The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has banned protocol officers of government agencies from facilitating trips by their Principals and Officials at airports across the country.
This was disclosed by the Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, during her maiden interactive session with the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) and heads of security agencies under the auspices of the Airport Security Committee, on Monday.
The FAAN MD, in a press statement by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, decried the proliferation of protocol services by personnel of various agencies. She said it should be stopped immediately as it contravenes Executive Order 001 of 2017 of the Federal Government and undermines protocol activities of FAAN Protocol Unit and that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
According to Kuku, the MFA has the sole responsibility of attending to designated government officials and urged agencies to liaise with them when they need to facilitate trips by their Principals/Officials, while the Passenger Support Service (PSS) of FAAN handles corporate organisations as the services were being paid for.
Also, 11 months after shutting down runway 18R/36L at the Lagos Airport, she disclosed that the facility would soon open to airlines for use.
LEADERSHIP reports that runway 18R/36L was shut down in March 2023 for 8 weeks of repair, but the repair has been ongoing for 11 months with no specific fate of reopening
