FG to install CCTVs in airports – Minister

Posted by admin Headlines Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

THE Federal Govern ment has concluded plans to install close circuit televisions (CCTV) in all the major airports in the country.

The Minister for Aviation, Mrs Fidelia Njeze, disclosed this in Abuja, while speaking to a group of journalists.

She said the installation was to monitor what came into and went out of Nigerian airports, especially with regard to strengthening security at the airports.

Among other things, she said, the CCTVs would ensure the airports were not used to bring in arms illegally into the country and would also help in monitoring any form of terrorist activity.

The minister was optimistic that the equipment would also raise the level of confidence air passengers had for Nigerian airports.

Mrs Njeze also announced that the ministry intended to remove all obsolete, disused and broken down planes that were packed in many airports in the country, adding that their presence had constituted an embarassment to the airports.

Another project by the ministry, she added, was the purchase of six generators to ensure there was minimal disruption of electricity supply to the airports.

She promised that airline operators on domestic flights would not be allowed to make use of the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as from the end of May.

She also announced that the ministry was planning an Independent power projects for the airports as a more reliable means of guarabteeing steady electricity supply to the airports.

More safety equipment, she disclosed, have been purchased while major airports were being fenced to enhance the safety of the airports adding that more metal detectors and body scanners have been purchased for the airports as part of safety measures.

Mrs. Njeze equally announced that her ministry was working hard to minimize disruption of flights by movement of the presidential planes which had in the past caused flight delays and diversions for air trav ellers whose take off and landing had coincided with that of the presidential planes.

In this direction, the minister said flights would only be delayed for ten minutes before and ten minutes after the presidential planes takes off or lands.

She made it clear that there was no aviation law that bars any other flight from being air bone when the presidential planes are flying.

She also spoke on the face off between her and some concessionaires of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) saying that she only wanted to review their agreement with FAAN which she said, were skied against the government.

-Vanguardwp_posts