ATSSAN Chairman tasks VIPs to respect aviation rules in Nigerian airports
Mr Samuel Wuyep, Chairman, Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja Branch, has appealed to top Nigerian Government officials and other VIPs to always obey airport laws.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Wuyep lamented that airport staff were often being attacked by top government officials, who usually break rules.
He wondered why the Nigerian elites find it difficult to observe standard procedures and practices as it was done globally, adding that the VIPs often feel offended when asked to observe rules.
ATSSAN Chairman disclosed that many top officials saw it as an affront on their personality when asked to remove their shoes and belt before passing through security scanners by a security officer.
According to him, they don’t like to respect simple instructions of aviation procedures.
“They don’t always like to remove their shoes and belts as the screening procedure demands and anytime you ask them to do so based on standard operational procedure, they would feel you are embarrassing them.
“So, we are faced with a lot of difficulties while trying to enforce standard aviation laws.
“Right from outside when you are coming in, the traffic situation is not too good, motorists would always want to by-pass the queue while coming in and they may want to park at wrong places instead of designated parking areas.
“Once our aviation security officials try to correct them that the parking was not good, they would feel embarrassed because they feel that at their levels nobody should talk to them.
“They might even use the protection units of the various agencies, from the armed forces and the police to harass those people that are enforcing the laws,’’ he said.
Wuyep also accused the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), of not doing enough to protect and defend its officers, who often face assault from the so-called VIPs.
He added that some the VIPs often raise false allegations against the workers thereby subjecting them to unjust punishment, adding that this situation and fear always dampen the morale of the officers.
