the ICAO.

The NSIB stated that it has been actively collaborating with the NTSB since the onset of the investigation. The NTSB shared the preliminary report, which contains crucial details regarding the flight path, accident scene, and initial findings from the wreckage examination.

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The report indicated that adverse weather conditions, including rain and snow, were encountered during the flight. Witnesses reported observing a ‘fireball’ in the area, leading to calls to emergency services.

Subsequently, the wreckage was found in mountainous desert terrain near Halloran Springs, California. Analysis of the accident site revealed a scattered debris pattern along with a ground crater containing fragments of the helicopter’s landing gear and cockpit wiring.

The fuselage was fragmented, and both the cockpit and cabin were destroyed. The report also highlighted thermal damage to debris and vegetation, indicating the collision’s intensity.

Data analysis, including automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, operator reports, and eyewitness accounts, was utilized to reconstruct the flight path and sequence of events leading to the accident.

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Hospital Board Suspends Doctor Over Negligence In Kano

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Dr. Mansur Nagoda, the Executive Secretary of the Kano State Hospitals Management Board, has sanctioned the immediate suspension of a medical officer at the Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital. This action follows numerous complaints from patients and staff regarding the doctor’s unauthorized absence from duty.

Dr. Nagoda disclosed that the suspended doctor, whose identity is withheld, left the hospital without informing any authority or management personnel. Despite attempts to reach her, she claimed to be on the premises but failed to report to the doctors’ quarters or fulfill her duties, leaving a dialysis patient distressed.

Emphasizing the ethical responsibility of doctors to prioritize patient care, Dr. Nagoda stressed the need for accountability and professionalism within the healthcare system. He warned that proper arrangements must be made with another doctor when absent from duty, and negligence will not be tolerated.

The suspension will remain in effect pending the investigation’s outcome, demonstrating the board’s commitment to upholding standards of conduct among healthcare workers. Dr. Nagoda reiterated the board’s expectation for all personnel to fulfill their duties diligently, emphasizing consequences for those found derelict in their responsibilities.

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Oyebanji approves 50% subsidy on improved oil palm, cocoa, cashew seedlings for Ekiti farmers

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Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of Ekiti State has authorized a 50 percent subsidy on oil palm, cocoa, and cashew seedlings for distribution to farmers in the state during this planting season. Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, conveyed this information in a statement released to the press in Ado-Ekiti.

He explained that this initiative is part of the strategic measures undertaken by the Oyebanji administration to generate employment, foster wealth creation, and revive Ekiti State’s agricultural sector to its former glory, particularly harking back to the prosperous era of the 1970s when it was renowned globally as a leading cocoa production hub in Nigeria.

Boluwade emphasized that the program aims to rejuvenate the state’s agricultural prowess by replacing aging trees in existing plantations and those lost to bushfires with high-quality seedlings possessing shorter gestation periods. Furthermore, concerted efforts are underway to attract enthusiastic young farmers into cocoa plantation farming.

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‘We’ve no hotel’ – Nigerian Correctional Service clears air

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The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) clarified that the Correctional Service Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society (COCOS) Hotel and Gardens Project was not financed by the Federal Government. Umar Abubakar, the agency’s Public Relations Officer, made this statement in Abuja on Wednesday, emphasizing that the hotel was an investment of the NCoS Cooperative Society.

Responding to concerns raised about the facility, Abubakar stressed that the hotel, featured on the Service’s official Facebook page, was solely aimed at enhancing staff welfare. He attributed its establishment to strategic planning and efficiency within the agency’s cooperative unit.

Abubakar expressed bewilderment at attempts to discourage meaningful investments, highlighting that the “COCOS Hotels and Gardens” was inaugurated on March 1, 2021, by former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola. He asserted that the report in question is not only deceptive but also aimed at spreading misinformation. Abubakar clarified that the hotel was constructed in 2021 and is exclusively owned by the Correctional Cooperative Society, established in 1996 for all personnel of the service.

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