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Bribe-for-access at airports: Big concern for Osinbajo amid FAAN’s defence
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo heads the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC). At the core of PEBEC’s mandate is improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria by proving to foreign investors that Nigeria is really a cool place to do business.
However, two testimonies from celebrities and a couple of others from members of the public, should leave Osinbajo and PEBEC very worried and embarrassed.
Nigerian actor, Aremu Afoloyan ranted on how he was asked to part with money before his family would be allowed to see him off to the check-in point area.
He also narrated how Ethiopian Airlines refused to airlift a passenger for no reason.The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has refuted a trending notion that its security officers demand bribes before allowing airport users access into the terminal.
The second celebrity to be sore displeased with Nigerian airport officials is movie producer, Kemi Adetiba.
She tells the story of sexist treatment at the hands of Immigration officials who made her regret traveling with speakers and a bottle of perfume.
According to Adetiba, she was treated shabbily after refusing to offer bribe money to the officials. “Asides from the attempt to shake us down for money without conscience, the fact that this gentleman refused to speak to me about my own property is absolutely disrespectful. Insisting to speak to the “man” in the group is a downright shame.
The government really needs to do something about customs officers…I was speaking to an expatriate just hours before in Paris and he was complaining about his treatment at Nigerian airports. At every single stop, they try to get money off him by cuddle or by force. Corruption has eaten so deep into our core and it is an absolute shame. Our airports need an entire overhaul. From the workers to the actual infrastructure”, Adetiba writes.
These are coming amid strong defence from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that the airport is a public facility and no charge is required from any genuine user to access the facility.
Spokeswoman for FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu in a statement said while the authority confirmed that access might be restricted or controlled some times in order to safeguard Civil Aviation against Acts of unlawful interference in our Airports.
“FAAN advises that all passengers and airport users who might want to transact some business at the airports not to give money to anyone to gain access into the airport and report related cases to appropriate Authorities”, she added.
No non traveller as a rule is allowed to go within the check-in area as they are restricted from accessing the area.
Yet these are the same airports that should act as gateways to all the foreign investments we need to revive a failing economy. These corrupt and decaying airports are being relied on by the Buhari led federal government as the first port of call in a bid to improve a chaotic and corrupt Nigerian business environment.
I have never left the shores of Nigeria without hearing ‘Sir, what do you have for us?’ ‘Anything for the Boys?’ Even students get asked for money for absolutely no reason other that they’re getting checked for boarding. Everyone knows that! FAAN refuting this fact is utterly disgusting. Hiding its head in shame is actually a lot more dignifying.