Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders (CONYL) comprised of youths from across the six geopolitical zones has supported Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s recent proposal that Nigeria should conduct drug tests for its commercial airline pilots.
In a communiqué issued jointly by its President-General, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, and other top officials like Comrade Adeyemo Adewale (Publicity Secretary), Comrade Junaid Abubakar (Secretary-General), and Comrade Iniobong Sampson (PRO), the group described Kalu’s remarks on the Senate floor as “bold, necessary, and based on true industry experience.”
The coalition praised the senator, who is also an aviation operator, for raising the issue of pilots being stoned on drugs while in flight. Kalu had earlier quoted a frightening experience where a pilot overshot a runway and subsequently tested positive for substance use, warning that such recklessness will lead to catastrophic results.
We applaud Senator Kalu for bringing this issue up. This is not rumor there are real cases, one of which is that drug use by a pilot caused a runway overshoot. We cannot allow such risks in our airspace,” the statement read.
CONYL urged the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to immediately tighten its medical and regulatory framework by instituting routine, mandatory, and random drug tests on all pilots who fly in Nigerian airspace.
“Pilots are at the beck and call of hundreds of lives daily. Thorough and regular medical screening, especially for drug use, must be nil nisi. The NCAA should beef up its compliance regime effective immediately,” the coalition stated.
It also asked the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to cooperate directly with aviation authorities by deploying medical and enforcement teams to support the testing and monitoring process.
“NDLEA’s participation would add credibility and expertise. This is not an aviation matter it’s a matter of national security and public health,” the group further stated.
Emphasizing the security of crew and passengers, CONYL warned any delay in strict medical requirements would lead to unwarranted tragedies.
“It is our common responsibility to ensure that sober, sound, and medically healthy individuals only are allowed to soar the skies. The authorities must act sternly lives are involved,” the message concluded.
