In a bid to curb illegal activities and eliminate touting at the Hajj and Cargo Terminal area of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has set up a task force to commence screening of operations within the terminal.
Following the development, activities at the terminal has now been restricted to 12 hours (7am-7pm) from the initial 24 hours period.
While exit and entrance gates at the terminal would now be opened for commercial activities as from 7am while the gates are locked at 7pm, the new regime would however not affect the operational activities, but commercial activities within the terminal.
Speaking on the new development, the Terminal Manager, Hajj and Cargo Terminal, Mr Asizehi Musa said that the introduction of the task force was not meant to threaten any agency or operator, but to ensure orderliness at the terminal, reduce touting activities and make the airports compliant with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
According to Musa, with the new initiative, no truck would be allowed to spend the night at the terminal just as FAAN would provide a patrol vehicle, which would monitor activities at the terminal to ensure that only those who have business within the terminal are allowed in.
Musa on behalf of FAAN promised to cooperate with all stakeholders especially the cargo agents, Nigeria Customs Service, ground handling companies, Nigeria Police and other stakeholders within the terminal.
His words; “For many years, the issue of access control has been on the front burner and it seems the FAAN is incapacitated, which is not true. But, we can’t allow things to continue like this. Access control is very important and necessary to the safety of all users. The era of 34 hours operation would be a thing of the past.