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– FG Kicks-off work on Kano Airport 2nd runway
Chinedu Eze
The Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, has called on the security operatives at the Lagos airport, other stakeholders urging them to provide the best service to travelers and eschew corruption to improve the image of the country.
Just as he disclosed that work has started at the second runway of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, while government is effectively handling the second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Ganduje stated this while fielding questions from journalists after the facility tour of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, yesterday, saying there is the need for the major stakeholders at the airport to provide good customer service that will make the airport more functional and this could be achieved through effective coordination.
“We have been briefed that every month there is meeting with the major stakeholders at the airport. It is not only FAAN that will provide customer service that will make the airport more functional. There are other major stakeholders.
“The Nigeria Immigration is there, the Nigeria Customs Service is there, the NDLEA is there, the Nigeria Police Force is there, the military is there, the DSS is there, even Civil Defence is there, and also the private sector. So, I think it is very, very important to have good coordination and build good attitude of providing services to travelers.
“On the issue of corruption. We should have zero tolerance of corruption so that passengers, both local and international will not have a bad image on the country. So, we expect the security services to develop high standards so that our country will be proud of them,” Ganduje said.
Reviewing what he saw during the tour of the airport facilities, he said that FAAN is doing very well in terms of work on airport infrastructure, improvement on safety and security at the airport.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for providing the agency the support it needed to actualize the objectives of the administration in the aviation industry.
Ganduje thanked FAAN specially for upgrading the facilities at the Lagos and Abuja airports for them to meet the international standard required for their International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) certification.
He expressed optimism the next re-certification process would be a workover because the management of FAAN is continuously transforming the infrastructure at the airports, providing state of the art equipment and training technical personnel to meet the standard required to make the airports some of the best in Africa.
“There is no doubt, (Lagos airport) is the biggest and busiest international airport in West Africa. We have to thank Mr. President, who, within two years, has been able to improve our airports, especially international airports, Lagos, Abuja, and Kano.
“We have seen a lot of improvement in Lagos. We have seen new scanners all over. We have seen new e-gates, making the international airports really international, comparable to many developed international airports. We have to thank Mr. President for that.
“Also, we have to thank you (FAAN), for creating an enabling environment for private airlines to thrive. The degree of mortality of private airlines was very high in Nigeria.
“If we start mentioning those now in the graveyard, it will take a lot of our time. But by creating an enabling environment, the private airlines now can be profitable and thrive well.
“They (the airports) have been providing services that are obtainable in developed airports in the world. So, we have to thank you for that. We have to thank the management for obtaining certification.
“Certification is very, very vital for this country, for this airport. And from what I have seen, they will continue to provide good services so that the next certification will be automatic. We have to thank them for that,” the FAAN Board Chairman said.
He said that during the facility tour he also saw abandoned projects and the challenges FAAN is facing and stressed the to address these challenges.
Ganduje also frowned at the grasses that have not been attended to and attributed it to the broken down of the tractors that cut the grasses and promised FAAN that the Board would look into facilitating ways for the acquisition of more tractors.
“We have gone around, we have seen a number of ongoing projects. We have also seen some abandoned projects. We have seen some challenges. And in fact, our attention has been drawn to some of the challenges which we need to address, especially issues pertaining to safety, issues pertaining to security, and issues pertaining to good infrastructural facilities that will attract more airlines into the country. We have seen the environment with a lot of grasses.
“I think the grasses; the management needs to take care of that. We have been told the tractors for cutting the grasses, most of them are old and cannot do the work. They need new ones. The board will look into that,” Ganduje promised.
He also said that beyond the grass cutting, FAAN should provide landscaping at certain areas of the airport to make it look beautiful and attract people coming from abroad and in that way promote the image of the country.
“So, after cutting the grass, please provide good landscaping. The lighting, which is important for airlines to take off, for airlines to land, both domestic and international.
“We cannot afford to have problems in that area because safety is our number one priority. Also, we have seen a lot of useful spaces that are turned into graveyards by some airlines.
“I think there is a need to solve that problem so that such places can be put into operation,” Ganduje also said.
