The Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Engr. Akin Olateru, has anticipated the creation of a Family Assistance Unit to cater for the psychological and emotional needs of the families of air crash victims.
He disclosed this recently in Abuja, during a press briefing jointly organized by AIB and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to memorialize the International Day of Air Crash Victims and their Families.
The AIB boss expressed his desire to see the creation of the said unit, which he hopes will happen following the establishment of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) , with the goal of supporting families of crash victims as they deal with their grief, by providing them with timely information about the accident; transporting them to the site of the crash; facilitating the identification and recovery of casualties’ remains; making sure they obtain the victims’ personal effects etc.
The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu who stressed the importance of safety to avoid accidents from happening in the first place had this to say:
“According to AIB statistics, Nigeria has lost over two thousand (2000) lives to plane crashes since 1969. This is one person too much. We do not want to lose a single person to air crashes. Unfortunately, air crashes do happen, and it is our duty and responsibility to do whatever we can to take care of the victims’ families, and today is one such day.”
The Director of Flight Operations (DFO) for United Nigeria Airline, Capt. Chimara Imediegwu who spoke on behalf of the airlines laid emphasis on the need to acknowledge the reality of the grieving families, which was the reason for the event in the first place, and added, “These pains last, and the only thing we can do is ensure the avoidance of accidents by training and through every other measure.”
Speaking on behalf of a grieving family following the ADC crash of 2005, Erik Briggs shared his thoughts: “This initiative is indeed welcoming, and I believe anyone who has lost someone will be happy to know that airline operators and regulators have a heart, and are concerned about how they cope going forward.”
