Extortion: FG frowns at agencies’ activities at Airport, to sanctions defaulters
By Seun Ibiyemi
Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) during the week frowned at the activities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) operating at the nation’s airports with particular reference to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).
This is coming as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it is currently processing six (6) agency personnel that have been caught extorting from passengers at the airport stating that it will escalate this to the National Security Adviser (NSA) and initiate permanent bans on culprits so they will never work in any airport in the country ever.
These were 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 have trended over social media warned that if care is not taken and leaders of these agencies are not held responsible for their subordinate’s action, there may be a clean sweep as the inefficiency and corruption at the MMIA has 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 liked 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 it will be compiling monthly, a list of violators and video clips or bank statement of the people that 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 all these videos, I called an emergency meeting and I said, if this continues and nothing is done, it means MD 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, MMA will write to the headquarters FAAN and we will compile. Every month we will submit for each agency, their list of violators and video clips or bank statement of the people that have been extorted or harassed or other wise violated to their headquarters and copy the National Security Adviser (NSA), and copy PEBEC and copy the Minister of Aviation, that way agencies will be forcing themselves to say don’t embarrass us.
“We will enforce, discipline and we will not cover up. Cover up is the biggest cause of the issues. Agencies want to cover their own, FAAN wants to cover its own, stakeholders and airlines want to cover, that is why people who are doing minimal violations graduate, overtime and become emboldened. Others that are not doing it see that there is no advantage because the others have more money and more privileges and so they join.
“In our own FAAN, among the people we caught, one is an AVSEC, and after we initiate his ban from airports permanently across Nigeria, you cannot work in any airport in Nigeria. The agency has to replace you, it is a black mark. If we identify any bad egg, we will ban him 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 people reported and submitted to me on Friday, different agencies. Some are even collecting money and put it in the passport and then take it to another, the officer will look at it remove the money and give them back, I’m saying it now but we don’t want to be catching Nigerians.”
