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Job Osazuwa
A Lagos-based firm, Century Group, recently rewarded some Nigerians and regulatory bodies in the aviation sector for promoting safety in their work environment.
At the event, which was held in Lagos, a pilot and cabin crewmembers of Arik Air Limited, as well as officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) smiled home with cash prizes and plaques as rewards for displaying safety in air transportation.
Group executive director of the company, Mr. Alaba Owoyemi, said the recognition was part of CG’s strategy to promote a culture of safety in the workplace. He said the firm, which focuses on diverse services and customised oil field solutions, does not compromise on safety.
Owoyemi said it has been proven beyond every doubt that, all over the world, there is a correlation between productivity, safety and health in any work environment because the lower the safety and health standards, the lower the productivity of the organisation, particularly in a highly mechanised and labour-intensive environment.
He noted that the testimony shared by Century Group’s workers of how Arik crewmembers controlled a turbulent flight on October 28, 2018, spurred the firm to honour the staff who displayed utmost professionalism while the trouble lasted.
“We are happy to be identified with the recipients of these awards because they have exhibited the spirit and character that the Century brand stands for, courage, professionalism and passion. Above all, let workers, irrespective of what they do, know that people are watching them,” Owoyemi said.
One of the passengers on board the said flight, Chief Ebikekeme Ere, commended the pilot, Captain Festus Grant Onokah, for a job well done. He said the pilot and the lead cabin crewmember, Ijeoma Onah, gave the passengers the assurance that there was no need to panic.
He said the the team’s handling of the frightful situation proved that there were still dedicated workers on top of their game, and the airline staff succeeded in saving lives that day.
Courtesy of the award, Onokah went home with N1.5 million, Onah, Oluwafadekemi Afolabi and Enejo Jacob went home with N500,000 each.
The pilot, while thanking Century Group for recognising him for discharging his routine duty, said he was only nine months old on the job when he flew the aircraft.
Speaking with Daily Sun on what transpired that fateful day, Onokah said he was not a superhero, but he merely summoned the courage to put his fear behind him, take charge of the situation and ensure that the flight landed safely.
His words: “It is always a pleasure to be honoured by a company that takes safety as a priority. We are glad to be at the forefront of safety. This is a motivation for us to do better in the future to ensure that we don’t put passengers’ lives in any form of danger.
“When there are issues, we make use of the best of our professional training to ensure that the flight and the people land safely. Even though I was a fresh pilot at the time of the incident, my training made it possible for me to contribute positively to the safety of the flight. We are trained not to give up, whatever the situation.”
Chief pilot of Arik, Captain Abdulahi Mahmood, said he was not surprised that the young pilot rescued the flight. He boasted that the company was one of the airlines in the country that did not trifle with training and retraining of staff.
The head of the risk management department, Lagos State Safety Commission, who represented the then director-general of the National Industrial Society Council of Nigeria, Hakeem Dickson, said it was commendable that the firm was rewarding those propagating safety measures.
On his part, the head of media and communications, Century Group, James Useghan, said his company would not relent in ensuring that every Nigerian embraces safety-consciousness at all times.
