Stealing, vandalisation crippling Benin airport – Investigation

… As NCAA vows to dismantle masts at Enugu airport

Stealing of gadgets and vandalisation of runway facilities is gradually crippling activities at the Benin airport.
Investigation by The Daily Times showed that hoodlums gained access into the runway of the airport to vandalise installation as a result of the lack of perimeter fence.

For many years, the Benin airport has been operating day flights due to absence of runway lightings. It was however learnt that with theft of gadgets, the situation has worsened as the move to start night operations at the airport will be a mirage.

The daylight operations has negatively affected the revenue base of the airport as commercial and private flights are done only during the day.

The airport is surrounded by buildings without perimeter fence giving easy access to runway incursions.

The airport has the potential of revenue generation if allowed to operate night flights as people in the Niger Delta and Eastern part of the country make use of the airport.

It was gathered that several appeal by the airport authorities to the people residing around the airport environment to monitor the activities of their wards fell in deaf ears.

Few years ago, a twelve year old boy was arrested on Arik flight from Benin to Lagos on stow away. How he gained access into the air side of the airport remained a mystery.

Benin airport is among the airports renovated by former Aviation minister, Stella Oduah, few years ago but facilities at the airport including screening machine, toilets, and furniture are in bad shape.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has vowed to pull down all obstruction that has to do with high rise objects such as buildings, masts and others sited within unapproved regions.

Spokesman for NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, in an interview, said erecting masts within unapproved areas amounted to violation and attract penalty.

Adurogboye explained that NCAA secured the services of a private company to go round the country to pull down any obstruction within unauthorised places.

“That is very strange because we have a full scale department on that; that is a unit in Aerodrome and Airspace Standards in-charge of such obstructions and air clearance”.

“Apart from that, we have to also secure the services of a private company to go round the whole country and help us pull down any obstruction that has to do with high rise objects like buildings, masts and others that are sited within the unapproved regions”.

He assured that the masts will be pulled down if the masts were erected unlawfully after investigation by the NCAA, adding “When it now appears that there is a violation from the onset, then of course it has to be pulled down and sanction will apply”.

Adurogboye further assured that NAMA and FAAN will be involved in the decision to dismantle the masts after investigation.

“It is going to involve a tripartite action. First, NAMA will be involved; FAAN will be involved because it is either, if it is something, that maybe the runway met the mast; approval must have initially been given but there still must be a tripartite action, discussion or dialogue even with the company”.

There have been controversies surrounding the erection of two masts on the take-off 08 runway at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu which has been of great safety concern.