FAAN recruits additional 720 staff, bemoans posting of untrained personnel

Biodun Abimbola

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Tuesday said it has received the federal government’s permission to boost its workforce with additional 720 staff.

L-R: Kabiru Yusuf Mohammed, Chief of Staff to Managing Director; Engr Munir Abiola, General Manager, Projects; Hon Silas Agara, Deputy Governor, Dr Ibrahim Idris, Director, Planning Research & Strategy, Alh Tanko Al-Makura Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr Saleh Dunoma, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and Surv Remi Aromiwura, General Manager, Land, Water & Survey during a visit to the Nasarawa State Governor at the State House……..recently

Engineer Saleh Dunoma, Managing Director, FAAN, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of a three day workshop to mark the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2015 Safety Week at the international wing of the airport said the agency’s new intake will mostly be deployed in critical areas around the airside of the airports runways in order to boost safety around the facilities across Nigeria.

Dunoma said as a result of increase in threat to airports and flight operations, the airports management authority is putting appropriate measures and equipment in place to forestall any threat to aircraft operating in and out of the airports.

He urged participants to plan ahead to avoid accident, adding that FAAN places premium value on safety.

Guest Speaker at the event and Director of Airport Operations, FAAN, Capt. Henry Omeogu, explained that the safety week is to provide awareness to stakeholders and travellers on the need to observe safety culture at the airport environment.

Omeogu who also represented FAAN MD frowned at the indiscriminate posting of untrained personnel by the airport authority and airlines to the airside as these personnel are nothing but hazards that may cause serious and regrettable accidents.

The Head of Airport Operations however charged the staff to carry out periodic, daily inspections and audit of movement areas, directing all Airport Managers to urgently set up local runway safety teams to prevent incident of incursion and excursion on the runway.

With the theme ‘Airside Safety, the Very Essence of Aviation’, various speakers harped on the need for constant interface among stakeholders to promote safety around the airside.