Kuku’s charge to airport security agencies, not an indictment – Dati

By Itohan Abara-Laserian

Lagos, Dec. 5, 2024

Yakubu Dati, former Spokesperson, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), says the charge by FAAN’s Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, to airport security personnel is not an indictment but a call for improved professionalism.

Dati, in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, lauded Kuku’s proactive approach to ensuring seamless operations during the upcoming Yuletide season.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that on Dec. 3, Kuku unveiled Operation Clean Air to curb unnecessary delays and enhance passenger experiences during the festive period.

As part of the initiative, she held a meeting with airport security personnel, addressing issues such as overlapping responsibilities and excessive checks conducted by security agencies.

Kuku ordered the immediate dismantling of search tables at screening points and emphasised the use of technology to reduce manual searches and improve passenger interactions.

“Her charge to security personnel is a wake-up call to weed out bad elements and sustain the fresh narrative for better service delivery,” Dati stated.

He further commended the MD’s efforts in challenging security agencies to align with FAAN’s vision of facilitating smoother passenger processing during the Yuletide season.

Dati called on airlines, service providers, and aviation stakeholders to collaborate with FAAN to enhance operations.

He emphasised that Mrs. Kuku’s focus on safety and security could only be achieved through collective efforts and prioritising passenger satisfaction.

“As a team player, Mrs. Kuku and her management team are repositioning the agency to align with the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo’s Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

Dati highlighted the initiative’s goals of improving inter-agency collaboration, streamlining passenger search processes, eliminating extortion and harassment and eradicating touting activities at airports.

He added that intelligence sharing and collaboration among agencies are vital for enhancing service delivery and ensuring a better travel experience for all passengers.