- Threatens Legal Action Against Fani-Kayode
- FAAN Accuses Adamawa Gov, Fintiri Of Flouting Covid-19 Protocols At Port-Harcourt Airport
By Kolawole Ojebisi
Former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, has denied assaulting an airport official at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on Saturday.
The New Diplomat had reported how the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Wednesday accused the ex-governor of assaulting the unnamed official that attempted to disinfect his luggage in line with established COVID-19 protocols.
“He refused to adhere to the protocols and procedures put in place by the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 by forcefully pushing away an officer of the Environment Department when he insisted that his luggage must be disinfected.
“The former Governor said the officer should have known he is a VIP,” the statement read in part.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Yari’s media consultant, Mayowa Oluwabiyi, demanded a retraction of the statement and an apology from FAAN for the falsehood peddled against him.
The ex-governor said that although he used the airport on the said date, no such incident occurred.
“The attention of H.E Abdulaziz Yari, the former Governor of Zamfara State has been drawn to a tweet posted on Wednesday, 15th July, 2020 on the official Twitter account of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that alleges that the ex-governor assaulted an airport official on Saturday 11th July, 2020 at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.
“We wish to state categorically that H.E Abdulaziz Yari did pass through the MAKIA on the said day, but did not assault any airport official. He also followed all the COVID-19 preventive protocols set by FAAN.
“The incident cited in the tweet simply never happened.
“H.E Abdulaziz Yari finds the tweet odious and distasteful, he therefore demands that FAAN retract the offensive tweet and tender an immediate public apology to him for the falsehood published about his person,” Oluwabiyi’s statement read in part.
Yari said he was in support of the efforts of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 to curtail the spread of the lethal virus and held the Federal Government in high esteem.
“We wish to re-affirm that H.E Abdulaziz Yari, the former governor of Zamfara state is a law-abiding Nigerian who will never resort to violence on any issue whatsoever.
“H.E Yari holds the Federal Government of Nigeria in very high esteem and supports all steps taken by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to fight the deadly pandemic.”
Reacting to Ex-Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode’s comments on the allegation he called it ‘unwarranted’ and it can not be ‘winked at’ adding that he would hear from his lawyers soon.
The ex-governor noted that Fani-Kayode launched a vicious and unwarranted attack against his person.
“However, the vicious attack on the person and reputation of H.E Abdulaziz Yari cannot be winked at,” Oluwabiyi noted.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has alleged Governor Ahmadu of Adamawa State of refusing to have his temperature checked and get sanitised at the Port Harcourt Airport on Tuesday.
FAAN said those actions violated Airport Security and Public Health protocols as directed by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
It added that the governor’s entourage of eight persons also did the same thing.
The agency stated this in a series of tweets via its official Twitter handle on Thursday.
The agency said, “The Management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) hereby strongly condemns the conduct of the Governor of Adamawa state Alh Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who arrived Port Harcourt international Airport aboard aircraft 5N-IZY, at 17:08 hrs on 14th July 2020 with 8 others, and who flagrantly refused to observe the Airport Security and Public Health protocols as directed by the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 by refusing to have his temperature checked, or being sanitised by the health officials.
“His whole entourage of 8 did exactly as he did. The team that came to receive them drove right through the barricades up to the terminal building ignoring traffic and Aviation Security instructions.
“This irresponsible act endangers all other airport users; it is unacceptable, and as such it has also been duly escalated.”
Governor Fintiri was yet to respond to the allegations as of the time this report.
