Nigeria Content Online

Clearing and
forwarding agents at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO)
premises on Thursday, criticised the Federal Airports Authority of
Nigeria (FAAN) for not being able to provide a cargo village for
employees.

Explaining that
they remit all necessary charges to the authority as at when due, the
clearing agents argued that the airports authority has failed to uphold
its part by making available enabling environment for efficient
delivery of cargo business activities at the Murtala Mohammed
International airport (MMIA), Lagos.

“In a year, we
generate well over N600 million for FAAN and this we endeavoured to
remit promptly, yet FAAN has failed to give us a cargo village or space
for full cargo operations,” said Ambrose Eke, public relations officer
for the Association of Nigerian Customs Licensed Agents (ANCLA) during
a one-day symposium at MMIA with the theme: ‘Promoting a safe and
secure air cargo business in Nigeria.’

Mr. Eke disclosed
that the absence of an approved and constructed cargo shed for workers
at the aviation handling company premises is the sole reason why
workers roam about the vicinity, as they try to find a convenient place
to carry out their business.

The freight
forwarders’ spokesperson maintained that most of the persons seen at
the airport cargo handling section are not miscreants, stressing that
the airports authority is to blame, rather than referring to the
workers as “jobless touts.” “What people see as touts are not all
touts. They don’t have a place to stay, so when the rain falls and
there is sunshine they move around in search of a place to do business
without losing their clients,” he said.

Airports users and
passengers on various occasions have complained of the increasing
number of touts at airports in the country, especially at the Murtala
Mohammed Airport, Lagos. The development has led to series of arrests
by the airport police, as employees at the airport without valid
identification are occasionally apprehended, detained, and arraigned.

Arguing that cargo
sheds are meant to be at airports across the country, Mr. Eke disclosed
that most airports in the world today have cargo villages but there is
none in Nigeria. However, he assured that the association has ensured
that unregistered employees are jettisoned from the airports.

FAAN promises

Assuring the
clearing agents that the authority will look into the matter, Temitope
Tobi, director of operations, FAAN, who represented the managing
director of the authority, Richard Aiseubeogun, said the authority has
taken into cognizance the complain.

“We are being faced with a lot of challenges at FAAN, but I can
assure you that we are going to look into the matter with utmost
concern,” he said.