Nation
25 Airports Risk Runway Incursions Over Security Breach
No fewer than 25 airports in the country are exposed to security breaches due mainly to substandard fencing, investigations have revealed.
At the moment, only international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt have partial perimeter fencing, while the others owned by the Federal Government are not yet properly fenced, a situation which has led to encroachments on the lands by some unwanted elements.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) security guidelines prescribes that all airports must be secured with double perimeter fences. Its regulations mandate standard airports to have both perimeter and security fences. The ICAO annex 14 sees a perimeter fence, while annex 17 equally has provisions for a security fence.
In an effort to meet the ICAO standard, FAAN had painstakingly applied safety measures in line with international best practice to boost security and safety within the nation’s airports.
Investigations show that there is an urgent need for the FAAN to fortify the already existing perimeter fencing as required by the ICAO to avert more security breaches in the future.
On May 19, 2022, the mangled body of an unknown person was found on Runway 18R/36L of the International wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.
The human remains were suddenly found on Runway 18R during a routine runway inspection by FAAN personnel.
Earlier, in March 2022, gunmen suspected to be bandits attacked Kaduna Airport, killing the guard at the Voice Omni Directional Radio (VOR) site, a Navigational Aids equipment belonging to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
The sudden attack, which took place at midday, affected the smooth take-off of flights as most of the airport workers were running helter-skelter for safety.
Also in March, 2021, the airport’s staff quarters, close to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), were invaded.
Investigations have shown that most of the existing fences of airports in the country are poorly manned and could be easily breached by unwanted guests.
It was also gathered that the poorly built fences, coupled with underutilisation of airport premises, especially those closer to the fences, had given room for thick bushes to grow, covering up the fences in some instances and allowing hoodlums to take cover, a situation inside sources have described as dangerous.
Findings also revealed that although Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt Airports boast of the best fencing infrastructure in the country, they still fall short of the ICAO standard.
To meet the ICAO recommended practices, industry observers said there was a need for adequate provision of huge funds to construct perimeter and operational fences across all the over 25 airports operated by FAAN. The funds are expected to take care of the several hundreds of kilometres of landmass across the airports in the country.
The ICAO security guidelines instructs that all airports must be secured with double perimeter fences. To meet this specification, nets, barbed wire, cameras, sensors, infrareds, intrusion detection devices are required, all of which would cost close to N1 trillion to fix.
Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.
She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.
Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.
The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.
Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.
He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.
Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.
He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.
According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.
Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.
Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them
John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah
Nation
We’ll Partner Private Sector to Industrialize Rivers State – Fubara …Hints Revitalization of Ahoada, Trans Amadi Industrial layout
“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively. Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.
“This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs”, Edun said.
Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo said access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs.
-
Maritime4 hours agoProducts, Others, To Arrive Lagos Ports Today — MPA
-
Environment3 hours agoMOSOP – Tinubu Not Sincere With Ogoni People For Oil Resumption
-
Oil & Energy3 hours agoSEED: FG To Train 6,000 Energy Professionals
-
Environment3 hours agoNEWSAN Urges Investment For Water And Sanitation services
-
Environment3 hours agoNGOs Task Media On Investing In Climate Literacy
-
Oil & Energy3 hours ago‘Trans Niger Pipeline Records Zero Infraction ‘ ……..As FG Hits 99.2% OPEC Target
-
Politics3 hours ago
Primaries: Diri Lauds APC’s Unity, Cohesion In Bayelsa
-
Maritime4 hours agoLagos Records Major Gains In Road, Rail, Water Transport —Osiyemi