The renewed threat to global security through explosives has necessitated the need for aviation authorities to reinforce security measures around the Nigerian airports. As part of the measures, Nigeria signed an agreement with the United States on deployment of Air Marshals in US-Bound flights for enhanced security.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren signed on behalf of Nigeria while John Halinski, Assistant Administrator, Office of Global Strategies, Transport Security Administration (TSA) signed for the United States of America.

According to Demuren, it will give Nigeria the opportunity to have its aviation security officials trained on how to handle threat to the aircraft. He explained that Nigeria and the US have to work together to improve security on board the aircraft and to stop terror, since the Umar Farouk Abdulmutalab incident in 2009.

America will help us train our people for free and improve measues through aviation security. This is because no country is inmune, he said, adding. “it will help us to share safety and security information. All the American airlines need to do is to get the permission of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority for the Marshals to do their work, while the aircraft is flying in and out of our airspace”.

In fact, this is a concerted effort to improve aviation security. It has become necessary for Nigeria to take another step towards beefing up security at our airports and aircraft to take the aviation industry to the next level. This agreement will involve the deployment of in-fight security officers/Air Marshals.

Both countries have been working on this agreement signed at the TSA Headquarters, Arlington, Virginia, US, in the presence of Nigeria’s Ambassador to US, Professor Adefuye, for some years now, before it was signed last weekend.

The agreement is part of measures by the American government to improve safety and security on the trans-atlantic routes because of the latest threat to air safety in the wake of terrorist attacks. Air Marshals work undercover to prevent or interfere with criminal acts which may occur on board an aircraft or in an airport.

The Air Marshal programme first started in the United States in 1968 after a few international hijackings on airplanes. The programme was small and most marshals were used on international flights, which were considered at risk for hijacking. When airports across the world began using metal detectors to screen passengers, the air Marshals were reduced following terrorist attacks on the US on September 11, 2001, the programme was expanded. The programme is run by the Transport Security Administration (TSA).

Part of why the Marshals work undercover is to deter criminals as marshals observe passengers at the airport before departure and onboard the aircraft.

Their main role is to keep passengers and crew safe from terrorist activity and other types of criminal behaviour.

Most Marshals have experience in law enforcement, such as working as a Police Officer but marshals, who do not have law enforcement experience but have a degree in criminal justice, may be considered for a position depending on the number of job openings.The rising trend of terrorist activities in Nigeria prompted the signing into law the Terrorism (Prevention) Bill 2011 and it was passed by the just-concluded 6th National Assembly. Under the law, it is an offence to finance terrorism. The Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 establishes measures for the prevention, prohibition and combating of acts of terrorism and the financing of terrorism.

The Act also provides for the effective implementation of the convention on the prevention and combating of terrorism as well as the convention on the suppression of the financing of terrorism and prescribes penalties for the violation of its provisions.

The Federal Government should pay greater attention to security in the nation’s airports because they are gateways and play key roles in the nation’s economy. Those who invest in the aviation sector pay huge revenue to the Federal Government or federation account in form of duties, taxation and import charges. The President, Goodluck Jonathan should take the issue of airport security and airspace more seriously as the sector is seen as one of the largest revenue sources after oil and gas industry.

Insecurity at the airports could scare investors from the country and hamper airport operations taking into account the spate of terrorism and bombings in some parts of the country. Large investment opportunities capable of determining the nation’s economy position are available in the airports and this speaks volumes about the strategic position the aviation industry occupies in investment trade, such that a significant part of export and import are done through the sector.

Nigeria is a country whose economic activities depend solely on the exportation and importation of finished products and raw materials including crude oil as well as refined petroleum products. All these contribute to the volume of import and export in the country and underscores how lucrative investments in the country’s airport business is. But the poor state of our airports, mostly the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa in terms of access road, users roads, equipment, infrastructure and security, is seen as being below standard. Within last year and now, the airport has recorded several cases of accident that claimed lives.

Access roads to and within the airports and insecurity as well as lack of perimeter fence are some of the problems confronting the nation’s airports, which need to be addressed by the Federal Government if the country intends to sustain is Category One status and achieve growth in the sector. The high level of insecurity in the nation’s airports has become so glaring that users are no longer safe. The government should wake up to its responsibilities.

The Federal Government should make enough budgetary provision for the agencies in-charge of the airports such as the FAAN, NCAA, NAMA and others to effectively develop the airports and guide the airspace and aircraft flying Nigerian and international routes. This is necessary to save one of the nation’s big sources of revenue. The aviation industry has a very huge revenue potential and employment generation and the country can not afford to lose it. The high level of insecurity in the sector has made importation and exportation a very risky business so it has become imperative for the Federal Government to provide the needed equipment for bomb detection and others around the airports, which enable security agents to mount surveillance on the airports and their surrounding environments.

Airports are very crucial gateways that connect a country with other international communities and if left in a very bad shape and exposed the activities of terrorists and other criminal acts, foreigners would not like to do business in our country for fear of insecurity.

Therefore, to protect the image of the country in the global market and view, the Federal Government should provide the needed equipment to the concerned agencies to do their security jobs effectively.

Nigerians should make security-consciousness their cardinal principle and a way of life. FAAN and other agencies should re-appreaise the existing strategies on raising awareness on potential security threats and re-orientate the public through the media.

The recent security challenges in some parts of the country have signaled the need for increased awareness at our airports and other public places. There have been recent unrest, insecurity, flashes of threats and violence in some parts of the country due to inter and intra political party conflicts, socio-economic agitations, ethno-religious crises, organized rebellion and outright criminality.

The state of insecurity and challenging threats necessitates a renewed strategy in public awareness in the management of security and civic responsibilities. The idea of sharing information will blossom so the bottom-line is for everybody to log on to the idea always by being security-conscious. FAAN and NCAA as NAMA, should work towards getting passengers and other airport users to adopt to changing intelligence needs, which are challenging due to the existing structure that need the most security attention.

There is need to fashion out a programme of action considering the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria to achieve the goals of our airports as well as strengthen national security.

The anti-terrorism law should be seriously enforced, irrespective of who is involved just as the security scope, methodology and effectiveness of security officers and their functions should be redefined.

Security agents at the airports should be vigilant to cope with the serious security challenge and to address them. The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at the nation’s airports is a potent means of curbing insecurity, even in the airplanes.

Shedie Okpara