THE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has issued a fresh directive to all airport users, including important dignitaries (VIPs) and top government officials. to henceforth abide by the rules that guide airport operations and services.
This is to prevent Boko Haram sect and other undesirable elements from unleashing havoc on any airport through the possible use of vehicles as mobile bombs.
FAAN attributed its position to the growing incidence of flagrant violation of traffic regulations by VIPs and top government officials at the nation’s airports, noting that the indiscriminate parking of vehicles by the aforementioned persons at the front of the terminal buildings consequentlyto precipitate long queues and congestions.
Confirming this, the Managing Director of FAAN, Mr Saleh Dunoma, has, therefore, called on concerned organisations and individuals using the airport facilities to obey traffic rules, in order to sustain safety and security at the airports, especially the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
According to the Managing Director: “To avert the undesirable phenomenon, which portends greater danger in the light of current security climate of the intensified concerns about possible use of vehicles as mobile bombs, all VIPs and top government officials are enjoined to comply with all civil aviation measures and procedures put in place by FAAN to ensure safety at all the airports.”
Speaking on behalf of the managing director, the general manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, Yakubu Dati, described the illegal parkings by the affected persons at the airports, particularly at the Lagos airport, as contrary to air transport operation regulations, as spelt out in Annexes 9 and 17 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) convention.
According to Dati, the incidents had deteriorated to the extent that personal aides of some of these highly-placed persons and top government officials manhandle FAAN Aviation Security (AVSEC) officials whose duty it was to ensure safety and protection of the terminal building, passengers and the general public.
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