Call for adequate punishment
BY CHUKWUEMEKE IWELUNMO
As Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) moves to unravel the circumstances surrounding the theft of the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA)’s runway lightings, stakeholders in the aviation industry have accused workers of the agency who have access to the runway as being liable for any such theft.
Since last week when the theft was reported, there have been series of accusations among workers, especially between the Engineering and Operations departments of FAAN.
The runway lightings of the airport were stolen in a tight and restricted security zone of the tarmac.
In a swift response, aviation stakeholders condemned the shameful act and called for proper disciplinary action against culprits.
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Reacting to the theft, a one-time MMA Airport Commandant, Grp. Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd) told Daily Times that the theft was not new at MMA and urged FAAN management to go back to 1990 when similar occurrences took place at the airport.
Grp. Capt. Ojikutu said he was convinced that it was an act by insiders, adding that he dealt with the situation while there as Military Airport Commandant by ordering soldiers to shoot intruders on sight.
To him, such decisive action will end the occurrence.
He said: “I was convinced that it was an ‘insider threats’. What did I do? I positioned soldiers on the runways and ensured that no FAAN Maintenance staff went near the runways for anything without my approval: otherwise, it was shoot at first sight. It stopped completely.
”Runway lightnings were being stolen and my conclusion then was that runway lightnings can only be useful for runways and not road nor house. Those stolen were being sold in return to FAAN by the same staff.”
Ojikutu also cautioned the management of FAAN to look out for airport touts as capable of being involved in the ignoble act, adding that some of the airlines’ retired staff members later became touts. He disclosed that some of them still retained their staff identity cards, including on-duty cards (ODCs) and frequently came to the airport without being subjected to necessary checks and screening.
Ojikutu also warned against those that were still in service that took advantage of their ODCs to parade the airports when they were not on duty, adding that they should be effectively supervised.
He said: “These are the ones that the aviation security must look out for. Avsec (aviation security) must do regular background checks, like security audits, on those staff that work on the security-controlled areas. Ensure twice annually that the IDs and ODCs of retired staff are retrieved and make them invalid.”
Also speaking with Daily Times, a former General Secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Olayinka Abioye, said those stolen items remained a very bad signal which demonstrated aviation security architecture’s severe lacuna.
He added that the theft exposed the failure to do the needful at the appropriate and due time.
Abioye noted that insider threats have been in the system since 1979 but authorities failed to do the needful.
According to Abioye, “many employees who were unceremoniously disengaged are already used to the system and they have no place to go but remain and lurk around to eke out a living by hook or crook. You may even see some of them in uniform (white top on black/blue trousers) with a fake ID card hanging on their neck. These categories of persons are the most dangerous as they can do and undo and disappear.”
He suggested that to minimize the trend, employers must show empathy when disengaging staff by paying them whatever is due to them to discourage such desperation.
“Some are frustrated having been employed for years as casual staff without being confirmed as permanent staff contrary to the labour laws of the Federation of Nigeria. These groups know that they have nothing to lose even if they are caught,” he argued.
Abioye also identified poor remuneration/welfare as another reason why workers become insider threats to the system, stressing that FAAN must put its acts together to avoid the looming danger.
“You can imagine where Customs/Immigration/NDLEA/ Quarantine personnel aid and abet illegalities within the system. What would you expect an Avsec officer to do? Connivance with bad guys from outside to perpetuate terrible things within for a fee is another threat.
“There are several disciplinary measures contained in the various service conditions of workers which therefore mean that any staff that infringes upon the system will face disciplinary actions as provided in their statute books and may also face prosecution, “the ex-labour leader stated.
Abioye, however, recalled that a few persons sentenced to prison before, returned to the airport to continue their dastardly acts. He, therefore, called for the installation of functional surveillance cameras, unlike those that were mere ceremonial items.
He also called for proper monitoring of all areas, saying that there were too many people who have no business coming to the airport, especially at the cargo area.
“FAAN must find a way to reduce their numbers by designing a uniformed apparel for registered cargo handlers (clearing/forwarding agents) so that their hangers-on can be fully weeded out. If we are serious about security, how come even mad men and women infiltrate our system?
“Our people should endeavour to engage in real patrol at intervals and ensure thatt anyone caught faces the law squarely. No one can end airport stealing and other illegalities, but it can be reduced to the barest minimum as our airports are too porous,” he noted.
A top management staff of the FAAn, who pleaded anonymity, told Daily Times that investigation was ongoing, but declined further comments on the matter.
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