FG to procure customised screening machines for 5 airports

THE Federal Government is to procure customised explosives and narcotic detection screening system with remote and dual view for five international airports in the country to reduce the stress encountered by passengers.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Chief Festus Keyamo, said this at the end of the Federal  Executive Council meeting on Monday in Abuja.

He  said the contract was coming on the heels of the administration’s concern for the long delay and complaints by passengers using airports across the country.

Keyamo said the machines worth  N3.28 billion would be installed in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu Airports, adding that it had a completion period of 12 months from date of payment.

‘’Since I came to office, we have been inundated with the harrowing experience that passengers go through at the airports  where they have to physically search their bags.

”You see various agencies lined up and they will be dipping their hands into your bags.

READ ALSO:

• Ondo lawmakers plan to appoint Akeredolu’s deputy acting governor today
• Release investigative report on Flight NUA0504 in 10 days – Keyamo directs NSIB
• UNILORIN male staff now to enjoy paternity leave – Registrar

‘’We thought we should do something like you have the TSA in America where you have detection machines so when you pass your bags through their machines,  they detect explosives and any other thing and that’s the end of the search,’’ he said.

Keyamo also said that the council ratified the Bilateral Air Service Agreement with the Republic of Guyana, which was signed in 2014.

He said that the agreement would bring about lesser air travel time for passengers going to European countries.

On the Nigeria Air project, the minister said that the project had been suspended and a report submitted to the president on the next line of action, adding that he would not want to preempt the decision of the president on it.

He, however, disclosed that various issues surrounding the deployment of the airline were appropriately tabled in the report to the president.

Keyamo said at the right time,  Nigerians would be informed of the circumstances of the airline and when a new one would take off.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, said FEC approved the presentation of the Human Rights report of the country to the United Nations.

He said that the report was part of the UN Universal Periodic Report to be presented in February 2024.

‘’Since 2018 we have not made a report and there would be a meeting where all these reports will be submitted in February 2024. It’s just right that we forward the report ahead of that meeting.

‘’After engaging critical stakeholders in each of the six zones of the country, including all the three tiers of government, we compiled a report which we are sending to the United Nations Human Right on Universal Periodic Review for consideration,’’ he said.

Fagbemi said  the report contained certain questions posed by the UN as part of the requirements for the submission of the report.

He said the report contained the status of Nigeria on child employment in armed forces, discrimination against women, especially in terms of inheritance as well as the fight against corruption.

FG to procure customised screening machines for 5 airports

(NAN)

Ondo lawmakers plan to appoint Akeredolu’s deputy acting governor today

Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly are expected to appoint Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as acting governor today.

According to a source in the Assembly, lawmakers will make a judgment on Governor Akeredolu’s continued absence due to ill health on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.

This, according to the lawmaker, was one of the agreements struck at their meeting with President Bola Tinubu last Friday.

“The House plans to sit on Tuesday and Aiyedatiwa may be declared acting governor during the sitting. This is part of the outcome of the meeting with President Tinubu,” he said.

READ ALSO:

• Release investigative report on Flight NUA0504 in 10 days – Keyamo directs NSIB
• UNILORIN male staff now to enjoy paternity leave – Registrar
• OAU student lands in hospital after 58-hour Wash-a-thon

When contacted on the matter, the Speaker of the House, Olamide Oladiji, said he was at a meeting.

“I will let you know whether the meeting will be held tomorrow because we are at a meeting now; after the meeting, I will let you know,” the Speaker told Punch.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no information from the Speaker.

Recall that President Tinubu had met with the leadership of the Assembly and the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo in a bid to resolve the long-drawn political crisis in the state.

The Assembly had, rising from the meeting with Tinubu, said it had dropped the move to impeach the deputy over alleged gross misconduct.

Also, Aiyedatiwa said he would push behind him the events of the past and carry all the stakeholders along.

Ondo lawmakers plan to appoint Akeredolu’s deputy acting governor today

(Punch)

Release investigative report on Flight NUA0504 in 10 days – Keyamo directs NSIB

THE Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has directed the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to release investigative reports on Flight NUA0504 within 10 days.

Keyamo said this on Monday in Abuja during a meeting he held with the leadership of the ministry and Heads of Agencies under the ministry.

United Nigeria Flight NUA0504, operating from MM2 in Lagos en route Abuja on Sunday was temporarily diverted  to the Asaba International Airport, Delta.

Keyamo further told NSIB to deepen efforts to produce its investigative reports on other incidents that happened within the last two weeks.

According to him, the ministry is taking every step to ensure the safety of lives of Nigerians who decide to travel by air.

” For the incidents that happened recently in the country, some are classified as minor, and some serious incidents. But, we did have any fatality.

” However, we have some preliminary steps and precautions steps that we are taking as a ministry and the regulators.

READ ALSO:

• UNILORIN male staff now to enjoy paternity leave – Registrar
• OAU student lands in hospital after 58-hour Wash-a-thon
• Your rank will be permanently withdrawn if you misbehave – AGF warns new SANs

” Because of the incident that happened yesterday, where a flight to Abuja ended up in Asaba. They must have their reports within ten days of what really transpired,” he said.

According to him, the transcript from the tower of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) indicated that the pilot took off from Lagos headed to Asaba not Abuja.

” There was no weather problem yesterday, NiMet’s DG is here. It was a question of wet lease plane. Pilots and the Cabin crew were foreigners.

” They were not familiar with the Nigerian terrain. So, it was purely an issue of in-house administrative issues.

” We have agreed, from now, any wet lease coming into Nigeria must have a Nigerian pilot and Nigerians as its Cabin crew,” he said.

The minister directed the Director-General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority of Nigeria (NCAA) to hold a crucial briefing with all Pilots and Cabin crew of wet lease in Nigeria within 72 hours.

He said he had also ordered NCAA boss to see how law could be enforced whereby passengers get some benefits from the Airlines  when there was flight delays or cancellations.

Release investigative report on Flight NUA0504 in 10 days – Keyamo directs NSIB

(NAN)