Ken Okeke
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has taken steps to protect air travelers from consistent harassment by miscreants at airports.
To deal with this the FAAN Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, convened a crucial meeting with the heads of all security agencies at Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos on December 2nd 2024, to tackle the persistent problems of touting and harassment of passengers at screening points.
At the meeting, Mrs Kuku launched “Operation AirClean,” making it clear that she has the full backing of the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN. She emphasised the urgency to clean up airport terminals and eliminate unpatriotic practices among officers. Her call to action for the leaders of security agencies was straightforward: it is no longer business as usual.
The initiative was developed to improve collaboration among agencies and to streamline passenger search processes, ultimately enhancing the overall travel experience. It also aims to eliminate extortion and harassment of passengers, as well as to completely eradicate touting activities at the airport.
She ordered the immediate dismantling of search tables at screening points and mandated that technology be leveraged to reduce manual searches and improve interactions with passengers. Collaboration and intelligence sharing among agencies were also deemed essential for enhancing service delivery.
The FAAN MD/CE announced that her administration would deploy mystery shoppers equipped with body cameras to assess the performance of officials at both arrival and departure security and screening areas.
The meeting was highly participatory, and representatives from various agencies proposed concrete solutions for improving services to enhance the passenger experience while eliminating touting and soliciting. The heads of the security agencies committed to heightened oversight of their officers, ensuring accountability on duty. It was also resolved that secure and designated area will be provided as a waiting area for visitors while mobile courts will be set up for expedited prosecution of offenders.
Mrs Kuku reaffirmed that FAAN directors would actively engage in monitoring efforts, and existing task forces were directed to intensify their activities. Any officer found guilty of misconduct must be reported to their agency head without delay.
The meeting included representatives from the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Immigration Services, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigerian Quarantine Services, Nigerian Police Force, Directorate of Security Services, Nigerian Customs Services, and Aviation Security Services.
Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, driven by her unwavering commitment to enhancing passenger experiences at Nigerian airports, called for unified action to achieve this critical objective and zero tolerance for misconduct.