December 12, (THEWILL) – Over the years, stakeholders in the nation’s aviation industry have lodged complaints about some corrupt officials of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), particularly at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. Aware of the growing trend of corruption at the airport, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) recently frowned at the activities of these government workers.
Their observation is coming at a time the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has said it is currently investigate six agency personnel that were caught extorting passengers at the airport.
The Authority has also said it will escalate this to the National Security Adviser (NSA) and initiate a permanent ban on the culprits, which simply means that they will not be able to work in any airport in the country ever again.
This was made known at the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat Training session on Promoting Ease of doing business and Customer Service for MDAs operating at the Airports (Front-line officers) held in MMIA Conference Centre Lagos.
Special Adviser to the President on the Ease of Doing Business, Dr Jumoke Odulowe, who expressed the mood of the presidency over the series of viral videos that had been trending on social media, warned that if the leaders of the agencies were not held responsible for their subordinates’ actions, there might be a clean sweep as the inefficiency and corruption at the MMIA had become unbearable.
Speaking to uniformed personnel at the airport including FAAN AVSEC, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Quarantine – Dr Odulowe described the MMIA as ‘no man’s land,’ a place where officials do anything they like without consequences.
Managing director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu, who spoke on the current malaise explained that in the light of the current corruption and extortion issues, the authority would compile a list of violators monthly, as well as video clips or bank statements of people who have been extorted or harassed for each agency and copy the National Security Adviser (NSA), PEBEC and the Minister of Aviation.
Yadudu said, “In the light of these videos, I called an emergency meeting and I said, if this continues and nothing is done, it means, the MD of FAAN and other agency heads themselves are sharing the money, if there is money. They are sharing the benefits, if there are benefits. If things are happening and there is no reaction then there is a problem, somebody is getting it.
“The action we are taking now is if you are caught, MMIA will write to the headquarters of FAAN and make a compilation every month. We will submit for each agency, their list of violators, as well as video clips or bank statements of the people that have been extorted or harassed or otherwise violated, to their headquarters and copy the National Security Adviser (NSA), PEBEC and the Minister of Aviation. That way, the agencies will be forcing themselves to say ‘don’t embarrass us’.
“We will enforce discipline and we will not cover up. Cover ups are the biggest cause of the issue. Agencies want to cover their own, FAAN wants to cover its own, stakeholders and airlines want to cover theirs as well. That is why people who are doing minimal violations graduate overtime and become emboldened. As a result, others who are not involved in it see that they are at a disadvantage because the others have more money and privileges and so they join.
“In our own FAAN, among the people we caught was an AVSEC. After we initiated his ban from airports permanently across Nigeria, he cannot work in any airport in Nigeria. The agency has to replace him. It is a black mark. If we identify any bad egg, we will ban such a person for life, take his ODC and nothing will happen. So is it worth it? Must it go to that length? No.
“Right now I have six names reported and submitted to me last Friday. Some agencies will even take money, put it in the passport and then pass it to another. The officer will then look at it, remove the money and return the passport. I’m saying it now because we don’t want to catch and embarrass Nigerians.”
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
