MD Of Nigerian Airports Authority, FAAN Splashes 200Million On Official Vehicle, Refuses To Buy Patrol Cars As Airports Face Theft, Security Threats

About N200 million was released for the purchase of the Toyota Land Cruiser 70th Anniversary Edition which was approved by Mohammed as his official vehicle, according to sources.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Mr Kabir Yusuf Mohammed has acquired a sport utility vehicle that reportedly cost about N200 million as his official car while airports are in dire need of patrol vehicles.

About N200 million was released for the purchase of the Toyota Land Cruiser 70th Anniversary Edition which was approved by Mohammed as his official vehicle, according to sources.

“It is not supposed to be this much, that money is what they are supposed to spend on getting patrol vehicles and all that all over Nigeria.

“Not just for the Lagos airport alone but other airports too under FAAN.

“He is not the airport manager, he is FAAN MD, so this so much money in his official vehicle when there are no patrol vehicles is also ridiculous. That is how much FAAN spends getting an official vehicle and he is the one that approves the money,” a source said.

Meanwhile, the procurement of the vehicle comes despite his refusal to buy patrol vehicles for airport security despite the security threats facing airports across the country, especially the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

SaharaReporters recently reported that thieves stole airfield lighting systems at the airport runway.

Although it is not clear exactly when the theft took place, the stolen lighting systems on the domestic runway 18/36L of the airport, were reportedly reinstalled in November 2022, just about eight months before the vandalisation.

The lighting systems enabled planes to use the runway at night so the theft caused a national embarrassment.

A source had told SaharaReporters that the criminals took advantage of the fact that the runway had been closed for months for maintenance to steal the lighting system.

The source blamed a “syndicate” of workers at the airport along with “accomplices from outside” for a series of thefts.

SaharaReporters reliably gathered that the management of the MMA had in several memos made several recommendations that were ignored.

For instance, sources told SaharaReporters that the MMA had urged the FAAN to clear vegetation along the perimeter stretches from the Diplomatic Carpark to the NAHCO Complex for a clear view but they did not heed the recommendation.

It was learned that the management recommended repairing and rebuilding dilapidated and collapsed portions of the perimeter fence to the standard height with anti-climbing wire topping.

“Also, this was ignored,” one of the sources told SaharaReporters.

“FAAN was also asked to reinforce drainage canals at Cement and Orisumbare with burglar-proof materials but as usual, nothing was done,” one of the sources had said.

“The recommendations include dismantling the make-shift bridge at the Ajao axis and reconstructing the drainage canal but to date, they were not attended to.”

However, despite the plethora of security challenges facing airports across the country, the FAAN MD/CEO approved the purchase of a multi-million-naira Toyota Land Cruiser 70th Anniversary Edition, one of the sources lamented to SaharaReporters on Friday.

“If you look very well, you will see the 70th Anniversary Edition written on the vehicle and this went for as much as N200 million,” said the source.

The inside source regretted that despite a significant personnel shortage, the Managing Director of FAAN has consistently asserted that the security department is not lacking in manpower.

Lamenting the worrying situation, he said, “The situation has worsened to the extent that security personnel has been labouring for 12-hour shifts without compensation for more than two years, a violation of their employment terms. Initially scheduled for 6-hour shifts, these staff members have had to double their working hours to compensate for the insufficient workforce.”

He maintained that the issues that led to the suspension of certain staff members had not been unaddressed yet.

“These include inadequate lighting at the ramp, collapsed fences, and rampant overgrown vegetation that could provide cover for criminals,” the source said.

Mohammed, who assumed the role of MD of FAAN following the tenure of one former aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, who is under fire for alleged corruption in the ministry and the prosecution of the Nigeria Air project, was criticised by sources for his management of FAAN.

This explains why he has resisted appointing a permanent Regional /Airport Manager to oversee the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

“This deliberate action aims to manipulate the airport’s resources for personal gain,” one of the sources said.

Another source told SaharaReporters that the main reasons for Mohammed’s refusal to provide sufficient manpower are:

“To conceal the lopsided hiring orchestrated by the former Minister of Aviation, who recruited about 1,000 members of staff into the fire and security departments and stationed them in underutilized airports. This skewed recruitment favoured candidates from those airports with minimal operations.

“The MD lacks an understanding of the minimum staff requirements set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for staffing security checkpoints like screening points.

“While a minimum of six personnel is necessary to operate a single X-ray machine and walk-through metal detector, instances arise where only three or two security staff members are assigned to multiple machines.

“To challenge the MD’s presumed expertise, it’s crucial to investigate the allocation of security personnel in Lagos across all security posts based on both 6-hour and 12-hour shifts to assess coverage adequacy.

“The MD’s actions aim to shield the management, including his own office, from allegations related to the theft of airfield lighting equipment at MMIA. Disregarding reports from the Airport Security Council (ASC) and the Department of State Services that exonerated suspended staff, the MD persists in forming additional committees to implicate the suspended staff, all to secure his position.

“The truth behind the theft of the airfield lighting equipment indicates a comprehensive management failure due to negligence within the management, including the MD’s office.

“Despite the airport lacking appropriate patrol vehicles for security, the MD allocated substantial funds to acquire state-of-the-art SUV for himself and his allies within the system, amounting to millions of naira.”

The source also claimed that the FAAN MD has developed the habit of disrespecting staff members and disregarding the FAAN Condition of Service.

Background

In July, SaharaReporters reported that almost two months after the embarrassing theft of runway lighting systems at the Lagos airport was detected, the airport still relied on one patrol vehicle for the facility.

SaharaReporters gathered that despite being the only functional patrol vehicle in the facility, it was not in good shape.

Sources had also told SaharaReporters that eight vehicles meant for operation at the airport were not functional.

“These are Micra O1, Micra O2, Toyota 03, Hilux 216, Hilux 130, Hilux 965, Hilux 148, and Innoson 346. The lighting systems they stole from the airport runway can be taken to another airport to be used there.

“There is only one patrol vehicle working currently and it is not in good shape. It has the problem of oil shortage so every now and then or after some kilometres, they have to add some engine oil.

“Airport managers or any person who chooses to spend money to fix some of the issues are not refunded by FAAN. I know someone who said he cannot continue to buy oil because he was not refunded for the ones he bought.

“There are two Corolla cars for escort and receiving but they are the right kind of vehicles to use for that. They are also in bad shape. Vehicles used for escort and receiving in airports around the world are powerful and heavy vehicles that are low like Ferrari. They should give us new patrol vehicles.

“At least, the airport should have eight patrol vehicles for efficient patrol. The local terminal has no patrol vehicle. The only functional vehicle is the international airport. The perimeter fence is porous yet we make money in dollars,” one of the sources had said.

However, efforts to reach the FAAN MD were not successful as he neither answered his calls nor replied to the messages sent to his mobile lines.

But in an interview with SaharaReporters in July, Mr Mohammed admitted that his investigation also showed there was only one functional patrol vehicle at the airport, but blamed the airport manager for the situation.

Mohammed said, “Who runs the airport? The airport manager runs the airport. I was an airport manager for 14 months; the headquarters didn’t repair patrol vehicles for me. It is the responsible of the manager to repair them.

“So if at a particular point in time, the vehicles are bad, is it the responsibility of the FAAN MD to repair them for him? Every month, the airport gets maintenance allocation which the airport manager is supposed to use to maintain his vehicles. As I speak to you, six vehicles out of his operational vehicles have been identified to be grounded and not working. Is it me at the headquarters at the MD’s level that will go and repair vehicles for him? The answer is a definite no.

“Yes, as you may have confirmed, the aviation security probably has only one vehicle they are using as of today but the airport chief of security who is in charge of security has a vehicle attached to him. The airport manager has a vehicle attached to him. Aviation security vehicles have broken down and they have only one that is operational.

“So while I am not disputing that their vehicles have broken down, please you be the judge, is it the Managing Director that is supposed to go to the airport and repair them? And is it that they don’t have the funds? Every month, they get maintenance allocation for the maintenance of vehicles and other things inside their airports.”

When asked why no action was taken if the airport manager was considered to be incompetent, Mohammed said, “Till you get into the airport and see something wrong, that is when you take the action.

“And when you take the action, the people now say you are being biased because you didn’t do so and so for them; that is why you are doing that. In your report, they said we suspended some aviation security officers to cover up. What do we want to cover up? Do we want to cover up that they did not do their work?

“Now as I speak with you today, from the headquarters, I have already asked people to go and investigate. The six vehicles that I told have broken down, they were not even the ones that brought the information to me. It is my own people that went to investigate and found out that those vehicles had broken down.

“I have asked them to take those vehicles out of the airport to Ladipo (auto market) to go and repair them. So as a regulatory body, I have done what I’m expected to do but also remember that it is not only their airport that I have to manage. But even at that knowing the importance of Lagos airport, I went ahead and did all the necessary things I was supposed to do.”