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Aviation experts applaud House of Reps initiative for a centralized security checks at Int. airports

Aviation experts under the aegis of Aviation RoundTable Safety Initiative (ARTSI) has applauded the House of Representatives for coming up with the idea for the centralisation of security screening checkpoints at the nation’s airport.

Reacting to the recent move by the House of Representatives of a single security point at airports, the experts say, the idea would eliminate the current multiple checks by various security agencies which had been a major embarrassment to the country.

President ART, Dr. Gbenga Olowo in an interview said, despite the Ease-of-Doing-Business scheme of the Federal Government, myriads of security points at the airports had made nonsense of the policy and implementing of the laws had always been the major challenge confronting the nation.

He stressed that, if the current House of Representatives led by its speaker, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, could ensure the implementation of the policy, the image of Nigeria would swell greatly in the comity of nations, while Ease-of-Doing-Business would be achievable.

“The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo came, issued a statement on this matter, the many checkpoints disappeared at a time. I don’t know whether it was gazetted or not. Action has always been our problem. We have discussed many issues and matters, but implementation has always been our problem. If that will be our Christmas gift for 2021 for the sector, get it done and sanitise our airports.”

According to Dr. Olowo, the effort to sanitise the Nigerian airports was a task that must be accomplished by the government.

The ART President stated that, it was necessary for the Federal Government to sanitise the Nigerian airports, stressing that if the Transport Security Administration (TSA) of the United States could centralize security information, Nigeria should not be an exemption.

“All these many checkpoints at our airports, and the ‘what do you have for the boys?’ Give us a bad image non-stop. All these unnecessary compliments at airports, rather than concentrate on the job; check the documents and let the fellow move are unwarranted.”

“But, here, you go through immigration, somebody is in the security team, somebody will check your international passport in and out. World best practices become an issue for us in Nigeria. Why? Are we the only country in the world that has a problem? Best practices are best practices and it is done in other economies. I salute Gbajabiamila and I think he is able to drive this to a good conclusion,” 

The single security point proposed by the House of Representatives was a fallout of the meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, House Committee on Aviation, Committee Chairman on Health,Agric Services and other relevant Committees’ Chairmen which also included the leaderships of all the agencies operating at the airports and the Special Adviser to the President on the Ease of Doing Business, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole.

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