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Tag: airport

  • Four egest 171 wraps of cocaine at airport

    Four egest 171 wraps of cocaine at airport

    Four suspected traffickers have egested 171 wraps of cocaine after being placed under observation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    The suspects, according to NDLEA, tested positive for cocaine ingestion and were placed under observation until the drugs were expelled.

    NDLEA Lagos Airport commander Hamza Umar said the suspects swallowed 171 wraps of cocaine weighing 4.19kg.

    Umar said: “One Ejiofor Eliezer (46) ingested 100 wraps of cocaine weighing 2.155kg.  This is the highest single ingestion since January 2015. Obah Ifeanyi Francis (30) ingested 40 wraps weighing 740 grammes while Akpa Cornelus Sobuzochukwu (27) ingested 26 wraps weighing 445 grammes. Another suspect, Ike Vincent Okechukwu (36) swallowed 5 wraps weighing 85 grammes.”

    Umar said Eliezer and Francis were caught during screening of passengers on an Emirates flight; Sobuzochukwu and Okechukwu were nabbed during screening of passengers on a Qatar airline flight.

    Ejiofor, who lived in Brazil for two years, attributed his involvement in drug trafficking to poverty.

    He said: “I live in Brazil where I work in a supermarket and I am married with four children. Life in Brazil is tough because I live from hand to mouth. I have no savings, in fact it was poverty that made me to smuggle drugs. I took risk by swallowing 100 wraps of cocaine for N200, 000 because of poverty.”

    Francis, also from Anambra State, said he wanted to make quick money from cocaine trafficking but his friend disappointed him.

    “I have been working in Brazil for two years. At present, I work in a bakery and my salary is meagre. My plan was to give the drug to a friend in Dubai but he did not come to collect the drug as planned. This was how I had to come to Nigeria with the drug. I blame my friend for my arrest because I would have made 15,000 US dollars from the deal,” he said.

    Sobuzochukwu, who holds a diploma in accounting, said he was frustrated working as a cleaner with poor salary.

    “I hold a diploma in Accounting from the Institute of Management Technology, Enugu. I travelled to Brazil in search of better job but I ended up as a cleaner in a train station. My father is sick and I cannot afford return ticket to Nigeria let alone pay the hospital bill. I know I made a big mistake but I smuggled cocaine out of frustration. I would have been paid 1,500 US dollars,” he said.

    Okechukwu said he was arrested because he made a mistake.

    He said: “My arrest was a miscalculation. I thought that the five wraps of cocaine will not be detected. I regret my involvement in drug trafficking. I dropped out of school in Junior Secondary School class two and I work in a toy company in Brazil.”

     

  • Suspected stowaway teenager arrested at airport

    There was anxiety yesterday at the Lagos Airport as a suspected stowaway teenager was arrested at a private terminal where he attempted to gain entrance into the tyre compartment of an aircraft.

    Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), confirmed the incident, but pleaded not to be named.

    The officials said the teenager gained entrance through the Nigeria Air Force section of the airport.

    According to sources, the male teenager allegedly breached security to stowaway into the aircraft parked at a hangar near the international wing of the airport.

    Investigations revealed that the teenager was discovered yesterday afternoon when pilots of the aircraft were carrying our routine inspection before starting the aircraft engine.

    The commanding pilot of the aircraft was said to have detected the boy in the tyre compartment of the aircraft.

    Two mobile phone sets without SIM cards were also found at the tyre compartment of the aircraft.

    A source hinted that the teenager told the police that he entered the hangar through the facility of Air Defence Corp of Nigerian Headquarters located next to the Presidential/VIP Lounge at the weekend with the connivance of a person he identified as ‘a brother.’

    The teenager, the source said, crossed the L18 runway over to ExecuJet facility at the international wing, a distance of about one kilometre, at night when he noticed there was no flight landing or taking off.

    The aircraft operated by a charter company was said to have flown a former Minister of Petroleum into Lagos airport on Saturday night and parked at the private hangar, where it was expected to take off before the incident happened.

    Military officials could not be reached for confirmation of the incident.

    It was learnt that military authorities and the terminal operators are already trading blames over the ugly development over what a source described as security lapses.

    Investigations, it was learnt has commenced on the incident.

  • Multiple airport taxes, charges weigh down operators

    Multiple airport taxes, charges weigh down operators

    Airline operators are groaning under the burden of increasing costs of operations, occasioned by multiple taxes and other airport charges. They are asking that these charges be harmonised in line with global practice, reports Aviation Correspondent KELVIN OSA- OKUNBOR.

    There is growing discontent among domestic operators over rising  airport taxes and charges.

    They are querying the rationale for such exorbitant charges in Nigerian, saying they are the highest in the world.

    There is considerable concern that the development might cripple the domestic segment of the aviation sector, therefore airline operators are calling on government to harmonise  airport taxes and charges as applicable in other parts of the world

    Last week,  Domestic airline operators  met in  Lagos to engage officials  of the Ministry of Aviation tom explore ways on how to review the domestic charges, arguing that the prevailing airport  charges and taxes if left unchecked, could  stifle their business.

    The International Air Transport Association ( IATA), is in agreement with the domestic operators, saying that airport charges in Nigeria are the highest in the world.

    Among the charges Nigeria domestic operators are subjected to, are landing and parking fees, fuel surcharge, passenger service charge and ticket sales charge .

    Others are ground rent, Value Added Tax (VAT), terminal charges, apron pass charge, toll gate charges, apron licence charge and vehicle permit charge.

    Such charges, many of which IATA consider prohibitive, are not customer friendly, and could serve as a disincentive to airlines and other players who are willing to set up similar business in the country .

    Speaking at a recent event in Nigeria, IATA Director-General,  Tony Tyler, said the global body is working closely with the Nigerian government to resolve the  high charge regimes for air navigation services, saying Nigeria is among the countries with high aviation taxes in the world.

    Many international and domestic airlines attribute the high cost of air tickets to the multiple taxes and charges.

    Tyler argued that beside  the limited physical infrastructure, there are other deficiences, which must be addressed as they concern airport charges.

    He said the high charges in the face of inadequate airports’ facilities cannot be justified.

    Worried the trend, the Federal Government two weeks ago inaugurated a committee to review airport rates. Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, said the task of the committee would be to ascertain the appropriateness of the charges imposed on air travellers and  ensure that all users of our airport facilities are paying charges that are comparable with what is obtainable across the world and in our neighbouring countries.

    He said: “Customers have largely complained and I have listened to them on the charges and we decided to investigate and find out what the charges are, what they are paying,  and then compare it with other countries because my job as the minister is to measure and improve and if we do not measure, we cannot improve.

    “So, we are seeking that the  committee will review all Nigeria Aviation and Aeronautical and Passenger Charges. We will like to know if all the fees that passengers pay from the toll gate to hiring of cars to convey them, we want to determine the factors behind the charges and we want to know if the charges is the same with other countries.

    “To determine the factors responsible for the disparity (if any) between the charges and those of other countries with similar regional conditions. Also to determine why some of the neighbouring West African countries are customers of choice to international airlines and aviation companies.”

    The minister said the committee is expected to submit the report of their findings in four weeks’ time, adding that the committee would liaise with operators and others to find a way around the high airport charges.

    Already, the committee has begun sitting in  Lagos, and operators have been submitting their proposals on how to resolve the high charge regime.

    The Executive Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria ( AON ), Captain Nogie Meggison, while commenting on the issue, said there is need for government to harmonise the charges and taxes levied operators to make the business environment customer friendly .

    He said :” The multiple taxes, levies and airport charges have ripple effects on airline business .They have their collateral effect on the operations of airlines.  The airport charges, taxes, navigation fees, and other levies introduced by government are affecting the business.”

    He said the multiple charges have direct impact on the operations and profitability of airlines, stating that a collapse of the charges into a unified block will assist operators, whether they are involved in charter, or scheduled flight operations.

    “We advocate a one-stop shop payment system. It would be of immense benefit to domestic airlines.

    “We think it is good, it is the way to go. It will assist airlines to rework their cost of operations, which we continue to argue, is on the high side. We pay VAT, passenger service charge and five per cent charges to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and we also pay charges to NAMA. So, how many taxes are you going to pay. So, I think the policy should be looked at, unfair taxation and double taxation.”

    On his part, the Managing Director of Medview Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, said there is need for government to harmonise the charges and taxes levied domestic carriers. He canvassed a single charge regime to encourage airlines .

    He said apart from the five per cent Ticket Sales Charges  collected by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority on behalf of other agencies, airline operators are still saddled with the responsibilities of paying different charges to the agencies, such as the landing and parking charge, passenger service charge and en-route navigational charge.

    He stressed the necessity of harmonising some of these charges, saying that this would be in the overall interest of the sector as a whole.

    He said: “The Federal Government needs to harmonise these charges. These are the challenges we face in this industry. The NCAA is collecting five per cent on tickets sold, which I think is enough for the agencies; unfortunately, we still pay other agencies from the money we earn.

    “This is not good for the industry as a whole, and we hope that government will look into ways of addressing this problem which has become a major challenge to operators in the country.”

    Another stakeholder in the aviation sector, Alhaji Mohammed Tukur, said that the problem of multiple charges had forced some airlines to close shop.

    He said, “The issue of multiple charges is a major challenge facing local airline operators. The charges are so numerous and have significantly affected airlines’ operations.

    “For instance, we pay five per cent charge for passenger’s ticket, which is a compulsory payment for every operator. This implies that when you buy a flight ticket from any airline, five per cent must be paid to the NCAA. If you book for a private charter flight going to Abuja or any destination within Nigeria, you are bound to pay certain charges. Assuming the amount for the charter flight is N5m, you must pay five per cent of that to the NCAA.”

    He mentioned other charges paid by operators as on-duty card, payment for car park, access fees, office charges, electricity bills, charges on aviation fuel, among others.

    “You can see that all these make the operating environment not to be conducive for local airlines to thrive.”

    Also speaking, chairman of new entrant : Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, urged government to consider reduction in airport charges to keep carriers afloat .

    Onyema said :”Government should not only support startup airlines, but the existing carriers because airport and air navigation charges are too many. Five per cent to this agency; five per cent to the other; the bulk of the revenue accruing from ticket sales go back to aviation agencies as payment for charges. Under this kind of arrangement, no airline can break even, let alone run profitably or recover their operating costs. If the airlines cannot recover their costs, that means they are incurring losses and ultimately they close shop.

    The negative impact of an airline closing shop is that there will be job losses which give rise to insecurity. I am calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to direct aviation agencies to reduce airport and other air navigation charges for domestic carriers to enable them keep their business afloat.

    The current administration has done well for aviation, but government should remove the double and high airport charges that have become prohibitive. If an airline is paying out over 10 to 15 per cent of its revenue as airport charges, where will the operator get money for aircraft insurance and maintenance, aviation fuel and other issues it must attend to? Where will the airline now get money to pay its overhead costs? So, the prohibitive charges should be done away with; they belong to the past.”

    The Deputy Managing Director and Head of Flight Operations of Arik Air, Captain Ado Sanusi, said that the issue of multiple taxation should be tackled in order to assist the airlines sustain their operations.

    “The issue should be tackled and there are so many incentives that should be given to airlines that are coming up in order to protect and encourage them to grow. If you look at the airlines that have been very successful in the world, they have protection and they were given government backing to grow before they were allowed to compete with international carriers.

    “So it is extremely important that government makes deliberate policies in protecting the industry and also allowing the airlines to grow. It should be in the interest of government to have viable airlines flying in the country,” Sanusi said.

    The Managing Director of Discovery Air, Captain Mohammed Abdulsalami,  pointed out that multiple taxes imposed on airlines by government agencies is affecting domestic opetators.

    He said “As you know most operators have been complaining about fuel which takes about 40 per cent of the operating cost. We have also complained about taxes. Even Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has officially complained this to the new Minister of Aviation. Even at the international level, IATA the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recognised that the industry is heavily over taxed here.

    Former Chief Operating Officer of Dana Air, Yvan Drewinsky described Nigeria as a very hostile environment to operate airlines, saying that the charges being paid by airline were too much in addition to the high cost of aviation fuel.

    He said that the first thing government should do to sustain domestic carriers was to reduce these taxes and also seek fairer pricing for fuel, so that the airlines could operate profitably.

    Aviation consultant, Olumide Ohunayo, said the issue of multiple taxation should be tackled in order to assist the airlines sustain their operations.

    According to him, “the issue should be tackled and there are so many incentives that should be given to airlines that are coming up in order to protect and encourage them to grow. If you look at the airlines that have been very successful in the world, they have protection and they were given government backing to grow before they were allowed to compete with international carriers.

    “So it is extremely important that government makes deliberate policies in protecting the industry and also allowing the airlines to grow. It should be in the interest of government to have viable airlines flying in the country,” Ohunayo said.

  • Chidoka advises airport managers on service delivery

    Chidoka advises airport managers on service delivery

    The  Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka has urged managers of airport to improve on service delivery in line with the transformation in the aviation sector.

    Special Assistant to the Minister on Performance Monitoring, Chidi Nkwonta stated this at the opening of the Ministerial Performance Management System Orientation for Regional and Airport managers in Lagos.

    He stated that the training was a follow up to the meeting held by the Minister of Aviation with Airport Managers where key performance indicators were introduced.

    Earlier, the Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),  Saleh Dunoma commended the initiative and charged airport managers to improve on service delivery and performance.

    He also challenged them to remain faithful to the vision and  mission of the authority.

    He said:, “We must pursue our mission

    “To develop and profitably manage customer centric airport facilities for safe, secure and efficient carriage of passengers and goods at world class standards.”

    He said measures had been put into place to assess the performance of airport managers through their services to customers.

    “Users of our airports must be given priority in service delivery,” he said.

    FAAN’s Director of Airports Operations, Capt. Henry Omeogu said improved performance by airport managers was key to the actualisation of the Authority’s vision of being among the best airport groups.

    The Director of a Human Resources, Hajia Salamatu Umar-Eluma pledged the commitment of the workers to the success of the initiative.

  • NCAA praises Dutse Airport facility

    The Director Aerodrome and Airspace Matters, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr  Joyce Nkemakolon,  has expressed  satisfaction with the equipment at the new Dutse International Airport, in Jigawa State.

    He lauded the state government on the level of expansion at the airport, assuring that the pilgrims for this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia would be airlifted from the airport.

    He spoke during an inspection of Dutse Airport.

    During a visit to Governor Sule Lamido, Nkemakolam expressed delight with the state of the airport facilities.

    According to him, “we are highly impressed with facility and standard of the airport, and we would forward our findings and recommendations  to National Hajj Commission of Nigeria  and other authority for their scrutiny and approval to airlift pilgrims from the airport.”

    Nkemakolon continued: ”In deed, I am congratulating  the people of Jigawa state on having a standard international airport.”

    He praised the fire fighting equipment at the airport, adding: “The fire fighting materials is very good, but the airlifting would not be allowed until there are qualified people to operate the equipment.”

  • Lagos Airport gets more screening tools on Ebola

    Lagos Airport gets more screening tools on Ebola

    The United States (U.S) Government has donated equipment worth $5,000 (about N825,000) for the screening of passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

    The U.S Consul-General in Nigeria, Joff Hawkins, made the donation at the weekend in Lagos.

    The envoy expressed satisfaction with Federal Government’s timely response to the contagious disease since it was imported into the country by a Liberian, the late Patrick Sawyer, a month ago.

    He was happy about the measures in place at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

    Hawkins noted that EVD is neither a Nigerian nor West African problem but a global problem.

    The envoy said the donation of the equipment was a symbol of willingness on the part of the American Government to assist Nigeria in an way possible to combat the scourge.

    The equipment are called infrared thermometers or non-contact thermometers.

    They are portable equipment which measure body temperature of in-bound and out-bound passengers for possible EVD symptoms from a distance.

    At the occasion were: Dr. Alex-Okoh, Head of Port Health, Lagos; Dr. Garry Bronette of the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), heads of agencies at the Lagos Airport, airlines/handling companies representatives, health personnel, airport workers, among others.

    Agencies at the airport received kudos for their collaboration since the first case of the virus was reported in Nigeria.

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was hailed for providing the infrastructure for port health Services and collaborating agencies to effectively discharge their duties in the face of the danger the virus posed to all.

     

  • Medical experts caution airport workers

    Medical experts caution airport workers

    Medical experts in the aviation sector have said the panic associated with Ebola Virus Disease is more dangerous than the disease itself.

    They urged airport workers and passengers to comply with measures rolled out by the authorities to contain the spread of the disease.

    The medical experts spoke at a sensitisation seminar on Ebola organised by the Women in Aviation at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos at the weekend.

    Speaking at the forum, the Acting General Manager, Aviation Clinic, Dr Olawale Oduwole, said since the outbreak of the disease, Nigerians have been taking steps to ensure that they don’t contact the Ebola Virus Disease.

    He said Nigerians were taking extra caution because of the deadly nature of the disease, which kills its victims at a short period.

    In his view, the panic associated with the disease is much more dangerous than the Ebola virus itself.

    Oduwole said that because of the outbreak of EVD, people no longer talk about malaria, which, according to him, kills over 1000 people daily.

    He said: “Malaria kills over 1000 people daily, yet we are not talking about it. We talk about Ebola because we know that Ebola is very dangerous and because the chances of the victim of the Ebola virus I surviving is very slim.”

    An official of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Wilfred Haggai, said the agency  issued directives to airlines on the measures to ensure that carriers of the virus are not brought into the country.

    There are penalties for disobeying the directive. Some airlines have been penalised.

    Haggai advised participants at the seminar to sensitise their friends, neighbours, church members, colleagues and enemies on the disease to further create awareness about it.

    President of Women in Aviation Mrs Rejoice Ndudinachi said the group decided to embark on the sensitisation seminar due to the dangerous nature of the disease that has killed over 1000 people globally.

    An official of the Public Health Consultant, Nigeria Air Force (NAF), Dr Esther Omokhuede, described Ebola as an emerging disease.

    He advised that because of the deadly nature of the disease and coupled with the fact that it has no vaccine and no specific treatment, Nigerians must be cautious by ensuring that they observe a high level of personal hygiene by washing their hands with soap and water thoroughly frequently, especially when they visit the sick or when they come in contact with body secretions of such persons.

    When there is no soap or water, a sanitiser must be used. The virus can survive in semen for 61 days.

    Omokhuede called for the stoppage of the consumption of raw meat and bush meat, to curb the spread of the disease.

  • ‘Parking tankers on airport roads dangerous’

    Stakeholders in the aviation sector have expressed worry over the flouting of parking orders issued to tanker drivers who operate on the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road in Lagos.

    They are alarmed that despite warnings, fuel tanker drivers still park on the road, thereby constituting security risks.

    They said the relevant agencies should impress it on the tanker drivers to relocate to the place they have been assigned rather constituting nuisance.

    The Secretary-General, Nigerian Aviation Professionals Association ( NAPA), Comrade Abdulrasak Siedu, said allowing impunity to continue is not good for the sector, because it dangerous.

    But the General Secretary, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ( NUPENG), Comrade Isaac Aberare, denied the allegation.

    He said the union has an understanding with the airport authorities on how to carry out their operations.

    According to him, the drivers have since restricted themselves to the designated point created for them.

    Three weeks ago,  the Federal Government and the Lagos State Transportation Management Authority (LASTMA) asked tanker and truck drivers to vacate the major highways in the state, including the airport road.

    Meanwhile, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Babatunde Edu, threatened to impound any truck parked on the Airport Road.

    He said drivers who refused to remove the trucks would be dealth with.

    Edu said: “We are going to go tough with the tanker drivers if they do not comply. Their trucks are constituting grave danger on the road.’’

    There are no fewer than 20  tankers belonging to oil firms parked on  the airport, leading to the Ajao Estate Road.

    To arrest the situation, LASTMA said it would impound the trucks if the drivers fail to remove their trucks.

    The step,  Edu said, would bring sanity to the road and improve securityin the area.

  • Maiduguri Airport’s closure and the people’s right to know

    Maiduguri Airport’s closure and the people’s right to know

    The Nigerian civil war was not a good period for most of the country’s nationals residing abroad, especially those in the countries that were sympathetic to the Biafrian cause. Even in some other countries that adopted siddon look attitude towards the unfolding events in Nigeria, the Nigerians among them were not all that comfortable. Reason: the Biafrian propaganda of genocide against the Igbo or eastern Nigeria arrested the emotions and sentiments of the outside world.

    Before anyone could shout Jack Robinson, innocent Nigerians resident abroad were labelled cannibals. They became unsafe not because they were guilty but because the Biafrian Propaganda machinery was effectively marshaled in both electronic and print media outside

    the country. Biafrian news broadcast on television was always accompanied with Gen. Odumegwu Ojukwu’s picture. For example, as an undergraduate at the prestigious Ghana International School of Jounalism, I saw hell together with my fellow Nigerian students. Unfortunately, we stayed at the International Students Hostel in Accra, which harboured about 50 foreign students from different parts of the world.

    Among the students in the International Hostel, studying at various tertiary institutions in Accra, were Biafrian students who along with their colleague friends succeeded in polluting the minds of most of our co-students in the hostel against other Nigerians in the hostel. Before long, Nigerians in the hostel became persona non grata. We were threatened to the point that the matter got the attention of the Nigeria High commissioner in Ghana, Mr. Victor Adegoroye, who had to intervene on several occasions to save our neck from the terror or propaganda war of our Biafrian brothers who felt, rightly or wrongly, that whatever the iniquity or stand of the federal military government in the ongoing war, Nigerians abroad must bear the brunt.

    In short, whether we like it or not, in the Nigerian civil war, Biafrian won the propaganda war. The federal military government relied on its military strength to do the magic, but before the die was cast, the Biafrian propaganda had earned the recognition of nations like Tanzania and Ivory Coast. In addition, Britain, the traditional supplier of arms to Nigeria, blocked the source and every other thing appeared to be conspiring against Nigeria who though was winning the war

    on the battlefield, was losing the propaganda war of Biafra based on effective information management. This placed Nigeria at a serious disadvantage as she was now compelled to embark on a sudden journey to tell the world Nigeria’s side of the story. Unfortunately, that was done too late.

    I have gone to this length in order to demonstrate the importance of information management

    and the right of the people to know what is happening, particularly when such affect them directly or indirectly. To deny the people the right to know what is happening around them is to give room for various interpretations and conclusions that are at variance with the good intention of the government. This brings us to the recent happenings in Borno State, which are causing ripples and building up possible conflict between the people and the Borno State Government on one hand and the Federal Government on the other. Because of absence of due clarification on the issues involved or mismanagement of same, gossips, aspersion, innuendos or outright misrepresentation of facts now characterise the issues.

    A story on Page 8 of the Daily Trust on June 28, 2014 titled Federal Government Shuts Down Maiduguri Airport, reads: The Federal Government yesterday shut down the Maiduguri International Airport, few hours to a scheduled airlift of 300 Muslim pilgrims who were on

    their way to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj. Also, a character aircraft that brought the wife of Borno State Governor, Hajjiya Nana Shettima, which was expected to take back Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) and a member of the House of Reps, Hon. Peter Biye and some Borno elders back to Abuja, was also forced to take-off empty.

    Our correspondents gathered from various sources that the airport was ‘abruptly closed’ following ‘orders from above’. Speaking to our correspondent last night, Senator Ndume said what transpired at the Maiduguri Airport was an insult on the Nigerian Senate, stressing that

    Nigeria was drifting to a state of lawlessness. ‘If they are talking about security, why did they allow the aircraft to land in the first place?

    “When I realised that many soldiers had taken over the airport, I had to call the Chairman Senate Committee on Air force, who in turn spoke with the Chief of Air Staff. At the end of the day, I found that the order was from the Chief of Army staff,” Ndume said.

    On the other hand, the Managing Director of Skynet Travel and Tours, Grema Terab, said their customers were subjected to psychological trauma. “We have completed arrangement with Max Air for the airlift of our clients from Maiduguri Airport. In fact, our passengers had been screened and we had completed all the necessary papers when a report reached us that the Airport was closed. As I am talking to you, our clients are now on their way to Kano by road so that they would be airlifted from Mallam Aminu Kano Airport,” he said.

    Similarly, on its Page 6 on July 15, 2014, the Daily Trust wrote in a story title Federal Government Reopens Maiduguri Airport for Sheriff: The Federal Government yesterday reopened the Maiduguri International Airport which was closed on June 27, for former governor Ali Modu Sheriff of Borno State to land in Maiduguri with his personal aircraft. Sheriff said he was dumping the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but that he would make a formal declaration after the month of Ramadan and has nothing to do with the APC.

    The airport was abruptly closed when 276 pilgrims had been screened by relevant agencies at the departure terminal and were awaiting a Max Air chartered aircraft to convey them to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj. “As a result of the closure, the pilgrims had to travel to Kano by road, even as on the same day, a chartered flight that brought wife of the Borno State Governor. Hajiya Nana Shettima, was forced to take off to Abuja empty even though Senator Ali Ndume was waiting to board it.

    Top military authorities announced that the airport was closed for security reasons. It was however reopened yesterday and Sherriff’s private jet with registration number 5NBMH landed at about 1:32 pm… Dozens of soldiers led by the Garrison commander of the 7 Division of

    the Nigeria Army in Maiduguri, Col. D.R Hassan, gave cover to the former governor, whose motorcade drove through the Airport Road, Bulumkutu, Damboa road and arrived at his private residence along Barracks road.

    Our correspondents report that the plane that brought the former governor took off from the Airport at 2:22 pm and credible sources said it would return today (Tuesday) to take Sheriff back to Abuja, after which the Airport will be closed until September 29…

    Meanwhile, Governor Shettima left Maiduguri by road yester to attend to his younger brother who had multiple fractures after an accident. Shettima was confined to Maiduguri since the closure of the airport and as well as withdrawal of soldiers from both the Government House and his convoy. Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser to Shettima on Communications, confirmed the development. The plane that brought Sheriff actually came back the following day to take him back to Abuja.

    In its reaction, the National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NCSIA) cautioned the Federal Government to avoid using Nigeri Security apparatus for persecution. In a press statement signed by the Acting Director of Publicity, Muhammad Qasim, NCSIA said the same airport was suddenly shut against Muslim pilgrims taking their flight to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj, despite an earlier clearance to use the airport.

    “Apart from denying the pilgrims the use of the facilities, the Muslims are subjected to physical and psychological trauma as a result of their grilling by the Nigerian security apparatus. The pilgrims were subsequently forced to embark on agonizing travel by road to Kano,” the statement said.

    The NSCIA warned the federal government that it is perilous to use the security establishment to persecute Nigerians, and that a situation in which religious profiling is camouflaged as part of security measures does not bode well for the country. The council urged the federal government to exercise caution in the discriminatory use of military and aviation facilities in order to protect the political neutrality of the national establishment.

    “It is our belief that the federal government has enough powers constitutionally guaranteed to tackle its perceived enemies rather than denying Nigerians the use of public facilities under the guise of fighting insecurity,” the statement said.

    The council also called on the military authorities to protect and safeguard the credibility of the profession by not being partisan.

    No doubt, the Federal Government or the Military authorities reserve the right to take any action provided it is in the best interest of the nation, more so when it borders on security. However, much as such action is taken in good faith and in the overall interest of the nation, there is also the need for the people to know when there is a change in such decision or policy and why. Where information gap is allowed instead, it give room to various interpretations of government’s decision or policy with the government in some instances boxed into the corner notwithstanding its good intention.

    For example, people will like to know why the Maiduguri Airport that was closed for security reasons was suddenly opened for Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s private plane to land and take off with the same airport still closed to other users. In addition, people will also like to know why soldiers who were reportedly withdrawn from Government House, Maiduguri as well as from the convoy of the state governor, Kashim Shettima, was equally reported to have given cover to Senator Sheriff when he arrived in Maiduguri on the faithful day. These are cobwebs that need to be cleared to ward off unnecessary gossips and for the good name of the Federal Government.

    In any case, no one would expect the federal government, the father of all, to rub Peter to pay Paul.

     

    •Izekor wrote in from Maiduguri

  • Stakeholders urge Minister to complete airport projects

    Stakeholders urge Minister to complete airport projects

    Stakeholders in the aviation sector have set agenda for the new Minister of Aviation, Mr Osita Chidoka.

    The stakeholders, including the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers ( NAAPE), and Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ( ATSSSAN), and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), have urged the new minister to set in motion processes that would lead to the completion of all on-going airport projects.

    The completion of such projects, the groups noted, would be part implementation of the aviation sector master plan and road map put in place by the immediate past minister of aviation, Princess  Stella Oduah.

    The implementation of the industry master plan, the groups added, is critical because it would address the challenge of infrastructure decay and obsolete airport and air navigation equipment that has lingered for many decades.

    Also, as part of the issues they want the new minister to address is the collection of debts owed government agencies by both foreign and domestic carriers.

    Others are the training of critical air safety personnel, including air traffic controllers, the provision of safety equipment at airports nationwide, as well review of the abolishment of payment of royalties and commercial agreement from foreign carriers.

    The groups also want the  minister to address the contentious issue of multiple entry points granted foreign carriers flying into the country.

    The Public Relations Officer of NAAPE, Mr Bunmi Gindeh said though the association has received the appointment of the  minister with mixed feelings,  it admonished Chidoka to remain focused in the execution of projects and policies that would move the  sector forward.

    He said : “Like most industry stakeholders, NAAPE received with mixed feeling the news of the appointment of Mr. Osita  Chidoka  as the new Minister of Aviation by President GoodLuck Jonathan.

    “While Mr. Chidoka’s youthful, vibrant and forward-looking disposition and antecedent calls for enthusiasm and hope, his apparent lack of aviation experience is clearly a major cause for concern.

    “Over the years, NAAPE has consistently called on Mr. President to give us an experienced aviation professional as Minister. But this call has consistently been unheeded. The result is that the aviation industry has suffered stunted growth.”