The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Airports

  • Airports: Concession not the way to go

    After the experiences of government concerns like the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Lines (NNSL) and Nigeria Airways, to mention just a few, workers of government’s establishments about to be privatized (or concessioned) have a cause to worry. Many of them are likely to lose their jobs as those to whom the establishments are concessioned may not be pleased carrying on with the same number of workers, particularly as they are likely to be seen as the reason for the failure of the companies. If the firms were doing well, the government would probably not want to concession them, so the new managers would reason. As we will see shortly, this is fallacious.

    However, it is against the experiences of some public agencies’ workers with concession, privatisation etc. that workers in the aviation agencies are protesting the planned concessioning of four airports. These are the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano. These are the biggest and obviously the most lucrative airlines in the country.  Government’s excuse is that they will be better managed under concession agreements. In other words, they are not doing well simply because they are government-owned.

    But recent developments in the country with the record remittances by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have shown that government agencies can be made more responsible and transparent with regard to public funds. While JAMB has remitted about N5billion in less than one year, with a promise to remit N3billion more, NIMASA on its part has paid in more than N9.975 billion and $37,272,12.12 million to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).  These are the highest remittances in the history of both organisations.

    What these tell us is that the problem is not necessarily with the workers of government agencies or the fact that the agencies are government-owned; it is more of the perception of the incumbent government on corruption and corrupt practices. Irrespective of its shortcomings, real or perceived, the Muhammadu Buhari government still has its anti-corruption mantra going for it. This could be part of the reasons we are seeing such huge remittances now, as compared with the past when most ministries, departments and parastatals ensured that they spent whatever was allocated to them on all kinds of purchases and inflating the costs. The goal was to exhaust the year’s allocation at all cost to justify asking for more in the next year.

    The warning by the Federal Government to probe the activities of the past administrators of JAMB and NIMASA, as well as other establishments, is in order. When the heads of these agencies know that someone will look into their books someday, they are likely to sit right and curb their appetite for unnecessary expenses and diversion or mismanagement of public funds. It is almost certain that more government establishments will henceforth turn in more money into the government’s coffers, following in the JAMB and NIMASA examples.

    One problem with us is that we always like to make reference to what obtain in developed parts of the world as best practice. If airports in some countries are concessioned or privatised, that should not necessarily make us toe the same line. Why can’t Nigeria be a reference point when successful government enterprises are the issue? Why? Again, take the case of the defunct Nigeria Airways for example; it was doing well until corruption got in its way. And when I say corruption, I used it loosely to cover even the so-called government interference in its operations, because that is also corruption of sort. The fault is not necessarily in the workers but in the country’s leadership as well as those of these organisations. We were told of a particular managing director of Nigeria Airways who on one occasion delayed a particular flight for close to an hour just to pick his girlfriend. The bonafide passengers who had paid for the flight were shocked when they saw that it was an otherwise inconsequential lady that had kept them waiting. When the workers of such an establishment see such example from their leaders, they too are likely to breach their work code and it becomes difficult for discipline to be maintained. If there is any reason why the private sector seems the best investor, it is because of the discipline that is upheld in the firms. While infractions are punished when detected, in government, it is not usually so as a lot of other extraneous considerations come into play. To the extent that many of the government agencies were once profitable even as public entities, we need not necessarily look for solution to their present maladies by concessioning them.

    Look at the Bi-Courtney debacle. This is another typical example of a failed concession. The company had undertaken to construct a five-storey hotel at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, under a concession agreement with the Obasanjo administration. But a certain Minister of Aviation objected to the idea under the guise that it would constitute a security risk at the airport and that it would be a hindrance to take-off and landing of aircraft. Babalakin’s company went to court and won all the way to the Supreme Court; yet, he was not allowed to build the hotel and his financiers eventually backed out.  The company suffered a similar fate with regard to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that it also was supposed to construct under another concession agreement.

    Again, look at the power sector. How far have we gone despite its privatisation about four years ago? Electricity supply is as epileptic as ever. Yet, once upon a time, the (then) Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN) was successfully run a few decades ago by government. It was the neglect of the power sector by the government for more than two decades, coupled with corruption that replaced light with darkness in the country.

    There is no argument in favour of concession of the airports that cannot be faulted. If you say they require massive infrastructural development that a few countries (if any) can bear, this is not correct per se. Just like some other public enterprises, a time there was when the Federal Government ran the airports successfully. The massive investment cannot be a problem if they are well run because the business will generate the money to take care of its costs and even leave room for profit.

    What is required in our airports is not necessarily concessioning but a change of attitude on the part of the government itself, which would naturally percolate down when the leadership at the airports see that it is no longer business as usual even at the very top. Government cannot be and should not be throwing up its hands in frustration and abandoning its responsibilities. Government woke up overnight to pull down toll gates nationwide because those running them were not faithful in their remittances. There were no sanctions and those who helped themselves with public funds went away happily with their loot. That is the way we run the country; it is because people are not sanctioned for crimes committed against the state that others are encouraged to follow the same unfaithful path.

    Mercifully, the agencies at the airports usually organise quarterly management lectures at which issues affecting the industry can be brainstormed on with a view to solving them and improving on their performance. The most recent of these was held on September 27, 2017 at the FAAN Training Centre, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, where the Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), Aviation Chapter, Dr Olatunmibi Omisore delivered a speech on recession, corruption on the part of the individual and in the workplace, among other salient issues.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also, while acting for President Muhammadu Buhari had issued an executive order aimed at improving service delivery at our airports. This is good; but what is needed is for the government to ensure compliance. If the order is complied with, there is no reason why we should concession our airports.

    Part of the problem is that most of the drivers of the airports cannot look the government in the face and tell it that concession is not the way to go because it cannot work, especially in Nigeria. The kind of security that the airports require can only be provided by the government. In some of the other countries where concession has worked, they have gone far in terms of security. We are yet to get even the rudiments right. The oil and gas sector in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia is run by government and they are doing fine. What we need to take away from the airports is corruption in all ramifications, not necessarily the government.

     

    • Mr. Babatunde wrote in from Lagos.

  • ‘Govt to connect seaports, airports, container depots by rail’

    The Federal Government yesterday unveiled plans to connect seaports, airports and the inland container depots by rail.

    Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi said this at the opening of 15th National Council on Transportation in Sokoto.

    He explained that it would reduce congestion at the ports, create jobs and significantly reduce the cost of transportation.

    The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Sabiu Zakari, said: “The development of intermodal transportation would reduce the cost of transportation, the influx of people and trucks to port cities thereby reducing congestion at the ports.

    “It would also create jobs by the optimal utilisation of the various modes, develop modern transport infrastructure as the need arises and extend the life of the already existing  ones.”

    He added that it would reduce over-reliance on a single mode, as it is the case with road mode in Nigeria.

    Sokoto State Deputy Governor Ahmed Aliyu called for the extension of railway lines from Kaura Namoda in Zamfara State to Sokoto.

    Aliyu, who was represented by a permanent secretary, Alhaji Bello Abubakar, urged the Federal Government to establish Inland Dry Port in Illela Local Government Area due to the commercial activities in the area.

  • Executive Order: New dawn at airports

    Executive Order: New dawn at airports

    The implementation of the Executive Orders on Ease of Doing Business may have ushered in a regime of efficient service delivery at the airports. The results of the orders have started manifesting. The orders have reduced the turnaround time for passengers, airlines and redesigned airport security architecture by restricting some security agencies to some parts of the terminal. But it is all at a price, reports KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR.

    When Acting President Yemi Osinbajo signed  three Executive Orders aimed at facilitating the ease of doing business, many did not envisage that the results would start manifesting so soon.

    Although, the Orders essentially sought to save time and cost, promote transparency and efficiency in the business environment, some  critics  of the administration, including the oppistion, were not convinced that a new order wasi n the offing.

    However, develoments at the nation’s airports where the implementation of the  Orders has begun, may have proved such them wrong. The directive, The Nation learnt, has ushered a new regime of efficient service delivery at the airports.

    For instance, in compliance with the orders, the authorities at the nation’s airports have since introduced new check-in procedures. The move, which was in accordance with global standard in check-in procedures for passengers, was sequel to the introduction of a central screening and check-in point for passengers, irrespective of the airlines they are travelling with.

    Consequently, all customised check-in counters used by airlines have been removed at the Lagos International Airport. This was to improve passengers’ profiling and check-in processes in line with globally accepted operational standards. The development, described as a win-win for passengers, airlines and security agencies, was a clear departure from the past.

    It will be recalled that a long table allegedly used by officials of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Quarantine Service, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and other agencies to extort money from passengers under the guise of checking passengers’ luggage was strategically placed beside  airlines’check-in counters.

    According to sources conversant with the arrangement, the table was ‘christened’ the ‘Dash Table’, which in local parlance means table for extortion.  The arrangement, it was gathered, was responsible for the unnecessary delays in passengers’ check-in, which sometimes ran into several hours.

    This was at variance with what obtained in other parts of the world where it takes less than 20 minutes for passengers to complete their check-in and screening procedures.

    The security architecture at the airports has also been redesigned, following the implementation of the executive order. This was after the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) notified stakeholders, including airlines, passengers and the public, to ensure compliance.

    FAAN’s spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, said under the new security arrangement, NIS, NCS, and NDLEA officials, who work at either the departure or arrival halls, must appear in uniform with undetachable name tags when interacting with passengers.

    Yakubu said: “Please note that NIS, Customs and NDLEA must always appear in uniform and with undetachable name tags; DSS is for intelligence gathering while the Nigeria Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit (EODU) will only function on call at the baggage hall.” He also said FAAN has directed airlines and the affected security agencies to remove, forthwith, physical check tables at the departure hall of the terminal.

    Also, desks belonging to Customs and NDLEA have been removed, as officials of FAAN security are now the only authority mandated to carry out the last screening on passengers. This has significantly reduced the turnaround time for passengers and airlines.

     

    Agencies, foreign airlines kick

    The new operational procedure at the airports has not come without controversies. Investigations by The Nation show that the emerging order at the airports has not gone down well with officials of some of the affected security agencies.

    Before the new arrangement, some security agencies are alleged to have been extorting passengers under the guise of screening their documents or luggage at the departure halls. But the redesigned security architecture may have finally put an end to such extortion, which was why the affected agencies are kicking.

    Some foreign carriers are also said to be reluctant to comply with the abolition of physical screening of passengers’ luggage. For instance, American carrier Delta Airlines recently expressed mixed feelings about government’s directive to abolish physical screening of passengers and their luggage.

    This was when officials of the airline recently clashed with Nigerian aviation security personnel over the implementation of the Executive Order as it affects manual checking of passengers luggage at the Lagos International Airport.

    The airline specifically claimed that such directive was not entirely in tandem with the operational procedures prescribed for its operations by the United States Transportation Safety Administration (TSA).

    Delta Airlines argued that the US agency provides some level of manual checks by any airline flying to the US. It insisted that its staff would manually check some of the passengers. It even threatened to stop the boarding of Nigerian passengers from the airport.

    FAAN Managing Director Saleh Dunoma however clarified that Delta Airlines did not entirely violate government’s directive to stop manual checks on passengers’ luggage at the Lagos Airport, but only insisted on carrying out some checks.

    Dunoma said: “It is not anything peculiar. They (Delta Airlines) want to do certain checks; we will tell them where to do the checks. We are not stopping anybody from checking anything, so long as it is in line with global standard of practice. The Executive Order does not stop that. We will handle Delta Airline issue.”

    But the Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Muhtar Usman, was not swayed by Dunoma’s position on the matter. Apparently worried by Delta Airlines’ non-compliance, Usman sought and had a meeting with a team from the US’s TSA.

    The meeting, which held in Lagos, according to sources, was to clear the grey areas on the airlines’ operations in Nigeria as they affect check-in procedures at the airports. The US team was led by its TSA Attache, West African Region, Mr. Gary Pleus. He was accompanied by the Economic officer of the US Consulate General, Mr. James Plasman.

    At the meeting to explore ways of resolving the impasse, the airline was said to have explained that it had no plans to violate the implementation of the Executive Order by the Nigerian Government as it affects check-in procedures at Nigerian airports.

    Delta AirLines said: “Delta Airlines works closely with aviation authorities around the globe. Delta Airlines is actively working with both the authorities in Nigeria and the US to understand the new presidential directive and ensure we remain compliant with the respective authorities.

    Delta is subject to US Government and Nigerian Government security regulations. The safety and security of Delta’s customers and crew is the airline’s number one priority.”

    While the furore generated by the Delta Airlines perceived refusal to comply with the directive was yet to settle, another foreign carrier from Europe was also said to be bent on manual check-in of its passengers departing Nigeria.

    A reliable source hinted that the European airline had officially written to the NCAA and its logistics company in Lagos, insisting that apart from the machine screening of passengers, the law required it to also conduct manual screening randomly on some of its passengers.

    The airline based its argument on the US’s TSA, which says that at least 25 per cent of luggage or persons travelling to the US must be checked manually by any carrier operating to US.

    The Nation, however, learnt that the airline failed to carry out manual check-in of any of its passengers for two weeks following the removal of the check- in tables used by both the airline and security agencies by FAAN.

    Apart from check-in procedures at the airports, some aviation agencies including the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) have also been affected by the implementation of the Executive Order.

    For instance, following the directive, NAMA has updated its website to allow airlines and passengers get acquainted with the requirements, conditions and procedures for doing business or obtaining services from the agency.

    These include NAMA’s fees and timelines necessary for the processing of applications for services. The agency is also collaborating with other agencies including FAAN, NCAA on how to harmonise operational processes in order to achieve the single user interface at airports as directed by government.

    The agency has also gone a notch higher, charging airspace managers across Nigerian airports to ensure strict and unhindered compliance to the implementation of the Federal Government’s Executive Orders.

    Its Managing Director, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, gave this charge in a keynote address at an enlarged management meeting with the nation’s airspace managers, which held in Lagos, recently.

    The NAMA boss said:  “We must individually and collectively, in our operational and administrative procedures, resolve to make the Executive Orders successful as it gives us the opportunity to correct our shortcomings, perfect the system and also set the template about what excellent service delivery  should be.”

    Akinkuotu urged airspace managers to ensure that staff under their different jurisdictions is conversant with the spirit and letters of the Executive Orders to ensure seamless implementation nationwide.

    He expressed optimism that acceleration of approvals and permit processes as contained in the Executive Orders would significantly increase revenue, attract investment and boost economic activities in the country.

    He warned that there will be no room for wilful or deliberate negligence of established procedures, as defaulters must be ready to face appropriate sanctions. He expressed gratitude to them for their collective effort at ensuring safety of air travel within their domains.

    The NAMA boss called for synergy of operations among departments in the agency and even agencies within the sector. According to him, “it is only when there is unity of purpose, teamwork, harmony and co-operation at all levels that the agency can realize its cardinal vision.

     

    FAAN, operators comment

    Commenting on the compliance with the new check-in procedures, Dunoma said: “Desks that have been there for manual search are no longer there. The checks are being done at appropriate locations and this has created a tidy departure hall.

    “This has improved the ambience of the departure hall. Of course, we have some issues that have to do with the first day normally in any operations. We are trying to resolve that.”

    He advised passengers to come in good time, so they can accomplish the process as scheduled. “There are some new locations and process of screening, so the earlier they come the easier for stakeholders especially the airlines and the security agencies,” Dunoma said.

    On his part, an Aviation Security Expert and Managing Director of Centurion Securities Limited, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), commended government for the new regulations, noting however, that there is still room for improvement.

    Ojikutu said the removal of check-in tables was in line with the agitation of industry experts, who have, for many years, called on government to redesign the security procedure for passengers check-in at airports.

    Similarly, aviation industry think-tank, Aviation Round Table Safety Initiative (ART), praised government for the bold steps aimed at addressing administrative and safety issues at airports.

    In a statement by its President, Gbenga Olowo, the ART said: “The ART unequivocally commends the Presidency for the recently issued Executive Orders designed to facilitate the ease of doing business in the aviation sector of the economy.

    In furtherance of this unique presidential initiative, our body also appreciates the dismantling of the “dash table “at our international airports, which has improved passenger facilitation.

    “FAAN, NAMA and trade unions should desist from embarrassing the country with acts of barricading Check-in-Counters of airlines in order to collect outstanding payments.”

    Olowo urged the agencies to develop efficient and effective ways of collecting dues, rates and remittances from operators in the industry rather than strong arm tactics that could lead to break down of law and order in the airport environment.

    He also said that the internal communication system among all agencies involved in the management of the air navigational services should be immediately overhauled for a  modern technology driven with accurate and effective communication system to promote aviation safety.

    The ART President observed that the communication gap between airline operators and Air Traffic Controllers often result in air & ground returns, abortion/cancelation of flights, which jeopardises flight safety and results in financial losses to airline operators.

    “The agencies should diligently discharge their duties to operators in the industry by ensuring that air navigational services and ground handling services both at the point of departure and destination are more efficient in order to prevent incidences of flight clearance /approval at departure and denial of landing rights at destination, Olowo said.

    He added that agencies that render services at a fee should also be insured, while also compensating for financial losses resulting from negligence and failure to discharge responsibilities to operators, clients or passengers. This is the hallmark of corporate governance and ease of doing business,” Olowo pointed out.

    “ART assures the general public of its preparedness to support all measures by government and its agencies in the promotion of flight safety and passenger convenience towards the revival of the Nigerian economy and the ease of doing business,” he concluded.

    The Group Managing Director, DANA Air, Mr. Jacky Hathirami, praised aviation agencies for the commitment they have so far exhibited in implementing the directive.

    He said: “Apart from the fact that aviation industry is critical to the economy, I believe the executive order will remove unnecessary bureaucracies at the airport, provide solutions to a lot of anomalies in the system and open a vista of opportunities not just in the industry but all sectors.

    Hathirami said there was need to commend aviation agencies for their swift reaction in carrying out the order. He said what was left was to see how these changes in airport check-in procedures will have positive impacts on domestic airlines.

    “We are committed to offering the best services to the flying public with the support of aviation agencies in tackling the multiple challenges affecting the sector,” the DANA Air boss assured.

    Perhaps, to underscore the new dawn that has come in the wake of the executive order, a US bound passenger, identified as Mrs. Margaret Bolurin, a fortnight ago, forced officials of Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) at the Lagos Airport to issue her a receipt for the money paid for obtaining a screening certificate at the terminal.

    Her insistence on the receipt from NAQS officials was sequel to her suspicion of under hand dealings by the agency, which kept intending passengers waiting for hours to manually check their luggage.

    Bolurin said the conduct of the NAQS officials, who asked her to pay N2, 500 as certification fee for the ground pepper, melon and dried bitter leaves, did not align with the new screening and check-in procedures.

    Bolurin said: “Some officials here at Lagos Airport are not happy over the implementation of the Executive Order, because it is going to block their habit of extorting passengers under any guise.

    “Image officials of NAQS asking me to pay N2, 500 for travelling with grounded pepper, melon and dried bitter leaves. I complied, insisting that the payment must be receipted. They tried to kick, but I insisted. Ultimately, they had no choice but to issue me a receipt.”

    The US bound passenger wondered how this will facilitate the ease of doing business. She asked, “Is this how to ensure passenger facilitation at our airports and bring it to global standards?

    Why are they keeping their receipt and screening certificates at the sixth floor of the terminal building and extortion is going on at the first floor? Where is seamless facilitation here?”

    While insisting these are questions the authorities must provide answers to, Bolurin, however, said the implementation of the Executive Order has restored sanity to Lagos Airport. She, therefore, urged FAAN to ensure continuity.

    The overall objective of the Executive Orders signed into law by the Acting President was to stimulate a rebound of an economy severely battered by recession and also fast-track Nigeria’s transition to a non-oil economy.

    The stipulation of sanctions and punitive measures meant to address violations of the Executive Orders was seen by private sector operators as indication that a new dawn was in the offing.

    Interestingly, there are indications that the new order may have started manifesting, at least, at the nation’s airports. The consensus, however, is that sustained implementation is the only way to ensure the success of the orders.

  • ‘How to make Nigeria’s airports regional hub’

    To make Nigeria a regional hub, the government must put in place a policy to drive it, the Executive Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison, has said.

    Part of the policy, Meggison said, should include reduction of airport taxes and navigational charges, as well the reduction of the price of aviation fuel. He said building of new airport transit lounges and removal of the five per cent Value Added Tax (VAT), will als be required to attract more airlines into the country’s airports.

    In an interview, Meggison regretted that Nigeria is not among the three regional hubs on the continent.

    He said until the government puts in place a sound economic policy to attract airlines into Nigeria with lower airport taxes, improved airport navigational facilities countries, including South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana will continue to position airports in their capital as regional hubs.

    Meggison said it was high time Nigeria adopted the International Airport Transport Association (IATA) model of operational cost reduction to become a hub.

    Ghana, he said, has since used the IATA model to develop its Kotoka International Airport in Accra, to become a hub for West Africa.

    He said: “There is an urgent need for a deliberate economic policy that will eliminate the many challenges that adversely affect the sector in a bid to guarantee survival of domestic airlines in the country and to make Nigeria the hub for Africa.

    “Nigeria has huge potential given her geographic location at the centre of Africa. Most of her airports are at approximately at sea level. Nigeria is the sixth largest producer of crude oil with an estimated population of 190 million, and skilled manpower, yet she is not a hub for aviation on the African continent.”

    He said the government should take steps to address the challenges  affecting domestic airlines to make them operate in a cost-conducive environment to enhance their sustainability and safety.

    Meggison said: “Some of the major issues that need to be addressed to grow the sector include, but are not limited to removal of VAT as domestic airlines are the only mode of transport paying Value Added Tax (VAT).

    “Review the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) to a flat rate, in line with global standards; harmonise over 35 multiple charges, which add huge burdens on airlines; poor navigational and landing aids that limit operations to daylight operation for most airports; high cost and epileptic supply of aviation fuel.

    ‘’Obsolete infrastructure that hampers the ease of doing business and lack of consultations with airlines before introduction of new charges and policies among others.”

  • FAAN re-jigs security arrangement at airports

    FAAN re-jigs security arrangement at airports

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Friday effected a new inward and outward security arrangement at the nation’s ports.
    This was in line with the recent Executive Order signed by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to sanitize operations at air and sea ports across the country.

    In the new arrangement announced by FAAN’s Acting General Manager, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, only the personnel of the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS), The Nigerian Customs Services (NCS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), State Security Services (SSS), Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit (EOD) and Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) are allowed to interface with passengers at the airports.

    Yakubu, in a notice to airlines, passengers and the general public, said only the NIS and the NDLEA “ would now operate at Arrival and Departure halls” while the Customs will operate at the arrival hall only.

    Similarly, the SSS and NAQS will operate at the Cargo Terminals only, while the EOD will operate at the baggage hall.

    She said all officers must be fully kitted at all times with their name tags conspicuously visible and must remain within the confines of their responsibilities.

    The FAAN chief said: “Management advice all affected agencies to ensure strict compliance.”

  • Executive Order goes into effect at airports

    Executive Order goes into effect at airports

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has initiated the implementation of the Executive Order issued by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

    FAAN Managing Director Saleh Dunoma, according to  a statement by the agency’s spokesperson Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, said machinery had been  put in place to ensure a successful implementation of the executive order which he would supervise himself.

    According to him, the importance of the executive order would  strengthen the nation’s fight against terrorism and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy that impedes business activities at the airports.

    He said it would also improve safety, security and passenger facilitation within and around the airports.

    Dunoma urged passengers, airport users and the general public to cooperate with FAAN officials carrying out their responsibilities.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osinbajo recently issued the executive order which is aimed to ” ease doing business in Nigeria”

    The order states among others that :” There shall be no touting whatsoever by official or unofficial persons at any port in Nigeria.

    ” On-duty staff shall be properly identified by uniform and official cards. Off-duty staff shall stay away from the ports except with the express approval of the agency head.

    ” The FAAN Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Security shall enforce this order.”

    It further directed that all non-official staff should be removed from the secured areas of airports.

    “No official of FAAN, Immigration, security agency or Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) or any other agency is to meet any non-designated dignitary at any secure areas of the airport.

    “The official approved list of dignitaries that have been pre-approved to be received by protocol officers shall be made available to AVSEC and other relevant agencies ahead of their arrival at the airport,” it said.

    Also, according to the executive order, any official caught soliciting or receiving bribes from passengers or other port users shall be subject to immediate removal from post and disciplinary as well as criminal proceedings in line with extant laws and regulations.

  • Immigration redeploys 518 personnel from airports

    Immigration redeploys 518 personnel from airports

    The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has redeployed 518 officers from five international airports and state commands in its bid to enhance the ease of doing business in the country.

    Its NIS spokesperson, Sunday James, spoke in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

    He said the Comptroller-General of the NIS, Muhammad Babandede, ordered the massive redeployment as part of plans to instil professionalism and enhance service delivery to the public.

    Babandede said the airports involved are the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Port Harcourt International Airport; and Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu.

  • ‘Why some Nigerians face extreme vetting at U.S. airports’

    Different reasons are responsible for the extreme vetting some Nigerians face at the entry points into the United States, Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, Mr. Hakeem Balogun, said at the weekend.

    In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Washington, Balogun said President Donald Trump’s travel ban did not affect Nigerians.

    He said the relationship between Nigeria and the United States prior to the election of President Muhammadu Buhari was lukewarm adding that it is now “very warm.”

    He said: “The executive ban on immigration does not affect Nigerians. Whatever must have taken place regarding visa issuance, vetting at the airports, it’s all normal.

    “All these things have been on even before President Trump. Let’s get one thing well. That you are issued visa is not a guarantee that you will end up wherever you’re going.

    Balogun also said Nigerians are restricted from entering the US because they failed to meet other required procedures.

    “Then there are other things. What manner of visa did you collect to come to the United States?

    “For instance, a pregnant woman who comes to the United States on visiting visa will probably be turned back at the point of entry because she does not have a medical visa.

    “You are coming in on a visiting visa and the immigration man sees you pregnant. Naturally, he will turn you back.

    “Even if you have the medical visa, they want to know if you have medical insurance; do you have you medical documents for you to be able to come and use their medical facilities here.

    “So these are issues. Nigeria is not being singled out. We are not one of those countries that have been mentioned. We are definitely not one of them.

    He has described the relationship between Nigeria and the U.S. as “very warm”.

  • Our Girls; A. Mohammed; Airports; Africa’s Suicidal Armada

    Our Girls are still missing since April 15th 2014.
    The barbaric cutting off of the hand of an INEC official and kidnap of others must lead to political parties members and their parties being punished. Violence and death are not features of civilised elections. Ensuring peace is the sole responsibility of security agents, not INEC, the people’s umpire agency. INEC is innocent!
    Watch James Bond’s 007 ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ to help understand Trump’s need to manipulate the press!
    Congratulations again, Mrs Amina Mohammed@SDGUN. Today UN Deputy Secretary General, tomorrow UNSG?
    The National Council of State should postpone receiving new cars. Most businesses spend enough on fuel to buy a new car annually – the GENERATOR GENERATION. National Assembly (NASS) should ‘change’ the constitution and close one House, the Senate, for two years and introduce part-time 180 days sitting with allowances. NASS should be sacrifice not a gold mine! Nigerian politicians must be paid by home states. Nigerians are sick of what appear like fake constitutional projects and NASS members’ fake ‘petty media-hyped empowerment scams, I mean schemes’. Contrast NASS ‘legal’ personal enrichment with ‘Fellow Nigerian’ poverty – and vomit! How do NASS members sleep?
    President Buhari is in our prayers. Acting President Osinbajo visiting the MM International Airport Lagos promised FRIENDLY AIRPORTS, perhaps recalling pre-VIP Room nightmare traffic and NOT FIT-FOR-PURPOSE DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL RAMPS and the ‘Entrepreneurial’ BLACK-MARKET BUSINESS IN PARKING. In January, I spent 1 ½ hours in stationary traffic within sight of the MMIAirport building. With my luggage, I walked past 1km of traffic jam, the checkpoint and up the departure ramp. Flying should be a pleasure not a nightmare. Just like the expressway, this is an UNACCEPTABLE NATIONAL PASSENGER GRIDLOCK and a FAAN-tolerated lucrative million naira+ ‘Airport parking black-market’ run by uniforms. Our international airports are a NATIONAL NIGERIAN DISGRACE correctable by our ignored but brilliant engineers and architects. The airports testify to our political ineptitude beyond just CORRUPTION. They signify a GOVERNMENT AGENCY CONSPIRACY or PROFESSIONAL AND POLITICAL INCOMPETENCE OF MONUMENTAL PROPORTIONS –Nigeria is an international aviation joke! A Nigerian owns Gatwick. Ask him for advice.
    Must Nigerians come to the airport with N25-50,000 cash in case their vehicles are towed!!! Remember the old car parks in front of the airport and underground? Nigeria requires A NEW INDEPENDENT OMBUDSMAN COMMITTEE OF TRASPORT EXPERTS, ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS AND FREQUENT FLYERS- THE VICTIMS OF FUNNY FAAN REGULATIONS. Have FAAN insiders fed too fat, like NNPC? Airport officials embarrass Nigeria by EXCESSIVE ‘SEASON’S GREETINGS’ as if expecting a gift. They need ‘Change’ and national pride. There are NEAR-ZERO SEATING for thousands. The MMAI airport is an ‘AIRPORT EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRY’ and for early morning arriving passengers ‘just before dawn’-[appreciation to Kole Omotoso] is an insult to paying passengers with no seats. Why do some uniform checkpoints specialise in fleecing passengers. An excursion to Lagos Airport was a children’s treat in the 1960s. Retrogression! As usual in Nigeria we upgrade VIP sections and toilets for political and executive bottoms, ignoring the legitimate needs of Fellow Nigerians who are 50 years overdue for the ‘Nigerian Dream’ development upgrade by a LEADERSHIP THAT LOVES NIGERIA which is blessed by God with weather and resources. Until now Nigeria has lacked the TRUELY THOUGHTFUL AND NIGERIAN ‘ACTION’ LEADERSHIP to propel a Development Agenda into the 21st Century dedicated to KEEPING CORRUPTION BELOW TEN PERCENT –THE MAXIMUM CORRUPTION THRESHOLD FOR ANY COUNTRY TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY. Has ‘our time come’ under this current government.
    A ‘FILL 10MILLION POTHOLES’ OPERATION to ELIMINATE POTHOLES to ease travel woes of 100million travellers by employing 10,000 pothole fillers [like PWD of old], is cheaper than re-building an airport for one million passengers. Of course, a good purposeful leadership will do both together, exemplified we pray, by this government.
    Dead bodies of 87 Africans, the unnamed ‘undead’ to hopeful families, are among 50,000+ dead to the eternal damnation and disgrace of Africa’s leaders, who have THEIR BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS, while corruptly depositing the development future of Africa’s 21st Century generations in cesspools, banks, fridges and even Fortress Europe and in corporations to ‘steal’ perpetually. We often hear placations like – ‘He/she, stole our money but invested it in companies employing our people’. Can corruption ever lead to development? How much of THOSE FAILED AFRICAN LEADERS’ stolen money is in lost ‘fixed’ deposits and forgotten safe houses? MUMU!! Failure to develop their countries has led Africa to witness the GREAT SUICIDAL ARMADA Of AFRICANS SAILING FOR SURVIVAL, and death, ACROSS THE SAHARA AND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA to breach Fortress Europe. This was an invasion preventable by development. The ARMADA OF DEATH is not in old great ships but in pirate-run little leaky boats UNFIT FOR PURPOSE leading to Africa’s youth drowning just like in ‘good-old’ slavery times, as a reward for a $3,000 suicide boat seat without even a lifejacket made of empty plastic bottles. Development will make Africans stay home. Nobody flees to Africa until perhaps a new Ice Age Cometh and winter freeze Europe and North America.
    NASS should reconsider suspending daily proceedings when one unfortunate member dies. A costly custom considering that NASS scarcely offers ONE MOMENT, NOT UP TO ONE MINUTE, OF SILENCE WHEN Nigeria suffers multiple deaths of non NASS members. Does the crocodile have tears?
    NB: Whistle-blow corruption. Expose to the public ‘I LOVE NIGERIA’ KNOWLEDGEABLE CANDIDATES for coming elections.
    NNB: Nigerian journalists search bbc.com/KomlaDumor by 15/3/2017 for Komla Dumor Award. www.tonymarinho.com

  • ‘How to bridge airports’ infrastructure gap’

    ‘How to bridge airports’ infrastructure gap’

    Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN) Managing Director Saleh Dunoma is for concessioning to address the problem of infrastructure. In this interview with KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR, he insists that that is the only way to turn around the airports.

    There is growing disapproval by some stakeholders of the government’s plan to concession some international airports. What is your take on this?

    Many people do not know much  about airport concession. It is critical for players and stakeholders to understand clearly the motives of the government before kicking against the exercise. From a global point of view, airport concession has become fashionable because of the benefits accruable. Concession is a model adopted to address serious gaps in infrastructure at airports.

    Since governments do not have enough money to address infrastructure gaps, it considers concession an incentive to attract investors. It is a very good thing for the global aviation industry. The whole idea of adopting concession of airports is to get capital to develop infrastructure. This is the reason government is looking at airport concession.

    Airports concession is used to close gaps in terms of infrastructure. These gaps have arisen because of insufficient intervention through funding. This is the major attraction for introduction of concession.

    How does a typical concession arrangement work, given that previous ones ended in controversy?

    The model affords government the opportunity to share risks with private sector players who are interested in putting money into airport infrastructure to make them work more efficiently. It is a business arrangement that allows people who know how to do the business as stakeholders collaborate to share risks and possible profits in managing airport terminals. Under this arrangement, the facility remains the property of government, but managed by the private sector.

    That is all what concession is. Let’s come and close this gap and share the profit.  If concession is done properly and openly and transparently and all parameters, issues are properly considered, it is better.

    The shared risk in case of concession is important. I think we need to understand the difference between privatisation and concession. If all the parameters are gotten rightly at the beginning, I think concession is better. The challenge here is a matter of perception.

    How do you address the growing agitation for airport services by airlines and other users in Africa?

    From a continental point of view, airports in Africa were built to meet some demands at the time of their construction. But, as you have it in Nigeria, over the years , the volume of flight and other operations have reached a level that public funding has become inadequate to meet the needs of airlines and other airport users .

    Infrastructure requires renewal all the time. This renewal also requires a lot of capital investments. African governments are unable to fill the infrastructure gap. So what is the solution? That is why concession is becoming popular.

    How will you as the president, African Region of Airports Council International, improve air transport on the continent?

    Our concern mostly is to make sure that we continue to improve the environment for safe, secure aviation business. Because of the global challenges that we have, we need to make sure we improve our security in all our airports in Africa. The next important thing is commercials. We need revenue to sustain some of our operations. We need air services which are critical.

    We need connectivity because right now, we don’t have the connectivity that we require to cover the entire African continent and this is our immediate concern.

    We also need proper and improved air services. We need to collaborate with African airlines through African Airlines Association (AFRAA)  or IATA to make sure that African airlines are developed in such a way that they rate with other airports. We need to look at creating an environment so that these African airports get access to our airports. Whatever it means, if it means getting some incentives or encouragement or whatever it takes to bring our African airlines to cover all African airports that we have to improve connectivity in Africa.

    We will sit down and look at them critically and collaborate with stakeholders to make sure that we achieve proper connectivity, within the African airspace and African airport. It will go a long way in improving the growth of our airlines and services within the continent of Africa.

    There are the other things that we need to add, in addition to safety and security, that will make our aviation robust. It is a growing economy and there are so many potentials to make sure that we encourage investors into African aviation business.

    What are the incentives?

    We are working towards that. We are thinking seriously. We have discussed this and we asked all the members to go and think. Different issues for different countries. But I assure you, in our next meeting, we will bring the issues and we will discuss them, harmonise and work out the incentives we would like to provide for African airlines to achieve a better connectivity. We have committees and these committees are given some of the assignments that come up with the board and then we work on that.

    You talked about air connectivity in Africa and how ACI was trying to create a single sky. How can this be achieved without infrastructure?

    Many countries are making efforts in this direction. In the last meeting we had a lot of projects across Africa, airports are either in advanced stage or  just taking off.  The countries are providing adequate infrastructure for the kind of traffic they want to attract. It is not the size of the building that determines the traffic. Mostly, passengers and other airport users see only the terminal building. There are lots of things that you don’t see. The airlines are there; what about the runway, apron, ground services and others. These are the important things that airlines will require to come. What is important to attract traffic is whether we have adequate navigational equipment at the airport, runway, apron, ramp services, and fuel. Those are things that everybody would want to know if they are adequate. African airlines are trying to address all these.

    How can African airlines begin to work with global technology at major airports?

    Technology is very important because you cannot, for example, construct the runway without it. We are looking at that critically. In every meeting that we hold, we invite manufacturers from all over the world. And they come with the state of the art equipment. We give them this opportunity so that member states will look at the new technologies and then see how we can get access to such new technology. They also do presentations so that everybody understands what is there. We share experiences with other airports that have already started using these new technologies. We agree on way to go. We also talk to the manufacturers to assist individual airports that are ready to adopt these technologies on training.

    What legacy will you leave as ACI Africa President?

    I am working hard with the board. I have already discussed with them in my acceptance speech that we need just to convince our governments and our approving authorities in the various states. In order to take aviation to the next level in Africa we have identified some areas that we need to cover. They will collate all the issues and solutions and bring to us. We will now liaise. We want to bring the approving authorities close to us. If we bring them close to us and they understand the issue, that makes life easier for us in Africa. We intend to explore more and the relationship between African Union with ACI Africa through, of course the rightful channels. We have regional, ECOWAS and we have groupings. We will use the ECOWAS to get African Heads of State. We intend to improve that; so at the end of the day, there will be smooth and proper relationship between us and them and they will see reasons to approve us on all the issues we tend to bring out in the future. And we get the blessings of these governments as quickly as possible.

    In capacity building, what is on the table for Africa?

    Many capacity building initiatives have been designed to improve African aviation. The Human Resources Sub-committee team for African region met recently in Maputo and the members of the team have come up with suggestions on capacity development in Africa. Mostly, it is geared towards improvement of airport workers as far as airport in Africa is concerned. It is also geared towards knowledge that will enable them execute their responsibilities, bearing in mind the current issues of terrorism. We are talking about airport security but we place emphasis on land side security because people come from the land side to the airport and perpetrate whatever bad intentions that they have. So, we have a template of how to tackle security at the airports, especially the landside security. These are the kind of things we look at and we proffer solution to them. There are lots of improvements in the training programme. We are looking at: what are the threats; what do we do; what is on the table for ACI Africa. These trainings are geared towards addressing such issues and we are very flexible. We look at the requirements of various countries under ACI Africa. Then bring it to the board and then discuss and determine the people that require these training.  We try as much as possible to train more people. So we normally, take the training to the doorstep of those that need it so that we don’t have to pay much or spend much on the training.