…says action is irresponsible, unacceptable
GOVERNOR Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, on Tuesday, allegedly refused to allow COVID-19 protocol officers check his temperature as part of guidelines put in place to contain the spread of the virus.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, in a statement, said Fintiri and his entourage did not only refuse to have their temperature checked, they also refused to sanitise their hands and baggage.
This occurred at the domestic wing of the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.
Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State had also reportedly slapped a Kano airport official for not excluding him from the enforcement of the COVID-19 protocols.
Guidelines released by the airport authorities, ahead of the resumption of flights, had included mandatory temperature checks for all passengers and had been strict on the access of VIPs’ aides to the airport.
While describing the action of the governor and his entourage as “irresponsible”, the Authority noted that the government officials who came to receive Fintiri and his team on Tuesday drove right through the barricades, up to the terminal building, ignoring traffic and Aviation Security instructions.
The statement said, “The Management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria hereby strongly condemns the conduct of the Governor of Adamawa State, Alh Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who arrived Port Harcourt International Airport aboard aircraft 5N-IZY, at 17:08 hrs on 14th July 2020 with 8 others, and who flagrantly refused to observe the Airport Security and Public Health protocols as directed by the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 by refusing to have his temperature checked, or being sanitised by the health officials.
“His whole entourage of 8 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.
“This irresponsible act endangers all other airport users, 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.”
