The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reeled out details of how Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State flouted COVID-19 public health protocols at Port Harcourt International Airport on Tuesday.
It said that the governor, with eight others, refused to observe the Airport Security and Public Health protocols as directed by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 by refusing to have his temperature checked, or being sanitised by the health officials.
According to the statement, his whole entourage of eight did exactly as he did.
“The team that came to receive them drove right through the barricades up to the terminal building ignoring traffic and Aviation Security instructions,” the statement said.
Daily Trust reports that the Tuesday’s incident was the second to be reported of Very Important Persons (VIP) violating the COVID-19 protocols put in place in the wake of the reopening of airports.
The first was on Saturday when a former Zamfara State governor, AbdulAziz Yari, reportedly assaulted an official, who was trying to disinfect his bag at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.
FAAN fumes
The Managing Director of FAAN, Capt. Hamisu Yadudu had decried the two incidents which he said would not be taken lightly.
However, in a statement posted on one of its social media pages on Thursday, FAAN “strongly” condemned the conduct of Governor Fintiri, who arrived Port Harcourt International Airport aboard aircraft 5N-IZY, at 17:08 hrs on 14th July 2020.
FAAN described the governor’s action as ‘irresponsible’ which endangers all other airport users, saying it is unacceptable, and as such it has also been duly escalated.
“FAAN hereby cautions all airport users, especially our esteemed VIPs, to please respect the Presidential directive by observing airport Security and Public Health travel protocols put in place to protect all air travellers against acts of unlawful interference, infection and the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement added.
