Nigeria: FG Suspends Airport Officials Over Turkish Airline Fiasco

The federal government Sunday ordered the immediate suspension of all senior airport managers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja for what it described as their inability to put in place effective crowd control mechanisms, which led to security lapses and a break down of law and order when a Turkish airline arrived in Abuja last Friday by 11p.m.

The Minister of State for Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika, while venting his anger at the airport managers in Abuja after an on-the-spot assessment of what transpired, also frowned at the unfortunate incident where some aggrieved passengers on board the Turkish airline, arrived without their luggage, then maneuvered their way back to the ramp where the aircraft was parked. The act, he explained, constituted a serious security breach and lapse in the industry.

While ordering the suspension, the minister said the explanation given by Mr. Bashir Hausawan, Head of Security, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and Mr. A.J Danmusa, who also is in charge of the airport's management and other senior officials, remained untenable to government.

He said: "Their explanation is not satisfactory. The primary purpose of government is security of lives and property of its citizens and the cardinal point within which this government came into power is the promise that they will secure the country and manage it and we cannot fail in this very important assignment at this very important point having regard to global terrorism, where aviation has become a source of terror.

"We cannot afford these lapses, it is not correct that we condone it. I have ordered for an investigation into the matter immediately and those manning the various places, the terminal manager, airport manager and the head of security should hand over to the next most senior officer in rank pending investigation to find out what happened when the Turkish airline landed that fateful night."

On the negligence of the airline, the minister said: "The Consumer Protection Unit has been ordered to find out what happened and how compliant is the airline. The passengers are though many as we are yet to get the manifest of the airline. But currently, there are lapses in security and the passengers had access to the prohibited area where the aircraft was parked and this is a breach of security." Also commenting on the Bauchi airport ladder fiasco, he added: "I have ordered that Aero Contractors be punished and fined and also the captain who is the commander of the aircraft also to be fined."

While expressing optimism that the sector would be a net contributor to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Sirika said: "In 2016, we will have more vibrant and efficient sector; security and safety and efficiency will be watchword for this administration with regards to transportation and once you are secure and safe and efficient, then we have over 100 per cent what we are supposed to do in transportation."

On why airport concessions hardly work in the aviation sector, he said: "Concessions has never worked in the past at the airports because they have not been done correctly. We are not people by nature who do rational things, or who do things with planning. We act impulsively. This time, we will study the concessions and look at all the variables and do what is correct and I'm sure they will work this time around."

Hausawan in his defence, however, attributed the lapses at the airport to lack of adequate manpower to man the various sections of the airport.

"Actually we had only one man on duty, I will not tell lies, this is the only capable hand that we had at that time and well of course we had shortage of manpower and some of the beats are being manned sometimes by only one person," he said.

The FAAN head of security added that five persons were meant to be manning a section, "but sometimes we resolved to use just only three persons at the screening points," adding that the FAAN has over 192 employed for security purposes.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday condemned the unwillingness of domestic airlines to offset over N6 billion they owe the regulatory authority, saying it was hampering the agency from carrying out its financial obligations.

In his Christmas message to air travellers, operators and others, Muhtar Usman, Director General of the NCAA, expressed dismay over the failure of airlines to pay promptly, the five per cent Ticket Sales charge (TSC), to the NCAA and disclosed that the huge debt profile is affecting funding for training which is the hallmark of the responsibilities of the civil aviation authority.

"The Authority however noticed with serious concern the huge debts of airlines as a result of failure to settle promptly invoices as at when due. This poses serious financial challenges to the various parastatals that benefit from the five per cent Ticket, Charter and Cargo Sales Charges.

"Consequently, the NCAA would be pleased to see that the airlines put plans in place towards the full liquidation of all outstanding indebtedness. The settlement of those debts will go a long way in assisting the authority fulfil its statutory obligations to the country and the world at large," he said.

He, however, said the regulatory body was fully committed to strict enforcement of compliance to safety regulations in order to engender safe operations at all times.

In his message Usman said:, "The NCAA wishes all airline operators and all aviation stakeholders a happy Christmas celebration and a prosperous new year in advance.

"We thank God for a safe operation in the outgoing year and we look forward to a safe and secure operation in the coming years. Safety is a collective responsibility and we appreciate the cooperation from all stakeholders, particularly the airlines towards the safe operations in the outgoing year."