FAAN bars non- compliant VIPs, government officials from airport terminals

Chinazor Megbolu

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has said that top public officials and very important personalities (VIPs), who do not comply with the new protocols on Covid-19 that have been approved for aviation sector shall be barred from accessing the airport terminals.

This followed the sheer arrogance and non-compliance by two State Governors and their aides to the protocols approved by the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 recently.

The agency said this on Friday through a tweet post on its official twitter handle.

The organisation noted that the issue has become necessary after two acts of infractions on the rules and guidelines for air passengers and airport users by the former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari and Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri who flouted the rules.

Recall that Yari had on Saturday, July 11, 2020, at Aminu Kano International airport, Kano refused to adhere to the port health protocols and procedures.

The statement also noted that Governor Fintiri on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, at the Port Harcourt International airport, with eight other passengers, refused to observe airport security and port health protocols.

The act was condemned by FAAN which condemned the refusal of Yari and Fintiri to adhere to airport security and port health protocols at the Kano and Port-Harcourt airports respectively.

According to the tweet; ‘’the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) notes with dismay, two acts of infractions on the rules and guidelines for air passengers and airport users.

“The first incident occurred on Saturday, July 11, 2020 at the Aminu Kano International airport when former governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, declined to adhere to the port health protocols and procedures.

‘’The second incident occurred on Tuesday, July 14 2020, when the Governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, arrived at the Port-Harcourt International airport, in company of eight other passengers.

” He also fragrantly refused to observe the airport security and port health protocols.

‘’As a responsible institution of the Federal Government of Nigeria, FAAN holds all officials of state in high esteem and accords them all the courtesies their status deserves.

“Therefore, FAAN has no personal issues with Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari and Governor Fintiri’’.

FAAN, however, regretted that these protocols that were flouted by these two VIPs were duly approved by the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 and were intended to protect airport users and contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘’By their actions, the two personalities put at risk not only themselves, but also other airport users.

“These protocols are now part of the new norms all over the world and no person, no matter how highly placed,is exempted from them, else he would be denied access to our facilities.’’

‘’FAAN wishes to restate the need for all air travellers to strictly adhere to the security, public health and operation protocols put in place to make air travel in the country safe, secure and efficient, especially in the midst of this pandemic,’’ the statement said.