By Ime Akpan
Lagos
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has shelved issuing medical certificates to five cabin crew members who tested positive for marijuana.
Spokesman for NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogboye said in a statement issued in Lagos yesterday that the five persons whose names he did not disclose tested positive to the drug during a multi-drug screening test (MDST) conducted on participants of the cabin crew training basic course – 30 (CCTB – 30) at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria, Kaduna state on June 2, 2016.
Consequently, he said he NCAA had suspended the medical certificates of the affected candidates for six months from the date they receive a letter from the agency.
He also said the agency had directed the suspended persons to undergo rehabilitation for psychoactive substance abuse under strict supervision of a consultant psychiatrist at designated medical centres.
He further said NCAA had put on hold the processing of the candidates’ initial cabin crew licence.
He added that the actions taken are in accordance with the provision of Part 2.11.1.8 (f) (i) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. NCARs) 2015.
“Upon receipt of the test result from NCAT Zaria where they went for training before they got involved, NCAA issued a letter of investigation (LOI) to the involved crew members and they responded.
“The authority accordingly considered their responses which were in writing after it had been duly established that they all tested positive to Tetra Hydro Cannabinol (THC – Marijuana).
“This is a substance deemed under Part 1.2.1.8 of the Nig. NCARs 2015 to be a psychoactive substance which made the defaulters disoriented and thereby violated Part 2.11.2.7 (b) (2) (a) (ii) of the Nig. NCARs 2015.
“Consequent upon the findings, the defaulted crew members no longer meet the requirements for the issuance of a cabin crew licence.
Adurogboye also said NCAA had requested the candidates to repeat the examination stressing that they “will not be issued the cabin crew licence even if they pass the examination until they are successfully rehabilitated and re-issued the medical certificate.”
After the rehabilitation, a report “is expected to be forwarded in strict confidence by the medical centre to the Authority for consideration of re-issuance of their medical certificate in accordance with the provisions of Part 2.2.9.2 (a) of the Nig. NCARs 2015.”
