Friday 28 December 2012

Jonathan orders tight security at nation’s airports




By KINGSLEY OMONOBI
…As FAAN allays fear of insecurity at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport
President Goodluck Jonathan has directed tight security measures in and around all Airports in the country in order to forestall any possible attack at the nation’s airports, even as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria , FAAN, has maintained that there were no security threats at Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport during the Christmas celebration.
Also, soldiers and other security agencies have been put on red alert to forestall any attack from the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
Army spokesman, Bridadier General Mobolaji Koleoso, who disclosed this, said that all security agencies have been put on 24-hour surveillance.
General Koleoso said that more successes are being recorded through the mounting of roadblocks and stop and search operations as many arms and ammunitions and suspects have been arrested.
He said that Nigerians should appreciate what the security agencies are doing even though it is causing delays on the highways, but it is for the interest of Nigerians.
On when the roadblocks will be removed, General Koleoso simply answered, “When the president directs”.
However, informed military sources revealed that officers and men of the Armed Forces were not granted pass to travel during the Christmas and the New Year.
Murtala Mohammed Airpot, Lagos
Murtala Mohammed Airpot, Lagos
According to the source, the signal released by Defence Headquarters directed all officers and soldiers to remain on their duty posts during the yuletide festivities.
On the retirement of the 36 Generals and 15 Colonels, the Army spokesman stated that the terms and conditions of service of the Army stipulates that at the age of 56 years as a Major General, “You must be prepared to go home”.
Also, at the age of 52 as a Brigadier General, “and you are not promoted to Major General, you must be prepared to go home”.
The conditions also stipulates that six months to your attainment of the age of 56, you must put in for voluntary retirement, failure to do that, the Army Council will retire you compulsorily.
Why there is so much acrimony over the retirement is that some generals wanted a year extension which can only be granted by the President and Commander-In-Chief but were all turned down.
…As FAAN allays fear of insecurity at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Friday said there were no security threats at Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport during the Christmas celebration. Mr Henry Ofobi, FAAN’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) at the airport made this known to newsmen in Abuja.
He said that this was due to the tight security measures put in place by the authority, adding that it would continue through the New Year. Ofobi reassured airport users of tight security during and after the yuletide.
He said that passengers and other airport users had free and safe movements during the period compared with the level of crime recorded in 2011 and previous years.
Although, he did not release statistics to back up his statement, Ofobi said that many security measures had been put in place by Ms Stella Oduah, the Minister of Aviation. He stressed that the measures were to ensure that no security threat was experienced at the airports across the country.
He added that transactions were conducted in a smooth manner, adding that the kind of stress that passengers normally experienced at this period was absent. “This is due to the remodeling of the airports initiated by the minister.
Vanguard

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