FAAN Mulls Mobile Court to Clear Miscreants @ Airports

Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is to inaugurate a taskforce and a mobile court to contain the rising activities of touts nation’s airports, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek has leanrt.

Yakubu Dati, general manager, Corporate Communications (FAAN) told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek on Monday that FAAN has beefed up security at the airports, adding installation of high-tech systems is another way to keep unwanted guests off the airports.

Dati said: “Right now we are installing state-of-art facilities at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, which is one of the best in the world. The process will also go round the other airports. This is because we believe safety and security ranked high in what we are doing. We are looking at the safety and security of the airports, the terminals and indeed, of the passengers. We are not neglecting the comfort of the passengers as well rather we are intensifying efforts in all ramifications.

“We have elaborate plans to checkmate the issue of touts; it has become a menace to us. The Authority will soon set up a taskforce and a mobile court that will try and be able to deal with issues related to miscreants spot on”.

When asked the recruiters of the miscreants into the system, the general manager, bemoaned that passengers lazily engage and depend on the touts to purchase air tickets, among other meager jobs that have kept them (the miscreants) within the airport environments.

“Some of them are encouraged by the passengers; somebody wants to take a flight he first calls them to go and get him a ticket. What we are trying to say is that you do not have to do that. As a passenger you can buy your tickets online or getting to the airport you can buy it at the counter. But most times, you discover that passengers are the ones encouraging these people.

And we are talking about highly placed people (in the society). Se that is why we are appealing to them (passengers) to get abreast of the facilities available, because they do not need touts to get their businesses done at the airports.

“We discovered that room for touting is created when people are struggling to get tickets from the airlines (at the airports); and at a particular airline you cannot get a ticket until you have to pass through a tout, therefore we are working with the airlines to stem the tide. The process is not beneficial to anybody. So the fight is going to be carried out jointly. We will resolve it ones and for all.

“I am sure that with the taskforce people caught in the art shall be treated immediately and I am sure it will go a long way in mitigating the challenges” he said

He expressed confidence in the system hence FAAN is putting finishing touches on course for the commencement of the taskforce.

“We are putting finishing touches and awaiting approval from the necessary authorities,” Dati added.