Follow Us on Google
By Chinelo Obogo
The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) today frowned at the activities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) operating at the nation’s airports, especially the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
This is coming as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it is currently investigating six agency personnel that have been caught extorting money from passengers at the airport stating that it will escalate this to the National Security Adviser (NSA) and initiate permanent bans on culprits so they will never work in any airport in the country ever.
This was made known at the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat Training session on Promoting Ease of doing business and Customer Service for MDAs operating at the Airports (Front-line officers) held in MMIA Conference Centre Lagos.
Special Adviser to the President on the Ease of Doing Business, Dr. Jumoke Odulowe who expressed the thoughts of President Muhammadu Buhari over the series of viral videos that have trended over the social media warned that if the heads of these agencies are not held responsible for the action of their staff,there may be a clean sweep as the inefficiency and corruption at the MMIA has become unbearable.
Speaking to uniformed personnel at the airport including FAAN AVSEC, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Quarantine Dr. Odulowe said the airport has become a place where officials do anything they like without facing the consequences.
Managing director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu, who spoke on the current malaise explained that in the light of the extortion issues, there would be a monthly compilation of the list of violators and video clips or bank statement of the people that have been extorted or harassed for each agency and copy the National Security Adviser (NSA), PEBEC and the Minister of Aviation.
” In the light of all these videos, I called an emergency meeting and said if these things are happening and there is no reaction, then there is a problem.The action we are taking now is if you are caught, MMA will write to the headquarters and we will compile a list of violators every month and video clips or bank statement of the people that have been extorted or harassed to their headquarters. We will also copy the National Security Adviser (NSA) and copy PEBEC and copy the Minister of Aviation, that way agencies will be forcing themselves to say don’t embarrass us.
“We will enforce, discipline and we will not cover up, which is the biggest cause of the issues. Agencies want to cover their own, FAAN wants to cover its own, stakeholders and airlines want to cover that is why people arr becoming emboldened and others that are not doing it see that there is no advantage because the others have more money and more privileges and so they join.
“If we get anyone, we will initiate his ban from airports permanently across Nigeria. If we identify any bad egg, we will ban him for life and nothing will happen. So is it worth it? Must it go to that length? No.
“Right now I have six people reported and submitted to me on Friday from different agencies, some even collect money and put it in the passport and then take it to another, the officer will look at it remove the money and give them back,” Yadudu said.
