Chinedu Eze
The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma has called on concerned organisations and individuals who use the airport facilities to obey traffic rules in order to sustain the safety and security at the airports, especially the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The Managing Director stated this following a directive from the federal government that all users of the airports, including VIPs must abide by the rules that guide airport operations and services.
The government said that it has observed a growing incident of flagrant violation of traffic regulations by VIPs and top government officials at the nation’s airports, noting that the indiscriminate parking of vehicles by the aforementioned persons at the front of the terminal buildings consequently precipitate long queues and congestions.
The statement by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Yakubu Dati further said this is contrary to air transport operation regulations, as spelt out in Annexes 9 and 17 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) convention and that the incidents have deteriorated to the extent that personal aides of some of these highly placed persons and top government officials manhandle Aviation Security (AVSEC) officials whose duty it is to ensure safety and the protection of the terminal building, passengers and the general public.
“To avert the undesirable phenomenon, which portends greater danger in the light of current security climate of the intensified concerns about possible use of vehicles as mobile bombs, all VIPs and top government officials are enjoined to comply with all civil aviation measures and procedures put in place by FAAN to ensure safety at all the airports,” Dunoma said.
Industry observers have also noted that other Nigerians and expatriates who use the airports obey traffic rules and regulations but the overzealous aides of VIPs and some security operatives break these rules with impunity and this had in the past elicited misunderstanding between the security operatives and AVSEC.
It was also noted that the VIP parking at departure has significantly contributed to the gridlock at peak hours of air travel, an act which has made many travellers miss their flights.
