How to stop touting at airports

Touting is a global phenomenon. Despite its negative influences in the society, touts are found in most public places, especially in our nation’s gateways such as the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, (NAIA) Abuja, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano, Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, etc. This ugly trend has been on the increase in our airports, until recently that the airport authorities have started making efforts to bring sanity into the system.
Displeased with the increasing touting activities at the airports, the current management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has made it their supreme task and centre of attention. Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo reports

Touting at airports

In most airports in Nigeria, touts range from the marketer who wants you to rent a room in their hotel to unofficial baggage handlers, cab operators, Bureau de Change operators and peddlers, who carry unique items for passengers’ perusal or purchase. They are also those who pose as airline agents, ticketing officers and travel agents.

Whichever one, each of these forceful hustlers are always determined to get travelers interested in whatever they are trading, either within the airport or outside the airport premises. Ordinarily, the original intent of these peddlers is not to bring misery to the lives of the affected but somehow and in most cases, they usually end up offending travelers in the process just as they also constitute public nuisance at the airport terminals.

Executive Order

Apart from the fact that Engr. Dunoma has been able to carry along various stakeholders in the country’s aviation industry, the civil engineer and aviator of repute has equally worked hard at providing leadership duties expected of him by making the airports touts free, long ago before ever the Executive Order was issued.

As part of its plan to implement the Executive Order, FAAN had, few weeks ago, commenced the process of ending touting and other vices at airports across the country.

The Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, at FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, explained that it is part of efforts to implement the executive order signed by Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Prof. Osinbajo had ordered that touting by official or unofficial persons be brought to an end at all the ports of entry to the country and that all duty workers must be properly identified by uniform and official cards. He also instructed that all off duty staff must stay away from the ports except with the express approval of the agency head. The agency stressed that there must be full compliance, as the necessary machinery has been put in place to ensure a successful implementation of the order.

Speaking further, Mrs. Yakubu confirmed that FAAN has been able to tackle the issue of touts at the airport, just as she made it known that the airport is now free from touts. She also advised travelers not to patronize touts but to always go straight to the counters to purchase their tickets by themselves, stressing that such step is better than relying on mere touts.
To serve passengers who don’t like going to the counters, the FAAN GM said that the authority has opened up passengers’ support services for such category of passengers at the airports.

“If you go to the airport now it is very sterile. We have been able to handle the issue of the touts; you know we are working with the police. Nobody that has no business in the airport should get into the airport now. It is either you have a boarding pass or you have staff ID or a visitors’ card. If you don’t have any of these documents, you are not allowed into the airport. We are working with the police, when we arrest we hand them over to the police, for the police to take them to the court. It is not FAAN that releases them.

“Now they are being fined and they must pay a fee. Am not sure about the amount but they are made to pay a fee; some are even being remanded now and they know it is no longer business as usual. We now have sniffer dog in front of MMIA; anybody found milling around the airport without any business is arrested. I tell you, we have been able to deal with the issues of touts”, Mrs. Yakubu said.

Vehicles

As part of efforts geared towards weeding our unwanted visitors at the airport, Mrs. Yakubu also informed that FAAN registers and recognizes only commercial vehicles with light sky blue colour which pay their fees at FAAN’s commercial departments at the beginning of every year.

Task Force

Apart from the airport terminals, FAAN has also set up a task force to screen operations in a bid to curb illegal activities and eliminate touting at the Hajj and Cargo Terminal area of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

According to the airports authority, commercial activities at the terminal have been restricted to 12 hours (7am-7pm) from the initial 24 hours period.

The new regime, FAAN said would not affect the operational activities, but commercial activities within the terminal.

Assuring operators after the introduction of the task force, the Terminal Manager, Hajj and Cargo Terminal, Mr. Asizehi Musa said that the essence of the task force was not to threaten any agency or operator, but to ensure sanity at the terminal, reduce touts and touting activities and make the nation’s airports in compliant with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

He explained that with the new approach, truck would henceforth not be allowed to spend the night at the terminal, stressing that the management had over the years frowned at such practices.

To make the new initiative a success, Musa said FAAN would provide a patrol vehicle, which would monitor activities at the terminal and ensure that only those who have business to transact within the terminal are allowed in. Musa assured that FAAN would cooperate with all stakeholders, especially the cargo agents, Nigeria Customs Service, ground handling companies, Nigeria Police and other stakeholders within the terminal.

“For many years, the issue of access control has been on the front burner and it seems the FAAN is incapacitated, which is not true. But, we can’t allow things to continue like this. Access control is very important and necessary to the safety of all users. The era of 34 hours operation would be a thing of the past. As from this moment, activities are now reduced to 12 hours and I seek the cooperation of all. However, there will be sensitization exercise before the task force commence work in full. But, the restriction exercise does not affect operation areas. It’s only for commercial purpose”, Musa said.

Mr. Benjamin Adewunmi, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Hajj and Cargo Terminal, said that it was necessary to take full control of the territory by FAAN. He declared that if the taskforce was able to carry out its activities dutifully, security and safety of persons, equipment and cargo would further be enhanced.

Corroborating Musa, Adewunmi called for the cooperation of all, most especially the customs agents whom he described as partners in progress. He vowed that the organisation would ensure the success and sustainability the new regime.

To finally nail the coffin of touting activities at the airports, FAAN had few days ago listed security agencies approved by the authority to interface with the passengers at the airport terminal.

Authorised agencies

According to FAAN, only Nigerian Immigration Services NIS (Arrival & Departure); Nigerian Customs Service NCS (Arrival only) National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA (Arrival & Departure); State Security Services SSS; Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit EODU and Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services NAQS (Cargo Terminal Only) are authorized to interface with the passengers at the airport.

The Airports Authority also had since notified stakeholders including airlines, passengers and the general public that only the above mentioned agencies are the only security agencies approved by the authority to interface with the passengers at their terminal.

In a public notice issued recently and signed by the management, FAAN stated “The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN hereby serves notice to airlines, passengers and the general public that in compliance with the provisions of the Executive Order recently approved by the Presidency only the under-listed security agencies have been given approval to interface with the passengers at our terminal”.

Insisting that NIS, Customs and NDLEA must always appear in uniform, FAAN emphasized “Please note that NIS, Customs and NDLEA must always appear in uniform and with undetachable name tags; SSS is for intelligence gathering while EODU will only function on call at the baggage hall”, FAAN added.