By Kolawole Ojebisi
Heads of security agencies at the Muritala Muhammed Airport have been warned against soliciting kickbacks and tips from passengers
The warning was issued by the Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, during a crucial meeting with heads of the security agents on Tuesday
Kuku noted that airport is not a place to make money, stressing that any official caught violating the warning would face stiff penalty. The meeting was convened to tackle the persistent problems of touting and harassment of passengers at screening points.
At the meeting, Mrs Kuku launched “Operation AirClean,” making it clear that she has the full backing of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), to sanitise the airport environment
Kuku stated that she had received numerous complaints from the Presidency and the minister over activities of some security agencies operating at the airport.
The FAAN MD maintained at the meeting that the complaints were becoming embarrassing, warning officials involved to stop forthwith.
She emphasised the urgency to clean up airport terminals and eliminate unpatriotic practices among officers, saying it would no longer be business as usual.
She ordered the immediate dismantling of search tables at screening points and mandated that technology be deployed to reduce manual searches and improve interactions with passengers.
According to her, the activities of some of the officers could discourage investment into the country as the MMIA for instance remains the first port of call for visitors in Nigeria.
She said, “Investors are complaining. Lagos Airport, that’s the first thing they see. You get down from the plane you see Welcome to Nigeria.
“The number of messages I receive from passengers, from the Honourable Minister and from the Presidency is insane especially in Lagos Airport.
“But I want to focus on AVSEC (Aviation Security). You represent an agency and an organisation. The way you engage, ‘Aunty wetin you bring come for us, Aunty bye bye, Aunty open your bag.’
“I’ve gotten some feedback from AVSEC officers saying that they are not collecting pensions, so this is the way for them to generate or earn their pension. This has to stop. I have a very clear directive.
“If your organisation is found wanting it means that you as a leader has failed and this better stop. I also hear that agencies are giving returns to their bosses. So let’s have a frank conversation here.
“The airport is no longer a place to come and make money. So if anybody in your organisation is asking you to keep returns, I am saying the same thing to AVSEC and to all of the agencies here, you better tell them you don’t want to come here because the penalties are going to be very stiff.”
She stated that collaboration and intelligence sharing among agencies were essential for enhancing service delivery.
The FAAN MD announced that her administration would deploy mystery shoppers equipped with body cameras to assess the performance of officials at both arrival and departure security and screening areas.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Immigration Services, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigerian Quarantine Services, Nigerian Police Force, Directorate of Security Services, Nigerian Customs Services, and Aviation Security Services.
There are many security and paramilitary agencies operating at the airport to ensure seamless conduct of activities.
They include the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in addition to the Police, DSS, Army, Civil Defence, among others.
Over time there have been complaints from foreigners and Nigerians arriving at the MMIA, the busiest airport, and others over demand for tips.
